The Part Borne by the Dutch in the Discovery of Australia 1606-1765 Part 21

(1642-1643). DISCOVERY OF TASMANIA (VAN DIEMENS LAND), NEW ZEALAND (STATENLAND), ISLANDS OF THE TONGA AND FIJI GROUPS, ETC. BY THE s.h.i.+PS HEEMSKERK AND DE ZEEHAEN UNDER THE COMMAND OF ABEL JANSZOON TASMAN, FRANS JACOBSZOON VISSCHER, YDE TJERKSZOON HOLMAN OR HOLLEMAN, AND GERRIT JANSZ(OON).

_See_ Frederik Muller and Co's _Tasman Folio._

XXVII.

(1644). FURTHER DISCOVERY OF THE GULF OF CARPENTARIA, THE NORTH- AND NORTH-WEST-COAST OF AUSTRALIA BY THE s.h.i.+PS LIMMEN, ZEE MEEUW AND DE BRACQ UNDER THE COMMAND OF TASMAN, VISSCHER, DIRK CORNELISZOON HAEN AND JASPER JANSZOON KOOS.

A.

_See_ Frederik Muller and Co's _Tasman Folio._

B.

_Letter of the Governor-General and Councillors to the Governor of Banda, November 29, 1644._

...We shall not recount here how...Tasman had coasted along the land of Nova Guinea and the South-land without finding any channel or opening up to Willems River, from where he has returned hither through Sunda Strait, but would refer Your Wors.h.i.+p to the annexed extract from their journals, which we request you to peruse with attention, and to order...Dortsman [*] or any other person whom you shall charge with the voyage to Timorlaut, in case their plans touching these islands should succeed speedily and prosperously, and they should still have time at their disposal, to make for the great river which our men have christened Waterplaets, in 12 degrees Southern Lat.i.tude and 160 degrees Longitude, to sail up the same river landinward, in which there is the less difficulty, since the river, being deep and wide, can be sailed up by the yacht, which can conveniently turn, veer and tack in it...

[* Adriaan Dortsman had been ordered on a voyage of discovery east and south of Banda. This voyage took place in 1645 and 1646, but Australia was not visited on that occasion.]

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XXVIII.

(1648). EXPLORATORY VOYAGE TO THE WEST-COAST OF AUSTRALIA ROUND BY THE SOUTH OF JAVA, BY THE s.h.i.+P LEEUWERIK, COMMANDED BY JAN JANSZOON ZEEUW.

A.

A.

_Instructions for the officers of the Yacht den Leeuwerik...June 27, 1648._

Having learned by the s.h.i.+ps last arrived here from Banda, what poor rice-crops they had in those quarters last year, so that, had not they received some timely supplies of this grain from Amboyna, they would have been put to exceeding inconvenience; and having besides seen from the letter of Governor Cornelis Willemse van Outhoorn that also this year they are under serious apprehensions of the like scarcity, in case supplies from Batavia should be long in coming.

Therefore we have lately resolved in our Council to make an express s.h.i.+pment thither at this time of year...chiefly and princ.i.p.ally that, if this voyage should have the expected success, which may the Almighty grant in His mercy, we may in future be sure that such voyage could be made every year after the arrival of the first s.h.i.+ps from there, and the said important Government be by us duly a.s.sisted...as regards rice and other necessaries.

This Yacht, which we consider to be of strong build and a good sailer, having by us been a.s.signed for this purpose...you will weigh anchor in the name of G.o.d early to-morrow, set sail, and use your utmost endeavours to get clear of Sunda Strait as soon as possible, and thus gain the open...

As soon as you shall have got clear of the Prince islands...you will from there shape your course directly to the south, straight across the sea, thus sailing by the wind without looking right or left, until you shall have come to 32 or 33 degrees S.L., where with the help of G.o.d you will meet with the westerly trade-winds; and when you are quite sure of having got the same, without the least doubt on your part, you will direct your course to the South-land, trying to make it and get it alongside in 25 or 26 degrees Southern Lat.i.tude, where the coast is generally of easy access, the land being of moderate height and somewhat resembling the coast of England.

Having reached the South-land in such fas.h.i.+on as we have just indicated, you will keep the coast alongside, and not leave the same, but use your best endeavours to skirt it, not parting with it until you have weathered the Vuylen hoecq (Foul Point); after which you may leave the coast, and cross over from there, next using the easterly and south-easterly winds which you will meet with in those waters, for running in sight of the islands of Arou, Tenember and Damme or any of these, and then making straight for Banda with the utmost expedition, which port you will with G.o.d's help conveniently reach in the manner hereinbefore described.

As we have already said, the accomplishment of this voyage at this season of the year (in which only strong headwinds are blowing along the ordinary route to Banda and other quarters nearer home) is of very great importance to the Honourable Company...

We herewith hand you a new chart of the South-land, which you may avail yourselves of in due time, and we noways doubt you will find the same of great use to {Page 74} you, of which we hope afterwards to receive your report. Seeing that the waters you are going to navigate are for the greater part little known as yet, and that accordingly many noteworthy things are not unlikely to occur in your voyage, we hereby likewise earnestly enjoin you, not only to keep a complete and elaborate journal of this voyage, but also to make due observation of the direction of the winds, the trend of the coasts, the situation of bays, inlets and capes, and properly to note and make drawings of the same, that on your return you may be able to hand us a full and perfect report of the whole undertaking, thus furnis.h.i.+ng fresh material for the correction of the charts now in use, and perhaps also of the courses to be kept...

Given in the Castle of Batavia, June 27, A.D. 1648.

(Signed) CORNELIS VAN DER LIJN, FRANcOIS CARON, CAREL RENIERSZ, JOCHUM R.

VAN DEUTECOM, and GERARD DEMMER.

B.

_Letter of the G.-G. and Councillors to the Managers of the E.I.C., January 18, 1649._

...[We have dispatched to Banda] the yacht den Leeuwerck on the 28th of June of last year...through Sunda Strait, in order, if possible, to make the voyage to Banda along this route north of the South-land. Which undertaking has succeeded to our complete satisfaction but especially to the great joy of our Banda people, for which the Almighty be praised...since this success is undoubtedly of great advantage to the General Company, and makes it quite sure that in cases of s.h.i.+pwreck or other accidents we shall always be able to send succour and supplies to Banda and the quarters on this side of it along this newly discovered route...which, on receipt of the first advices in May next, may be done by the route abovementioned along the South-land. How this voyage was undertaken and successfully accomplished as far as Banda in the s.p.a.ce of two months and 23 days, your Wors.h.i.+ps may be pleased to gather from the annexed daily journal and Chart [*] of Skipper Jan Jansz Zeeuw.

[* Journal and chart are both of them wanting.]

Written in Your Wors.h.i.+ps' Castle of Batavia, this 18th of January, A.D.

1649.

Your Wors.h.i.+ps' faithful servants the Governor-General and Councillors of India:

CORNELIS VAN DER LIJN, F. CARON, CAREL REINIERS, J. P. VAN DUTEc.u.m, GERARD DEMMER.

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XXIX.

(1656-1658). s.h.i.+PWRECK OF THE GULDEN OR VERGULDEN DRAAK ON THE WEST-COAST OF AUSTRALIA, 1656.--ATTEMPTS TO RESCUE THE SURVIVORS, 1656-1658.--FURTHER SURVEYINGS OF THE WEST-COAST BY THE s.h.i.+P DE WAKENDE BOEI, COMMANDED BY SAMUEL VOLCKERTS(ZOON), AND BY THE s.h.i.+P EMELOORD, COMMANDED BY AUCKE PIETERSZOON JONCK, 1658.

A.

_Letter of the G.-G. and Counc. to the Managers of the E.I.C, December 4, 1656._

...On the 7th June there arrived here...from the South-land the c.o.c.k-boat of the yacht den Vergulden Draeck with 7 men, to our great regret reporting that the said yacht had run aground on the said South-land in 30 2/3 degrees, on April the 28th, that besides the loss of her cargo, of which nothing was saved, 118 men of her crew had perished, and that 69 men who had succeeded in getting ash.o.r.e, were still left there. For the purpose of rescuing these men, and of attempting to get back by divers or other means any part of the money or the merchandises that might still be recoverable, we dispatched thither on the said errand on the 8th of the said month of June [*], the flute de Witte Valeq, together with the yacht de Goede Hoop, which after staying away for some time were by violent storms forced to return without having effected anything, and without having seen any men or any signs of the wreck, although the said Goede Hoop has been on the very spot where the s.h.i.+p was said to have miscarried...[**]

[* The day following that on which the report regarding the Vergulde Draak had reached Batavia.]

[** Some of the men of the Goede Hoop had gone ash.o.r.e, but had not returned.--The Witte Valk had touched at the Southland, but by "bad weather and the hollow sea" had been compelled to return without having effected anything.]

In the Castle of Batavia, December 4, A.D. 1656.

Your Wors.h.i.+ps' Obedt. Servts. the Governor-General and Councillors of India JOAN MAETSUYKER, CAREL HARTZINCK, JOAN CUNAEUS, NICOLAES VERBURCH, D. STEUR.