The Part Borne by the Dutch in the Discovery of Australia 1606-1765Heeres, J. E. (Jan Ernst)
History
The Part Borne by the Dutch in the Discovery of Australia 1606-1765
Heeres, J. E. (Jan Ernst)
Australia -- Discovery and exploration; Dutch -- Australia
Whence all those names? The answer to this question, and at the same time
various other new features, are furnished by the chart of Hessel
Gerritsz. of 1627 [*] and by the one dated 1618 [**], in which
corrections have been introduced after date. The 1627 chart is specially
interesting. Gerritsz., at the time cartographer in ordinary to the
E.I.C., has "put together this chart of the Landt van d'Eendracht from
the journals and drawings of the Steersmen", which means that he availed
himself of authentic data [***]. He acquitted himself of the task to
admiration, and has given a very lucid survey of the (accidental)
discoveries made by the Dutch on the west-coast of Australia. In this
chart of 1627 the Land of d'Eendracht takes up a good deal of space. To
the north it is found bounded by the "Willemsrivier", discovered in July
1618 by the ship Mauritius, commanded by Willem Janszoon [****].
According to the chart this "river" is in about 21° 45' S. Lat., but
there are no reliable data concerning this point. If we compare Hessel
Gerritsz's chart with those on which about 1700 the results of Willem De
Vlamingh's expedition of 1696-7 were recorded [*****] we readily come to
the conclusion that the ship Mauritius must have been in the vicinity of
Vlaming Head (N.W. Cape) on the Exmouth Gulf. From Willem Janszoon's
statements it also appears that on this occasion in 22° an "island (was)
discovered, and a landing effected." The island extended N.N.E. and
S.S.W. on the west-side. The land-spit west of Exmouth Gulf may very
possibly have been mistaken for an island. From this point then the
Eendrachtsland of the old Dutch navigators begins to extend southward. To
the question, how far it was held to extend, I answer that in the widest
sense of the term ('t Land van Eendracht or the South-land, it reached as
far as the South-coast, at all events past the Perth of our day) [******].
In a more restricted sense it extended to about 25° S.' Lat. In
the latter sense it included the entrance to Shark Bay, afterwards
entered by Dampier, and Dirk Hartogs island, likewise discovered by Dirk
Hartogs.
[* No. 4 on p. 9 _infra_.]
[** No. 5 (folding map).]
[*** It is evident that he did not use all the data then available. Thus,
for instance, he left unused those furnished by the Zeewolf (No. VIII,
pp. 10 ff. below), and those of the ship Leiden (No. XV, p. 49).]
[**** See the Documents under No IX (pp. 12f.).]
[***** Nos. 13 and 14]
[****** Chart No. 14]
{Page xi}
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