INTRODUCTION. 
. «* * 
Xill 
drawn up the veil that had hitherto been thrown over the 
geography of fo great a proportion of the globe. 
1. The feveral lands, of which any account had been 
given, as feen by any of the preceding navigators, Spanifh 
or Dutch, have been carefully looked for; and moft of 
them (at lead: fuch as feemed to be of any confequence) 
found out and vifited; and not vifited in a curfory manner, 
but every means ufed to correCt former miftakes, and to 
fupply former deficiencies, by making accurate inquiries 
afhore, and taking fkilful furveys of their coafts, by failing 
round them. Who has not heard, or read, of the boafted 
Sierra Auftralia del Efpiritu Santo of Quiros ? But its bold 
pretenfions to be a part of a Southern continent, could not 
hand Captain Cook’s examination, who failed round it, and 
afligned it its true pofition and moderate bounds, in the 
Archipelago of the New Hebrides *. 
2. Befides perfecting many of the difcoveries of their 
predecefiors, our late navigators have enriched geographi¬ 
cal knowledge with a long catalogue of their own. The 
Pacific Ocean, within the South tropic, repeatedly tra- 
verfed, in every direction, was found to fwarm with a 
feemingly endlefs profufion of habitable fpots of land. 
Iflands fcattered through the amazing fpace of near four- 
fcore degrees of longitude, feparated at various diftances, 
or grouped in numerous clufters, haVe, at their approach, 
as it w r ere, ftarted into exiftence; and fuch ample accounts 
have been brought home concerning them and their inha¬ 
bitants, as may ferve every ufeful purpofe of inquiry; and, 
* Bougainville, in 1768, did no more than difcover that the land here was not con¬ 
nected, but compoled of iflands. Captain Cook, in 1774? explored the whole group. 
See Cook’s Voyage, Vol. ii. p. 96. 
to 
