POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
3 
the first voyage ever made round the worlds returned to 
Europe: but the intrepid commander of the expedition 
terminated his life 'without reaching his original destina- 
tion_, having been killed in a quarrel with the natives 
of one of the Philippine Islands. 
Several distinguished Spanish^ Dutch^ and British 
navigators followed the adventurous course of Magellan 
across the waters of the Pacific^ and were rewarded 
by the discoveries they made in that part of the world, 
which, under the appellation of Polynesia, from a 
Greek term signifying many islands, geographers have 
since denominated the sixth division of the globe.* 
But, although many single islands, and extensive groups 
of diversified forms and structure, some inhabited by iso¬ 
lated families of men, others peopled only by pelicans or 
aquatic birds, have been visited and explored, fresh dis¬ 
coveries continue to be made by almost every voyager; 
and it is by no means improbable, that there are still 
many islands, and even groups of islands, which remain 
unknown to the inhabitants of the other parts of the 
globe. 
Most of the early voyages of discovery in this ocean 
attracted unusual attention; but none appear to have 
excited a livelier interest, or produced a deeper impres¬ 
sion, than those performed by Captain Cook, in the latter 
part of the eighteenth century. These were instrumental, 
in a great degree, in diverting public attention from the 
* According to Pinkerton, Malte Bran, and others, Polynesia includes 
the various islands found in the Pacific, from the Ladrones to Easter 
Island. The principal groups are, the Ladrone Islands—the Carolinas— 
the Pelew Islands—the Sandwich Islands—the Friendly Islands—the 
Navigators’ Islands—the Harvey Islands—the Society Islands—the 
Georgian Islands, and the Marquesas. 
