S2 A DISCOÜRSE, &C. 



Stript copj of an origiual work of the cele* 

 brated lïmnphius, 



I fear I have alrêadj detained jou too long in 

 thüs pai tic ulari zing the present state of these 

 Islandsj considering' that however inteiesting 

 and important thej' maj be^ as I ving contiguous 

 to the seat of our deliberatioiis^ ^hej embrace 

 bat^ small poitioAi of the exteasive tract, which 

 lajs open to the Society, evea withia the range 

 that I am dcsirous of defining, To enter upoa 

 the whole^ otherwise than generalijn would be 

 ibreign to the object of the present discourse, 

 and I am far from being competent to undertake 

 thetask; but while I hastily pass over New 

 Guinea and New Holland, vvith the immerous 

 islands of the Southern seas, reserving the ob- 

 servations which occur on these for a future oc- 

 casion, I cannot refrain from noticing the rapid 

 progress of the European settlements in the more 

 Southern par(s of New Holland, and aiiticipat- 

 ing the practicability of obtaining, in concert 

 vvith men of research in that quarter, earl j and 

 interesting information on raanj important points 

 which stiii remain doubtful. 



Much has been said and collected bj Mr. 

 Dalrymple on the Sulu Islands, and on the large 

 Island of JMindanaivioï Majindauau, but ii must 



