st of a country east
of New Guinea; he had not an opportunity of examining this land, but it
seems probable that it was one of Solomon's Islands.

We have already had occasion to notice the first voyage of Captain Cook,
during which he traced the eastern coast of New Holland, and ascertained
that it was separated from New Guinea. In this voyage he made further
additions to our geographical knowledge of Australasia; for he visited New
Zealand, which Tasman had discovered in 1642, but on which he did not even
land. Captain Cook examined it with great care; and ascertained not only
its extent, but that it was divided into two large islands, by a strait,
which is called after him. During his second voyage he explored the New
Hebrides, the most northern of which is supposed to be described by Quitos:
Bougainville had undoubtedly sailed among them. The whole lie between the
latitude of 14 deg. 29' and 24 deg. 4' south, and between 166 deg. 41' and 170 deg. 21'
east longitude. After having completed his examination of these islands, he
discovered an extensive country, which he called New Caledonia. In his
passage from this to New Zealand he discovered several islands, and among
the rest Norfolk Island. The great object of his third voyage, which was
the examination of the north-west coast of America, did not afford him an
opportunity of visiting for any length of time Australasia; yet he did
visit it, and examined New Zealand attentively, obtaining much original and
important information respecting it, and the manners, &c. of its
inhabitants.

The voyages which we have hitherto noticed, were principally directed to
the southern parts of Australasia. Between the years 1774 and 1776, some
discoveries were made in the northern parts of it by Captain Forrest: he
sailed from India in a vessel of only ten tons, with the intention of
ascertaining whether a settlement could not be formed on an island near the
northern promontory of Borneo. In the course of this voyage he examined the
north coast of Waygiou; and after visiting several small islands, he
arrived on the north coast of Papua.

The next accessions that were made to our geographical knowledge of
Australasia, are derived from the voyage in search of La Peyrouse. The
object of La Peyrouse's voyage was to complete the discoveries made by
former navigators in the southern hemisphere: in the course of this voyage
he navigated some portion of Australasia; but where he and his cre