36 



PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OP PERU. 



difficulty, have imagined new lands beneath the antar6lic 

 polar circle, and have endeavoured to support their hypotheses 

 by the discoveries of Hawkins, Brovers, De La Roche, &c. 

 With what enthusiasm are they not described by Maupertuis ! 

 and what advantages does he not prognosticate to the hero of 

 the north, provided he should undertake to achieve the con- 

 quest of them ! This philosopher may be aptly compared to 

 Anaxarchus the Abderite, whose ravings excited the ambition, 

 and drew forth the tears of Alexander *. The author of the 

 discourse prefixed to the voyage of M. Bougainville to the Mal- 

 vine Isles, estimates the superficies of the rare continent in 

 question at ten millions of square miles — an extent greater by 

 a million of square miles than that of all the countries hitherto 

 known-j- . When the immortal Cook approached to ascertain 

 its existence, it vanished like a phantom. The immense and 

 fertile plains of New Zealand will be found to be nothing 

 more than a few small and inclement isles. 



In recording the real benefits by which we are surrounded, 

 we shall not have recourse to vague or chimerical ideas. The 



* Dignum fieri existimans, quod cum mundi sint infiniti, nondum uniusdominus 

 foret. Plut. de tranq. an. 



t The earth is a sphere, the Equator of which consists of 360 degrees ; conse- 

 quently, allowing to each degree twenty-five leagues, the result will give to its cir- 

 cumference 9000 ; and as the ratio of the diameter to its circumference is nearly as 

 one to three, the diameter of the earth may be estimated at 3000 leagues. The su- 

 perficies of a sphere is obtained by multiplying the circumference of its greater circles 

 by its diameters ; therefore, by multiplying 3000 by 9000, it will be found to con- 

 tain a superficies of about twenty-seven millions of square leagues, deducing the 

 curvature of the mountains. On a comparison of the continents and habitable islands 

 with the seas, it will appear that they scarcely occupy the third part of the globe ; 

 consequently, their entire superficies should be about nine millions of square leagues. 



enormous 



