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tradition of both, that the name of that country was HEAWIJE; but the fimilitude of the language feems to put the matter altogether out of doubt. I have already observed, that Tupia, when he accofted the people here in the language of his own country, was perfectly understood; and I shall give a specimen of the fimilitude by a list of words in both languages, according to the dialect of the northern and fouthern islands of which New Zealand confists, by which it will appear that the language of Otaheite does not differ more from that of New Zealand, than the language of the two iflands from each other.

By this fpecimen, I think it appears to demonstration that the language of New Zealand and Otaheite is radically the fame. The language of the northern and fouthern parts of New Zealand differs chiefly in the pronunciation, as the fame English word is pronounced gate in Middlesex, and geäte in Yorkshire: and as the fouthern and northern words were not written down by the fame perfon, one might pof3P 2 fibly

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fibly use more letters to produce the fame found than the other.

I must also observe, that it is the genius of the language, especially in the fouthern parts, to put fome article before a noun, as we do the or a; the articles ufed here were generally he or ko: it is also common here to add the word öeia after another word, as an iteration, especially if it is an answer to a question; as we fay yes indeed, to be fure, really, certainly: this fometimes led our gentlemen into the formation of words of an enormous length, judging by the ear only, without being able to refer each found into its fignification. An example will make this perfectly understood.

In the Bay of Islands there is a remarkable one, called by the natives MATU ARO. One of our gentlemen having asked a native the name of it, he answered, with the particle, Kematuaro; the gentleman hearing the found imperfectly, repeated his question, and the Indian repeating his answer, added öeia, which made the word Kematuaroöeia; and thus it happened that in the log book I found Matuaro transformed into Cumettiwarroweia: and the fame transformation, by the fame means, might happen to an English word. Suppofe a native of New Zealand at Hackney church, to enquire "what village is this?" the anfwer would be," it is Hackney:" fuppofe the queftion to be repeated with an air of doubt and uncertainty, the answer might be "it is Hackney indeed," and the New Zealander, if he had the use of letters, would probably record, for the information of his countrymen, that during his refidence among us he had vifited a village called " Ityfhakneeindede." The article used by the inhabitants of the South Sea islands, inftead of he or ko, is to or ta, but the word öeia is common to both; and when we began to learn the language, it led us into many ridiculous mistakes.

But

But fuppofing these islands, and those in the South Seas, to have been peopled originally from the fame country, it will perhaps for ever remain a doubt what country that is: we were, however, unanimoufly of opinion, that the people did not come from America, which lies to the eastward; and except there fhould appear to be a continent to the fouthward, in a moderate latitude, it will follow that they came from the weftward.

Thus far our navigation has certainly been unfavourable to the notion of a fouthern continent, for it has swept away at least three-fourths of the pofitions upon which it has been founded. The principal navigators, whose authority has been urged on this occafion, are Tasman, Juan Fernandes, Hermite, the commander of a Dutch fquadron, Quiros, and Roggewein; and the track of the Endeavour has demonftrated that the land feen by thefe perfons, and fuppofed to be part of a continent, is not fo; it has also totally fubverted the theoretical arguments which have been brought to prove that the existence of a fouthern continent is neceffary to preserve an equilibrium between the two hemifpheres; for upon this principle what we have already proved to be water, would render the fouthern hemifphere too light. In our rout to the northward, after doubling Cape Horn, when we were in the latitude of 40°, our longitude was 110°; and in our return to the fouthward, after leaving Ulietea, when we were again in latitude 40°, our longitude was 145°; the difference is 35°. When we were in latitude 30° the difference of longitude between the two tracks was 21°, which continued till we were as low as 20°; but a fingle view of the chart will convey a better idea of this than the most minute defcription: yet as upon a view of the chart it will appear that there is a large space extending quite to the Tropics, which

neither

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neither we, nor any other navigators to our knowlege have explored, and as there will appear to be room enough for the Cape of a fouthern continent to extend northward into a low fouthern latitude, I shall give my reasons for believing there is no Cape, of any fouthern continent, to the northward of 40° fouth.

Notwithstanding what has been laid down by fome geographers in their maps, and alleged by Mr. Dalrymple, with respect to Quiros, it is improbable in the highest degree that he faw to the fouthward of two islands, which he discovered in latitude 25 or 26, and which I fuppofe may lie between the longitude of 130° and 140° W. any figns of a continent, much lefs any thing which, in his opinion, was a known or indubitable fign of such land; for if he had, he would certainly have failed fouthward in search of it, and if he had fought, fuppofing the figns to have been indubitable, he must have found: the discovery of a southern continent was the ultimate object of Quiros's voyage, and no man appears to have had it more at heart; fo that if he was in latitude 26° S. and in longitude 146° W. where Mr. Dalrymple has placed the islands he discovered, it may fairly be inferred that no part of a fouthern continent extends to that latitude.

It will, I think, appear with equal evidence from the accounts of Roggewein's voyage, that between the longitudes of 130° and 150° W. there is no main land to the northward of 35° S. Mr. Pingre, in a treatise concerning the tranfit of Venus, which he went out to obferve, has inferted an extract of Roggewein's voyage, and a map of the South Seas; and for reasons which may be feen at large in his work, fuppofes him, after leaving Easter Island, which he places in latitude 28 S. longitude 123° W. to have fteered S. W. as high as

2

34° S.