THE DISCOVERY OF NEW GUINEA. 721 
way to Banda was open before the Pacific Ocean had been even 
seen could only mean that Banda was attainable by sailing west- 
wards from Europe as well as by sailing eastwards. 
In concluding the examination of this voyage, let us inquire 
what trace it has left on the cartography of the period. I only 
propose to deal now with the New Guinea portion of the voyage. 
I would remark by way of preface that experience has shown 
me that it is only safe to accept the evidence of maps when 
the indications of discoveries which they contain are supple- 
mented by the journals of the discoverers, or by the well-tested 
evidence of historians belonging to the period in which the dis- 
covery was made. 
The earliest reliable representation of this part of the New 
Guinea coast known to me is to be found on a map entitled “Asia 
Partium Orbis Maxima,” in the atlas “Speculum Orbis” of 
Cornelis de Jode, Antwerp, 1593. The same outlines, now 
united to the eastern portion of New Guinea so as to form one 
large island or portion of a continent, are repeated on the chart, 
“ Molucce Insule” by N. J. Visscher, 1617, reproduced in 
Mr. Coote’s “ Remarkable Maps,” Part II. They represent New 
Guinea very rudely, but place that island in its true relation 
to neighbouring islands of the Eastern Archipelago. 
Now the only recorded voyage to the extreme south-west coast 
which took place in the sixteenth century was that of Abreu ; 
hence, until adverse information is forthcoming, I think we may 
venture to associate these maps with his voyage. The entrance 
of a deep inlet is placed to the south-east of the Arus, approxi- 
mately in the position of the entrance to Dourga Strait. But if 
Dourga Strait is intended, the inlet is erroneously prolonged in a 
north-easterly direction. Perhaps this may be explained by sup- 
posing (as I have already done on other grounds) that Abreu 
only reached that portion of the strait—about 15 to 20 miles 
within the northern entrance—which trends in an E.N.E. direc- 
tion, and that this direction was supposed to be the constant one. 
Time will not permit of my tracing in detail the subsequent 
history of this geographical problem ; I must content myself with 
giving you a few leading dates in connection with it :— 
1511-12. Voyage of Abreu.u—New Guinea discovered, and re- 
garded as a portion of the Columbian land-barrier. 
1519-22. Voyage of Magellan and Del Cano.—The Pacific Ocean 
crossed, and New Guinea proved not to be a portion of that 
barrier. 
1606. Voyage of Willem Jansz.—Abreu’s discovery of New 
Guinea corroborated, and the land supposed to be con- 
tinuous with the south land known later as New Holland 
and Australia, 
2 Z 
