This voyage of captain Cook, whether considered in the extent of his discoveries and the accuracy with which they were traced, or in the labours of his scientific associates, far surpassed all that had gone before.  The general plan of the voyage did not, however, permit captain Cook to enter minutely into the details of every part; and had it been otherwise, the very extent of his discoveries would have rendered it impossible.  Thus, some portions of the east coast of Terra Australis were passed in the night, many openings were seen and left unexamined., and the islands and reefs lying at a distance from the shore could, generally, be no more than indicated:  he reaped the harvest of discovery, but the gleanings of the field remained to be gathered.

MARION. 1772.

The first visitor to Van Diemen’s Land, after Tasman, its discoverer, was captain MARION.  He commanded the Mascarin and Marquis de Castries, from the Isle Mauritius; and one of the objects of his expedition, was the discovery of the supposed SOUTHERN CONTINENT.  This voyage possesses a considerable degree of interest, and was published at Paris in 1783; but not being generally known in England, the parts which relate to Van Diemen’s Land, are here given in abridgment.

March 3, 1772, M. Marion made the west side, in latitude 42 deg. 56’, half a degree south of Tasman’s first land fall; and behind a point in 43 deg. 15’, he saw an opening leading to the northward, but of which no particular mention is made.  Steering eastward, round all the rocks and islets lying off the south coast, he arrived, on the evening of the 4th, in Frederik Hendrik’s Bay; and anchored in 22 fathoms, sandy bottom.  The great sandy cove of the outer bay bore from thence, S. 25 deg.  W. one league and a half; the extreme of Maria’s Island, N. E. by N.; and the northernmost part of the main land, N. 5 deg.  W. six leagues:  (these bearings appear to be as taken by the compass).  The latitude observed here, was 42 deg. 50’ south, and longitude 145 deg. 20 east of Greenwich; the first being 10’, and the longitude above 5 deg. less, than given by Tasman.*

[* According to captain Cook, the longitude should be 148 deg. 10’.]

The fires and smokes, seen by day and night, bespoke the country to be well inhabited; and, on anchoring, there were about thirty men assembled upon the shore.  On the boats being sent next morning, the natives went to them without distrust; and, having piled together some pieces of wood, presented a lighted stick to the new comers, and seemed to ask them to set fire to the pile.  Not knowing what this ceremony meant, they complied; and the act seemed neither to excite surprise, nor to cause any alteration in the conduct of the natives:  they continued to remain about the French party, with their wives and children, as before.