d, but
without discovering anything more than a few small islands.

The fourth and last quarter is from 270 degrees of longitude to the first
meridian, within which lies the continent of South America, and the
island of Terra del Fuego, the most southern promontory of which is
supposed to be Cape Horn, which, according to the best of observations,
is in the latitude of 56 degrees, beyond which there has been nothing
with any degree of certainty discovered on this side.

On the whole, therefore, it appears there are three continents already
tolerably discovered which point towards the south pole, and therefore it
is very probable there is a fourth, which if there be, it must lie
between the country of New Zealand, discovered by Captain Tasman, and
that country which was seen by Captain Sharpe and Mr. Wafer in the South
Seas, to which land therefore, and no other, the title of Terra Australis
Incognita properly belongs. Leaving this, therefore, to the industry of
future ages to discover, we will now return to that great southern island
which Captain Tasman actually surrounded, and the bounds of which are
tolerably well known.

In order to give the reader a proper idea of the importance of this
country, it will be requisite to say something of the climates in which
it is situated. As it lies from the equinoctial to near the latitude of
44 degrees, the longest day in the most northern parts must be twelve
hours, and in the southern about fifteen hours, or somewhat more, so that
it extends from the first to the seventh climate, which shows its
situation to be the happiest in the world, the country called Van
Diemen's Land resembling in all respects the south of France. As there
are in all countries some parts more pleasant than others, so there seems
good reason to believe that within two or three degrees of the tropic of
Capricorn, which passes through the midst of New Holland, is the most
unwholesome and disagreeable part of this country; the reason of which is
very plain, for in those parts it must be excessively hot, much more so
than under the line itself, since the days and nights are there always
equal, whereas within three or four degrees of the tropic of Capricorn,
that is to say, in the latitude 27 degrees south, the days are thirteen
hours and a half long, and the sun is twice in their zenith, first in the
beginning of December, or rather in the latter end of November, and again
when it returns back, which oc