AN HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF THE GLOBE, AND OF THE PROGRESS OF DISCOVERY IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN, FROM THE VOYAGE OF MAGELLAN TO THE DEATH OF COOK. ILLUSTRATED BY A PORTRAIT OF COOK, ENGRAVED BY HORSBURGH AFTER DANCE; A FAC- EDINBURGH: OLIVER & BOYD, TWEEDDALE COURT; AND SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, & CO., LONDON. MDCCCXXXVI. LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR LIBRARY UNIVERSITY 7.35636. ENTERED IN STATIONERS' HALL. Printed by Oliver & Boyd, Tweeddale Court, High Street, Edinburgh. PREFACE. THE object of the present Work is to give a comprehensive History of the various Circumnavigations of the Globe, and to describe at the same time the Progress of Discovery in Polynesia. The innumerable islands which are scattered over the vast expanse of the Pacific, have in all times excited the liveliest regard. In few regions of the earth does Nature present a more fascinating aspect, or lavish her gifts with more bountiful profusion. Favoured by mild and serene skies, the fertile soil of these insular territories produces the most luxuriant vegetation, which, with its many rich and varied hues, clothes the whole land from the margin of the sea to the summits of the loftiest mountains. As the voyager sails along their picturesque shores, he is refreshed by perfumes borne on the breeze, from woods which at the same time display the bud, the blossom, and the mature fruit. Nor is the character of their inhabitants less calculated to inspire interest. In countries where the bread-tree affords "the unreaped harvest of unfurrowed fields," where the people neither plough nor phical science has received since his work was sub mitted to the public. To our knowledge of the Archipelago of Tonga and Feejee, great contributions have been lately made by Mariner and D'Urville. Otaheite and the Society Islands have been elucidated with singular fidelity by the Reverend Mr Ellis, as well as by Messrs Bennet and Tyerman. The labours of the gentlemen just named, with those of the American missionary, Mr Stewart, of the officers of H. M. S. the Blonde, and of MM. Morineau and Botta, have greatly enlarged our acquaintance with the Sandwich group. Much light has been thrown on New Zealand by the writings of Cruise, Rutherford, Yate, Earle, D'Urville, and the contributors to the Missionary Register. The Ladrone or Marian Islands, the Navigators', and the vast range of the Carolines, have been for the first time satisfactorily illustrated by the inquiries of Freycinet and Kotzebue. The voyager last mentioned, as also his countryman Billinghausen, M. Duperrey, and Captain Beechey, have completed the discovery of the Low or Coral Archipelago; and the researches of Dillon and of D'Urville have supplied much valuable information on the state and productions of the New Hebrides. In preparing this volume, the greatest pains have been taken to turn to advantage the important investigations of the writers just named; and while much interesting matter has been derived from the collections of Debrosses, Dalrymple, and Burney, |