At the date of the events narrated in the preceeding chapter, comparatively little was known of Oceania, that is, of the islands and continents that are scattered about the Pacific Ocean.  Most of them had been discovered, named, and marked correctly enough in the charts, but beyond this all was supposition, hypothesis, and mystery.  The mighty empire of England in the east was then only in its infancy, Sutteeism and Thuggism were still rampant on the banks of the Ganges, but the power of the descendants of the Great Mogul was on the wane.  California was only known as the hunting-ground of a savage race of wild Indians.  The now rich and flourishing colonies of Australia were represented by the convict settlement of Sydney.  The Dutch had asserted that the territory of New Holland was utterly uninhabitable, and this was still the belief of the civilized world; nor was it without considerable opposition on the part of soi-disant philanthropists that the English government succeeded in establishing a prison depot on what at the time was considered the sole spot in that vast territory susceptible of cultivation.  At the present time, these formerly-despised regions send one hundred tons of pure gold to England.  The political state of Europe itself had at this time assumed a singular aspect.  Napoleon had made himself master of nearly all the continental states; Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Holland, and a part of Germany were at his feet; and, by the Peace of Tilsit, he had secured the cooperation of Alexander, Emperor of Russia, in his schemes to ruin the trade and commerce of Great Britain.  England, by her opportune seizure of the Danish fleet, broke up the first great northern confederacy that was formed against her.  This act, though much impugned by the politicians of the day, is now known not only to have been perfectly justifiable, but also highly creditable to the political foresight of Canning and Castlereagh, by whom it was suggested, to say nothing of the daring and boldness that Nelson displayed in executing the manoeuvre.  When news of this event reached the Russian Emperor it threw him into a paroxysm of rage, and he declared war against England in violent language.  He had the insolence to make peace with France the sina qua non of his friendship.  At the distance of nearly half a century, the actual language employed has a peculiar flavor.  The emperor, after detailing his grievances, declares that henceforth there shall be no connection between the two countries, and calls on his Britannic Majesty to dismiss his ministers, and conclude a peace forthwith.  The British Government replied to this by ordering Nelson to set sail forthwith for the mouth of the Neva.  A bitter and scorching manifesto was at the time forwarded to the emperor.  It accused him flatly of duplicity, and boldly defied him and all his legions.  The whole document is well worthy of perusal in these lackadaisical times.  It is dated Westminister, December 18, 1807.