Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 1.djvu/35

 SKETCH. xxix point it oat as the proper name for the country. By such an accident, the land discovered by Cook might, peradventure, have escaped the nnsatisfactory name it has since borne. Callander's translation of de Brosses appeared in 1766-68 — (p. 576) ; the second and third volumes being published only two months before the Endeavour sailed ; but we may take it for granted that they were not left behind. The three volumes had the advantage of being published in a handy form; but the literary execution was slovenly, and it is manifest that Callander was not a geographer of much discrimination. He published two charts, reproductions from the French work, the larger one showing the outlines of New Holland and the discoveries of de Quiros. Let u^ suppose that, as soon as the Endeavour was steered westward from Cape Farewell in New Zealand, Cook and his companions read' the following account of the country they were about to explore : — New Hollcmd is that vast region which extends from the sixth to the 34th degree of south latitude, and from longtitude 124 degrees to 187. To the north it has the Molucca islands, or the sea of LcmehidoL To the west and south the Indian Ocean, and the Pacific to 'die east. But^ in this immense stretch of land, we are acquainted only with some parts of the coast lying separated from each other, without being able to affirm whether they compose one continent or (as it is more likely) they are large islands separated from each other by canals or arms of the sea, the narrowest of which have been supposed by navigators to be the mouths of rivers. Neither are we yet assured if New Holland joins New Guinea on the north, or Van Diemen^a Larui to the south. Tanrian has verified by his course that New Zealand^ lying to the south- east^ is totally separated by the sea from the continents and islands that lie nearer the equator. The principal countries of New Holland we are as yet acquainted with are, Carpentaria to the north-east^ the coast of which, forming a great bay, faces to the west. At the entry of this bay are the Molucca islands ; to the north lie the lands of Amheim and Diemen^ which last is different from the Diemen of Abel Taanian : To the north-west lies the land of De Witte. Towards the west lie EndracJU or Concordia^ JSdels, and Lewin, This last occupies the point which Ues south-west. To the south lies the land of Peter Nnytz, and further south, but Digitized by Google