The Part Borne By The Dutch In The Discovery Of Australia
Chapter 5
On the 5th of May we got into Latitude 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 quantities and long strips. On the 10th do. we passed 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 God alone, but from the signs seen at various times I suspect it to be a mainland. The compass 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 ships 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 ships 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, passing through the strait between Kleyn Jaeva and Baely...
Your Worships' servant to command
H. CLAESSEN VAN HILLEGOM.
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IX.
(1618). VOYAGE OF THE SHIP 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.
Worshipful 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 ship Mauritius we passed 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 Latitude, 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 God'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 ship 't Wapen van Amsterdam, October 6, 1618.
Your Worships' Obedt. Servant
WILLEM JANSZ.
B.
Worshipful Wise Provident Discreet Gentlemen,
See _the Maps numbered VII, C and D (1616)._
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X.
(1619)? FURTHER DISCOVERY OF THE SOUTH-COAST OF NEW-GUINEA BY THE SHIP HET WAPEN VAN AMSTERDAM? [*]
_Instructions for Tasman 1644._
...In the interim in the year 1619 the ship 't Wapen van Amsterdam, passing Banda on her way thither, was east on the south-coast of Nova Guinea where also some of her crew were slain by the barbarian inhabitants, so that no certain information respecting the situation of the country was obtained...
[* I place a note of interrogation here. The matter is not quite clear. For the sake of completeness I mention it here, but without drawing any conclusion. On p. 95, note 5 of my "Life of Tasman" in Fred. Muller's Tasman publication I say: "Leupe, Zuidland, p. 35, cites a letter sent by the Directors to the Gov.-Gen. and Councillors, of Sept. 9, 1620. In this letter there is question of the discoveries made by d'Eendracht, Zeewolff, _'t Wapen van Amsterdam_, and quite recently by Commanders Houtman and D'Edel." When, we may ask, did the ship 't Wapen van Amsterdam survey the South-land? There certainly was a ship of that name by the side of another vessel, named Amsterdam _pur et simple_. According to the Register of departures of vessels of the E.I.C., preserved in the State Archives at the Hague, this ship set sail from the Netherlands on May 11, 1613. I have found no reliable trace of later date of this vessel, and the documents know nothing of any exploration of the South-land by her. I am inclined to think that Leupe is mistaken here. The letter itself, which is contained in the copying-book of letters, preserved in the State Archives, has suffered much from theravages of time. Between the words "Zeewolff" and "Amsterdam" the paper has suffered so much that nothing is left of the intervening letters. L. C. D. Van Dijk, in his Mededeelingen uit het Oost-Indisch archief. Amsterdam, _Scheltema_, 1859 p. 2, note 2, has also printed the letter in question. He puts the words: "'t Wapen van" in parentheses, in order to denote that they are merely conjectural. Leupe may have inadvertently omitted these parentheses. Perhaps the original text read: "ende Amsterdam". In this case there would have been two times question of Dedel's voyages: once by a reference to the ship Amsterdam; and afterwards by mentioning Dedel's name itself. I must not however omit to make mention here of what the Instructions for Tasman's second voyage, dated January 29, 1644, say about an unsuccessful expedition undertaken by the ship 't Wapen van Amsterdam to the south coast of New Guinea in 1619.]
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XI.
(1619). VOYAGE OF THE SHIPS DORDRECHT AND AMSTERDAM UNDER COMMANDER FREDERIK DE HOUTMAN, SUPERCARGO JACOB DEDEL, AND SKIPPERS REYER JANSZOON VAN BUIKSLOOT AND MAARTEN CORNELISZOON(?), FROM THE NETHERLANDS TO THE EAST-INDIES.--FURTHER DISCOVERY OF THE WEST-COAST OF AUSTRALIA: DEDELSLAND AND HOUTMAN'S ABROLHOS.
A.
_Letter of Commander_ FREDERIK DE HUTMAN _to Prince Alaurice, October 7, 1619._
Most Noble Highborn Prince,
Most Highborn Prince, my last letter to Your Princely Excellency was dated May the 20th last from the Taefelbay near Cabo de bonne esperance with the ship Anna from England...
Now as regards my subsequent progress I would inform Your Excellency that on the 8th of June we set sail from the Tafelbay with a fair wind with the ships Dordrecht and Amsterdam, add that on the 19th of July following we suddenly came upon the Southland of Beach [*] in 32 degrees 20 minutes. We spent a few days there in order to get some knowledge of the same, but the inconvenience of being unable to make a landing, together with the heavy gales, prevented us from effecting our purpose, upon which shaping our course for Java, we got sight of the same on the 19th of August, and arrived safely before Jacatra on the 3rd of September...
[* Though De Houtman knew of the discovery of Eendrachtsland (see _infra_), he still uses the name Beach; which clearly proves that in the early part of the seventeenth century the Netherlanders identified the discovered South-land with the mysterious land of Beach.]
From Jacatra, this seventh of October, A.D. 1619.
(Signed)
Your Excellency's most devoted Servant
FREDERICK HOUTMAN.
B.
_Letter of_ FREDERIK DE HOUTMAN _to the Managers of the E.I.C., October 7, 1619._
Most Noble Wise Provident Very Discreet Gentlemn,
My last letter to Your Worships was dated May 20th from the Tafelbay...We next sailed from the Tafelbay with the ships Dordrecht and Amsterdam on June the 8th...
We ran on with a fair north-west wind as far as 36° 30', in which latitude we kept this steady breeze with us up to the 17th of July, when we estimated ourselves to have sailed straight to eastward the space of a thousand miles. We observed 16° decreasing north-westerly variation of the compass, and resolved to steer...on a north-east-by-north course, {Page 15} we then being in 35° 25' Southern Latitude. After keeping the aforesaid course for about 60 miles, in the evening of the 19th we suddenly saw land, which we steered away from. On the 20th we found it to be a mainland coast extending South and North. We resolved to use our utmost endeavours to obtain some knowledge of this coast, which seemed to be a very good land, but could find no spot for conveniently landing owing to the surf and the heavy seas. On the 23rd both the Amsterdam and our ship lost an anchor each, since our cables were broken by the strong gale. We kept near the coast till the 28th of July, but owing to the violent storm could not effect a landing, so that we were forced to leave the land aforesaid, not without imminent danger of being thrown on it by the strong gale.
On the 28th we sighted a cape of the said coast, off which we sounded in from 45 to 70 fathom, but shortly after we got no bottom, and in the evening the land was out of sight.
On the 29th do. deeming ourselves to be in an open sea, we shaped our course north-by-east. At noon we were in 29° 32' S. Lat.; at night about three hours before daybreak, we again unexpectedly came upon a low-lying coast, a level, broken country with reefs all round it. We saw no high land or mainland, so that this shoal is to be carefully avoided as very dangerous to ships that wish to touch at this coast. It is fully ten miles in length, lying in 28° 46.
On the 2nd of August, the wind becoming contrary, we turned our course eastward at noon we again sighted a long stretch of land in Lat. 27° 40' South. We are all assured that this is the land which the ship Eendracht discovered and made in the year [*], and noways doubt that all the land they saw in 22, 23, 25 degrees, and which we sighted down to 33 degrees, is one uninterrupted mainland coast.
[* Left blank.]
When in 26° 20' we were in sight of the land, we had 8 degrees decreasing northwesterly variation of the compass. We then shaped our course north and north by west, which leaves it due north, if the variation is deducted. On the 29th of August we made the south-coast of Java, 60 miles to eastward of the western extremity of the said island, so that if you are near this South-land in 23, 24 or 25 degrees S. Lat., and shape your course north by west, which deducting the variation is due north-north-west, you will strike the coast of Java [*] miles to eastward of its south-western extremity. Therefore, in order to have a fixed course from the Cape to Java, it is advisable to set sail from the Cape de bonne Esperance in June or July, and to run on an eastern course in 36 and 37 degrees Southern Latitude, until you estimate yourself to have covered a thousand miles to eastward, after which you had better shape your course north and north by east, until you get into 26 or 27 degrees, thus shunning the shoal aforesaid which lies off the South-land in 28° 46'.
[* Left blank.]
When you have reached the 26th or 27th degree, run eastward until you come in sight of the South-land, and then, as before mentioned, from there hold your course north by west and north-north-west, and you are sure to make the western extremity of Java, as shown in the annexed small chart [*], which I have drawn up for the better assurance. This South-land, as far as we could judge, seems to be a very fair coast, but we found it impossible to land on it, nor have we seen any smoke or signs of inhabitants there; but further investigation is wanted on this point.
[* Not forthcoming.]
On the 25th of August we got into Sonda Strait...
In the fortress of Jacatra, October 7, 1619. Your Worships' obedient servant FREDERICK HOUTMAN.
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C.
_Letter of Supercargo_ JACOB DEDEL _to the Managers of the E.I.C., October 7, 1619._
Worshipful Wise Provident Gentlemen,
My last letter to you was dated May 20 last, in which I informed you of my arrival at Cabo de bonne Esperance..., where I found Commander Houtman...
On the first of June I was ready to set sail for Bantam from Cabo de bonne Esperance but contrary winds prevented my putting to sea before June 8th, when I sailed in company with the Hon. Houtman, pursuant to a resolution of the Plenary Council. The ships were found to have nearly the same sailing powers, so that we constantly remained in each other's company. After having had plenty of westerly, south westerly and southerly winds in 35, 36 and 37 degrees Southern Latitude, with occasional stiff breezes, we safely made the required distance to eastward, and on the 19th of July last came upon the south-lands situated behind Java. We anchored in 14 fathom in 32Ω degrees latitude, the bottom being level and hard; in full sight of the land the sea was 100 fathom deep, the coast being steep and mountainous, the interior uniformly high, of which I append a map. We used our best endeavours to make a landing, which, however, could not conveniently be done owing to the steep coast, whereupon we resolved to run a little more north, where the coast seemed easier of access; but the wind steadily blowing very stiffly from the north under the land, and the tide coming in from the south, we spent a good deal of time in tacking, until a sudden squall from the west, which made the coast a lee-shore and made us lose one of our anchors, threatened to throw us on the coast. We then made all sail, and the wind coming round a little, we stood out to sea, not deeming it advisable to continue longer inshore in this bad weather with such large heavy ships and such costly cargoes as we had entrusted to our care, and with great peril to lose more precious time, but being contented with having seen the land which at a more favourable time may be further explored with more fitting vessels and smaller craft. We have seen no signs of inhabitants, nor did we always keep near the coast, since it formed large bays which would have taken up much time. Still we kept seeing the coast from time to time, until in 27 degrees we came upon the land discovered by the ship Eendracht, which land in the said latitude showed as a red, muddy coast, which according to the surmises of some of us might not unlikely prove to be gold-bearing, a point which may be cleared up in time.
Leaving the 27th degree, we shaped our course north and north by west, until on the 19th of August we struck the island of Java 70 miles to eastward of its western extremity...after which we arrived in Sunda Caleppe Strait on the 23rd of the same month...
This 7th day of October, 1619.
On board the ship Amsterdam at anchor before our fortress of Jacatra. Your Worships' Servant, JACOB DEDEL.
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D.
_Maps of Hessel Gerritsz, numbered VII C and D. (1616)._
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XII.
(1622). VOYAGE OF THE SHIP LEEUWIN FROM THE NETHERLANDS TO JAVA.--DISCOVERY OF THE SOUTH-WEST COAST OF AUSTRALIA.--LEEUWIN'S LAND.
A.
_Chart of Hessel Gerritsz, VII C (1616)._
I print such of the legends of this chart as refer to the results of this expedition:
"Duynich landt boven met boomen ende boseage. Laegh ghelijck verdroncken landt. 't Landt van de Leeuwin beseylt Ao 1622 in Maert [*]. Laegh duynich landt." [Dunes with trees and underwood at top.--Low land seemingly submerged (by the tide).--Land made by the ship Leeuwin in March, 1622.--Low land with dunes].
[* The ship Lecuwin had set sail from the Netherlands on April 20, 1621, and arrived at Batavia May 15, 1622, after a very long voyage, of which the G.-G. and Counc. did not fail to complain.]
B.
_Instructions for Tasman 1644._
...likewise, during the same period in the years 1616, 1618, 1619 and 1622, the west coast of the great unknown South-land from 35 to 22 degrees was unexpectedly and accidentally discovered by the ships d'Eendracht, Mauritius, Amsterdam, Dordrecht and Leeuwin, coming from the Netherlands...
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XIII.
(1622). THE TRIALL (ENGLISH DISCOVERY).--THE SHIP WAPEN VAN HOORN TOUCHES AT THE WEST-COAST OF AUSTRALIA. NEW PROJECTS FOR DISCOVERY MADE BY THE SUPREME GOVERNMENT AT BATAVIA.
A.
_Letter from the G.-G. and Counc. to the Managers of the E.I.C., September 6, 1622._
...On the 5th of July there arrived here [*] a boat with ten men forming part of the crew of an English ship, named the Triall, and on the 8th do. her pinnace with 36 men. They state that they have lost and abandoned their ship with 97 men and {Page 18} the cargo she had taken in, on certain rocks situated in Latitude 20° 10' South, in the longitude of the western extremity of Java. These rocks are near a number of broken islands, lying very far apart, South-east and North-west, at 30 miles' distance northwest of a certain island which in our charts is laid down in 22° S. Lat. [**]. The said ship Triall ran on these rocks in the night-time in fine weather, without having seen land, and since the heavy swells caused the ship to run aground directly, so that it got filled with water, the 46 persons aforementioned put off from her in the greatest disorder with the boat and pinnace each separately, leaving 97 persons in the ship; whose fate is known to God alone. The boat and pinnace aforesaid arrived here each separately, without knowing of each other.
[* Batavia.]
[** See, for instance, the chart of Hessel Gerritsz: VII C (1616).]
The ship 't Wapen van Hoorn [*] has also been in extreme peril; at night in a hard wind she got so near the land of d'Eendracht or the South-land of Java that she was in 6 fathom before they saw land, which they could noways put off from, so that they ran on it. But shortly after the storm abating, they got the landwind, and came off safe, for which the Lord be praised.
[* She sailed from the Texel, December 22, 1621, and arrived at Batavia, July 22, 1622.]
The ships Amsterdam and Dordrecht [*] likewise got into great peril near the land just mentioned in the year 1619. Whereas it is necessary that ships, in order to hasten their arrival, should run on an eastward course for about 1000 miles from the Cape de Bona Esperance between 40 and 30 degrees Southern Latitude, it is equally necessary that great caution should be used and the best measures taken in order to avoid such accidents as befell the English ship Triall. They say that they met with this accident through following the course of our ships; that they intend to dissuade their countrymen from imitating their example, and that their masters are sure to take other measures accordingly.
[* See _supra_, p. 10.]
For the further discovery of the lands aforesaid we intend, in conformity with your orders, to send a ship thither as soon as practicable, for which purpose we have selected the yacht Hazewint [*]. May God Almighty preserve all your worships' ships from accidents and bring them safe to port...
[* See _infra_.]
B.
_Instructions for the yachts Haringh and Hasewint having destination jointly to discover and explore the South-land, September 29, 1622._
Inasmuch as Our Masters ["Heeren Majores"] earnestly enjoin us to dispatch hence certain yachts for the purpose of making discovery of the South-land; and since moreover experience has taught, by great perils incurred by sundry of our ships--but specially by the late miscarrying of the English ship Triali on the said coast--the urgent necessity of obtaining a full and accurate knowledge of the true bearing and conformation of the said land, that further accidents may henceforth be prevented as much as possible; besides this, seeing that is highly desirable that an investigation should be made to ascertain whether the regions or any part of the same are inhabited, and whether any trade might with them be established.
_Therefore_, for the purpose before mentioned, we have resolved to fit out the yachts Haringh and Hasewint for undertaking the said voyage, and for ascertaining as much of the situation and nature of these regions as God Almighty shall vouchsafe to allow them.
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You will accordingly set sail from here together, run out of Sunda Strait, and steer your course for the South-land from the western extremity of Java, keeping as close to the wind as you will find at all possible, that by so doing you may avoid being driven too far westward by the South-easterly winds which generally blow in those waters. You may therefore run on as far as the 32nd or 33rd degree, if you do not fall in with land before that latitude; having got so far without seeing land, you may conclude that you have fallen off too far to westward, for sundry ships coming from the Netherlands have accidentally come upon the South-land in this latitude; you will in this case have to turn your course to eastward, and run on in this direction until you sight land.
In running over to the _South-land_ aforesaid, you will have to keep a careful lookout, as soon as you get in 14 or 15 degrees, seeing that the English ship Trial before mentioned got aground in 20° 10' Southern Latitude on certain sunken rocks, bearing north-east and south-west for a length Of 7 miles, according to the observation of the English pilot, but without having seen any mainland thereabouts. But the men who saved themselves in the pinnace and the boat, and thus arrived here, deposed that in the latitude of 13 or 14 degrees they had seen sundry pieces of wood and cane, and branches of trees floating about, from which they concluded that there must be land or islands near there. The _sunken rocks_ aforesaid on which the _Triall_ was wrecked, were exactly south of the western extremity of _Java_ according to the statements made by the English sailors.
When you shall have come upon the _South-land_ in the said latitude or near it, you will skirt the coast of the same as far as Latitude 50°, in case the land should extend so far southward; but if the land should fall off before you have reached the said latitude, and should be found to trend eastward, you will follow its eastern extension for some time, and finding no further extension to southward, you will not proceed farther east, but turn back. You will do the same if you should find the land to turn to westward. In returning you will run along the coast as far as it extends to northward, next proceeding on an eastern course or in such wise as you shall find the land to extend: in which manner you will follow the coast as close inshore and as long as you shall find practicable, and as you deem your victuals and provisions to be sufficient for the return-voyage, even if in so doing you should sail round the whole land and emerge to southward.
The main object for which you are dispatched on this occasion, is, that from 45 or 50 degrees, or from the farthest point to which the land shall be found to extend southward within these latitudes, up to the northernmost extremity of the South-land, you will have to discover and survey all capes, forelands, bights, lands, islands, rocks, reefs, sandbanks, depths, shallows, roads, winds, currents and all that appertains to the same, so as to be able to map out and duly mark everything in its true latitude, longitude, bearings and conformation. You will moreover go ashore in various places and diligently examine the coast in order to ascertain whether or no it is inhabited, the nature of the land and the people, their towns and inhabited villages, the divisions of their kingdoms, their religion and policy, their wars, their rivers, the shape of their vessels, their fisheries, commodities and manufactures, but specially to inform yourselves what minerals, such as gold, silver, tin, iron, lead, and copper, what precious stones, pearls, vegetables, animals and fruits, these lands yield and produce.
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