JAMES COOK 63 
the following extract obviously based on the epistle of 
Arias which he had discovered and translated as an 
important document. 
“ The American colonies are generally supposed to con- 
tain two millions of people, whose commerce with Britain 
is thought to give them an over-ruling influence. The 
number of inhabitants in the Southern Continent is prob- 
ably more than 50 millions, considering the extent, 
from the eastern part discovered by Juan Fernandez, to 
the western coast seen by Tasman, is about 100 deg. of 
longitude, which in the latitude of 40 deg. amounts to 
4596 geographic, or 5323 statute miles. This is a 
greater extent than the whole civilised part of Asia, from 
Turkey to the eastern extremity of China. There is at 
present no trade from Europe thither, though the scraps 
from this table would be sufficient to maintain the power, 
dominion, and sovereignty of Britain, by employing all 
its manufacturers and ships.” 
Hawkesworth’s account of Cook’s First Voyage was 
published in three quarto volumes in 1773, and Dal- 
rymple not caring to attack Cook directly, immediately 
fell upon the conscientious though infelicitous editor 
with a letter “ occasioned by some groundless and illiberal 
imputations ” made in the work. Hawkesworth replied 
in the preface to the second edition, and Dalrymple re- 
sponded with a force and vivacity that may be appre- 
ciated from an extract: 
“ Altho’ I believe in Providence, I am not a Roman 
Catholic to give my confidence into the keeping of Dr. 
Hawkesworth, or any other Doctor; nor do I think my- 
self bound to avoid every man whose conduct and be- 
haviour, in certain instances, I condemn : altho’ the death 
of an Indian unnecessarily may appear to me murder , 
