early australian voyages-第6部分

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his　was　first　observed；　it　was　attributed　to　certain　excavations　or　hollows　in　the　earth；　to　veins　of　lead；　stone；　and　other　such…like　causes。　　But　when　it　was　found　by　repeated　experiments　that　this　variation　varied；　it　appeared　plainly　that　none　of　those　causes　could　take　place；　since　if　they　had；　the　variation　in　the　same　place　must　always　have　been　the　same；　whereas　the　fact　is　otherwise。

Here　at　London；　for　instance；　in　the　year　1580；　the　variation　was　observed　to　be　11　degrees　17　minutes　to　the　east；　in　the　year　1666；　the　variation　was　here　34　minutes　to　the　west；　and　in　the　year　1734；　the　variation　was　somewhat　more　than　1　degree　west。　　In　order　to　find　the　variation　of　the　needle　with　the　least　error　possible；　the　seamen　take　this　method：　　they　observe　the　point　the　sun　is　in　by　the　compass；　any　time　after　its　rising；　and　then　take　the　altitude　of　the　sun；　and　in　the　afternoon　they　observe　when　the　sun　comes　to　the　same　altitude；　and　observe　the　point　the　sun　is　then　in　by　the　compass；　for　the　middle；　between　these　two；　is　the　true　north　or　south　point　of　the　compass；　and　the　difference　between　that　and　the　north　or　south　upon　the　card；　which　is　pointed　out　by　the　needle；　is　the　variation　of　the　compass；　and　shows　how　much　the　north　and　south；　given　by　the　compass；　deviates　from　the　true　north　and　south　points　of　the　horizon。　　It　appears　clearly；　from　what　has　been　said；　that　in　order　to　arrive　at　the　certain　knowledge　of　the　variation；　and　of　the　variation　of　that　variation　of　the　compass；　it　is　absolutely　requisite　to　have　from　time　to　time　distinct　accounts　of　the　variation　as　it　is　observed　in　different　places：　　whence　the　importance　of　Captain　Tasman's　remarks；　in　this　respect；　sufficiently　appears。　　It　is　true　that　the　learned　and　ingenious　Dr。　Halley　has　given　a　very　probable　account　of　this　matter；　but　as　the　probability　of　that　account　arises　only　from　its　agreement　with　observations；　it　follows　those　are　as　necessary　and　as　important　as　ever；　in　order　to　strengthen　and　confirm　it。



CHAPTER　III：　　REMARKS　ON　THE　VARIATION　OF　THE　NEEDLE。



On　the　6th　of　November；　I　was　in　49　degrees　4　minutes　south　latitude；　and　in　the　longitude　of　114　degrees　56　minutes；　the　variation　was　at　this　time　26　degrees　westward；　and；　as　the　weather　was　foggy；　with　hard　gales；　and　a　rolling　sea　from　the　south…west　and　from　the　south；　I　concluded　from　thence　that　it　was　not　at　all　probable　there　should　be　any　land　between　those　two　points。　　On　November　15th　I　was　in　the　latitude　of　44　degrees　33　minutes　south；　and　in　the　longitude　of　140　degrees　32　minutes。　　The　variation　was　then　18　degrees　30　minutes　west；　which　variation　decreased　every　day；　in　such　a　manner；　that；　on　the　21st　of　the　same　month；　being　in　the　longitude　of　158　degrees；　I　observed　the　variation　to　be　no　more　than　4　degrees。　　On　the　22nd　of　that　month；　the　needle　was　in　continual　agitation；　without　resting　in　any　of　the　eight　points；　which　led　me　to　conjecture　that　we　were　near　some　mine　of　loadstone。

This　may；　at　first　sight；　seem　to　contradict　what　has　been　before　laid　down；　as　to　the　variation；　and　the　causes　of　it：　　but；　when　strictly　considered；　they　will　be　found　to　agree　very　well；　for　when　it　is　asserted　that　veins　of　loadstone　have　nothing　to　do　with　the　variation　of　the　compass；　it　is　to　be　understood　of　the　constant　variation　of　a　few　degrees　to　the　east；　or　to　the　west：　　but　in　cases　of　this　nature；　where　the　variation　is　absolutely　irregular；　and　the　needle　plays　quite　round　the　compass；　our　author's　conjecture　may　very　well　find　place：　　yet　it　must　be　owned　that　it　is　a　point　far　enough　from　being　clear；　that　mines　of　loadstone　affect　the　compass　at　a　distance；　which；　however；　might　be　very　easily　determined；　since　there　are　large　mines　of　loadstone　in　the　island　of　Elba；　on　the　coast　of　Tuscany。



CHAPTER　IV：　　HE　DISCOVERS　A　NEW　COUNTRY　TO　WHICH　HE　GIVES　THE　NAME　OF　VAN　DIEMEN'S　LAND。



On　the　24th　of　the　same　month；　being　in　the　latitude　of　42　degrees　25　minutes　south；　and　in　the　longitude　of　163　degrees　50　minutes；　I　discovered　land；　which　lay　east…south…east　at　the　distance　of　ten　miles；　which　I　called　Van　Diemen's　Land。　　The　compass　pointed　right　towards　this　land。　　The　weather　being　bad；　I　steered　south　and　by　east　along　the　coast；　to　the　height　of　44　degrees　south；　where　the　land　runs　away　east；　and　afterwards　north…east　and　by　north。　　In　the　latitude　of　43　degrees　10　minutes　south；　and　in　the　longitude　of　167　degrees　55　minutes；　I　anchored　on　the　1st　of　December；　in　a　bay；　which　I　called　the　Bay　of　Frederic　Henry。　　I　heard；　or　at　least　fancied　I　heard；　the　sound　of　people　upon　the　shore；　but　I　saw　nobody。　　All　I　met　with　worth　observing　was　two　trees；　which　were　two　fathoms　or　two　fathoms　and　a　half　in　girth；　and　sixty　or　sixty…　five　feet　high　from　the　root　to　the　branches：　　they　had　cut　with　a　flint　a　kind　of　steps　in　the　bark；　in　order　to　climb　up　to　the　birds'　nests：　　these　steps　were　the　distance　of　five　feet　from　each　other；　so　that　we　must　conclude　that　either　these　people　are　of　a　prodigious　size；　or　that　they　have　some　way　of　climbing　trees　that　we　are　not　used　to；　in　one　of　the　trees　the　steps　were　so　fresh；　that　we　judged　they　could　not　have　been　cut　above　four　days。

The　noise　we　heard　resembled　the　noise　of　some　sort　of　trumpet；　it　seemed　to　be　at　no　great　distance；　but　we　saw　no　living　creature　notwithstanding。　　I　perceived　also　in　the　sand　the　marks　of　wild　beasts'　feet；　resembling　those　of　a　tiger；　or　some　such　creature；　I　gathered　also　some　gum　from　the　trees；　and　likewise　some　lack。　　The　tide　ebbs　and　flows　there　about　three　feet。　　The　trees　in　this　country　do　not　grow　very　close；　nor　are　they　encumbered　with　bushes　or　underwood。　　I　observed　smoke　in　several　places；　however；　we　did　nothing　more　than　set　up　a　post；　on　which　every　one　cut　his　name；　or　his　mark；　and　upon　which　I　hoisted　a　flag。　　I　observed　that　in　this　place　the　variation　was　changed　to　3　degrees　eastward。　　On　December　5th；　being　then；　by　observation；　in　the　latitude　of　41　degrees　34　minutes；　and　in　the　longitude　169　degrees；　I　quitted　Van　Diemen's　Land；　and　resolved　to　steer　east　to　the　longitude　of　195　degrees；　in　hopes　of　discovering　the　Islands　of　Solomon。



CHAPTER　V：　　SAILS　FROM　THENCE　FOR　NEW　ZEALAND。



On　September　9th　I　was　in　the　latitude　of　42　degrees　37　minutes　south；　and　in　the　longitude　of　176　degrees　29　minutes；　the　variation　being　there　5　degrees　to　the　east。　　On　the　12th　of　the　same　month；　finding　a　great　rolling　sea　coming　in　on　the　south…west；　I　judged　there　was　no　land　to　be　hoped　for　on　that　point。　　On　the　13th；　being　in　the　latitude　of　42　degrees　10　minutes　south；　and　in　the　longitude　of　188　degrees　28　minutes；　I　found　the　variation　7　degrees　30　minutes　eastward。　　In　this　situation　I　discovered　a　high　mountainous　country；　which　is　at　present　marked　in　the　charts　under　the　name　of　New　Zealand。　　I　coasted　along　the　shore　of　this　country　to　the　north…north…east　till　the　18th；　and　being　then　in　the　latitude　of　40　degrees　50　minutes　south；　and　in　the　longitude　of　191　degrees　41　minutes；　I　anchored　in　a　fine　bay；　where　I　observed　the　variation　to　be　9　degrees　towards　the　east。

We　found　here　abundance　of　the　inhabitants：　　they　had　very　hoarse　voices；　and　were　very　large…made　people。　　They　durst　not　approach　the　ship　nearer　than　a　stone's　throw；　and　we　often　observed　them　playing　on　a　kind　of　trumpet；　to　which　we　answered　with　the　instruments　that　were　on　board　our　vessel。　　These　people　were　of　a　colour　between　brown　and　yellow；　their　hair　long；　and　almost　as　thick　as　that　of　the　Japanese；　combed　up；　and　fixed　on　the　top　of　their　heads　with　a　quill；　or　some　such　thing；　that　was　thickest　in　the　middle；　in　the　very　same　manner　that　Japanese　fastened　their　hair　behind　their　heads。　　These　people　cover　the　middle　of　their　bodies；　some　with　a　kind　of　mat；　others　with　a　sort　of　woollen　cloth；　but；　as　for　their　upper　and　lower　parts；　they　leave　them　altogether　naked。

On　the　19th　of　December；　these　savages　began　to　grow　a　little　bolder；　and　more　familiar；　insomuch　that　at　last　they　ventured　on　board　the　Heemskirk　in　order　to　trade　with　those　in　the　vessel。　　As　soon　as　I　perceived　it；　being　apprehensive　that　they　might　attempt　to　surprise　that　ship；　I　sent　my　shallop；　with　seven　men；　to　put　the　people　in　the　Heemskirk　upon　their　guard；　and　to　direct　them　not　to　place　any　confidence　in　those　people。　　My　seven　men；　being　without　arms；　were　attacked　by　these　savages；　who　killed　three　of　the　seven；　and　forced　the　other　four　to　swim　for　their　lives；　which　occasioned　my　giving　that　place　the　name　of　the　Bay　of　Murderers。　　Our　ship's　company　would；　undoubtedly；　have　taken　a　severe　revenge；　if　the　rough　weather　had　not　hindered　them。　　From　this　bay　we　bore　away　east；　having　the　land　in　a　manner　all　round　us。　　This　country　appeared　to　us　rich；　fertile；　and　very　well　situated；　but　as　the　weather　was　very　foul；　and　we　had　at　this　time　a　very　strong　west　wind；　we　found　it　very　difficult　to　get　clear　of　the　land。



CHAPTER　VI：　　VISITS　THE　ISLAND　OF　THE　THREE　KINGS；　AND　GOES　IN　SEARCH　OF　OTHER　ISLANDS　DISCOVERED　BY　SCHOVTEN。



On　the　24th　of　December；　as　the　wind　would　not　permit　us　to　continue　our　way　to　the　north；　as　we　knew　not　whether　we　should　be　able　to　find　a　passage　on　that　side；　and　as　the　flood　came　in　from　the　south…east；　we　concluded　that　it　would　be　the　best　to　return　into　the　bay；　and　seek　some　other　way　out；　but　on　the　26th；　the　wind　becoming　more　favourable；　we　continued　our　route　to　the　north；　turning　a　little　to　the　west。　　On　the　4th　of　January；　1643；　being　then　in　the　latitude　of　34　degrees　35　minutes　south；　and　in　the　longitude　of　191　degrees　9　minutes；　we　sailed　quite　to　the　cape；　which　lies　north…west；　where　we　found　the　sea　rolling　in　from　the　north…east；　whence　we　concluded　that　we　had　at　last　found　a　passage；　which　gave　us　no　small　joy。　　There　was　in　this　strait　an　island；　which　we　called　the　island　of　the　Three　Kings；　the　cape　of　which　we　doubled；　with　a　design　to　have　refreshed　ourselves；　but；　as　we　approached　it；　we　perceived　on　the　mountain　thirty　or　five…and…　thirty　persons；　who；　as　far　as　we　could　discern　at　such　a　distance；　were　men　of　very　large　size；　and　had　each　of　them　a　large　club　in　his　hand：　　they　call