[* The further progress of the voyage has no interest connected with our present subject.]

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XXVI.

(1642-1643).  DISCOVERY OF TASMANIA (VAN DIEMENS LAND), NEW ZEALAND (STATENLAND), ISLANDS OF THE TONGA AND FIJI GROUPS, ETC.  BY THE SHIPS 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.

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XXVII.

(1644).  FURTHER DISCOVERY OF THE GULF OF CARPENTARIA, THE NORTH-AND NORTH-WEST-COAST OF AUSTRALIA BY THE SHIPS 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 Worship 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 Latitude and 1601/4 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 SHIP LEEUWERIK, COMMANDED BY JAN JANSZOON ZEEUW.

A.

A.

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

Having learned by the ships 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.