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lii INTRODUCTION. 
authentic information than the world had hitherto ob¬ 
tained, about the relative fituation and vicinity of the two 
continents, which was abfolutely necelfary to be known, 
before the pradticability of failing between the Pacific and 
Atlantic Oceans, in any Northern direction, could be afcer- 
tained. 
After all, that fearch, in a lower latitude, which they 
who give credit (if any fuch there now be) to the pretended 
difcoveries of de Fonte, affecft to with had been recommend¬ 
ed to Captain Cook, has (if that will cure them of their 
credulity) been fiatisfadtorily made. The Spaniards, roufed 
from their lethargy by our voyages, and having caught a 
fpark of enterprize from our repeated vifits to the Pacific 
Ocean, have followed us more than once into the line of our 
difcoveries within the Southern tropic; and have alfo fitted 
out expeditions to explore the American continent to the 
North of California. It is to be lamented, that there fhould 
be any reafons why the tranfadtions of thole Spanilh voyages 
have not been fully difclofed, with the fame liberal fpirit of 
information which other nations have adopted. Rut, for¬ 
tunately, this exceflive caution of the court of Spain has 
been defeated, at leaft in one inftance, by the publication of 
an authentic Journal of their laft voyage of difcovery upon 
the coaft of America, in 1775, for which the world is in¬ 
debted to the Honourable Mr. Daines Barrington. This 
publication, which conveys fome information of real con- 
fequence to geography, and has therefore been referred to 
more than once in the following work, is particularly va¬ 
luable in this refpeft, that fome parts of the coaft which 
Captain Cook, in his progrefs Northward, was prevented, 
by unfavourable winds, from approaching, were feen and 
examined by the Spanilh lhips who preceded him; and 
1 the 
