POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
CHAP. I. 
Historical notice of tlie discovery of the Pacilic—Voyage of Magellan— 
Discoveries of Cook—Impressions produced by his voyages—Missionary 
appointment to the South Sea Islands—Embarkation at Portsmouth— 
Last view of England. Reflections on leaving our native country— 
View of Madeira—Arrival at Rio de Janeiro—Appearance of the 
harbour—Slave ship—Incidents on shore—Voyage to New Holland— 
Tempest off the coast—Residence in New South Wales—Observations 
on the aborigines. 
The Pacific^ the largest ocean in the worlds extending 
over more than one third of the surface of our globe^ was 
discovered in the year 1513^ by Vasco Nugnez de Balboa^ 
a courageous and enterprising Spaniard^ governor of the 
Spanish colony of Santa Maria, in the isthmus of Darien. 
The desire of finding a more direct communication 
with the East Indies had prompted Columbus to the 
daring voyage which resulted in the discovery of the new 
world. In that immense and unexplored region, his 
followers pursued their career of enterprise, until Balboa, 
by discovering the great South Sea, accomplished what 
Columbus, notwithstanding his most splendid achieve¬ 
ments, had in vain attempted. In his march across the 
isthmus which separates the Atlantic from the Pacific, 
an enterprise designated by Robertson as the boldest on 
B 
