James Cook - A Journal of the proceedings of His Majesty's Bark Endeavour on a voyage round the world, by Lieutenant James Cook, Commander, commencing the 25th of May 1768 - 23 Oct. 1770: No. 238

No probability of a Southern Continent
of the 2 tracks is 21º & that difference continues as low as 20º but a view of the Chart will but illustrate this. There is now room enough for the North Cape of the Southern Continent to extend to the Northw. even to a pretty low Latitude, But what foundation have we for such a supposition, none that I know of but this. That it must either be here or no where. Geographers have indeed laid down part of Quisor's discoveries in this Long. & have told us that he had these signs of a Continent a part of which they have Actually laid down in this Map but by what Authority I know not. Quiros in the latitude of 25º or 26º S discovered 2 Islands which I suppose may lay between the Long.de of 130 º & 140º W. Dalrymple lays them down in 146ºW & says that Quirors saw to the Southw.d very large hanging clouds & a very thick Horizon with other known signs of a Continent. This acco.t of their Voyage says not a word about this but supposing this to be here, hanging Clouds & a thick Horizon are certainly no signs of a Continent. I have had many Proofs to the Contrary in the Course of this Voyage, neither do I believe that Quiror himself looked upon such things as known signs of land for if he had he certainly would have stood to the Southward in order to have satisfied himself before he had gone to the N.wards for no man seems to have had discoveries more at heart than he had, besides this, this was the ultimate objection of his Voyage, If Quiror was in the Lat.de of 26º & Long.de 146ºW then I am certain that one part of the South-ern Continent can no where extend so far to the Northw.d, as the above men-tiond Latitude. But the Voyage which seems to thrust it farthest back in the Long.de I am speaking of Vis. e/between 130 º & 150ºW is that of Admiral Roggewean a Dutch man made in 1722 who after leaving Juan Fernandes went in search of Davis's Island. But not finding it he ran 12º more to the W. & in the Latitude of 28º he discovered Easter Island  Dalrymple & some others have laid it down in 27ºS & 106º30' W. I suppose it to be the same as Davis Isle which I think cannot be from the Circumstance of the Voyage on the other hand Mr Pingse in his Treatise concerning the Transit of Venus gives an extract of Roggeweens Voyage & Map of the So.Seas, wherein he places Easter Island in the Latitude of 28½º. & in the Long.de of 123ºW. his reasons for so doing may be seen at large in the said  Treatise, he likewise lays down Rogge-weens rout through those S.o Seas very different from any other Author I have seen for after leaving Easter Island he makes him to steer SW to the height of 34º & afterwards WNW. If Roggewean really took this rout then it is not probable that there if any Main land to the Northward of 35º South , however