Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 1.djvu/691

OF TERRA AUSTRALIS. 567 and offend such others as shall oppugne or hinder the said discovery or Biblio- plantation of your pet'* shippes in going or returning. And with such other graphy. grantes and landes and privileges as in cases of discovery or setlinge of colonies or plantations is usaall or shall be fitt. And to directe yonr Ma^<" Attomey-Generall to prepare a grante accordingly fitt for yonr Ma^<^" royal signature. And your pet' (as in duty bound) shall ever pray for your Ma^** long and happy raigne. Having lent large sums of money to the King, Sir William Courteen had some claim upon his Majesty's consideration. But it does not appear that " all ye said islands and territories " were granted to him. He seems to have been satisfied with a bad title to the island of Barbados ; where he sent (1626) fifty settlers, who built a fort and remained there till it was taken from them in 1628. He then sent eighty men and retook it in the name of the Earl of Pembroke. Sir William died in 1636. The next proposal for the colonisation of Terra Australis bears the- name of Captain Welbe, datel 716. One copy only of the original is. known to exist, and that is in the Biblioth6que Nationale, Paris. In the light of present knowledge this document is of great interest;, especially in connection with the reference to the gold and silver* mines, and the name of "New Wales." Captain John Welbb's Proposals for Establishing a Company by the name of the London Adventurers, for carrying on a Trade to (and settling Colonies in) Terra Aus- tralis, and working and improving the Gold and Silver Mines, which there abound. Whereas 'tis well known that there is no nation that do Trade from th& South Seas to the East Indies but the Spaniards, whose India Trade is from Acapulco (on the coast of Mexico in the South Seas) to the Phillippine Islands in the East Indies, which ships, in going, keep always in the north- east Trade wind ; and in coming back they run to 40 or 45 degrees north, to meet a westerly wind, to run them to the eastward, for which reason those southern parts are not yet fully discovered, nor any part of them settled by any European whatsoever, they lying out of the way of all trading ships. If we look back and trace the course of those European Ships Voyages that have sailed round the Globe, it may be easily seen how far they were from making any Discoveries in those southern parts, the course of their voyages not giving them any opportunity for so doing. Magellanus, the discoverer of the Streights called after his name, the first that saiVd west from the South Seas to the East Indies, sailed along the coast of Peru and Mexico, till he came to Califomia, and thence took his departure for India, keeping in the north-east Trade wind. 2 P Digitized by Google