tasman’s voyage of discovery.
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within, and every way feparated from the earth, (as having its own proper motion)and being included like a kernel in its fhell, revolves circularly from eaft to weft, asthe exterior earth revolves the contrary way in the diurnal motion ; whence it is eafyto explain the pofition of the four magnetical poles which he attributes to the earth,by allowing two to the nucleus, and two to the exterior earth. And, as the two formerperpetually alter the fituation by their circular motion, their virtue, comparedwith the exterior poles, muft be different at different times; and confequently, thevariation of the needle will perpetually change. The doctor attributes to the nucleusan European north pole and an American fouth one, on account of the varia-tion of variations obferved near thefe places, as being much greater than thofe foundnear the two other poles. And he conjectures, that thefe poles wilbfinifh their revolu-tion in about feven hundred years; and after that time, the fame fituation of the polesobtain again, as at prefent; and, confequently, the variations will be the fame againover all the globe; fo that it requires feveral ages before this theory can be thoroughlyadjufted. He afligns this probable caufe of the circular revolution of the nucleus:that the diurnal motion, being impreffed from without, was not fo exaCtly communi-cated to the internal parts, as to give them the fame precife velocity of rotation as theexternal; whence the nucleus, being left behind by the exterior earth, feems to moveflowly in a contrary direction, as from eaft to weft, with regard to the external earth,confidered as at reft in refpeCt of the other. But to return to our voyage:
9. On the 19th of January, being in the latitude of 22 0 35' fouth, and in the lon-gitude of 204° 15', we had y° 30' eaft variation. In this fituation we difcovered anilland about two or three miles in circumference, which was as far as we coulddifcern, very high, fteep, and barren. We were very defirous of coming nearer it, butwere hindered by fouth-eaft and fouth-fouth-eaft winds: we called it the Ifle of Pylftaart,becaufe of the great number of that fort of birds we faw flying about it j and the nextday we faw two other iflands.
10. On the 21ft, being in the latitude of 21 0 20' fouth, and in the longitude of205° 29', we found our variation 7 0 to the north-eaft. We drew near to the coaft ofthe moft northern illand, which, though not very high, yet was the larger of the two :we called one of thefe iflands Amfterdam, and the other Rotterdam . Uponthat of Rotterdam , we found great plenty of hogs, fowls, and all forts of fruits,and other refrefhments. Thefe iflanders did not feem to have the ufe of arms,inafmuch as we faw nothing like them in any of their hands: while we were uponthe illand, the ufage they gave us was fair and friendly, except that they wouldfteal a little. The current is not very confiderable in this place, where it ebbs north-eaft, and flows fouth-weft. A fouth-weft moon caufes a fpring-tide, which rifes fevenor eight feet at leaft. The wind blows there continually fouth-eaft, or fouth-fouth-eaft, which occafioned the Heemlkirk’s being carried out of the road, but, however,without any damage. We did not fill any water here, becaufe it was extremely hardto get it to the Ihip.
On the 25th, we were in the latitude 20° 15' fouth, and in the longitude of 206° ip^*The variation here was 6° 20' to the eaft; and, after having had fight of feveral otheriflands, we made that of Rotterdam : the iflanders here refemble thofe on the illandof Amfterdam. The people were very good-natured, parted readily with what theyhad, did not feem to be acquainted with the ufe of arms, but were given to thievinglike the natives of Amfterdam Illand. Here we took jp water, and other refreihments,with all the conveniency imaginable. We made the whole circuit of the illand, whichwe found well ftocked with cocoa-trees, very regularly planted $ we likewife faw abun-
a dance