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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

In the Limmen,  45 sailors, 11 soldiers; in all  56 persons.
      In the Zeemeuw, 35 sailors,  6 soldiers; in all  41 persons.
      In the Brak,    14 sailors,  0 soldiers; in all  14 persons.
                      ——          ——                   ——
                      94 sailors  17 soldiers:  total 111 persons.

Are well provided with all necessary ammunition, tools and utensils, and
for eight months plentifully victualled. Manage everything well and
orderly, take notice you see the ordinary portion of two meat and two
pork days, and a quarter of vinegar, a half quarter of sweet oil per
week, and a half-quarter of arrack per day, regularly distributed. Each
yacht carries a leaguer and 120 quarts of strong arrack (the _Brak_ is
to be provided from the _Zeemeuw_), which must be carefully distributed
in the cold climate for the health of the people. Notwithstanding you
are plentifully stocked with waterbuts, manage particularly fresh water
and fuel to prevent wanting it; as you would then be obliged to search
after it, to the retarding of your voyage, or return without success, to
your shame and the great detriment of the Company, which has been at
great expense in equipping these yachts; and for these reasons, by
industry and prudence, ought to be prevented from suffering.

We give then no further instructions, and leave to your and the
council’s good conduct and advice what you will have more to do upon
this voyage; only recommending seriously in all emergencies, to use such
prudence as may keep the Company’s valuable ships and people out of all
dangers as much as can be done. For the better to answer this purpose,
we do not approve the commodore much to leave shipboard, but to stay in
the yacht, unless (with advice of the council) the Company’s service may
require the contrary, in order to avoid the object being neglected, by
any unforseen misfortune in this important voyage.

To conclude this instruction, we wish you the protection and blessings
of Omnipotence, which we pray to inspire you with manly courage for the
intended discoveries, and after finishing to return in safety, to the
expanding of His glory, reputation to the mother country, the service of
the Company, our contentment, and to your own everlasting honour.

Out of the castle, Batavia, this 29th day of January, 1644, signed

                   ANTONIO VAN DIEMEN, CORNELIS VAN DER LYN, JOAN
                       MAATSÜIKER, JUSTUS SCHOUTEN, and SALOMON SWEERS.


 _Southland sealed-up Commission for the Successor of the Commodore Abel
                  Jansz Tasman, in case of his Decease._

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

In the Limmen,  45 sailors, 11 soldiers; in all  56 persons.
      In the Zeemeuw, 35 sailors,  6 soldiers; in all  41 persons.
      In the Brak,    14 sailors,  0 soldiers; in all  14 persons.
                      ——          ——                   ——
                      94 sailors  17 soldiers:  total 111 persons.

Are well provided with all necessary ammunition, tools and utensils, and
for eight months plentifully victualled. Manage everything well and
orderly, take notice you see the ordinary portion of two meat and two
pork days, and a quarter of vinegar, a half quarter of sweet oil per
week, and a half-quarter of arrack per day, regularly distributed. Each
yacht carries a leaguer and 120 quarts of strong arrack (the _Brak_ is
to be provided from the _Zeemeuw_), which must be carefully distributed
in the cold climate for the health of the people. Notwithstanding you
are plentifully stocked with waterbuts, manage particularly fresh water
and fuel to prevent wanting it; as you would then be obliged to search
after it, to the retarding of your voyage, or return without success, to
your shame and the great detriment of the Company, which has been at
great expense in equipping these yachts; and for these reasons, by
industry and prudence, ought to be prevented from suffering.

We give then no further instructions, and leave to your and the
council’s good conduct and advice what you will have more to do upon
this voyage; only recommending seriously in all emergencies, to use such
prudence as may keep the Company’s valuable ships and people out of all
dangers as much as can be done. For the better to answer this purpose,
we do not approve the commodore much to leave shipboard, but to stay in
the yacht, unless (with advice of the council) the Company’s service may
require the contrary, in order to avoid the object being neglected, by
any unforseen misfortune in this important voyage.

To conclude this instruction, we wish you the protection and blessings
of Omnipotence, which we pray to inspire you with manly courage for the
intended discoveries, and after finishing to return in safety, to the
expanding of His glory, reputation to the mother country, the service of
the Company, our contentment, and to your own everlasting honour.

Out of the castle, Batavia, this 29th day of January, 1644, signed

                   ANTONIO VAN DIEMEN, CORNELIS VAN DER LYN, JOAN
                       MAATSÜIKER, JUSTUS SCHOUTEN, and SALOMON SWEERS.


 _Southland sealed-up Commission for the Successor of the Commodore Abel
                  Jansz Tasman, in case of his Decease._

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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