Wallis was born at Fenteroon Farm, near Camelford, Cornwall. He served under John Byron, and in 1757 was promoted to captain and was given the command of HMS Dolphin as commander of an expedition accompanied by Philip Carteret on with an assignment to circumnavigate the globe.Quanchi, Historical Dictionary of the Discovery and Exploration of the Pacific Islands, page 248 As was reported in the press, he was also tasked with discovering the Southern Continent.The Public Ledger and The Gazetteer, 5 July 1766. The two ships were parted by a storm shortly after sailing through the Strait of Magellan. In June 1767, the expedition made the first European landfall on Tahiti, which he named "King George the Third's Island" in honour of the King. Wallis himself was ill and remained in his cabin so lieutenant Tobias Furneaux was the first to set foot, hoisting a pennant and turning a turf, taking possession in the name of His Majesty. He described Tahiti as having a very good climate and the island being 'one of the most healthy as well as delightful spots in the world'.John Hawkesworth, An Account of the Voyages Undertaken by the Order of His Present Majesty for Making Discoveries in the Southern Hemisphere, Chapter VIII, p. 313
