Chapter 12

[* I know this journal only from what LEUPE extracts from it in his "Zuidland", pp. 62 ff. (the passages in question being given above), and from certain written notes from Leupe's hand. From the latter I have learned _inter alia_, the name of the skipper, the date of departure from the Texel (December 26, 1634), and the date of arrival at Batavia (June 24, 1635).]

...[May 25] Last night when two glasses of the first watch were out, we got a slight breeze from the N.W., which gradually stiffened, so that there was a fair breeze at the latter end of this watch, which kept blowing through the night till the following forenoon, when the wind turned to W. by N. and W.N.W. with a squall of rain, it blowing a strong top-gallant gale until the evening, course kept E. by N. until one hour after daybreak when we sighted the South-land.

We went over to port directly, keeping a N.E. and N.E. by E. course until noon, when we stood out to sea from the land, on a W. and W. by S. course with a top-gallant gale. We took the latitude, which we found to be 25° 16' South, but of {Page 63} this we are not quite sure; we were not able to take the sun's azimuth, either in the morning or in the evening; we sailed 20 miles until we saw the land, from which we were at 4 or 4Ω miles' distance by estimation, on an E. by N. course, and on various courses during the day, course N.N.E. for 6 or 7 miles.

We had made this land in 4 months and 20 days. We saw a good deal of rock-weed floating past our ship, and also a small Saturn-gull, and not above 6 or 7 other gulls; the swell ran strongly from the south-west and afterwards more from the south; along the land the sea was tolerably smooth.

We adjusted our compasses at 4° north-westerly variation. In the morning of the same day about two hours after sunrise, when prayers were over, we saw the south-land straight ahead to the great joy of all of us; it was east of us, at about 3 or 5 miles' distance by estimation, when we got sight of it; it was a low-lying coast extending mainly N.N.E. and S.S.W. as given in the chart, so far as we could see. We immediately began to sail close-hauled to port on a N.E. and N.E. by E. course, sometimes a little higher and at other times a little lower, until three glasses in the afternoon had run out, when we got a squall of rain with the wind going over to W.N.W., upon which we ran north again, since at noon owing to the nearly contrary wind we had gone over to W. in order to keep off the land. We now shaped our course to north, at times to N. by W. nearly as high as we could sail and the wind would allow us.

The land which we saw, and from which at noon we were at no more than 1Ω or two miles' distance by estimation, we judged to be the land of d'Eendracht, and the land which we were near to at noon Dirck Hartochsz-Roads, for we had before us a large bay or bight between two capes. In the bay we could see no land from the main-topmast, but so far as we could discern the surf ran through the whole bay from the one cape to the other.

The land shows various white plots near the seaside, and in many places rises very steeply so far as we could see.

The breakers on the coast were very strong, but there were no rocks or shallows near the coast on which we could see the surf break, except at the cape north of Dirck Hartochs Roads, off which there seemed to be a small shoal or rock on which the surf broke, but it may as well have been a landspit running southward out to sea from the cape.

As soon as we got sight of the land, we cast the lead, and took soundings in 90 fathom whitish sandy bottom with small shells, at about 4Ω or 5 miles' distance from the land; in the middle of the forenoon we cast the lead again and touched the bottom in 75 fathom coarse and fine sand, mixed with small shells, at a little under 3 miles' distance from the land; we saw a good deal of rock-weed float alongside.

At noon we sounded in 55 fathom, at about two miles' distance from the shore, straight in front of Dirck Hartochsz Roads, greyish sand.

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About 2 o'clock in the afternoon we sounded in 50 fathom white, clean sand-bottom, with very small, thin shells, at about iΩ mile's distance by estimation from the northern extremity of Dirck Hartochsz. Roads, and two miles from the southern extremity of the road-stead just mentioned.

Towards the evening after supper, we cast the lead and sounded in 50 fathom grayish sand-bottom, at about 2Ω miles' distance by estimation from the land, and about 3 miles to northward of Dirck Hartochsz Roads.

At night when 4 glasses of the first watch were out, we cast the lead and sounded in 50 fathom grayish sand with small shells, estimating ourselves to be about 3 miles off the land, and about 7 miles to northward of Dirck Hartochsz. Roads.

At the latter end of the first watch when seven glasses were out, we cast the lead and touched the bottom in 48 fathom, but could not make out how far we were from the land (since it was night, and we could not see the coast), except from our course, by which we estimated the distance to be 4 miles.

In the second watch when three glasses had run out, we cast the lead again and sounded in 47 fathom sandy bottom as before; we kept sounding every two or three glasses during the whole night until sunrise and found 80 fathom sandy bottom; we saw no land, but from our course and rate of progress we deemed ourselves to be at 9Ω miles' distance from the nearest land, estimating our latitude, from the observation we took on the 26th do. at noon, and from our rate of progress, to be 24° South. But we did not see any land again throughout the day, and left off sounding, since our skippers and steersmen, judging from their estimations and from the course we kept (being north, and two points off the land according to the trend of the coast), were of opinion that we could get no bottom, so that we thought it needless to go on sounding...

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XXV.

(1636). NEW DISCOVERIES ON THE NORTH-COAST OF AUSTRALIA BY THE SHIPS KLEIN-AMSTERDAM AND WESEL, COMMANDED BY (GERRIT THOMASZOON POOL AND) PIETER PIETERSZOON.

[* Pool was killed on the South-west coast of New Guinea, April 28, 1636, and was succeeded in the command of the ships by Pieter Pieterszoon. Unlike my treatment of Carstensz's voyage in 1623, the present account will not embrace the further discovery of the South-west coast of New Guinea. I had to give the route followed along this coast in 1632 because it throws light on the expedition under Willem Jansz. in 1605/6.]

A.

_Instructions for Commander Gerrit Thomasz Pool and the Council of the Yachts Cleen Amsterdam and Wesel, destined for the discovery of the lands situated east of Banda, and furthermore of the South-land, thence extending to the South-west._

Inasmuch as for a long time past the "Heeren Majores" have been very instantly recommending to us the discovery of the South-land, and still continue to do so, and we have frequently discussed the matter with...even before his departure, therefore it has been resolved and determined in the Council of India that you shall be employed with the Yachts Cleen Amsterdam and Wesel in the said discovery of the lands east of Banda and of the South-land extending to westward.

You will set sail from Amboyna for Banda, in the name of God, With the said yachts Cleen Amsterdam and Wesel on the first of April next, and when you shall have arrived there, you will communicate these Orders and Instructions to the Lord Governor Acoley.

Whom by these presents we enjoin to hand you in writing all such ampler information as during his residence at Banda His Worship shall have collected touching the {Page 65} lands and islands situated east of Banda, at the same time letting you know where and in what islands His Worship thinks some profit to be obtainable for the Company, or how massoye bark and fitting men may be got, which order will in that case have to be first executed.

And in case you should obtain no additional information, we would have you set sail from Banda as speedily as possible for Arnhems- and Speults land, situated between 9 and 13 degrees Southern Latitude, discovered A.D. 1623, as you will more fully see from the appended chart; these are the large lands; you will endeavour to ascertain what may be obtained from there, whether these lands are peopled, and what the natives subsist on.

After touching at the said islands you will cross over in order to strike the land of Nova Guinea likewise discovered A.D. 1623, by the Yachts Pera and Arnhem as far as 17° 8' Southern Latitude, which we surmise to be the South-land extending to westward from the said latitude as far as 26 degrees or as far as the land of de Eendracht.

The men of the Yachts Pera and Arnhem have, as before mentioned, sailed along this coast from about 4 degrees to 17 degrees 8 minutes, and have landed at various places, where they found nothing but barren coasts and lands, and utterly barbarian, cruel, wild natives, who surprised nine of our men fishing, and assassinated the same. The various strands, rivers, bays, points and the trend of this coast you will gather from the chart aforesaid.

From the farthest point discovered, which as before mentioned, is in Lat. 17° 8' South, you will skirt the coast as far as Houtmans Abrolhos in 28 and 29 degrees, and farther still, if your provisions hold out, if the condition of your crews will allow of it, and if your Yachts are proof against the rough seas that prevail in the Southern Ocean in 33 and 34 degrees; after which you will return to Batavia through Sunda Strait, trying in passing to touch at the Trials, that further information about this rock and its situation may in this way be obtained.

In sailing along the coast you will have all bays and inlets you may meet with, diligently examined, and keep a sharp look-out for the discovery of channels or openings that might afford a passage into the South Sea, since we surmise that such passage must be looked for to northward rather than to southward, considering the breadth of the South-land between 28 and 32 or 33 degrees.

In case you should discover channels leading to the South Sea, or should find the South-land to consist of islands, you will endeavour to pass through or between the same, diligently observing the mouths and outlets, and then returning again through the same passage in order to proceed with your discovery along the north-side.

In landing with small craft you will use great circumspection, and your treatment of the natives that should allow you to come to parley, must and ought to be marked by great kindness, wary caution, and skilful judgment; slight misdemeanours on the part of such natives, such as petty thefts and the like, which they should commit against you, you will suffer to pass unnoticed, that by so doing you may draw them unto you, and not inspire them with aversion to our nation. Whoever endeavours to discover unknown lands and tribes, had need to be patient and long-suffering, noways quick to fly out, but always bent on ingratiating himself.

We have put on board your ships various kinds of merchandise and minerals, which you will show to the people whom you should come to parley with, partly that by so doing you may come to know whether any of these goods are produced by their country, partly in order to see what desire and inclination they evince to our mercantile commodities, and what goods they might be ready to offer in exchange for the same.

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Close attention should be paid to the disposition of the people, their character, condition and humours; to the religion they profess and to their manner of government; their wars, their arms and weapons; the food they eat and the clothes they wear, and what they mainly subsist on.

Careful observation should be made, and exact records kept, of the winds and currents, the rains and tides etc. which you shall meet with in this your intended voyage.

You will make due observation also of all lands, islands, strands, rivers, bays, points, rocks, reefs, cliffs, shallows and whatever else appertains to the same; of all which you will have accurate surveyings made, showing the true bearings, longitude and latitude, in accordance with the circumstances under which you shall get sight and knowledge of the same.

For this purpose availing yourselves of the services of Subcargo Pieter Pietersen...

You will not carry off with you any natives against their will, but if a small number of them should be found willing to come hither of their own accord, you will grant them passage...

Commander Francisco Pelsert, having A.D. 1629 put ashore there two Dutch delinquents, who had in due form of justice been sentenced to forfeit their lives [*], you will grant passage to the said persons, if they should be alive to show themselves, and should request you to be brought hither.

[* See _ante_, p. 62.]

It would be a thing highly desirable for ships bound from the Netherlands to India, if on the coast of the South-land between 26 and 28 degrees a fitting place for obtaining refreshments and fresh water could be discovered, seeing that mainly about that latitude scorbut and other disorders begin to show themselves, at times carrying off numbers of men even before they reach Batavia.

Finally, as hereinbefore mentioned, we shall expect you back here through Sunda Strait, if no obstacles come in your way to prevent this, and if the land is found to extend in one unbroken coast~line, as we surmise it to do, of which your experience will be our teacher.

It should furthermore be noted that we are convinced that the west-coast of Nova Guinea, or the land discovered as far as Lat. 17° 8' South by the Yachts Pera and Arnhem, forms one whole with the South-land, a point which in drawing up these Instructions we have taken for granted.

Therefore, if you should find the contrary to be the case, a matter of which we will by no means deny the possibility, and if the South-land should by you be found to be an island, you will sail southward along the coast of Nova Guinea, as far as the 32nd degree S.L., and thence on a westerly course touch at the eastern extremity of the South-land, which in January 1627 was discovered by the ship t'Zeepaart. When you shall have made the South-land on this course, you will run one degree more to southward near the islands of St. Pieter and François, that by so doing you may obtain full certainty that from that point the coast-line trends to westward. After which you will run northward again, skirting the Southland, past de Witsland, as far as Houtman's shoal and furthermore to 33 or 34 degrees, if wind and weather shall permit, returning thence to Batavia, as hereinbefore mentioned.

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In conclusion, we wish you all the blessin of the Lord, a prosperous voyage and safe return, hoping at the same time that this voyage may redound to the advantage of the Company, to the glory of our country, and to your especial honour. Amen.

Done in the Castle of Batavia, this 19th of February, A.D. 1636. (Signed) ANTHONIO VAN DIEMEN, PHILIP LUCASZ, ARTUS GYSELS and JAN VAN DER BURCH.

B.

_Daily Register of Batavia._

October 1636.

The 6th do.

This day in the afternoon there arrived here from Amboyna the Yacht Cleyn Wesel, having on board the subcargo Pieter Pietersen, who...after the lamentable assassination of Commander Gerrit Thomasz Pool on the coast of Nova Guinea, had succeeded to the latter's office, and with the Yachts Cleen Amsterdam and Wesel had returned to Amboyna by way of Banda, reporting in substance as follows, both by word of mouth and by the journal kept during the voyage and the Resolutions duly registered, touching what happened in the course of the expedition, to wit...

On the 6th of June [they came to anchor] before the native village of Taranga at the south-western extremity of Arouw, in order...to provide themselves with certain necessaries...

On the 9th of June, being duly revictualled, he had set sail again from the said native village of Taranga, shaping his course to southward in order to endeavour to get to eastward by some means or other, so as to accomplish his ordained voyage; but when he had got to southward as far as the 11th degree of latitude, he had not only found and met with the east- and south-east-winds blowing constantly with great vehemence and hollow seas, but had also come upon a new land; in such fashion that, seeing no chance of getting to eastward for the accomplishment of his voyage, since such voyage will have to take place in the beginning of the western monsoon, he resolved with his council to give up further investigations to eastward, to explore and survey the situation of the newly discovered Van Diemensland, also called Arnhems or Speultsland, and, having gathered the required information, to run northward again for the purpose of obtaining perfect knowledge of the islands of Timor and Tenember; and all this having been duly effected, to return to Banda etc.

In conformity with this resolution the said Pieter Pietersen has surveyed the newly discovered land for the space Of 20 miles from East to West; he has seen many fires and frequent clouds of smoke, but no natives, houses, prows or fruit-trees, although he has paddled close along the shore with an orangbay, and gone ashore in sundry places, finding the land wild and barren; wherefore, not having been able to come to parley with any of the inhabitants, on the 20th of June, as previously resolved upon, he ran to the north from a certain Red point jutting out into the sea to northward, where the land falls off abruptly to the west, for the purpose of making the islands of Timor and Tenember...

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C.

_Journal of the voyage to Nova Guinea, 1636._

...In the early morning of Friday [June 6]...we arrived before the native village of Taranga...

On Monday the 9th do. At daybreak the wind was S.E...we set sail from Taranga...shaping our course to the S.S.W.

We could take no latitude at noon...

In the first watch we sailed S.S.W. the space of about 3 glasses; the wind was S.E. with a fair breeze, and afterwards E.S.E.; we sailed to southward for the time of 12 glasses; at the beginning of the day-watch the wind was E.N.E. with a fresh breeze; we sailed S.E. for about eight glasses...

On Tuesday the 10th do. In the morning about breakfast-time the wind blew from the E.N.E. as before...

We estimated ourselves to have sailed 9Ω miles on a generally Southern course from last night to the present night.

On Wednesday the 11th do. Course held S.S.E...We had sailed on a Southern and S. by E. course about 11 miles by estimation during the last 24 hours...

On Thursday the 12th do. The wind E.S.E. as before...At noon we were in Lat. 10° 2', so that I find we are farther to southward as would accord with our estimation and our courses kept, on which account I believe the current must have driven us a good deal to S.S.E.. In the afternoon the sky was overcast, the wind E.S.E. and S.E. by E. with a light breeze; we sailed to S. by W. with our mainsails set. Towards the evening the water became all of a sudden very smooth and of a pale colour; after sunset we cast the lead in 40 fathom good anchoring ground, fine sand, but could see no land: we took in our foresail and sailed in the night with the mainsail only to avoid press of sail. We estimated ourselves to have sailed about 12 miles on a general S.W. by S. course during the last 24 hours. In the night the wind was E. by S., E.S.E. and S.E. by E. with fine, lovely, clear weather and a top-gallant gale; throughout the night our average course was S., we cast the lead now and then in 42, 39, 38, 36 and 25 fathom good anchoring-ground.

On Friday the 13th do., the wind was nearly S.E., with a top-gallant gale and smooth water; course S.S.W. and S. by W.; the water was very pale in colour, but we could see no land; the weather was lovely and clear; at noon we found ourselves to be in 10° 50' S.L.

Shortly after noon we cast the lead in 32 fathom good anchoring-ground; at four glasses in the afternoon we saw the land S.E. by S. of us, at about 6 miles' distance from us it was a low-lying coast with small hills; about 6 miles farther to westward we also saw land, not connected with the first land, but upwards of three miles distant from the same.

Towards the evening it fell a calm; at sunset there was a faint breeze from the S.S.E.; we made out the extremity of the land to be at about 3 miles' distance S.E. by S. of us; we were still in 32 fathom good anchoring-ground; we accordingly went over to eastward, but when shortly before the setting of the watch, the wind went down still more and began to turn to the N.W., we dropped anchor in 29 fathom good anchoring-ground.

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On Saturday the 14th do. the current began to set to the S.E. in the morning, and the wind to blow hard from the E.S.E., so that we could not carry mainsails then; we weighed anchor and set sail on a South and South-by-east course. The water gradually shallowed, and seeing that we could not make the easternmost land, we ran to the westernmost, where we came to anchor at about a musket-shot's distance from the land in 10 fathom good anchoring-ground. Close along the shore the land is somewhat rock and reefy here; this land extends here about 3 miles S.E. by S. and N.W. by N., both slightly more to South and North. In the afternoon we sent out our small boat to take soundings close inshore; on returning the men reported that until they came to the reefs they had found no less than 3Ω fathom good anchoring-ground. Off the point near which we lay at anchor, a river ran landinward; we hoisted the white flag, and caused the little boat to paddle close along the shore. We saw smoke, indeed, in many parts of the inland, but no natives, houses or vessels. This land is not high, chiefly level, thickly covered with trees, and with a sandy beach at the seaside. We had taken no latitude at noon; the tide seems to run from the N.W. here; in the night at the latter end of the first watch we could take the latitude by the stars and found it to be 12° 8' South.

On Sunday the 15th do. at daybreak the wind blew hard from the E.S.E.; it was mainsail weather; we convened the Plenary Council and resolved with the same further to explore this land to the north-west and to use all possible diligence to get knowledge touching the island of Timor, as will be found more amply set forth in this day's Resolution.

As we were weighing our anchor, a lanyard and a pulley got broken; we shaped our course to N.W. by N. and N.N.W. Having sailed the space of about 2 miles, we came to a point, between which point and another point, a distance of about 4 miles, the land extends W.N.W. and E.S.E. with hardly any curve, and with rocks and reefs along the shore. Off this point the surf and the breakers ran very strongly, as if there were a shoal there, seeing that the wind and the current were opposed to each other. We therefore sailed along the coast at less than a mile's distance from the same in 12, 11 and 10 fathom good anchoring-ground. In many places we saw great clouds of smoke landinward, but no fruit-trees, houses, vessels or natives; the land seems to be quite wild. Towards the evening we cast anchor in 9 fathom good anchoring-ground at about half a cannonshot's distance from the land; the aforesaid point was E. by N. of us at upwards of half a mile's distance; during the night we had violent squalls from the E.S.E. with a thick, foggy sky; landinward we observed a number of fires.