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By this fpecimen, I think, it appears to demonftration 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 Middlefex, and geate in Yorkshire: and as the fouthern and northern words were not written down by the fame perfon, one might poffibly ufe more letters to produce the fame found than the other.

I must also obferve, 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 used here are generally be or ko: it is alfo common here to add the word oria after another word, as an iteration, efpecially if it is an anfwer 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

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able to refer each found into its fignification. An example will make this perfectly understood.

In the Bay of Iflands there is a remarkable one, called by the natives MATU ARO. One of our gentlemen having asked a native the name of it, he anfwered, with the particle, Kematuaro; the gentleman hearing the found imperfectly, repeated his question, and the Indian repeating his anfwer, 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. Suppose a native of New Zealand at Hackney church, to inquire, "What village is this?" The answer would be, "It "is Hackney." Suppofe the question 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 ufe 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 ufed by the inhabitants of the South Sea iflands, instead of he or ko, is to or ta, but the word oeia is common to both; and when we began to learn the language, it led us into many ridiculous mistakes.

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But fuppofing these islands, and thofe 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 should appear to be a continent to the fouthward, in a moderate la tude, it will follow that they came from the westward.

Thus far our navigation has certainly been unfavourable to the notion of a fouthern continent, for it has fwept away at least three-fourths of the positions upon which it has been founded. The principal navigators, whofe authority has been urged on this occafion, are Tafman, Juan Fernandes, Hermite, the commander of a Dutch fquadron, Quiros, and Roggewein; and the track of the Endeavour has demonstrated that the land feen by these perfons, and fuppofed to be part of a continent,

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tinent, is not fo; it has alfo totally fubverted the theoMarch.,retical arguments which have been brought to prove

that the existence of a fouthern continent is neceffary to preferve 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 route to the northward, after doubling Cape Horn, when we were in the latitude of 40°, our longitude was 11C; 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 we, nor any other navigators to our knowledge 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 fhall give my reafons for believing there is no cape, of any fouthern continent, to the northward of 40° S.

Notwithstanding what has been laid down by fome geographers in their maps, and alledged by Mr. Dalrymple, with refpect to Quiros, it is improbable in the highest degree that he faw to the fouthward of two iflands, which he difcovered in latitude 25 or 26, and which I fuppofe may lie between the longitude of 130° and 1400 W. any figns of a continent, much lefs any thing which, in his opinion, was a known or indubitable fign of fuch land; for if he had, he would certainly have failed fouthward in fearch of it, and if he had fought fuppofing the figns to have been indubitable, he muft have found: the difcovery of a fouthern continent was the ultimate object of Quiro'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 1460 W. where Mr. Dalrymple has placed the islands he difcovered, 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 Roggewcin'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 Eafter Ifland, which he places in latitude 28 S. longitude 123° W. to have steered S. W. as high as 34° S. and afterwards W. N. W. and if this was indeed his route, the proof that there is no main land to the northward of 35° S. is irrefragable. Mr. Dalrymple indeed fuppofes his route to have been different, and that from Easter Isle he steered N. W. taking a courfe afterwards very little different from that of La Maire; but I think it highly improbable that a man, who at his own requeft was fent to discover a fouthern continent, fhould take a course in which La Maire had already proved no continent could be found: it must however be confeffed, that Roggewein's track cannot certainly be afcertained, because in the accounts that have been published of his. voyage, neither longitudes nor latitudes are mentioned. As to myself, I faw nothing that I thought a fign of land, in my route either to the northward, fouthward, or weftward, till a few days before I made the east coast of New Zealand: I did indeed frequently fee large flocks of birds, but they were generally such as are found at a very remote distance from any coaft; and it is also true, that I frequently faw pieces of rockweed, but I could not infer the vicinity of land from these, because I have been informed, upon indubitable authority, that a confiderable quantity of the beans called Ox-eyes, which are known to grow no where but in the West Indies, are every year thrown up on the coaft of Ireland, which is not less than twelve hundred leagues diftant.

Thus have I given my reafons for thinking that there is no continent to the northward of latitude 40o S. Of what may lie farther to the southward than 40° I can give no opinion; but I am fo far from wishing to difcourage any future attempt, finally to determine a

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1770. queftion, which has long been an object of attention to many nations, that now this voyage has reduced the only poffible fcite of a continent in the fouthern hemifphere, north of latitude 40°, to fo fmall a space, I think it would be pity to leave that any longer unexamined, efpecially as the voyage may turn to good account, befides determining the principal queftion, if no continent fhould be found, by the difcovery of new iflands in the tropical regions, of which there is probably a great number, that no European veffel has ever yet vifited. Tupia from time to time gave us an account of about one hundred and thirty, and in a chart drawn by his own hand, he actually laid down no less than seventyfour.

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