both fexes. The vivacity of his wit idle moments in his long protracted and of his animal fpirits, even when life. His mind was inceffantly emadvanced in years, rendered his com- ployed; either teeming with new pany not only agreeable, but greatly ideas, or purfuing active and labo folcited by the iterati, and courted rious occupations. At the fame time, by ladies of the highest rank and ac- with all this intellectual ardour, onc compliments. He told very few great feature in the character of Lord ftories; and rarely, if ever, repeated Kames, befide his literary talents and the fame ftory to the fame perfon. his public ípirit, was a remarkable From the neceflity of retailing anec innocency of mind. He not only ne dotes, the miferable refuge of thofe ver indulged in detraction, but when who, without genius, attempt to fhine any fpecies of fcaudal was exhibited in in converfation, the abundance of his his company, he either remained fiown mind for him free; for his wit or lent, or endeavoured to give a differ his learning always fuggefted what ent turn to the converfation. As oxthe occafion required. He could with tural confequences of this amiable difequal cafe and readiness combat the pofition, he never meddled with po opinions of a metaphyfician, unravel litics, even when parties ran to indethe intricacies of law, talk with a far- cent lengths in this country; any mer on improvements in agriculture, what is itill more remarkable, he ne or estimate with a lady the merits of ver wrote a fentence, notwithstanding the drefs in fashion. Instead of be- his numerous publications, without a ing jealous of rivals, the characteristic direct and a manifeft intention to beof little minds, Lord Kames foftered neft his fellow creatures. In his tethand encouraged every fymptom of per he was naturally warm, though merit that he could difcover in the kindly and affectionate. In the friendfcholar, or in the loweit mechanic. fhips he formed, he was ardent, zcalBefore he fucceeded to the effate of ous, and fincere. So far from beir Blair-Drummond, his fortune was inclined to irreligion, as fome ignofall. Notwithstanding this circum- rant bigots infinuated, few men puf. ftance, he, in conjunction with Mrs feffed a more devout habit of thought. Drummond, his refpectable and ac- A conftant fenfe of Deity, and a ve complied fpoufe, did much more neration for Providence, dwelt upon fervice to the indigent than moft fa- his mind. From this fource arose that milies of greater opulence. If the propenfity which appears in all his prefent nechty was prefling, they writings, of invefligating final caufts, gave money. They did more: When and tracing the wildom of the Supreme they discovered that male or female Author of nature. But here we must petitioners were capable of perform- ftop. Lord Kames, to the great reing any art or labour, both parties gret of the public, died on the 27th exerted themselves in procuring that day of December 1782. As he had Species of work which the poor people no marked difcafe but the debility necould perform. In cafes of this kind, cellarily refulting from extreme old which were very frequent, the lady age, a few days before his death he took charge of the women and h's went to the court of fellion, addrefied lordship of the men. From what has all the judges fparately, told the ris Been faid concerning the various and he was speedily to depart, and took numerous productions of his genius, affolemn and 20 affedionete farewell it is bicu, that there could be few 185 Extract from a Memoir concerning the Exiftence and Situation of Solomon's Ilands. Prefented to the Royal Academy of Sciences, January 9th 1781; by M. Buache. THE HE Voyages of modern navigators, at the fame time that they have furnished fo much knowledge of the South Sea, have given rife to doubts refpecting the existence of Solomon's Ijlands ; and several geographers have already been anxious to expunge them from their charts, and rer ove them to the clafs of fabulous Lands. It was for fome time rather afual to deny the exiftence of every country, which was not found at the place affigned to it by the charts; while, on the other hand, all thofe Jands which were found in tracts of fea where there were not any marked in the charts, were confidered as new difcoveries. The more enlightened navigators of the prefent time, when their refearches prove unfuccefsful, draw no other conclufion, than that the lands they are unable to find have been ill placed upon their geographical charts; and, before they give a new name to any inland that does not appear there, confider attentively all thofe that appear in the fame tracts and at the fame latitudes. In the prefent cafe, to be qualified to deny the existence of Solomon's Islands with any reason, it would be neceffary to have fought them in all the fituations which different authors have aligned, which has not yet been done. I have examined this point of geography with attention; and it has appeared to me, that, to any one who has not made a vow of fcepticifm, the exiftence of these islands is fufficiently demonftrated by the accounts of Mendana's voyages. I have also thought that, with the knowledge we now have of the South Sea, we may be able to ascertain their pofition more precifely, and make them easier to be found by other navigators. The circumftantial particulars of A a VCL. XIV. No. 81. the difcovery of Solomon's Islands, as related by Figueroa, cannot be regarded as romance; they contain nothing marvellous, nor inconfiftent with things actually known, but a fimple narrative of fact. The relation of Men dana's fecond voyage is alone fufficient to eftablish the reality of this difcovery. We fee from the first, that this voyage was not undertaken, like the former, to make difcoveries at random, but to return to a place already known, and establish a colony in it: the fleet was, confequently, provided with every thing neceffary for fuch an expedition; 368 perfons, chiefly married, were embarked in it; their courfe was directed to the particular object in view; and they croffed the fea between the 8th and 12th degrees of fouth latitude, in conf.quence of their previous knowledge of the fituation of the places. When they arrived at the island of Santa-Cruz, Mendana no fooner faw the inhabitants, than he declared to his crew, that thefe were the people he fought. After the death of Mendana, his widow, who fucceeded him in the command of the fleet, when they quited Santa-Cruz, was defirous to feck the island of St Chriftopher, the most eastern of Solomon's Ilands, and fteered W. S. W. but after the fecond day, as this ifland did not appear, the changed her courfe and bore to the north for Manilla. It was, without doubt, upon Mendana's inftructions that he directed this fearch; and by the fhort time fhe employed, it is evident how near that navigator had fuppofed them... Mendana's chief Pilot, Fernand Quiros, could not bring himself to relinquith, his commander's refearches, and regretted the propofal of failing for Manilla. He was convinced of the the existence of Solomon's Islands,`ages undertaken to find them? have and from this moment the difcovery of them became the reigning object of his wishes he returned fpeedily to Peru, prefented no lefs than eight me morials to the Viceroy, and employ. ed his folicitations fo effectually, that at length he obtained his defire. When he left Callao, the port of Lima, on December 21, 1605, he appointed the island of Santa-Cruz as the place of rendezvous for the veffels with him, which fufficiently points out the object of his voyage. Knowing the distance of this ifland from the coast of Peru, and defirous to employ his intermediate way to the best advantage, he did not take the direct courfe which he had gone with Mendana in his first voyage, but proceeded fouthwards as far as the 25th degree of latitude. Af. ter difcovering a long chain of fmall iflands, most of which have fince been re-difcovered, he returned to the latitude of Santa-Cruz. At Taumago he learned from the inhabitants, that they knew of many iflands in their neighbourhood; and advancing again to the fouthward, difcovered the land which he named Tierra. Auftral del Efpiritu Santo. When he left this illand he met with violent and contrary winds in the open fea, by which one of his fhips was feparated from him; he therefore refolved to fleer up for the inland of Santa-Cruz, where the rendezvous was appointed: but when he came into this latitude he was unable to find Santa Cruz, conftantly lofing way more and more, fays Figueroa, by the force of the wind. Seeing how difficult it was to make this ifland, and thinking it would be impoffible to beat back again, he gave up his defign, and fteered for Mexico. Such are the principal confiderations which move us to believe the exiftence of Solomon's Islands. If we obferve further, that most of Mendana's and Quiros's difcoveries have been confirmed by modern navigators, we cannot well doubt of this. But if these islands exift, why so many voy thefe been fruitless? The answer to this objection will be found in that very fituation of the islands which it is my prefent object to afcertain. We may obferve, in the mean while, that Quiros could not find them because he could not make the island of Santa-Cruz, which he fought on the north-eaft of the Tierra Aufiral; whereas it is on the north-west of it, according to the obfervations of modern navigators. Carteret and Byron did not find them, because they made the fearch only in the places pointed out by modern charts. Byron obferves, that having advanced to ten degrees weft of the pofition affigned to them by the French chart of the South Sea, he thought it neceffary to abandon the fearch: he adds, that this fituation is not founded upon any authority: and that he much doubts whether the celebrated navigator who made the difcovery, has left fufficient information for them ever to be found again. Carteret, in like manner obferves, that he had advanced far be yond the fituation attributed to them; and that, having arrived at the island of Santa-Cruz, which he re-difcovered, he gave up the attempt. If these navigators could have confulted the narratives of Mendana's voyages, it is probable they would not fo haftily have relinquished their refearches. Thefe accounts give us, in the firft place, the latitudes of many of the Islands of Sclomon; and in this refpect we know, that the errors to be apprehended are very inconfiderable, feldom more than half a degree: they give us, fecondly, the distance of thefe iflands, from the coaft of Peru, by comparing which with the time of their intermediate way, particularly in Mendana's fecond voyage, which was in a more direct course, and on the fame parallel with these iflands, we may deduce their longitude, at leaft within a very few degrees. Before we undertake to afcertain this point, we must enquire why why geographers are fo little agreed about the pofition of these islands, and why there is the difference of more than a thoufand leagues in the fituations affigned by them. The first charts which reprefent the Iflands of Solomon all agree in placing them to the caft of New Guinea, and at no great diftance from it: they are thus fituated on a chart published by Theodore de Bry, in 1596, the fame year that Mendana arrived at Manilla, after his fecond expedition: the fame pofition appears in a chart publifhed by Witfliet in 1597; in the charts belonging to Herrera's Hiftory of the Weft Indies; in an ancient Portuguefe chart of the Eaft Indies, inferted in Thevenot's curious collection of voyages; in the charts of Ortelius publifhed in 1589: and, in general, in all the charts which preceded thofe of the Arcano del Mare, published by Robert Dudley in 1646. Dudley then tranfpofed the islands of Solomon to the fituation of the Marquefas de Mendoza, marking but one group of the two fets of iflands: On the chart where they appear, which is the 23d of Afia, he explains his opinion, and the authorities he confulted in the following note: "The Ilands of Solomon, difcovered by Alvarez de Mendana, in 1580, were found at 800 Spanish leagues weft from Lima; nevertheless the ordinary charts place them at 1800 leagues, but very falfely." Dudley's opinion was adopted by many geographers; and among others, by Delifle, as appears in his firft charts, and on his terrestrial globe, published in 1700. Delifle was certainly induced, rather by the reputation of its author than by any profound reflection, to embrace this opinion; we find him renouncing it in 1714, when he published his fouthern hemifphere: he then placed the Islands of Solomon at 1635 Spanish leagues, and 205 degrees of longitude, eaft from the meridian of Ferro. Six years after, when he published his Map of the World, and a Memoir + on the Situation and Extent of dif ferent Parts of the Earth, he approached ftill nearer to the pofition indicated in the early charts. He there places Solomon's Iflands in 190 degrees of longitude; and in his Memoir he fays, that he has determined the fituation of the fouthern lands, and of the ifiands of the South Sea, by the journals of the difcoveries, and by tracing their voyages. This me-thod was the reful of reflection, and accordingly has been moit followed fince 1720. M. Bellin had placed these islands in 195 degrees of longitude, on his chart of the known parts of the globe, as well as on that of the South Sea, published in 1741; and in his obfervations on the conftruction of the latter chart, we find his motives for fo doing, In 1756, he corrected his chart of the South Sea; and then removed the Iflands of Solomon to 205 degrees, or ten degrees further eastward. His opinion was adopted by Mr Green in his great chart of America. M. Danville had taken a mean between the pofitions adopted by other geographers, and had placed the Iflands of Solomon at 200 degrees; but when he established the new dif coveries in the South Sea, upon his Map of the World, he thought it ne ceffary to fupprefs the old ones, and the Inlands of Solomon no longer appear upon his map. In 1767, M Pingré, of the Royal Academy of fciences, on the occafion of the tranfit of Venus, gave us fome very interefting refearches into the pofition of the islands in the South Sea, and placed the Islands of Sulomon near 210 degrees. We are a fo obliged to Mr Dalrymple for very curious researches concerning the ancient voyages in the South Sea, made by the Spanish and the Dutch. This learned man, well known, for the zeal with which he A a 2 + Memoirs of the Academy of Sciences; 1720. promc promotes the progrefs of geography and navigation, and for his labours in thoi branches of fcience, has particularly ftudied every thing that relares to the lands of Solomon, and has publish da differtation on the fubject. He perceived that they ought to se placed near New Guinea, and a greater diftence from Peru than was indicated in any of the charts; but his patriotic zeal betrayed him into an er or of another kind; he has tranfpofed the Ilands of Solomon to the fituation of those known by the name of New Britain, and fituated between the 2d and the 6th degree of fouth latitude; whereas the obfervations made in Mendana's voyage place them between the 7th and the 12th degree. By this fummary we perceive how much geographers have differed about the fituation of Solomon's Islands, and how many fituations they have affigned for them. To attain the truth in a matter fo obfcure, the best way is to examine the original authors who were confulted by thofe geographers; and I will therefore briefly report what the chief of these have written on the fubje&t. Acofta, in his natural and moral Hiftory of the Indies (Book I. p. 6, and 15) fays, at first, that the Islands of Solomon are 800 leagues from Peru; and in two other paffages where he fpeaks again of thofe iflands, he fays, it is a well-founded opinion that they should be placed near New Guinea, or at least in the neighbour hood of a continent. He makes no mention of their latitude." Herrera, in his defcription of the Weft Indies (ch. 27.) tells us, in like manner, that Solomon's Inlands are 800 leagues from Peru; and further on he adds, that they are fituated between the 7th and the 12th degree of fouth latitude, and 1500 leagues from the City of Kings, or Lima: he fays, moreover, that they are probably contiguous to New Guinea. Lopez Vaz (Purchas's Pilgrimes, Vol. IV. B. VII. Ch. II.) reports, that Mendana met with fome illaads in 11 degrees of fouth latitude, and 800 leagues from Lima; and eleven large islands between the 9th and 12th degree of fouth latitude. Ovalle, in his Hiftory of Chili, fays, that Solomon's Iflands are about 7500 miles weft from Peru, and that they extend from the 7th to the 12th degree of latitude. Quiros, in one of the memorials he prefented to the Viceroy of Peru, afferts that, according to the teftimony of Mendana, the Islands of Solomon are 15co leagues from the coaft of Lima, and extend from the 7th 10 the 12th degree of latitude. According to Figueroa, who has given the most circumftantial account of Mendana's discoveries, the diftance from Lima to Candlemas Shoals, whence the islands of Solomon were firft defcribed, is about 1610 leagues; their latitude, between 7 and 12 degrees: and that from Lima to the Ile of Santa Cruz, is 1850 leagues. Laftly, in a manufcript belonging to the Viceroy of Peru, which Richard Hawkins profeffes to have feen, Solomon's Islands are placed on the fame parallel as Santa (9 degrees S.) and at the distance of about 2500 leagues weft. To the authority of all thefe Spanifh authors we will join also that of Cornelius Witfliet of Louvain, who, in 1603, published a curious account of the Weft Indies. The expreffions of this author are remarkable, and teftify a confiderable accuracy of information;" on the right, and near Guinea, are the islands of Solomon, of vast extent, and very numerous, discovered not long ago by Alvaro de Mendana. This navigator failed from the port of Lima in Peru, in fearch of new and unknown lands; and after a voyage of three months, with regular winds from the fouth-eaft, fell in with thefe Iflands, which he named |