early australian voyages-第12部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

egree　of　certainty；　that　to　the　latitude　of　50　degrees　there　is　no　land　to　be　found　of　any　consequence；　there　was；　indeed；　a　voyage　made　by　Mr。　Bovet　in　the　year　1738；　on　purpose　to　discover　whether　there　were　any　lands　to　the　south　in　that　quarter　or　not。　　This　gentleman　sailed　from　Port　l'Orient　July　the　18th；　1738；　and　on　the　1st　of　January；　1739；　discovered　a　country；　the　coasts　of　which　were　covered　with　ice；　in　the　latitude　of　54　degrees　south；　and　in　the　longitude　of　28　degrees　30　minutes；　the　variation　of　the　compass　being　there　6　degrees　45　minutes；　to　the　west。

In　the　next　quarter；　that　is　to　say；　from　90　degrees　longitude　to　180　degrees；　lie　the　countries　of　which　we　have　been　speaking；　or　that　large　southern　island；　extending　from　the　equinoctial　to　the　latitude　of　43　degrees　10　minutes；　and　the　longitude　of　167　degrees　55　minutes；　which　is　the　extremity　of　Van　Diemen's　Land

In　the　third　quarter；　that　is；　from　the　longitude　of　150　degrees　to　170　degrees；　there　is　very　little　discovered　with　any　certainty。　Captain　Tasman；　indeed；　visited　the　coast　of　New　Zealand；　in　the　latitude　of　42　degrees　10　minutes　south；　and　in　the　longitude　of　188　degrees　28　minutes；　but　besides　this；　and　the　islands　of　Amsterdam　and　Rotterdam；　we　know　very　little；　and　therefore；　if　there　be　any　doubts　about　the　reality　of　Terra　Australis；　it　must　be　with　respect　to　that　part　of　it　which　lies　within　this　quarter；　through　which　Schovten　and　Le　Maire　sailed；　but　without　discovering　anything　more　than　a　few　small　islands。

The　fourth　and　last　quarter　is　from　270　degrees　of　longitude　to　the　first　meridian；　within　which　lies　the　continent　of　South　America；　and　the　island　of　Terra　del　Fuego；　the　most　southern　promontory　of　which　is　supposed　to　be　Cape　Horn；　which；　according　to　the　best　of　observations；　is　in　the　latitude　of　56　degrees；　beyond　which　there　has　been　nothing　with　any　degree　of　certainty　discovered　on　this　side。

On　the　whole；　therefore；　it　appears　there　are　three　continents　already　tolerably　discovered　which　point　towards　the　south　pole；　and　therefore　it　is　very　probable　there　is　a　fourth；　which　if　there　be；　it　must　lie　between　the　country　of　New　Zealand；　discovered　by　Captain　Tasman；　and　that　country　which　was　seen　by　Captain　Sharpe　and　Mr。　Wafer　in　the　South　Seas；　to　which　land　therefore；　and　no　other；　the　title　of　Terra　Australis　Incognita　properly　belongs。　Leaving　this；　therefore；　to　the　industry　of　future　ages　to　discover；　we　will　now　return　to　that　great　southern　island　which　Captain　Tasman　actually　surrounded；　and　the　bounds　of　which　are　tolerably　well　known。

In　order　to　give　the　reader　a　proper　idea　of　the　importance　of　this　country；　it　will　be　requisite　to　say　something　of　the　climates　in　which　it　is　situated。　　As　it　lies　from　the　equinoctial　to　near　the　latitude　of　44　degrees；　the　longest　day　in　the　most　northern　parts　must　be　twelve　hours；　and　in　the　southern　about　fifteen　hours；　or　somewhat　more；　so　that　it　extends　from　the　first　to　the　seventh　climate；　which　shows　its　situation　to　be　the　happiest　in　the　world；　the　country　called　Van　Diemen's　Land　resembling　in　all　respects　the　south　of　France。　　As　there　are　in　all　countries　some　parts　more　pleasant　than　others；　so　there　seems　good　reason　to　believe　that　within　two　or　three　degrees　of　the　tropic　of　Capricorn；　which　passes　through　the　midst　of　New　Holland；　is　the　most　unwholesome　and　disagreeable　part　of　this　country；　the　reason　of　which　is　very　plain；　for　in　those　parts　it　must　be　excessively　hot；　much　more　so　than　under　the　line　itself；　since　the　days　and　nights　are　there　always　equal；　whereas　within　three　or　four　degrees　of　the　tropic　of　Capricorn；　that　is　to　say；　in　the　latitude　27　degrees　south；　the　days　are　thirteen　hours　and　a　half　long；　and　the　sun　is　twice　in　their　zenith；　first　in　the　beginning　of　December；　or　rather　in　the　latter　end　of　November；　and　again　when　it　returns　back；　which　occasions　a　burning　heat　for　about　two　months；　or　something　more；　whereas；　either　farther　to　the　south　or　nearer　to　the　line；　the　climate　must　be　equally　wholesome　and　pleasant。

As　to　the　product　and　commodities　of　this　country　in　general；　there　is　the　greatest　reason　in　the　world　to　believe　that　they　are　extremely　rich　and　valuable；　because　the　richest　and　finest　countries　in　the　known　world　lie　all　of　them　within　the　same　latitude；　but　to　return　from　conjectures　to　facts；　the　country　discovered　by　De　Quiros　makes　a　part　of　this　great　island；　and　is　the　opposite　coast　to　that　of　Carpentaria。　　This　country；　the　discoverer　called　La　Australia　del　Espiritu　Santo；　in　the　latitude　of　15　degrees　40　minutes　south；　and；　as　he　reports；　it　abounds　with　gold；　silver；　pearl；　nutmegs；　mace；　ginger；　and　sugar…canes；　of　an　extraordinary　size。　　I　do　not　wonder　that　formerly　the　fact　might　be　doubted；　but　at　present　I　think　there　is　sufficient　reason　to　induce　us　to　believe　it；　for　Captain　Dampier　describes　the　country　about　Cape　St。　George　and　Port　Mountague；　which　are　within　9　degrees　of　the　country　described　by　De　Quiros。　　I　say　Captain　Dampier　describes　what　he　saw　in　the　following　words：　　〃The　country　hereabouts　is　mountainous　and　woody；　full　of　rich　valleys　and　pleasant　fresh…water　brooks；　the　mould　in　the　valleys　is　deep　and　yellowish；　that　on　the　sides　of　the　hills　of　a　very　brown　colour；　and　not　very　deep；　but　rocky　underneath；　yet　excellent　planting　land；　the　trees　in　general　are　neither　very　straight；　thick；　nor　tall；　yet　appear　green　and　pleasant　enough；　some　of　them　bear　flowers；　some　berries；　and　others　big　fruits；　but　all　unknown　to　any　of　us；　cocoa…nut　trees　thrive　very　well　here；　as　well　on　the　bays　by　the　sea…side；　as　more　remote　among　the　plantations；　the　nuts　are　of　an　indifferent　size；　the　milk　and　kernel　very　thick　and　pleasant；　here　are　ginger；　yams；　and　other　very　good　roots　for　the　pot；　that　our　men　saw　and　tasted；　what　other　fruits　or　roots　the　country　affords　I　know　not；　here　are　hogs　and　dogs；　other　land　animals　we　saw　none；　the　fowls　we　saw　and　knew　were　pigeons；　parrots；　cocadores；　and　crows；　like　those　in　England；　a　sort　of　birds　about　the　bigness　of　a　blackbird；　and　smaller　birds　many。　　The　sea　and　rivers　have　plenty　of　fish；　we　saw　abundance；　though　we　catched　but　few；　and　these　were　cavallies；　yellow…tails；　and　whip…wreys。〃

This　account　is　grounded　only　on　a　very　slight　view；　whereas　De　Quiros　resided　for　some　time　in　the　place　he　has　mentioned。　　In　another　place　Captain　Dampier　observes　that　he　saw　nutmegs　amongst　them；　which　seemed　to　be　fresh…gathered；　all　which　agrees　perfectly　with　the　account　given　by　De　Quiros；　add　to　this；　that　Schovten　had　likewise　observed；　that　they　had　ginger　upon　this　coast；　and　some　other　spices；　so　that　on　the　whole　there　seems　not　the　least　reason　to　doubt　that　if　any　part　of　this　country　was　settled；　it　must　be　attended　with　a　very　rich　commerce；　for　it　cannot　be　supposed　that　all　these　writers　should　be　either　mistaken；　or　that　they　should　concur　in　a　design　to　impose　upon　their　readers；　which　is　the　less　to　be　suspected；　if　we　consider　how　well　their　reports　agree　with　the　situation　of　the　country；　and　that　the　trees　on　the　land；　and　the　fish　on　the　coast；　corresponding　exactly　with　the　trees　of　those　countries；　and　the　fish　on　the　coasts；　where　these　commodities　are　known　to　abound　within　land；　seem　to　intimate　a　perfect　conformity　throughout。

The　next　thing　to　be　considered　is；　the　possibility　of　planting　in　this　part　of　the　world；　which　at　first　sight；　I　must　confess；　seems　to　be　attended　with　considerable　difficulties　with　respect　to　every　other　nation　except　the　Dutch；　who　either　from　Batavia；　the　Moluccas；　or　even　from　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope；　might　with　ease　settle　themselves　wherever　they　thought　fit；　as；　however；　they　have　neglected　this　for　above　a　century；　there　seems　to　be　no　reason　why　their　conduct　in　this　respect　should　become　the　rule　of　other　nations；　or　why　any　other　nation　should　be　apprehensive　of　drawing　on　herself　the　displeasure　of　the　Dutch；　by　endeavouring　to　turn　to　their　benefit　countries　the　Dutch　have　so　long　suffered　to　lie；　with　respect　to　Europe；　waste　and　desert。

The　first　point；　with　respect　to　a　discovery；　would　be　to　send　a　small　squadron　on　the　coast　of　Van　Diemen's　Land；　and　from　thence　round；　in　the　same　course　taken　by　Captain　Tasman；　by　the　coast　of　New　Guinea；　which　might　enable　the　nations　that　attempted　it　to　come　to　an　absolute　certainty　with　regard　to　its　commodities　and　commerce。　　Such　a　voyage　as　this　might　be　performed　with　very　great　ease；　and　at　a　small　expense；　by　our　East　India　Company；　and　this　in　the　space　of　eight　or　nine　months'　time；　and　considering　what　mighty　advantages　might　accrue　to　the　nation；　there　seems　to　be　nothing　harsh　or　improbable　in　supposing　that　some　time　or　other；　when　the　legislature　is　more　than　usually　intent　on　affairs　of　commerce；　they　may　be　directed　to　make　such　an　expedition　at　the　expense　of　the　public。　　By　this　means　all　the　back　coast　of　New　Holland　and　New　Guinea　might　be　thoroughly　examined；　and　we　might　know　as　well；　and　as　certainly　as　the　Dutch；　how　far　a　colony　settled　there　might　answer　our　expectations；　one　thing　is　certain；　that　to　persons　used　to　the　navigation　of　the　Indies；　such　an　expedition　could　not　be　thought　either　dan