INTRODUCTION. 
obferved, was offered to the Public under the double claim 
of Novelty and Authenticity . It is therefore incumbent on 
me to mention on what ground thefe claims are fupported. 
The iflands in queftion were probably firft noticed by 
fome of the Spaniards of the Philippines, and by them 
named the Palos Islands; the tall palm-trees, which 
grow there in great abundance, having at a diftance the ap¬ 
pearance of maifs of fhips —-That this was the origin of 
their name is rendered Hill more probable, as the Spaniards 
gave the fame appellation to all the numerous iflands of this 
Archipelago, the far greater part of which are now known 
by the name of the New Carolines, 
In the Lettres Edifientes et Curieufes , written by the JeJ'uit 
MiJJionaries , may be found feveral letters, which, from their 
titles, feem to have a reference to, and which might be 
thought to relate to the duller of iflands which are the fub- 
jed of the prefent Work ; but whoever perufes them, with 
attention, will inflantly fee that they relate folely to the New 
Carolines, which were difcovered about the year 1696, as 
may be feen by the letter of Father Paul Clain, dated 
from Manilla , 10 th of June 1697 t.—But even the accounts 
given by him of the New Carolines, were not in confe- 
quence of any Spaniards having been there, but merely fuch 
as he had received from fome of their inhabitants, who, ven¬ 
turing too far to fea, had been driven by a dorm to one of the 
* Palos , in the Spanijh language, nautically applied, denoting a mail, 
f Lettres Edifientes et Curieufes , vol. i. page 112. 
a 
Phil- 
