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
More to southward we find in the chart of 1627 I. d'Edels landt, made in
July 1619 by the ships Dordrecht and Amsterdam, commanded by Frederik De
Houtman and Jacob Dedel [*]. To the north of Dedelsland the coast is
rendered difficult of access by reefs, the so-called (Frederik De)
Houtmans-Abrolhos (now known as the Houtman Rocks), also discovered on
this occasion [**]. To the south, in about 32° S. Lat. [***] Dedelsland
is bounded by the Landt van de Leeuwin, surveyed in 1622 [****]. Looking
at the coast more closely still, we find in about 29° 30, S. Lat. the
name Tortelduyff (Turtle Dove Island), to the south of Houtmans Abrolhos,
an addition to the chart dating from about 1624 [*****].
[* See the documents sub No. XI (pp. 14 ff.). If NORDENSKI÷LD had known
these documents, he would have withheld the second alinea on p. 199 of
his interesting _Periplus_.--The doubts, also, concerning Frederik De
Houtman's share in the discoveries on the west-coast of Australia,
expressed by COLLINGRIDGE (_Discovery_ p. 304), CALVERT (_Discovery_, p.
25), and others, are now likely to be set at rest.]
[** They were then held to lie in 28° 46'. On this point see also the
documents of PELSAERT'S shipwreck (No. XXIII, pp. 55 ff).]
[*** About this latitude, between 32° and 33° S. Lat., also De Houtman
and Dedel estimated themselves to be, when they first came upon land.
They afterwards ran on on a northerly course.]
[**** See the documents sub No. XII (p. 17).]
[***** See No. XVI (p. 50) below, and the highly curious charts Nos. Nos.
16 and 17.]
So much for the highly interesting chart of Hessel Gerritsz of the year
1627. If we compare with it the revised edition of the 1618 chart, we are
struck by the increase of our forefathers' knowledge of the south-west
coast. This revised edition gives the entire coast-line down to the
islands of St. François and St. Pieter (133° 30' E. Long. Greenwich),
still figuring in the maps of our day: the Land of Pieter Nuyts,
discovered by the ship het Gulden Zeepaard in 1627 [*].
[* See No. XVIII (p. 51) below.]
North of Willemsrivier, this so-called 1618 chart has still another
addition, _viz_. G. F. De Witsland, discovered in 1628 by the ship Vianen
commanded by G. F. De Witt [*]. In this case, too, it is difficult to
determine exactly the longitudes between which the coast-line thus
designated is situated. [**] But with great distinctness the chart
exhibits the chain of islands of which the Monte Bello and tha Barrow
islands are the principal, and besides, certain islands of the Dampier
Archipelago, afterwards so called after the celebrated English navigator.
I would have these observations looked upon as hints towards the more
accurate determination of the site of this De Wit's land, and they may be
of the more value since the small scale of the chart renders an exact
determination of it exceedingly difficult.
[* See No. XXI (p. 54) below.]
[** See, however, No. XXI., C. _infra_.]
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