with many remarks; but shall confine myself to a very few observations,
in order to show the consequences of the discovery made by Captain
Pelsart. The country upon which he suffered shipwreck was New Holland,
the coast of which had not till then been at all examined, and it was
doubtful how far it extended. There had indeed been some reports spread
with relation to the inhabitants of this country, which Captain Pelsart's
relation shows to have been false; for it had been reported that when the
Dutch East India Company sent some ships to make discoveries, their
landing was opposed by a race of gigantic people, with whom the Dutch
could by no means contend. But our author says nothing of the
extraordinary size of the savages that were seen by Captain Pelsart's
people; from whence it is reasonable to conclude that this story was
circulated with no other view than to prevent other nations from
venturing into these seas. It is also remarkable that this is the very
coast surveyed by Captain Dampier, whose account agrees exactly with that
contained in this voyage. Now though it be true, that from all these
accounts there is nothing said which is much to the advantage either of
the country or its inhabitants, yet we are to consider that it is
impossible to represent either in a worse light than that in which the
Cape of Good Hope was placed, before the Dutch took possession of it; and
plainly demonstrated that industry could make a paradise of what was a
perfect purgatory while in the hands of the Hottentots. If, therefore,
the climate of this country be good, and the soil fruitful, both of which
were affirmed in this relation, there could not be a more proper place
for a colony than some part of New Holland, or of the adjacent country of
Carpentaria. I shall give my reasons for asserting this when I come to
make my remarks on a succeeding voyage. At present I shall confine
myself to the reasons that have induced the Dutch East India Company to
leave all these countries unsettled, after having first shown so strong
an inclination to discover them, which will oblige me to lay before the