"Terra Australis seemeth to be a great, firme land, lying under
and aboute the south pole, being in many places a fruitefull
soyle, and is not yet thorowly discovered, but only seen and
touched on the north edge thereof by the travaile of the
Portingales and Spaniards in their voyages to their East and West
Indies. It is included almost by a paralell, passing at 40 degrees
in south latitude, yet in some places it reacheth into the sea
with great promontories, even into the tropicke Capricornus. Onely
these partes are best known, as over against Capo d' buona
Speranza (where the Portingales see popingayes commonly of a
wonderful greatnesse), and againe it is knowen at the south side
of the straight of Magellanies, and is called Terra del Fuego. It
is thoughte this south lande, about the pole Antartike, is farre
bigger than the north land about the pole Artike; but whether it
be so or not, we have no certaine knowledge, for we have no
particular description thereof, as we have of the land under and
aboute the north pole."

Then Purchas, in 1678, says:--

"This land about the Straits is not perfectly discovered, whether
it be Continent or Islands. Some take it for Continent, and extend
it more in their imagination than any man's experience towards
those Islands of Saloman and New Guinea, esteeming (of which there
is great probability) that Terra Australis, or the Southerne
Continent, may for the largeness thereof take a first place in
order and the first in greatnesse in the division and parting of
the Whole World."