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.
Major, Richard Henry
Australia -- Discovery and exploration; Discoveries in geography -- Portuguese; Voyages and travels
The fifth and last inlet E. visited by our people, is bounded on one
side by the promontory of Lonton, on the other side by the point of
Callemore, (names given to them by the crew), although the last
mentioned point may rather be called an island than a promontory, since
the inlet runs round it and again joins the sea. In front of the point
Lonton, also an island was found, called by them Schildpads island;
nothing remarkable is to be recorded of this place, except that at night
by moonlight, an immense number of black birds, as large as pigeons,
were met by the patsjallang _Hollandia Nova_, which flock continued to
pass for half an hour; also that the inhabitants became so much
accustomed to our people, that they assisted them in procuring and
carrying water; but afterwards they could not conceal their malicious
disposition, as we have already narrated.
This last inlet is called Vossenbosch Bay, and also has before the
promontory of Calice a small island, where stands a solitary tree, by
which it may be recognized.
Thus, thinking we have briefly stated the origin, the adventures, the
results, and the return of this expedition, so far as they could be
investigated, we shall here conclude.
We are, etc.,
HK. SWAARDECROON,
CS. CHASTELIJN.
(S.) J. S. CRAINE.
Batavia Castle, Oct. 6, 1705.
THE HOUTMAN’S ABROLHOS IN 1727, TRANSLATED FROM A PUBLICATION ENTITLED
“DE HOUTMAN’S ABROLHOS,”
AMSTERDAM, 1857, 8vo. BY P. A. LEUPE, CAPTAIN OF MARINES IN THE DUTCH
NAVY.
The ten years which elapsed between 1720 and 1730 were a period replete
with disaster to the East India Company, arising from the losses they
experienced of ships and men, both on their passage out to India and on
their return.[35] Among the number is the Zeeland ship _Zeewyk_, which,
built in 1725, sailed from the roads of Rammekens to Batavia, under
command of the skipper Jan Hijns, on the 7th of November, 1726. After
peculiar mishaps the _Zeewyk_ came to anchor on the 22nd of March, 1727,
before the fort of Good Hope in Table Bay, and, after taking in fresh
provisions there, pursued her voyage on the 21st of April, until, on the
9th of June, when by the carelessness of the skipper, she was wrecked on
the Houtman’s Abrolhos.
By the instructions[36] for the sailing in the autumn from the
Netherlands to Java, amongst other things it is also enjoined: “The Cape
of Good Hope being doubled, it is thought good that you sail in an E.
direction between 36° and 39° S. lat., until you have reached a point
eight hundred miles E. of the Cape of Good Hope; that you then direct
your course as much N. as E., in such a manner that, on reaching 30° S.
lat., you should find yourself about 950 or 1000 m. from the Cape of
Good Hope.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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