CHAPTER II.

CAPTAIN COOK'S PREDECESSORS.

I.

Roggewein--Scanty information respecting him--The uncertainty of his discoveries--Easter Island--The Pernicious Islands--Bauman Islands--New Britain--Arrival at Batavia--Byron--Stay at Rio Janeiro and Port Desire--Entrance into Magellan's Strait-- Falkland Islands and Port Egmont--The Fuegians--Mas-a-fuero-- Disappointment Islands--Danger Islands--Tinian--Return to Europe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

II.

Wallis and Carteret--Preparations for the Expedition--Difficult Navigation of the Strait of Magellan--Separation of the _Dauphin_ and _Swallow_--Whitsunday Island--Queen Charlotte's Island--Cumberland and Henry Islands--Otaheite--Howe, Boscawen, and Keppel Islands--Wallis Islands--Batavia--The Cape--The Downs--Discovery of Pitcairn, Osnaburgh, and Gloucester Islands by Carteret--Santa Cruz Archipelago--Solomon Islands--St. George's Strait and New Ireland--Portland Island and the Admiralty Islands--Macassar and Batavia--Meeting with Bougainville in the Atlantic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

III.

Bougainville--Changes in the life of a Notary's son--Colonization of the Falkland Islands--Buenos Ayres and Rio Janiero--Cession of the Falkland Islands to Spain--Hydrographical Survey of the Straits of Magellan--The Pecherais--The Four Facardins-- Otaheite--Incidents of stay there--Productions of the country and manners of the people--Samoan Islands--Tierra del Santo Espirito or the New Hebrides--The Louisiade--Anchorite Islands--New Guinea--Buotan--From Batavia to St. Malo . . . . . 71