I have tried, in describing these adventures, to give my readers some idea of the scenery, animals, and vegetation of the new lands through which these pioneers passed on their great and small purposes; as well as of the people, native to the soil, with whom they came in contact. And in treating of these subjects I have thought it best to give the scientific names of the plant or animal which was of importance in my story, so that any of my readers who were really interested in natural history could at once ascertain for themselves the exact type alluded to, and, if they wished, look it up in a museum, a garden, or a natural history book. I hope this attempt at scientific accuracy will not frighten away readers young and old; and, if you can have patience with the author, you will, by reading this series of books on the great pioneers of British West Africa, Canada, Malaysia, West Indies, South Africa, and Australasia, get a clear idea of how the British Colonial Empire came to be founded. You will find that I have often tried to tell the story in the words of the pioneers, but in these quotations I have adopted the modern spelling, not only in my transcript of the English original or translation, but also in the place and tribal names, so as not to puzzle or delay the reader. Otherwise, if you were to look out some of the geographical names of the old writers, you might not be able to recognize them on the modern atlas. The pronunciation of this modern geographical spelling is very simple and clear: the vowels are pronounced _a_ = ah, _e_ = eh, _i_ = ee, _o_ = o, _ô_ = oh, _ō_ = aw, _ö_ = u in 'hurt', and _u_ = oo, as in German, Italian, or most other European languages; and the consonants as in English. H.H. JOHNSTON. CONTENTS Chap. Page I. THE GENERAL FEATURES OF AUSTRALASIA 15 II. THE FIRST HUMAN INHABITANTS OF AUSTRALASIA 46 III. SPANISH AND PORTUGUESE EXPLORERS LEAD THE WAY TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN 88 IV. DUTCH DISCOVERIES 129 V. DAMPIER'S VOYAGES 148 VI. JAMES COOK'S FIRST VOYAGE 178 VII. NEW SOUTH WALES 225 VIII. COOK'S SECOND AND THIRD VOYAGES 252 IX. BLIGH AND THE "BOUNTY" 278 X. THE RESULTS OF THE PIONEERS' WORK 290 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS COLOURED PLATES Page Magellan visiting the King of Sebu _Frontispiece_ An Australian Aborigine navigating a Raft 48 Tasman's Men attacked by Natives off the Coast of New Zealand 136 Dampier and his Crew watching a Volcanic Eruption 174 Captain Cook's Arrival at Tahiti (1769) 192