The Part Borne by the Dutch in the Discovery of Australia 1606-1765 Part 6

D.

The interesting little folding chart, marked No. 5, is now in the possession of Jhr. J. E. Huydecoper van Maarsseveen en Nigtevegt, LL. D., at Utrecht. It is bound up with the said gentleman's copy of Abel Janszoon Tasman's journal of his voyage of 1642-3 [*]. The chart clearly shows that at times in subsequent issues of certain charts the dates given in the first issue were retained, while numerous corrections were made in the chart itself.

[* See my Life and Labours of TASMAN, p. 69.]

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E.

Of the chart of which this is a small portion, a complete reproduction will be found in _Remarkable Maps_, II, 8. In 1630, accordingly, the discovery of Eendrachtsland was known at Nuremberg.

[Map No. 6. Kaart van het Zuidland van (Alap of the Southland by) JOANNES KEPPLER en PHILIPPUS ECKEBRECHT, 1630]

VIII.

(1618). VOYAGE OF THE s.h.i.+P ZEEWOLF, FROM THE NETHERLANDS TO INDIA, UNDER THE COMMAND OF SUPERCARGO PIETER DIRKSZOON AND SKIPPER HAEVIK CLAESZOON VAN HILLEGOM.--FURTHER DISCOVERY OF THE WEST-COAST OF AUSTRALIA.

_Letter of Supercargo Pieter Dirkszoon to the Managers of the E.I.C. at Amsterdam, dated June 24, 1618._

A.

Wors.h.i.+pful Wise Provident Very Discreet Gentlemen.

By the s.h.i.+ps T'Wapen van Zeelandt, den Eenhoorn and Enckhuyzen (which with full cargoes arrived at the Cape de bone Esperance from these parts of India) I have on the 22nd of March last [1618] briefly advised Your Wors.h.i.+ps of our safe arrival there...[*]

[* The s.h.i.+p had sailed from the Netherlands in December 1617.]

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Now with this s.h.i.+p den Witten Beer Your Wors.h.i.+ps may be pleased to receive news of the subsequent successful progress of our voyage to this part of India, viz. that on the 24th of the said month we sailed from the Taeffelbaey [Table Bay]...in the s.h.i.+p Seewolf for Bantam (pursuant to Your Wors.h.i.+ps' orders); in such fas.h.i.+on that by G.o.d's grace we soon got south as far as 37, 38 and 39 degrees, after which we held our course due east for a thousand miles before turning it northward; so that on the 21st of May following we made the land in Cleyn Java about 6 or 8 miles east of the island of Bali; after which, pa.s.sing between Bali and Cleyn Java, we came to anchor before our factory of j.a.para on the second day of June...

Having on the 11th of May reached 21 15' S. Lat.i.tude, we saw and discovered...land about 5 or 6 miles to windward east of us, which in consequence we were unable to touch at. We observed it to be a level, low-lying sh.o.r.e of great length, and looking out from the top-mast we saw on both ends of it, to north as well as to southward, still other land which showed high and mountainous. But as the land bore eastward from us, and we could not have got higher without considerable inconvenience, we do not know whether it forms an unbroken coast-line, or is made up of separate islands. In the former case it might well be a mainland coast, for it extended to a very great length. But only the Lord knows the real state of affairs. At all events it would seem never to have been made or discovered by any one before us, as we have never heard of such discovery [*], and the chart shows nothing but open ocean at this place. According to our skipper's estimation in his chart the Strait of Sunda was then N.N.E. of us at about 250 miles' distance; according to the second mate's reckoning the direction was North East, and according to the first mate's estimation North East by North. These statements, however, proved erroneous, since we arrived east of Bali on a north-north-east course. So that consequently this land bears from Sunda Strait south-south-west, and s.h.i.+ps must arrive in Java eastward of Sunda Strait on a north-by-west or northern course; on which those who come in sight of this land from eastward and wish to go to Bantam, may safely base their course. This much by way of advice...

[* Dirk Hartochs's discovery had not come to their knowledge then.]

On board the s.h.i.+p Seewolff lying at anchor before Jacatra, this 20 of June, 1618.

Your Wors.h.i.+ps' obedient Servant PIETER DIRCXSOON 1618.

B.

_Letter of Skipper Haevick Claeszoon van Hillegom to the Managers of the E.I.C. at Amsterdam, dated June 24, 1618._

Laus Deo. On board the s.h.i.+p Seewolf lying at anchor before Jaeketerae, this 24th of June 1618.

Right Wors.h.i.+pful Beloved Gentlemen My Lords Directors of the United Company at Amsterdam, with friendly greeting, the present, after my best wishes for the {Page 12} well-being and health of my Wors.h.i.+pful n.o.ble Masters, serves to express my hope that Your Wors.h.i.+ps may have duly received, through Pieter Gertsz, skipper of the s.h.i.+p Enckhuyzen [*], my letters of the 22nd of March, written in the Taefel Bay, recounting what had happened on our voyage up to said date. The present further serves to inform Your Wors.h.i.+ps of our progress up to this day, as follows. We set sail from the Cape de bon Esperanse on the 24th of the same month...

[* See _supra_ A.]

On the 5th of May we got into Lat.i.tude 28 26' South, when we saw numbers of birds many of which seemed to be land-birds, such as a white tropic-bird and a few scissor-tailed ducks, so that I surmised that we were near land. Two or three days afterwards we saw sea-weed floating in large quant.i.ties and long strips. On the 10th do. we pa.s.sed the tropic in fine weather. On the 11th do. we saw land in 21 20' S. Lat.: it was a level, low-lying coast extending to a great length, and bearing mainly south and north, falling off on both sides with high mountains; we could not get near it. Whether it was a mainland coast or islands only, is known to G.o.d alone, but from the signs seen at various times I suspect it to be a mainland. The compa.s.s has one point north-westerly variation here; we saw a good deal of sea-weed floating about, and observed land-birds up to the 16th degree, both of these being signs of the proximity of the mainland. This land is a fit point to be made by s.h.i.+ps coming here with the eastern monsoon, in order to get a fixed course for Java or Sunda Strait; for if you see this land in 21, 22 or 23 degrees, and shape your course north-north-west and north-by-west you will make the western extremity of Jaeva. I write this as a matter of certainty, seeing that we have made the same on a fixed course, and s.h.i.+ps following this course are sure to find it true. On the 21st do. we saw land, to wit, Kleyn Jaevae; we kept off and on during the night, and at daybreak made for the land, pa.s.sing through the strait between Kleyn Jaeva and Baely...

Your Wors.h.i.+ps' servant to command

H. CLAESSEN VAN HILLEGOM.

IX.

(1618). VOYAGE OF THE s.h.i.+P MAURITIUS FROM THE NETHERLANDS TO INDIA UNDER THE COMMAND OF SUPERCARGO WILLEM JANSZ OR JANSZOON AND SKIPPER LENAERT JACOBSZ(OON). FURTHER DISCOVERY OF THE WEST-COAST OF AUSTRALIA.--WILLEMS-RIVER.

_Letter Of supercargo WILLFM JANSZ(OON) to the Managers of the Amsterdam Chamber, Oclober 6, 1618._

A.

Wors.h.i.+pful Wise Provident Discreet Gentlemen,

(Sailed 1000 miles to eastward in in 38 degrees with notable success.)

The present serves only to inform you that on the 8th of June last with the s.h.i.+p Mauritius we pa.s.sed Cape de bon esperence, with strong westerly winds, so that we deemed it inadvisable to call at any land, after which we ran a thousand miles to eastward in 38 degrees Southern Lat.i.tude, though we should have wished to go still further east.

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On the 31st of July we discovered an island and landed on the same, where we found the marks of human footsteps--on the west-side it extends N.N.E.

and S.S.W.; it measures 15 miles in length, and its northern extremity is in 22 S. Lat. It bears Eendracht S.S.E. and N.N.W. from the south-point of Sunda at 240 miles' distance; from there (Eendrachtsland [*]) through G.o.d's grace we safely arrived before Bantam on the 22nd of August...

[* This marginal note was made by an official of the East India Company, when the letter had reached its destination.]

Done on board the s.h.i.+p 't Wapen van Amsterdam, October 6, 1618.

Your Wors.h.i.+ps' Obedt. Servant

WILLEM JANSZ.

B.

Wors.h.i.+pful Wise Provident Discreet Gentlemen,

See _the Maps numbered VII, C and D (1616)._