nets, were various species of alcyoniares, sea-hedgehogs, “cadrans,” “hammers,” acrites, and hyattæ.
The flora were represented by beautiful floating algæ laminariæ and macrocystes impregnated with the mucilage which exuded from their pores, and amongst them I found a splendid Nemastoma Geliniaroïde, which was placed amongst the natural curiosities in the museum.
Two days after crossing the coral sea, on the 4th of January, we made the Papuan coast. The captain then informed me of his intention to gain the Indian Ocean by Torres Strait. His communication was limited there. Ned hailed with delight the prospect of approaching European waters. Torres Strait is no less dangerous by reason of the rocks with which it abounds, than on account of the savage races on its coasts. It separates New Holland from the large island of New Guinea, or Papua.
New Guinea is 400 leagues in length, and 130 in breadth, and has a superficies of 40,000 geographical miles. It is situated between 0° 19′ and 10° 2′ S. lat., and 128° 83′ and 146° 15′ long. At mid-day, while the mate was taking an observation, I discerned the summits of Mount Arpalx rising into sharp peaks.
This land, discovered in 1511 by the Portuguese Serrano, was visited successively by Don José de Menesis in 1526; by Grijalva, in 1527; by the Spanish general, Alvar de Saavedra, 1528; by Juigo Ortez, in 1545; by Shonten, in 1616; by Nicholas Srinck, in 1753; by Tasman, Dampier, Furnel, Carteret, Edwards, Bougainville, Cook, Forrest, MacCluer, and Entrecasteaux, in 1792; by Dupeney, in 1823; and by Dumont d’Urville,
