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Early Voyages to Terra Australis, Now Called Australia:: A Collection of Documents, and Extracts from Early Manuscript Maps, Illustrative of the History of Discovery on the Coasts of That Vast Island, from the Beginning of the Sixteenth Century to the Time of Captain Cook.Major, Richard Henry

History

Early Voyages to Terra Australis, Now Called Australia:: A Collection of Documents, and Extracts from Early Manuscript Maps, Illustrative of the History of Discovery on the Coasts of That Vast Island, from the Beginning of the Sixteenth Century to the Time of Captain Cook.

Name: Early Voyages to Terra Australis, Now Called Australia:: A Collection of Documents, and Extracts from Early Manuscript Maps, Illustrative of the History of Discovery on the Coasts of That Vast Island, from the Beginning of the Sixteenth Century to the Time of Captain Cook.
Author: Major, Richard Henry

Major, Richard Henry

Australia -- Discovery and exploration; Discoveries in geography -- Portuguese; Voyages and travels

We have herein expressed in general our intentions respecting the voyage
you are to undertake, but as upon all that may occur no precise orders
can be given, we leave the rest to your zeal, vigilance and good
conduct, likewise to the council’s prudent dispositions, in a full hope
and confidence you will in this expedition be so vigilant as to succeed
to the service of the Company, when we will not be backward to
recompense your endeavours as you may merit; for if in this voyage are
discovered any countries, islands or passages profitable to the Company,
we promise you by this to reward the conductors and well-behaving ships’
crew, with such premiums as we shall find their good service to have
merited, upon which you all may depend. Likewise you are to fix a
competent premium to those who first shall perceive an unknown country,
island, shoal, rock, or dangerous foul ground, in order to avoid as much
as possible all misfortunes.

To prevent any other European nation from reaping (perhaps) the fruits
of our labour and expences in these discoveries, you are everywhere to
take possession, in the name and by orders of the Dutch East India
Company, of the countries and islands you may arrive at not inhabited by
savages; to put up some signs, for instance, plant trees, sow some fruit
trees, erect a stone or post, and to cut or carve in them the arms of
the Netherlands or of the Company, and in what year and at what time
such a land was discovered and taken in possession, declaring further in
intention by the first opportunity to send people thither from hence,
and to establish a colony, to secure the property nearer to us.

But if it so happeneth (which is not likely) that you discover some
countries or islands that may have a polished government, you are to
endeavour with its chiefs or governors (in the name as above) to make
contract upon the most advantageous terms you possibly can obtain,
including a resignation (if they are inclined to do such); or permission
to frequent the place exclusive of all other nations; or other
advantages for the Company: all which you must note down
circumstantially in your journals, expressing the names and qualities of
those with whom you shall have treated, to serve the Company when it may
be wanted.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

History

Early Voyages to Terra Australis, Now Called Australia:: A Collection of Documents, and Extracts from Early Manuscript Maps, Illustrative of the History of Discovery on the Coasts of That Vast Island, from the Beginning of the Sixteenth Century to the Time of Captain Cook.

Major, Richard Henry

Australia -- Discovery and exploration; Discoveries in geography -- Portuguese; Voyages and travels

We have herein expressed in general our intentions respecting the voyage
you are to undertake, but as upon all that may occur no precise orders
can be given, we leave the rest to your zeal, vigilance and good
conduct, likewise to the council’s prudent dispositions, in a full hope
and confidence you will in this expedition be so vigilant as to succeed
to the service of the Company, when we will not be backward to
recompense your endeavours as you may merit; for if in this voyage are
discovered any countries, islands or passages profitable to the Company,
we promise you by this to reward the conductors and well-behaving ships’
crew, with such premiums as we shall find their good service to have
merited, upon which you all may depend. Likewise you are to fix a
competent premium to those who first shall perceive an unknown country,
island, shoal, rock, or dangerous foul ground, in order to avoid as much
as possible all misfortunes.

To prevent any other European nation from reaping (perhaps) the fruits
of our labour and expences in these discoveries, you are everywhere to
take possession, in the name and by orders of the Dutch East India
Company, of the countries and islands you may arrive at not inhabited by
savages; to put up some signs, for instance, plant trees, sow some fruit
trees, erect a stone or post, and to cut or carve in them the arms of
the Netherlands or of the Company, and in what year and at what time
such a land was discovered and taken in possession, declaring further in
intention by the first opportunity to send people thither from hence,
and to establish a colony, to secure the property nearer to us.

But if it so happeneth (which is not likely) that you discover some
countries or islands that may have a polished government, you are to
endeavour with its chiefs or governors (in the name as above) to make
contract upon the most advantageous terms you possibly can obtain,
including a resignation (if they are inclined to do such); or permission
to frequent the place exclusive of all other nations; or other
advantages for the Company: all which you must note down
circumstantially in your journals, expressing the names and qualities of
those with whom you shall have treated, to serve the Company when it may
be wanted.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Early Voyages to Terra Australis, Now Called Australia:: A Collection of Documents, and Extracts from Early Manuscript Maps, Illustrative of the History of Discovery on the Coasts of That Vast Island, from the Beginning of the Sixteenth Century to the Time of Captain Cook.

Early Voyages to Terra Australis, Now Called Australia:: A Collection of Documents, and Extracts from Early Manuscript Maps, Illustrative of the History of Discovery on the Coasts of That Vast Island, from the Beginning of the Sixteenth Century to the Time of Captain Cook.

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