he discovered an extensive country, which he called New Caledonia.  In his passage from this to New Zealand he discovered several islands, and among the rest Norfolk Island.  The great object of his third voyage, which was the examination of the north-west coast of America, did not afford him an opportunity of visiting for any length of time Australasia; yet he did visit it, and examined New Zealand attentively, obtaining much original and important information respecting it, and the manners, &c. of its inhabitants.

The voyages which we have hitherto noticed, were principally directed to the southern parts of Australasia.  Between the years 1774 and 1776, some discoveries were made in the northern parts of it by Captain Forrest:  he sailed from India in a vessel of only ten tons, with the intention of ascertaining whether a settlement could not be formed on an island near the northern promontory of Borneo.  In the course of this voyage he examined the north coast of Waygiou; and after visiting several small islands, he arrived on the north coast of Papua.

The next accessions that were made to our geographical knowledge of Australasia, are derived from the voyage in search of La Peyrouse.  The object of La Peyrouse’s voyage was to complete the discoveries made by former navigators in the southern hemisphere:  in the course of this voyage he navigated some portion of Australasia; but where he and his crew perished is not known.  As the French government were naturally and very laudably anxious to ascertain his real fate, two vessels were despatched from France in the year 1791, for that purpose.  In April, 1792, they arrived within the limits of Australasia:  after having examined Van Diemen’s Land, they sailed along an immense chain of reefs, extending upwards of 3OO miles on the east coast of New Caledonia.  As Captain Cook had confined his survey to the north, they directed their attention to the south-west coast.  After visiting some islands in this sea, they arrived at New Ireland, part of which they carefully explored.  In 1793, after having visited New Holland, they sailed for New Zealand; and near it they discovered an island which lies near the eastern limit of Australasia:  to this they gave the name of Recherche.  The New Hebrides, New Caledonia, and New Britain, were also visited and examined; near the coast of the last they discovered several mountainous islands.  Beside the accessions to our geographical knowledge of Australasia which we derived from this voyage, it is particularly valuable “on account of the illustrations of the natural history of the different countries, and the accuracy with which the astronomical observations were made.”  It is worthy of remark that the two ships lost nearly half their men; whereas, British navigators have been out as long, in a climate and circumstances as unfavourable to health, and have scarcely lost a single man.