CHAPTER　VIII：　　OBSERVATIONS　ON；　AND　EXPLANATION　OF；　THE　VARIATION　OF　THE　COMPASS。
  On　the　16th　we　were　in　the　latitude　of　26　degrees　29　minutes　south；　and　in　the　longitude　of　199　degrees　32　minutes；　the　variation　of　the　needle　being　8　degrees。　　Here　we　are　to　observe　that　the　eastern　variation　decreases；　which　is　likewise　very　agreeable　to　Doctor　Halley's　hypothesis；　which；　in　few　words；　is　this：　　that　a　certain　large　solid　body　contained　within；　and　every　way　separated　from　the　earth　（as　having　its　own　proper　motion）；　and　being　included　like　a　kernel　in　its　shell；　revolves　circularly　from　east　to　west；　as　the　exterior　earth　revolves　the　contrary　way　in　the　diurnal　motion；　whence　it　is　easy　to　explain　the　position　of　the　four　magnetical　poles　which　he　attributes　to　the　earth；　by　allowing　two　to　the　nucleus；　and　two　to　the　exterior　earth。　　And；　as　the　two　former　perpetually　alter　the　situation　by　their　circular　motion；　their　virtue；　compared　with　the　exterior　poles；　must　be　different　at　different　times；　and　consequently　the　variation　of　the　needle　will　perpetually　change。　　The　doctor　attributes　to　the　nucleus　an　European　north　pole　and　an　American　south　one；　on　account　of　the　variation　of　variations　observed　near　these　places；　as　being　much　greater　than　those　found　near　the　two　other　poles。　　And　he　conjectures　that　these　poles　will　finish　their　revolution　in　about　seven　hundred　years；　and　after　that　time　the　same　situation　of　the　poles　obtain　again　as　at　present；　and；　consequently；　the　variations　will　be　the　same　again　over　all　the　globe；　so　that　it　requires　several　ages　before　this　theory　can　be　thoroughly　adjusted。　　He　assigns　this　probable　cause　of　the　circular　revolution　of　the　nucleus　that　the　diurnal　motion；　being　impressed　from　without；　was　not　so　exactly　communicated　to　the　internal　parts　as　to　give　them　the　same　precise　velocity　of　rotation　as　the　external；　whence　the　nucleus；　being　left　behind　by　the　exterior　earth；　seems　to　move　slowly　in　a　contrary　direction；　as　from　east　to　west；　with　regard　to　the　external　earth；　considered　as　at　rest　in　respect　of　the　other。　But　to　return　to　our　voyage。
  CHAPTER　IX：　　DISCOVERS　A　NEW　ISLAND；　WHICH　HE　CALLS　PYLSTAART　ISLAND。
  On　the　19th　of　January；　being　in　the　latitude　of　22　degrees　35　minutes　south；　and　in　the　longitude　of　204　degrees　15　minutes；　we　had　7　degrees　30　minutes　east　variation。　　In　this　situation　we　discovered　an　island　about　two　or　three　miles　in　circumference；　which　was；　as　far　as　we　could　discern；　very　high；　steep；　and　barren。　We　were　very　desirous　of　coming　nearer　it；　but　were　hindered　by　south…east　and　south…south…east　winds。　　We　called　it　the　Isle　of　Pylstaart；　because　of　the　great　number　of　that　sort　of　birds　we　saw　flying　about　it；　and　the　next　day　we　saw　two　other　islands。
  CHAPTER　X：　　AND　TWO　ISLANDS；　TO　WHICH　HE　GIVES　THE　NAME　OF　AMSTERDAM　AND　ROTTERDAM
  On　the　21st；　being　in　the　latitude　of　21　degrees　20　minutes　south；　and　in　the　longitude　of　205　degrees　29　minutes；　we　found　our　variation　7　degrees　to　the　north…east。　　We　drew　near　to　the　coast　of　the　most　northern　island；　which；　though　not　very　high；　yet　was　the　larger　of　the　two：　　we　called　one　of　these　islands　Amsterdam；　and　the　other　Rotterdam。　　Upon　that　of　Rotterdam　we　found　great　plenty　of　hogs；　fowls；　and　all　sorts　of　fruits；　and　other　refreshments。　These　islanders　did　not　seem　to　have　the　use　of　arms；　inasmuch　as　we　saw　nothing　like　them　in　any　of　their　hands　while　we　were　upon　the　island；　the　usage　they　gave　us　was　fair　and　friendly；　except　that　they　would　steal　a　little。　　The　current　is　not　very　considerable　in　this　place；　where　it　ebbs　north…east；　and　flows　south…west。　　A　south…west　moon　causes　a　spring…tide；　which　rises　seven　or　eight　feet　at　least。　　The　wind　blows　there　continually　south…east；　or　south…south…east；　which　occasioned　the　Heemskirk's　being　carried　out　of　the　road；　but；　however；　without　any　damage。　　We　did　not　fill　any　water　here　because　it　was　extremely　hard　to　get　it　to　the　ship。
  On　the　25th　we　were　in　the　latitude　20　degrees　15　minutes　south；　and　in　the　longitude　of　206　degrees　19　minutes。　　The　variation　here　was　6　degrees　20　minutes　to　the　east；　and；　after　leaving　had　sight　of　several　other　islands；　we　made　that　of　Rotterdam：　　the　islanders　here　resemble　those　on　the　island　of　Amsterdam。　　The　people　were　very　good…natured；　parted　readily　with　what　they　had；　did　not　seem　to　be　acquainted　with　the　use　of　arms；　but　were　given　to　thieving　like　the　natives　of　Amsterdam　Island。　　Here　we　took　in　water；　and　other　refreshments；　with　all　the　conveniency　imaginable。　　We　made　the　whole　circuit　of　the　island；　which　we　found　well…stocked　with　cocoa…trees；　very　regularly　planted；　we　likewise　saw　abundance　of　gardens；　extremely　well　laid　out；　plentifully　stocked　with　all　kinds　of　fruit…trees；　all　planted　in　straight　lines；　and　the　whole　kept　in　such　excellent　order；　that　nothing　could　have　a　better　effect　upon　the　eye。　　After　quitting　the　island　of　Rotterdam；　we　had　sight　of　several　other　islands；　which；　however；　did　not　engage　us　to　alter　the　resolution　we　had　taken　of　sailing　north；　to　the　height　of　17　degrees　south　latitude；　and　from　thence　to　shape　a　west　course；　without　going　near　either　Traitor's　Island；　or　those　of　Horne；　we　having　then　a　very　brisk　wind　from　the　south…east；　or　east…south…　east。
  I　cannot　help　remarking　upon　this　part　of　Captain　Tasman's　journal；　that　it　is　not　easy　to　conceive；　unless　he　was　bound　up　by　leis　instructions；　why　he　did　not　remain　some　time　either　at　Rotterdam　or　at　Amsterdam　Island；　but　especially　at　the　former；　since；　perhaps；　there　is　not　a　place　in　the　world　so　happily　seated；　for　making　new　discoveries　with　ease　and　safety。　　He　owns　that　he　traversed　the　whole　island；　that　he　found　it　a　perfect　paradise；　and　that　the　people　gave　him　not　the　least　cause　of　being　diffident　in　point　of　security；　so　that　if　his　men　had　thrown　up　ever　so　slight　a　fortification；　a　part　of　them　might　have　remained　there　in　safety；　while　the　rest　had　attempted　the　discovery　of　the　Islands　of　Solomon　on　the　one　hand；　or　the　continent　of　De　Quiros　on　the　other；　from　neither　of　which　they　were　at　any　great　distance；　and；　from　his　neglecting　this　opportunity；　I　take　it　for　granted　that　he　was　circumscribed；　both　as　to　his　course　and　to　the　time　he　was　to　employ　in　these　discoveries；　by　his　instructions；　for　otherwise　so　able　a　seaman　and　so　curious　a　man　as　his　journal　shows　him　to　have　been；　would　not　certainly　have　neglected　so　fair　an　opportunity。
  CHAPTER　XI：　　AND　AN　ARCHIPELAGO　OF　TWENTY　SMALL　ISLANDS。
  On　February　6th；　being　in　17　degrees　19　minutes　of　south　latitude；　and　in　the　longitude　of　201　degrees　35　minutes；　we　found　ourselves　embarrassed　by　nineteen　or　twenty　small　islands；　every　one　of　which　was　surrounded　with　sands；　shoals；　and　rocks。　　These　are　marked　in　the　charts　by　the　name　of　Prince　William's　Islands；　or　Heemskirk's　Shallows。　　On　the　8th　we　were　in　the　latitude　of　15　degrees　29　minutes；　and　in　the　longitude　of　199　degrees　31　minutes。　　We　had　abundance　of　rain；　a　strong　wind　from　the　north…east；　or　the　north…　north…east；　with　dark　cold　weather。　　Fearing；　therefore；　that　we　were　run　farther　to　the　west　than　we　thought　ourselves　by　our　reckoning；　and　dreading　that　we　should　fall　to　the　south　of　New　Guinea；　or　be　thrown　upon　some　unknown　coast　in　such　blowing　misty　weather；　we　resolved　to　stand　away　to　the　north；　or　to　the　north…　north…west；　till　we　should　arrive　in　the　latitude　of　4；　5；　or　6　degrees　south；　and　then　to　bear　away　west　for　the　coast　of　New　Guinea；　as　the　least　dangerous　way　that　we　could　take。
  It　is　very　plain　from　hence；　that　Captain　Tasman　had　now　laid　aside　all　thoughts　of　discovering　farther；　and　I　think　it　is　not　difficult　to　guess　at　the　reason；　when　he　was　in　this　latitude；　line　was　morally　certain　that　he　could；　without　further　difficulty；　sail　round　by　the　coast　of　New　Guinea；　and　so　back　again　to　the　East　Indies。　　It　is　therefore　extremely　probable　that　he　was　directed　by　his　instructions　to　coast　round　that　great　southern　continent　already　discovered；　in　order　to　arrive　at　a　certainty　whether　it　was　joined　to　any　other　part　of　the　world；　or　whether；　notwithstanding　its　vast　extent；　viz。；　from　the　equator　to　43　degrees　of　south　latitude；　and　from　the　longitude　of　123　degrees　to　near　190　degrees；　it　was；　notwithstanding；　an　island。　　This；　I　say；　was　in　all　appearance　the　true　design　of　his　voyage；　and　the　reason　of　it　seems　to　be　this：　　that　an　exact　chart　being　drawn　from　his　discoveries；　the　East　India　Company　might　have　perfect　intelligence　of　the　extent　and　situation　of　this　now…found　country　before　they　executed　the　plan　they　were　then　contriving　for　preventing　its　being　visited　or　farther　discovered　by　their　own　or　any　other　nation；　and　this　too　accounts　for　the　care　taken　in　laying　down　the　map　of　this　country　on　the　pavement　of　the　new　stadthouse　at　Amsterdam；　for　as　this　county　was　henceforward　to　remain　as　a　kind　of　deposit　or　land　of　reserve　in　the　hands　of　the　East　India　Company；　they　took　this　method　of　intimating　as　much　to　their　countrymen；　so　that；　while　strangers　are　gaping　at　this　map　as　a　curiosity；　every　intelligent　Dutchman　may　say　to　himself；　〃Behold　the　wisdom　of　the　East