to consist of a range of islands. And he gives it as his opinion, that
the northern part of New Holland was separated from the lands to the
southward, by a strait; "unless", says he, "the high tides and indraught
thereabout should be occasioned by the mouth of some large river; which
hath often low lands on each side of the outlet, and many islands and
shoals lying at its entrance: but I rather thought it a channel, or
strait, than a river." This opinion he supports by a fair induction from
facts; and the opening of _twelve miles wide_, seen near the same place
by Vlaming's two vessels, and in which they could find no anchorage,
strongly corroborated Dampier's supposition.

Later information had demonstrated, that the supposed strait could not
lead out into the Great Ocean, eastward, as the English navigator had
conjectured; but it was thought possible, that it might communicate with
the Gulph of Carpentaria, and even probable that a passage existed from
thence to the unknown part of the South Coast, beyond the Isles of St.
Francis and St. Peter.

But whether this opening were the entrance to a strait, separating Terra
Australis into two or more islands, or led into a mediterranean sea, as
some thought; or whether it were the entrance of a large river, there
was, in either case, a great geographical question to be settled,
relative to the parts behind Rosemary Island.

If Tasman's chart were defective at De Witt's Land, it was likely to be
so in other parts of the same coast; where there was no account, or
belief, that it had been examined by any other person further north than
the latitude 16½°. An investigation of the whole North-west Coast, with
its numerous islands and shoals, was, therefore, required, before it
could enter into the present improved systems of geography and