107 — 
one of the Comoro group, or some rock to the Southward of 
them, and should be, according to the ancient Portuguese 
charts, placed between Quiloa and Mozambique. Some set 
down two different islands for Juan de Nova; but the island 
between Madagascar and Africa is that usually accepted as 
Juan de Nova ; it is quite clear, however, that the early navi- 
gators, such as Juan de Nova, Mascarenhas, Acunha etc. were 
in the habit of giving their names to different islands. Such 
gentlemen, are a few observations on this obscure point ; the 
maps which will reach you next month, and which are of 
great rarity, will be an additional confirmation ; but the whole 
of the early Portuguese portion of Mauritian history requires 
to be re-written. 
I remain, gentlemen, very truly yours, 
James MORRIS, 
8 Gt. Ormond street, Queen Square, 
19th December 1860. 
To the President and Members of the Royal Society 
of Arts and Sciences. 
Gentlemen, 
Since my last communication, I have carefully examined 
four important Portuguese Historians at whose disposal, for 
the purpose of composing their various histories, tho whole of 
the papers preserved in the Archives of Portugal were placed. 
Little relating to early Portuguese history may be supposed 
to remain in Lisbon and elsewhere which has not been seen 
by the historians of whose works I am about to speak. In 
addition to this I have been allowed to inspect and have co- 
pied some of the unique and rare maps in the collection of 
the British Museum, and I have received some valuable in- 
formation from the learned Curator of that department, whose 
admirable work on early Australian History has already been 
published by the Hakluyt Society. All the information I 
