ISLANDS OF THE SOUTH SEA, 

 AND LATE DISCOVERIES. 



OUR knowledge of the globe has been considerably augmented 

 by many late discoveries, and especially by those that have been 

 made by British navigators in the present reign, which have been 

 numerous and important. Of these discoveries we shall here give 

 a compendious account. 



OTAHEITE, OR KING GEORGE'S ISLAND. 



THIS island was discovered by captain Wallis, in the Dolphin,* on 

 the 19th of June, 1767. It is situate between the 17th degree 28 



* The Dolphin was sent out under the command of captain Wallis, with the 

 Swallow, commanded by captain Carteret, at the expence of the British govern- 

 ment, in August 1766, in order to make discoveries in the Southern Hemisphere. 

 These vessels proceeded together, till they came within sight of the South Sea, 

 st the western entrance of the Strait of Magellan, and from thence returned by 

 different routes to England. On the 6th of June 1767, captain Wallis discovered 

 an island, about four miles long and three wide, to which he gave the name of 

 Whitsun-Island, it being discovered on Whitsun-eve. lis latitude is 19 degrees 26 

 minutes south, and its longitude 137 degrees 56 minutes west. The next day he 

 discovered another island, to which he gave the name of Queen Charlotte's Island. 

 The inhabitants of this island, captain Wallis says, were of a middle stature, dark 

 complexion, and long black hair, which hung loose over their shoulders- The 

 men were well made, and the women handsome. Their clothing was a kind of 

 coarse cloth or matting, which was fastened about their middle, and seemed ca- 

 pable of being brought up round their shoulders. This island is about six miles 

 Swig, and one mile wide, and lies in latitude 19 degrees 18 minutes south, and 

 longitude 138 degrees 4 minutes west. In the space of a few days after, he also 

 discovered se^eral other small islands, to which he gave the names of Egmont 

 Jiland, Gloucester Island, Cumberland Hand, Prince William Henry's Island, and 

 Csnaburgh Island. 



On the 19th of the same month he discovered the island of Otaheite ; and after 

 I ; had quitted that island, he discovered, on the 28th of July 1767, another 

 & about six miles long, which he called Sir Charles Saunders's Island ; and 

 en the 30th of the same month, another about ten miles long and four broad, 

 trhieh he called Lord Howe's Island. After having discovered some other small 

 ?~?ands, one of which was named Wallis's Island, he arrived at Batavia on the 

 of November ; at the Cape of Good Hope on the 4th of February, 1768; 

 sod his ship anchored safely in the Downs on the 20th of May following. 



Captain Carteret, in the Swallow, after he had parted with captain Wallis in the 



Dolphin, having passed through the Straits of Magellan, and made some stay at 



island of Massafuero, discovered, on the 2d of July, 1767, an island about 



J.-e miles in circumference, to which he gave the name of Pitcairn's Island. It 



}-et in latitude 25dearrees 2 minutes south longitude, 133 degrees 21 minutes west, 



