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
In running over to the _South-land_ aforesaid, you will have to keep a
careful lookout, as soon as you get in 14 or 15 degrees, seeing that the
English ship Trial before mentioned got aground in 20° 10' Southern
Latitude on certain sunken rocks, bearing north-east and south-west for a
length Of 7 miles, according to the observation of the English pilot, but
without having seen any mainland thereabouts. But the men who saved
themselves in the pinnace and the boat, and thus arrived here, deposed
that in the latitude of 13 or 14 degrees they had seen sundry pieces of
wood and cane, and branches of trees floating about, from which they
concluded that there must be land or islands near there. The _sunken
rocks_ aforesaid on which the _Triall_ was wrecked, were exactly south of
the western extremity of _Java_ according to the statements made by the
English sailors.
When you shall have come upon the _South-land_ in the said latitude or
near it, you will skirt the coast of the same as far as Latitude 50°, in
case the land should extend so far southward; but if the land should fall
off before you have reached the said latitude, and should be found to
trend eastward, you will follow its eastern extension for some time, and
finding no further extension to southward, you will not proceed farther
east, but turn back. You will do the same if you should find the land to
turn to westward. In returning you will run along the coast as far as it
extends to northward, next proceeding on an eastern course or in such
wise as you shall find the land to extend: in which manner you will
follow the coast as close inshore and as long as you shall find
practicable, and as you deem your victuals and provisions to be
sufficient for the return-voyage, even if in so doing you should sail
round the whole land and emerge to southward.
The main object for which you are dispatched on this occasion, is, that
from 45 or 50 degrees, or from the farthest point to which the land shall
be found to extend southward within these latitudes, up to the
northernmost extremity of the South-land, you will have to discover and
survey all capes, forelands, bights, lands, islands, rocks, reefs,
sandbanks, depths, shallows, roads, winds, currents and all that
appertains to the same, so as to be able to map out and duly mark
everything in its true latitude, longitude, bearings and conformation.
You will moreover go ashore in various places and diligently examine the
coast in order to ascertain whether or no it is inhabited, the nature of
the land and the people, their towns and inhabited villages, the
divisions of their kingdoms, their religion and policy, their wars, their
rivers, the shape of their vessels, their fisheries, commodities and
manufactures, but specially to inform yourselves what minerals, such as
gold, silver, tin, iron, lead, and copper, what precious stones, pearls,
vegetables, animals and fruits, these lands yield and produce.
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