rtant curiosity might
prompt on the subject--E.

[4] Two relations have been given of Mendana's voyage; one by Quiros
above-mentioned, in a letter to Don Antonio Morga, lieutenant-general
of the Phillipines, when Quiros landed at Manila, which was inserted
in a work published at Mexico in 1609; and the other contained in
Thevenot's French collection, being, as Mr Dalrymple has remarked, a
transcript from Figueroa's history of Garcia Hurtado de Mendoca, and
of less authority. The discoveries of Quiros, real and supposed, have
attracted very peculiar notice, and deservedly so. Almost every
collection specifies them. That which the president de Brosses has
given on the authority of several Spanish works, has been generally
followed. Mr Dalrymple is earnest in securing to this _immortal_
name, the honour of discovering the southern continent. It is most
certain that he did discover something in the Pacific Ocean, but it
never yet has been shewn, that this something any way corresponds with
the wonderful description he thought proper to give of it, in his
memorial to the Spanish king. "Its longitude," says he, (we copy from
Mr Dalrymple's translation) "is as much as that of all Europe, Asia-
Minor, and to the Caspian Sea, and Persia, with all the islands of the
Mediterranean and Ocean, which are in its limits embraced, including
England and Ireland. That _unknown_ part is a quarter of the
whole globe, and so capacious, that it may contain in it double the
kingdoms and provinces of all those your majesty is at present Lord
of: And that without adjoining to Turks or Moors, or others of the
nations which are accustomed to disquiet and disturb their
neighbours!" This was a discoverer after our own heart, worth a dozen
or two of Ansons, Byrons, and Cooks! Amongst his real discoveries must
be particularly regarded the Tierra del Espirito Santo above-
mentioned, which was visited by Bougainville in 1768, and called by
him the New Cyclades, a name since supplanted by that which Cook gave,
the New Hebrides.--E.

[5] See our account of this voyage in vol. x. It was perhaps more
fruitful in discoveries of islands, than any preceding expedition, and
was remarkable, besides, for the small loss of lives during its
continuance, viz. only three men. The interesting enough discovery of
the Strait wh