The history of exploration

[ombugge]

There are some fascinating stories of exploration around the internet, from the Viking and the Polynesian voyages of exploration and settlements, the Chinese Admiral Zhen He's voyages of exploration, the Spanish and Portuguese first voyages and circumnavigation of the earth and on to Dutch and British traders finding new lands and new opportunities for trade. The list goes on, even to our days.

I'll start off this thread by a link to the early discovery of Australia: http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks06/0600631h.html
No, not by Capt. Cook but by Dutch traders.

[wherrygirl]

It is, of course, well known that Captain Cook did not discover Australia, and this report is a most painstaking account of the traders who did. Many thanks for the reference, Ombugge.

[ombugge]

Yes it is known by many, but yet you read and hear about "Capt. Cook discovering Australia".

Actually it was the Chinese Admiral Zheng He (Cheng Ho) who was the first to confirmed that there were a "Great Southland".

It was his fleets that landed in Australia already in 1422, a fact which was known to the Dutch when they confirmed it for themselves.
Here is one account, which may or may not be factual in all respects: http://www.australiaforeveryone.com....ry/chinese.htm

It is generally accepted that the Chinese landed in and circumnavigated Australia long before any European.
One source say that they reported back to the Emperor in Nanjing that the "Great Southland" was indeed there; "but it was not fit for human habitation".

[wherrygirl]

One source say that they reported back to the Emperor in Nanjing that the "Great Southland" was indeed there; "but it was not fit for human habitation".

They weren't far out in respect of quite a few places in Oz, were they?!

[nari]

They were probably quite right, depending on their attitude to suitable habitation.
Landing anywhere on the far northern coasts of West Oz and the Northern Territory could give the impression that it would be very difficult to settle there what with insects, snakes, crocs and who knows what else.
Charles Darwin landed in Sydney at the height of a bad drought, looked around at the settlements, the dry grass and dying trees and thought the same.

Nari

[pakarang]

According to this article, we are heading towards another mass - extinction on our planet Earth:
Biodiversity: Life *– a status report

Species are disappearing quickly — but researchers are struggling to assess how bad the problem is.

http://www.nature.com/news/biodivers...report-1.16523

[pakarang]

I guess this would be suitable in this thread as well.... exploration, downwards:

http://discovermagazine.com/2014/jul...r-of-the-earth

[pakarang]

Did you all see that NASA has published all the images from the APOLLO - missions on flickr?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/projec...oarchive/page6