The V O Y 
Trap ic 'of Capricorn which paffes through the Midft of 
■Nfty Holland , is the moil unwholfome and difagreeable 
Part of this Country ; the Reafon of which is very plain : 
For in thofe Parts it muft be exceffively hot, much more 
fo than under the Line itfelf, fince the Days and Nights are 
there always equal ; whereas, within three or four Degrees 
of the Tropic of Capricorn , that is to fay, in the Latitude 
of 2p 5 South, the Days are thirteen Hours and a half long ; 
and the Sun is twice in their Zenith, firft in the Beginning 
of December , or rather in the latter End of November •, and 
again when it returns back, which occafions a burning Heat 
for about two Months, or fomething more *, whereas, ei- 
ther farther to the South, or nearer to the Line, the Cli- 
mate muft be equally wholfome and pleafant. 
As to the Product and Commodities of this Country in 
general, there is the greateft Reafon in the World to be- 
lieve, that they are extremely rich and valuable, becaufe the 
richeft and fineft Countries in the known World lie all of 
them within the fame Latitude. But to return from Con- 
jectures to Fads : The Country difcovered by de Qairos, 
makes a Part of this great Ifland, and is the oppofite Coaft 
to that of Carpentaria. This Country, of which we have 
given a large Account in the tenth Sedion, the Difcoverer 
called la Aufiralia del Efpiritu Santo , in the Latitude of 
15 0 40' South ; and, as he reports, it abounds with Gold, 
Silver, Pearl, Nutmegs, Mace, Ginger, and Sugar-canes, 
of an extraordinary Size. I do not wonder, that formerly 
the Fad might be doubted, but at prefent I think there is 
fufficient Reafon to induce us to believe it : For Captain 
Dumpier defcribes the Country about Cape St. George and 
Port Mount ague , which are within 9 0 of the Country de- 
fcribed by de ghiros I fay. Captain Dumpier defcribes 
what he faw in the following Words : 4 The Country 
4 hereabouts is mountainous and woody, full of rich Val- 
4 leys, and pleafant frefh-water Brooks ; the Mould in the 
4 Vallies is deep and yellowifh, that on the Sides of the 
4 Hills of a very brown , Colour, and not very deep, but 
4 rocky underneath ; yet excellent planting Land 4 the 
4 Trees in general are neither very ftrait, thick, nor tall ; yet 
4 appear green and pleafant enough : Some of them bear 
4 Flowers, fbme Berries, and others big Fruits, but all un- 
4 known to any of us ; Cocoa-nut-trees thrive very well 
4 here, as well on the Bays by the Sea-fide, as more remote 
4 among the Plantations. The Nuts are of an indifferent 
4 Size, the Milk and Kernel very thick and pleafant. Here 
4 are Ginger, Yams, and other very good Roots for the 
4 Pot, that our Men faw and tailed ; what other Fruits or 
4 Roots the Country affords, I know not. Here are Hogs 
4 and Dogs •, other Land Animals we faw none ; the Fowls 
4 we faw and knew were Pigeons, Parrots, Cocadores, and 
6 Crows, like thofe in England ; a fort of Birds about the 
4 Bignefs of a Black-bird, and fmaller Birds many. The 
4 Sea and Rivers have Plenty of Fifh •, we faw abundance, 
4 though we catched but few ; and thefe were Cavallies, 
4 Yellow-tails, and Whip-wreys/ 
This Account is grounded only on a very flight View, 
whereas de ghiiros relided for fome time in the Place he has 
mentioned. In another Place Captain Da?npier obferves, 
that he faw Nutmegs amongft them, which feetned to be 
frefh-gathered *, all which agrees perfectly with the Account 
given by de Efuiros. Add to this, that Schovten had like- 
wife obferved, that they had Ginger upon this Coaft, and 
fome other Spices fo that, on the Whole, there feems not 
the leaft Reafon to doubt, that if any Part of this Country 
was fettled, it muft be attended with a very rich Commerce : 
For it cannot be fuppofed, that all thefe Writers fhould be 
either miftaken, or that they fhould concur in a Defign to 
impofe upon their Readers ; which is the lefs to be fu- 
fpeded, if we conftder how well their Reports agree with 
the Situation of the Country ; and that the Trees on the 
Land, and the Fifh on the Coaft, correfponding exactly 
with the Trees of thofe Countries, and the Filh on the 
Coafts, where thefe Commodities are known to abound 
within-land, feern to intimate a perfect Conformity through- 
out. 
The next Thing to be conftdered is, the Poftibility of 
planting in this Part of the World ; which, at firft Sight, I 
muft confefs, feems to be attended with confiderable Diffi- 
culties with rdpecfc to every other Nation except the Dutch , 
AGES of Book 1. 
Who, either from Batavia , the Molucca 's , of even from the 
Cape of Good Hope , might with Eafe fettle themfelves 
where-ever they thought fit. As, however, they have neg- 
leded this for above a Century, there feems to be no Rea- 
fon, why their Conduft in this refped fh ould become the 
Rule of other Nations ; or why any other Nation fhould 
be apprehenfive of drawing on herlelf the Difpleafure of 
the Dutch , by endeavouring to turn to their Benefit, Coun- 
tries the Dutch have fo long fuffered to lie, with refped to 
Europe , wafte and defert. 
The firft Point, with refpect to a Difcovery, would be, 
to fend a Email Squadron on the Coaft of Van Diemen 3 s 
Land , and from thence round, in the fame' Courfe taken 
by Captain Eafman , by the Coaft of New Guiney •, which 
might enable the Nations that attempted it, to come yo an 
abfolute Certainty with regard to its Commodities and Com- 
merce. Such a Voyage as this might be performed! with 
very great Eafe, and at a frnall Expence, by our Eqfi India^ 
Company, and this in the Space of eight or nine Months 
time •, and, confidering what mighty Advantages might ac- 
crue to the Nation, there feems to be nothing harfh or im“~ ' 
probable, in fuppofing that, fome time or other, when the 
Legiflature is more than ufually intent on Affairs of Com- 
merce, they may be directed to make ftich an Expedition 
at the Expence of the Public. By this means ail the back 
Coaft of New Holland , and New Guiney, might be - tho- 
roughly examined ; and we might know as well, and as 
certainly, as the Dutch , how far a Colony fettled there 
might anfwer our Expectations. One Thing is certain, 
that to Perfons ufed to the Navigation of the Indies , inch an 
Expedition could not be thought either dangerous or diffi- 
cult •, becaufe it is already fufficiently known, that there are 
every-where Elands upon the Coaft, where Ships, upon fuch 
a Difcovery, might be fare to meet with Refrefhments • as 
is plain from Commodore Roggeweiris Voyage, made lit- 
tle more than twenty Years- ago. 
The only Difficulty that I can fee, would be the getting 
a fair and honeft Account of this Expedition, when made ; 
for private Inter-eft is fo apt to intertere, and get the better 
of the public Service, that it is very hard to be fure of any- 
thing of this fort. That I may not be fufpeded of any 
Intent to calumniate, I ffiall put the Reader in mind of 
two Inftances : The firft is, as to the new Trade from 
Ruffia , for eftabliffiing of which an Ad of Parliament was 
with great Difficulty obtained, though vifibly for the Ad- 
vantage of the Nation : The other Inftance is, the Voyage 
of Captain Middleton , for the Difcovery of a North- weft 
Paffage into the South Seas ; which is ended by a very warm 
Difpute, whether that Paffage be found or not, the Perfon 
fuppofed to have found it maintaining the Negative. 
Whenever, therefore, fuch an Expedition is undertaken, 
it ought to be under the Diredion, not only of a Perfon 
of Parts and Experience, but of unfpotted Charader, 
who, on his Return, ffiould be obliged to deliver his Jour- 
nal upon Oath ; and the principal Officers under him ffiould 
likewife be direded to keep their Journals diftindly, and 
without their being infpeded by the principal Officer ; all 
which Journals ought to be publiffied by Authority as foon 
as received, that every Man might be at Liberty to examine 
them, and deliver his Thoughts as to the Difcoveries made, 
or the Impediments fuggefted to have hindered or prevented 
fuch Difcoveries ; by which means the Public would be fure 
to obtain a full and diftind Account of the Matter. And 
it would thence immediately appear, whether it would be 
expedient to profecute the Defign or not. 
But if it fhould be thought too burdenfome for a Com- 
pany in fo fiouri fifing a Condition, and confequently en- 
gaged in fo extenfive a Commerce as the Eafi India Com- 
pany is, to undertake fuch an Expedition, merely to ferve 
the Public, promote the Exportation of our Manufactures, 
and increafe the Number of induftrious Perfons, who are 
maintained by foreign Trade. If this, I fay, fiiould bb 
thought too grievous for a Company, that has purchafed 
her Privileges from the Public, by a large Loan at low 
Intereft, there can certainly be no Objection to the putting 
this Projed into the Hands of the Royal African Com- 
pany, who are not quite in fo flourififing a Condition*. 
They have equal Opportunities for undertaking it, fince 
the Voyage might be with much Eafe performed from their 
Settlements' 
