INTRODUCTORY OBSERVATIONS.

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In 1619. John Edels coafted the weftern Ihore to the fouthward, and left hisname to it. IJdel ’s land lies nearly in 39 degrees fouth.

In 1622, was difcovered that point where the land makes a turn from weft tofouth-eaft in 35 degrees fouth latitude. To this was given the name of Lewin, or theLionefs, probably becaufe this was the lhip’s name. Du Quefne was upon this coaftafterwards in the year 1687 ; and we are told that one Flamming, a Dutchman, withthree fhips, touched here in 1697, and found feveral good havens and rivers wellftored with fifh in latitude 31 degrees 30 minutes. We fhall give below, in theorder of time, what we could recover of his journal. This part of the coaft has beenlittle vififed fince.

In 1628, William de Witte gave his name to that part of the coaft he furveyedin 22 degrees fouth latitude, to the north of the river Remeffens. Here it was too,that in the fame year, Viane, a Dutch captain, was Ihipwrecked, being thrown on thiscoaft while he was palling the dangerous Strait of Bali, to theeaft of Java.

In this year too (and not in 1662, as Prevoft fays) Carpentaria received its name,from one Carpenter, a Dutchman, and governor of the India Company. He difcoveredit during his government, and returned with five fhips very richly laden to Europe ,in June 1628. It would feem that this whole coaft has been carefully examined bythe Dutch, as in Thevenot’s Dutch charts, we have the names, in that .language,of a great many bays, capes and watering places along it. At laft, in the year1664, this vaft region received the name of New Holland, which it Hill bears in allthe maps.

Before we quit this fubject altogether, it may not be amifs to give the reader ageneral view of the adjacent lands, which he will find more fully defcribed in thejournals that are to follow. We find towards the fouth-eaft, Diemen’s Land, andNew Zealand , difcovered by Tafman in 1642. This navigator, with two fhips, failedfrom Batavia, and in lefs than a year fafely made the tour of what we call Auftralafia.His courfe was judicioufly conducted, and happily directed. We fee by his voyage,how eafy it is for the Europeans , who poflefs eftablilhments in the Eaft Indies, tovifit and difcover all thofe vaft regions, with very little charge or trouble. Tafmantouched at Diemen’s Land, November 24. The part that he rart along extends frog*latitude 41 to 44.degrees, and from longitude 166 to 169 degrees. New Zealand ismore extenfive: its coaft facing the weft, runs north and fouth, from latitude 33 to44 degrees. Tafman only viewed this coaft, without landing on it. The Abbe Prevofttells us, that the Dutch vifited this coaft again in the year 1644, but gives us no accountof the captain’s name, nor any extract from his journal. By feme ftrange miftake headds, that this land extends from latitude 44 to latitude 64 degrees, that is, ahnoft t0the polar circle.

We have feen before how New Guinea , lying north of Carpentaria, was difcoveredin the year 1527 by Alvar de Saavedra. This long illand (or rather peninfula, if l£touches New Holland, which is yet uncertain) lies obliquely extended from the equatorto latitude 10 degrees fouth. Its northern extremity, and feveral illands along thecoafts, are inhabited by a nation called Papoos. This people are thought fuch goonfoldiers, that the Mahometan kings of the neighbouring illands often hire them f° rfoldiers. We find from De Lille’s chart of the Eaft Indies, the following names 0four little ftates in this country, Mian, Milfol, Ogneo, and Noton. Argenfola, in h lSfecond book of the hiftory of the Moluccas , mentions four kings of the illands. in-habited by the Papoos, Vaigamano, Vaigeo, Ouibibio, and Mincibio, who entered intoa league formed by the feveral ftates of this Archipelago , to fupport each other a S aI ^ e

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