d
the favours of his wife, or daughter, are valued by him just in the
proportion they are sought for by those with whom he is dealing. But
where his animal necessities can scarcely be supplied, it cannot be
imagined that he will be very sensible to the force of toys and trinkets
as objects of temptation. These, on the other hand, will carry most
persuasion, where, through the greater bounty of nature, an avenue has
been opened for the display of vanity and the love of ornament. Any
opposition on the female part in either case, is of no avail as a
barrier against strangers, as he who is most concerned to protect it,
finds his account in its sacrifice. We have instances of both in Captain
Cook's voyages.--E.]

In the afternoon I went again to the grass-cutters, to forward their
work. I found them then upon Penguin Island, where they had met with a
plentiful crop of excellent grass. We laboured hard till sun-set, and
then repaired on board, satisfied with the quantity we had collected,
and which I judged sufficient to last till our arrival in New Zealand.

During our whole stay, we had either calms or light airs from the
eastward. Little or no time, therefore, was lost by my putting in at
this place. For if I had kept the sea, we should not have been twenty
leagues advanced farther on our voyage. And, short as our continuance
was here, it has enabled me to add somewhat to the imperfect
acquaintance that hath hitherto been acquired, with this part of the
globe.

Van Diemen's Land has been twice visited before. It was so named by
Tasman, who discovered it in November 1642. From that time it had
escaped all farther notice by European navigators, till Captain Furneaux
touched at it in March 1773.[134] I hardly need say, that it is the
southern point of New Holland, which, if it doth not deserve the name of
a continent, is by far the largest island in the world.

[Footnote 134: This is a mistake, though unintentional, no doubt, and
ignorantly on the part of Cook. Captain Marion, a French navigator, and
mentioned occasionally in these voyages, visited Van Diemen's Land about
a twelve-month before Captain Furneaux. The account of his voyage was
published at Paris in 1783, but is little known in England; for which
reason, and because of its possessing a considerable degree of interest,
Captain Flinders has given an abridgment of that portion of its contents
which respects the land in question. This the reader will find in his