TERRA AUSTRALIS INCognita, a name for a large unknown continent, supposed to lie towards the south pole, and which for a long time was fought after by navigators. The voyages of Captain Cook have ascertained this matter as much as it probably ever will be. (See South Sea; Cook's Discoveries, No. 47, 48, 68, 69; and America, No. 4). On this subject Captain Cook expresses himself as follows: "I had now made the circuit of the Southern ocean in a high latitude, and traversed it in such a manner as to leave not the least room for the possibility of there being a continent, unless near the pole, and out of the reach of navigation. By twice visiting the tropical sea, I had not only settled the situation of some old discoveries, but made there many new ones, and left, I conceive, very little more to be done even in that part. Thus I flatter myself, that the intention of the voyage has in every respect been fully answered; the southern hemisphere sufficiently explored; and a final end put to the searching after a southern continent, which has at times engrossed the attention of some of the maritime powers for near two centuries past, and been a favourite theory amongst the geographers of all ages. That there may be a continent, or large tract of land near the pole, I will not deny; on the contrary, I am of opinion there is; and it is probable that we have seen a part of it. The excessive cold, the many islands, and vast floats of ice, all tend to prove that there must be land to the south; and for my persuasion that this southern land must lie or extend farthest to the north, opposite to the southern Atlantic and Indian oceans, I have already assigned some reasons; to which I may add, the greater degree of cold experienced by us in these seas than in the Southern Pacific ocean under the same parallels of latitude."

Terra Firma, in Geography, is sometimes used for a continent, in contradistinction to islands.

Terra Firma, otherwise called New Castile, or Castilla del Oro, a country of America, bounded on the north by the North sea and part of the Atlantic ocean, by the same sea and Guiana on the east, by the country of the Amazons and Peru on the south, and by the Pacific ocean and Veragua on the west. It lies between Terra, 62 and 83 degrees of west longitude, and between the equator and 12 degrees of north latitude; being upwards of 1200 miles in length from east to west, and 800 in breadth from north to south. It had the name of Castilla del Oro from the quantity of gold found in the districts of Uraba and other parts; and was first discovered by the celebrated Columbus in his third voyage.

The climate is neither pleasant nor healthy; the inhabitants one part of the year being scorched by the most intense and burning heat, and the other almost drowned with perpetual floods of rain, pouring from the sky with such violence as if a general deluge was to ensue.

In so large a tract of country the soil must necessarily vary. Accordingly, in some parts it is a barren land, or drowned mangrove land, that will scarce produce any kind of grain; in others it yields Indian corn, balms, gums, and drugs, almost all manner of fruits as well of Old as of New Spain, sugar, tobacco, Brazil wood, and several other kinds of dyeing woods; a variety of precious stones, particularly emeralds and saphires; venison and other game. The plantations of cacao, or chocolate nuts, in the district of the Caraccas, are esteemed the best in America. The mountains abound with tygers, and, according to some, with lions, and great numbers of other wild beasts. The rivers, seas, and lakes, teem with fish, and also with alligators; and the bowels of the earth were once furnished with the richest treasures, now almost exhausted. The fame may be said of the pearl fisheries on the coast, which are far from being so profitable now as formerly.

Terra Firma is a very mountainous country. Terra Firma Proper, in particular, consists of prodigious high mountains, and deep valleys flooded more than half the year. The mountains in the provinces of Cartagena and St Martha, according to Dampier, are the highest in the world: being seen at lea 200 miles off: from these runs a chain of hills of almost equal height, quite through South America, as far as the straits of Magellan, called the Cordilleras des Andes. The province of Venezuela also, and district of the Caraccas, the most northerly parts of South America, are almost a continued chain of hills, separated by small valleys, pointing upon the coast of the North sea. A chain of barren mountains, almost impassable, runs through the province of Popayan from north to south, some whereof are volcanoes; but towards the shores of the Pacific ocean it is a low country, flooded great part of the year.

The principal rivers of Terra Firma are, the Darien, Chatgre, Santa Maria, Concepcion, Rio Grande or Magdalera, Maracaibo, and Oroonoko.

Terra Firma contains the provinces of Terra Firma Proper or Darien, of Cartagena, St Martha, Rio de la Hacha, Venezuela, Comana, New Andalusia or Paria, New Granada, and Popayan.

Terra Firma Proper lies in the form of a crescent, about the spacious bay of Panama, being the isthmus which joins South and North America; and extending in length between the two seas 300 miles, but in breadth, where the isthmus is narrowest, only 60. Here are found gold mines, gold sands, and fine pearls; and though the land is generally rough, there are some fruitful valleys, watered by rivers, brooks, and springs. The chief places are Panama and Porto Bello.

The inhabitants of Terra Firma have never been thoroughly subdued, and in all probability never will; as they are a brave and warlike people, have retreats inaccessible to Europeans, and bear an inveterate enmity to the Spaniards. See DARIEN.