early australian voyages-第16部分

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　of　navigation。


It　is；　however；　a　piece　of　justice　due　to　the　memory　of　these　great　men；　to　acknowledge　that　we　are　equally　encouraged　by　their　examples　and　guided　by　their　discoveries。　　We　owe　to　them　the　being　freed；　not　only　from　the　errors；　but　from　the　doubts　and　difficulties　with　which　former　ages　were　oppressed；　to　them　we　stand　indebted　for　the　discovery　of　the　best　part　of　the　world；　which　was　entirely　unknown　to　the　ancients；　particularly　some　part　of　the　eastern；　most　of　the　southern；　and　all　the　western　hemisphere；　from　them　we　have　learned　that　the　earth　is　surrounded　by　the　ocean；　and　that　all　the　countries　under　the　torrid　zone　are　inhabited；　and　that；　quite　contrary　to　the　notions　that　were　formerly　entertained；　they　are　very　far　from　being　the　most　sultry　climate　in　the　world；　those　within　a　few　degrees　of　the　tropics；　though　habitable；　being　much　more　hot；　for　reasons　which　have　been　elsewhere　explained。　　By　their　voyages；　and　especially　by　the　observations　of　Columbus；　we　have　been　taught　the　general　motion　of　the　sea；　the　reason　of　it；　and　the　cause　and　difference　of　currents　in　particular　places；　to　which　we　may　add　the　doctrine　of　tides；　which　were　very　imperfectly　known；　even　by　the　greatest　men　in　former　times；　whose　accounts　have　been　found　equally　repugnant　to　reason　and　experience。

By　their　observations　we　have　acquired　a　great　knowledge　as　to　the　nature　and　variation　of　winds；　particularly　the　monsoons；　or　trade　winds；　and　other　periodical　winds；　of　which　the　ancients　had　not　the　least　conception；　and　by　these　helps　we　not　only　have　it　in　our　power　to　proceed　much　farther　in　our　discoveries；　but　we　are　likewise　delivered　from　a　multitude　of　groundless　apprehensions；　that　frightened　them　from　prosecuting　discoveries。　　We　give　no　credit　now　to　the　fables　that　not　only　amused　antiquity；　but　even　obtained　credit　within　a　few　generations。　　The　authority　of　Pliny　will　not　persuade　us　that　there　are　any　nations　without　heads；　whose　eyes　and　mouths　are　in　their　breasts；　or　that　the　Arimaspi　have　only　one　eye；　fixed　in　their　forehead；　and　that　they　are　perpetually　at　war　with　the　Griffins；　who　guard　hidden　treasures；　or　that　there　are　nations　that　have　long　hairy　tales；　and　grin　like　monkeys。　　No　traveller　can　make　us　believe　that；　under　the　torrid　zone；　there　are　a　nation　every　man　of　which　has　one　large　flat　foot；　with　which；　lying　upon　his　back；　he　covers　himself　from　the　sun。　　In　this　respect　we　have　the　same　advantage　over　the　ancients　that　men　have　over　children；　and　we　cannot　reflect　without　amazement　on　men's　having　so　much　knowledge　and　learning　in　other　respects；　with　such　childish　understandings　in　these。

By　the　labours　of　these　great　men　in　the　two　last　centuries　we　are　taught　to　know　what　we　seek；　and　how　it　is　to　be　sought。　　We　know；　for　example；　what　parts　of　the　north　are　yet　undiscovered；　and　also　what　parts　of　the　south。　　We　can　form　a　very　certain　judgment　of　the　climate　of　countries　undiscovered；　and　can　foresee　the　advantages　that　will　result　from　discoveries　before　they　are　made；　all　which　are　prodigious　advantages；　and　ought　certainly　to　animate　us　in　our　searches。　　I　might　add　to　this　the　great　benefits　we　receive　from　our　more　perfect　acquaintance　with　the　properties　of　the　loadstone；　and　from　the　surprising　accuracy　of　astronomical　observations；　to　which　I　may　add　the　physical　discoveries　made　of　late　years　in　relation　to　the　figure　of　the　earth；　all　of　which　are　the　result　of　the　lights　which　these　great　men　have　given　us。

It　is　true　that　some　of　the　zealous　defenders　of　the　ancients；　and　some　of　the　great　admirers　of　the　Eastern　nations；　dispute　these　facts；　and　would　have　us　believe　that　almost　everything　was　known　to　the　old　philosophers；　and　not　only　known　but　practised　by　the　Chinese　long　before　the　time　of　the　great　men　to　whom　we　ascribe　them。　　But　the　difference　between　their　assertions　and　ours　is；　that　we　fully　prove　the　facts　we　allege；　whereas　they　produce　no　evidence　at　all；　for　instance；　Albertus　Magnus　says　that　Aristotle　wrote　an　express　treatise　on　the　direction　of　the　loadstone；　but　nobody　ever　saw　that　treatise；　nor　was　it　ever　heard　of　by　any　of　the　rest　of　his　commentators。　　We　have　in　our　hands　some　of　the　best　performances　of　antiquity　in　regard　to　geography；　and　any　man　who　has　eyes；　and　is　at　all　acquainted　with　that　science；　can　very　easily　discern　how　far　they　fall　short　of　maps　that　were　made　even　a　hundred　years　ago。　　The　celebrated　Vossius；　and　the　rest　of　the　admirers　of　the　Chinese；　who；　by　the　way；　derived　all　their　knowledge　from　hearsay；　may　testify；　in　as　strong　terms　as　they　think　fit；　their　contempt　for　the　Western　sages　and　their　high　opinion　of　those　in　the　East；　but　till　they　prove　to　us　that　their　favourite　Chinese　made　any　voyages　comparable　to　the　Europeans；　before　the　discovery　of　a　passage　to　China　by　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope；　they　will　excuse　us　from　believing　them。　　Besides；　if　the　ancients　had　all　this　knowledge；　how　came　it　not　to　display　itself　in　their　performances？　　How　came　they　to　make　such　difficulties　of　what　are　now　esteemed　trifles？　　And　how　came　they　never　to　make　any　voyages；　by　choice　at　least；　that　were　out　of　sight　of　land？　　Again；　with　respect　to　the　Chinese；　if　they　excel　us　so　much　in　knowledge；　how　came　the　missionaries　to　be　so　much　admired　for　their　superior　skill　in　the　sciences？　　But　to　cut　the　matter　short；　we　are　not　disputing　now　about　speculative　points　of　science；　but　as　to　the　practical　application　of　it；　in　which；　I　think；　there　is　no　doubt　that　the　modern　inhabitants　of　the　western　parts　of　the　world　excel；　and　excel　chiefly　from　the　labours　and　discoveries　of　these　great　and　ingenious　men；　who　applied　their　abilities　to　the　improvement　of　useful　arts；　for　the　particular　benefit　of　their　countrymen；　and　to　the　common　good　of　mankind；　which　character　is　not　derived　from　any　prejudice　of　ours；　either　against　the　ancients　or　the　Oriental　nations；　but　is　founded　on　facts　of　public　notoriety；　and　on　general　experience；　which　are　a　kind　of　evidence　not　to　be　controverted　or　contradicted。

We　are　still；　however；　in　several　respects　short　of　perfection；　and　there　are　many　things　left　to　exercise　the　sagacity；　penetration；　and　application　of　this　and　of　succeeding　ages；　for　instance；　the　passages　to　the　north…east　and　north…west　are　yet　unknown；　there　is　a　great　part　of　the　southern　continent　undiscovered；　we　are；　in　a　manner；　ignorant　of　what　lies　between　America　and　Japan；　and　all　beyond　that　country　lies　buried　in　obscurity；　perhaps　in　greater　obscurity　than　it　was　an　age　ago；　so　that　there　is　still　room　for　performing　great　things；　which　in　their　consequences　perhaps　might　prove　greater　than　can　well　be　imagined。　　I　say　nothing　of　the　discoveries　that　yet　remain　with　regard　to　inland　countries；　because　these　fall　properly　under　another　head；　I　mean　that　of　travels。　　But　it　will　be　time　enough　to　think　of　penetrating　into　the　heart　of　countries　when　we　have　discovered　the　sea…coasts　of　the　whole　globe；　towards　which　the　voyages　recorded　in　this　chapter　have　so　far　advanced　already。　　But　the　only　means　to　arrive　at　these　great　ends；　and　to　transmit　to　posterity　a　fame　approaching；　at　least　in　some　measure；　to　that　of　our　ancestors；　is　to　revive　and　restore　that　glorious　spirit　which　led　them　to　such　great　exploits；　and　the　most　natural　method　of　doing　this　is　to　collect　and　preserve　the　memory　of　their　exploits；　that　they　may　serve　at　once　to　excite　our　imitation；　encourage　our　endeavours；　and　point　out　to　us　how　they　may　be　best　employed；　and　with　the　greatest　probability　of　success。



AN　ACCOUNT　OF　NEW　HOLLAND　AND　THE　ADJACENT　ISLANDS。　1699…1700。　BY　CAPTAIN　WILLIAM　DAMPIER。



Having　described　his　voyage　from　Brazil　to　New　Holland；　this　celebrated　navigator　thus　proceeds：

About　the　latitude　of　26　degrees　south　we　saw　an　opening；　and　ran　in；　hoping　to　find　a　harbour　there；　but　when　we　came　to　its　mouth；　which　was　about　two　leagues　wide；　we　saw　rocks　and　foul　ground　within；　and　therefore　stood　out　again；　there　we　had　twenty　fathom　water　within　two　miles　of　the　shore：　　the　land　everywhere　appeared　pretty　low；　flat；　and　even；　but　with　steep　cliffs　to　the　sea；　and　when　we　came　near　it　there　were　no　trees；　shrubs；　or　grass　to　be　seen。　　The　soundings　in　the　latitude　of　26　degrees　south；　from　about　eight　or　nine　leagues　off　till　you　come　within　a　league　of　the　shore；　are　generally　about　forty　fathoms；　differing　but　little；　seldom　above　three　or　four　fathoms；　but　the　lead　brings　up　very　different　sorts　of　sand；　some　coarse；　some　fine；　and　of　several　colours；　as　yellow；　white；　grey；　brown；　bluish；　and　reddish。

When　I　saw　there　was　no　harbour　here；　nor　good　anchoring；　I　stood　off　to　sea　again　in　the　evening　of　the　2nd　of　August；　fearing　a　storm　on　a　lee…shore；　in　a　place　where　there　was　no　shelter；　and　desiring　at　least　to　have　sea…room；　for　the　clouds　began　to　grow　thick　in　the　western…board；　and　the　wind　was　already　there　and　began　to　blow　fresh　almost　upon　the　shore；　which　at　this　place　lies　along　north…north…west　and　south…south…east。　　By　nine　o'clock　at　night　we　got　a　pretty　good　offing；　but　the　wind　still　increasing；　I　took　in　my　main…top…sail；　being　able　to　carry　no　more　sail　than　two　courses　and