Page:A voyage round the world, in His Britannic Majesty's sloop, Resolution, commanded by Capt. James Cook, during the years 1772, 3, 4, and 5 (IA b30413849 0001).pdf/227

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the northernmost land they had seen, to Point Hicks, the southern boundary of captain Cook's discoveries in the Endeavour; it is still undetermined, whether a strait or passage does not exist between the main of New Holland and Diemen's Land, though the appearance of quadrupeds upon the latter, rather seems to favour the idea of their being connected together. Be this as it may, there is perhaps no part of the world which so well deserves future investigation as the great continent of New Holland, of which we do not yet know the whole outline, and of whose productions we are in a manner entirely ignorant. Its inhabitants, from the accounts of all the voyagers who have visited them, are but few in number, probably dwell on the sea-coasts only, go perfectly naked, and seem by all description to lead a more savage life than any nation in warm climates. There is consequently a vast interior space of ground, equal to the continent of Europe, and in great measure situated between the tropics, entirely unknown, and perhaps uninhabited: nothing is more certain, from the vast variety of animal and vegetable productions, collected on its sea-coasts in captain Cook's voyage in the Endeavour, than that the inner countries contain immense treasures of natural knowledge, which must of course become of infinite use to the civilized nation, which shall first attempt to go in search of them. The south-west corner