258 STORY OF A LOST ARCHIPELAGO. 



which was read before the French Academy of Sciences in De- 

 cember, 176G, and January, 17G7, gave a translation of the account 

 given by Figueroa of Mendana's discovery of tlie Solomon Islands ; 

 but he did not throw much new light on their supposed position. 



Whilst the attention of geographers was thus once more directed 

 towards this part of the Pacific, the two English voyages of circum- 

 navigation under Commodore Byron and Captain Carteret^ supplied 

 them with information, which pointed to the correctness of the view 

 of the old cartographers that the Solomon Islands la}'- to the east, 

 and not far removed from New Guinea. That Commodore Byron, 

 when sailing in the supposed latitude of these islands in 1765, 

 expected to fall in with them more towards the centre of the Pacific, 

 is shown by the circumstance that he at first believed one of the 

 islands of the group, subsequently named the Union Group, to be 

 the Malaita of the Spaniards, an island which actually lay more 

 than 1500 miles to the westward. However, he continued his 

 course in the track of the missing group, until he reached the longi- 

 tude of 176° 20' E. in latitude 8° 13' S., a position more than 800 

 miles to the eastward of that assigned to the Solomon Islands in his 

 chart. Giving up the search, Commodore Byron steered northward 

 to cross the equator, and ultimately shaped his course for the 

 Ladrones. His remark in reference to his want of success augured 

 ill for the future discovery of the Solomon Group, since he doubted 

 whether the Spaniards had left behind any account by which it 

 might be found by future navigators. 



In August, 1766, another expedition consisting of two ships, 

 the "Dolphin," and the "Swallow," under the command of Captain 

 Wallis, and Captain Carteret, sailed from Plymouth with the object 

 of making further discoveries in the southern hemisphere. After a 

 stormy passage through the Straits of Magellan, the two ships were 

 separated just as they were entering the South Sea. This accidental 

 circumstance proved fortunate in its results for geographical science, 

 as each vessel steered an independent course. Whilst Captain 

 Wallis in the " Dolphin " was exploring the coasts of Tahiti, Captain 

 Carteret in the " Swallow " followed a track more to the southward, 

 and ultimately brought back to Europe tidings of the long lost 

 lands of Mendana and Quiros. In July, 1767, Captain Carteret 

 being in 167° W. long, and 10° S. lat., kept his course westward in 

 the same parallel " in hopes " — as he remarks — " to have fallen in 



^ Hawkesworth's Voyages (vol. I.) contains the accounts of these expeditions. 



