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a clutter of inhabited iflands, unknown 
to them and to the whole world. 
Docs it not fecm that at certain pe- 
riods a fpirit of difcovery arifes, which 
excites univerfal emulation in different 
parts of the world? We are naturally led 
into this train of thinking, when we con- 
sider, that, formerly, when the new he- 
mifphere of America was difcovered by 
the Spaniards, the Portuguefe and Dutch 
began, at the fame time, to think of na- 
vigating from Europe to the Eaft Indies. 
It is equally remarkable, that the Art of 
making Gunpowder was difcovered in 
Germany, on the Danube, jufl at the 
time when the Art of Printing was found 
out on the Rhine, and when Literature 
and the Polite Arts were revived in Italy, 
after they had lain dormant for fo many 
centuries. 
About 
