T A S 



77 



T A S 



in command of two vessels, the Heeraskirk and the 

 Zeehaan, directing his course first towards the Isle of 

 France, where he put in for provisions and water. From 

 the Isle of France he set sail on the 3rd October, and pro- 

 ceeded south to about 41 S. lat., afterwards to the south- 

 east, to about 50 S. lat., and then due east. Having 

 passed 127 E. long., he sailed to the north and east, and 

 on the 24th November discovered, at 10 miles distance, a 

 land to which he gave the name of Van Diemen. He 

 did not remain here long, nor did he meet with any of the 

 natives, but he continued on his voyage, sailing to the 

 south-east, and doubled what he conceived to be the 

 southern extremity of the Australian continent, or New 

 Holland, but what in fact was the southern extremity of 

 the island of Tasmania, or Van Diemen's Land. He made 

 an unsuccessful attempt to anchor in a bay, to which he 

 gave the name of the Bay of Tempests Storm Bay on 

 the south-eastern coast of Van Diemen's Land ; and then 

 ran to the north, where he found secure anchorage in 

 another bay, to which he gave the name of Frederik 

 Hendrik Bay, 42 52' S. lat., 147 57' E. long. On the shore 

 he erected a standard, to which he attached the colours of 

 the Dutch East India Company, and on the 5th set sail 

 again. Unfavourable winds prevented his surveying, as he 

 had intended, the north coast, and he therefore bore to 

 the east, proposing to visit the Solomon's Islands, of which 

 some account had been given by previous navigators. But 

 on the 13th, being in about 42 10' S. lat. and 170 E. 

 long., he found himself in view of a high and mountainous 

 country, which he named Staaten Land land of estates 

 now known as New Zealand. Tasman supposed this land 

 to be part of the contment of Australia. He sailed along 

 the coast towards the north-east, and on the 17th anchored 

 at the entrance of what he concluded to be a great bay. 

 The natives from the shore approached in their canoes, 

 but still remained at a distance, and refused to come on 

 board either of Tasman's vessels, although every amicable 

 demonstration was exhibited by the crews. Gathering con- 

 fidence however, they afterwards came in large numbers, 

 and a quarrel ensuing between them and the Dutch, three 

 sailors were murdered. The bay in which this happened 

 received the name of Mordenaars' Bay, or Murderers' Bay 

 (40 40" S. lat., 173 E. long.). Tasman did not revenge the 

 death of his men, but, availing himself of a favourable wind, 

 set sail. Being followed however by two and twenty canoes 

 with natives armed, he fired among them, killed one or 

 two natives, and drove the rest on shore. He did not make 

 any progress owing to the variableness of the weather, and 

 was obliged to anchor again in a bay to the east of Mas- 

 sacre or Murderers' Bay, which yet preserves his name 

 Tasman's Bay (about 41 S. lat., 173 30' E. long.). When 

 enabled to resume the voyage, he continued his course 

 along the coast, bearing northwards, until, on the 4th 

 January, 1C43, he found himself in a situation in which the 

 violence of the current bearing to the west, ancUthe swell- 

 ing of the waves, which bore to the north-west, led him to 

 conclude that the sea in that part afforded a free passage. 

 To the west he perceived a group of small islands which 

 he named the Throe Kings i in about 34" 3' S. lat., 172 

 5' E. long.). Those islands were inhabited, but the vio- 

 lence of tin- \\MMS prevented all intercourse with the 

 natives. Tasman now resolved to sail to the east, and 

 afterwards to the north as far as 17" S. lat., and then 

 to the west towards the isles of Cocos (15 50' S. lat., 

 174 10' W. long.), and of Hoorn (14 S. lat., 178 20' 

 W. long.), with a view of obtaining some fresh pro- 

 visions at one of these islands. On the 6th January he 

 saw an island to the south at three miles distance, but 

 no name is given to it. On the 8th, being, as he represents, 

 in 32 S. lat. and 174 E. long., the force of the waves which 

 rolled from the south-east suggested to him that he 

 ought not to look for land in that direction ; he there- 

 red his course to the north, and on the 19th 

 ! an island which he called Pyllstaart (22 22' 

 S. lat., 17i> W. long.). On the following day he saw 

 two other islands, and on the 21st approached the more 

 northern, which he named Amsterdam, the native name 

 being T.mtra Taboo (21 30' S. lat., 175 2CX W. long.) ; 

 the otlifr Middelburg, the native name being Eoa, the 

 Ka-oo-wee of Cook (21 24' S. lat., 175 W. long.). 

 The isl.inders brought various fruits in their canoes, and 

 Tasman has described them as uniting courage with 

 mildness. While here he discovered some other isles, 



before one of which he anchored, naming it Rotterdam, 

 the native name being Ana Moka or Annamooka, 20 15' 

 S. lat., 174 31' W. long. Captain Cook, when he visited 

 these islands about a hundred and fifty years afterwards, 

 found the tradition of Tasman's visit preserved among the' 

 natives. 



On the 1st of February Tasman discovered the islands 

 of Prince William, but his provisions being nearly 

 exhausted, he could not stay to visit them. For 

 several days subsequently the sky was so cloudy as 

 to prevent his ascertaining the situation of his vessel, 

 and when fine weather partially returned, he judged 

 it best to sail towards 5 S. lat., and then to bear 

 towards New Guinea, apprehending the return of un- 

 favourable weather, in which he might be cast upon an 

 unknown coast. By the 22nd of March he was in 5 2' S. 

 lat., and having the advantage of clear weather and the 

 east trade-winds, he soon came in sight of a cluster of 

 islands which had been visited by two navigators, Schouten 

 and Le Maire, and by them named Ontong Java. On 

 the 29th he sailed past the Green Islands (4 53' S 

 lat., 154 50' E. long.), and on the 30th the Isle of St. 

 John (3 50' S. lat., 153 50' E. long.). This island, he 

 says, appeared to be well cultivated, to abound in flesh, 

 fowl, fish, and fruit, and to have a numerous population. 

 Schouten having before sustained some injury from the 

 natives, Tasman did not attempt to land. On the 1st of 

 April he was in sight of what he supposed to be New 

 Guinea, but in fact of New Britain, and shortly after he 

 doubled the cape to which Spanish navigators had before 

 given the name of Cabo Santa Maria Cape St. George 

 of Dampier (5 S. lat., 152 15' E. long.). The orew were 

 suddenly awoke on the night of the 12th by what resem- 

 bled the shock of an earthquake : the situation of the 

 vessel at the time, as Tasman states, being 3 45' S. lat. 

 They sounded, supposing that the ship had struck, but 

 could find no bottom. Several shocks, each less violent, 

 succeeded. On the 20th they were near to Brandande 

 Yland, or Burning Island, which had been mentioned be- 

 fore by Schouten : on the 27th they were in sight 

 of another island, which he calls Jama, a little to 

 the east of Moa (8 21' S. lat., 127 45' E. long.), 

 where they obtained cocoa-nuts and other fruits. Tas- 

 man has described the inhabitants as absolutely black, 

 and speaking a copious language, in which the frequent 

 repetition of the letter r is noticed. He anchored on the 

 following day at the Isle of Moa, where he was detained 

 for eight days by unfavourable weather. The Dutch car- 

 ried on an interchange of knives for cocoa-nuts and Indian 

 figs with the natives. On the 12th of May he coasted 

 the island to which Schouten had before given his name 

 (50' S. lat., 136 20' E. long.), and which is described as 

 fertile and populous : the natives gave proof of their 

 commerce with different Spanish vessels by the production 

 of various articles which they had received in barter. 

 Having now fulfilled his instructions, Tasman directed his 

 course back to Batavia, where he arrived on the 15th 

 June. A map of his discoveries was sent to the Stadt 

 House at Amsterdam. 



The success of this voyage induced Van Diemen to 

 commit to Tasman the command of a second expedition, 

 the objects of which are set forth in the instructions given 

 by the governor-general on the occasion. These instruc- 

 tions are printed in the introduction to Flinders' Voyages. 

 After quitting Point Turc, or False Cape, situated in 8 

 S. lat., on the south coast of New Guinea, he was to con- 

 tinue eastward along the coast to 9 S. lat., carefully cross- 

 ing the cove at that place, looking about the high islands 

 or Speults River with the yachts for a harbour, despatch- 

 ing the tender Do Braak for two or three days into the 

 cove, in order to discover whether within the great inlet 

 there might not be found an entrance to the South Sea.* 

 From this place he was to coast along the west coast of 

 New Guinea (Carpentaria) to the farthest discoveries in 

 17 S. lat., following the coast farther, as it might run 

 westward or southward. It was feared that he would meet 

 in those parts with the south-east trade-winds; from 



1 The great inlet or cove where the passage was to be sought, is the north- 

 west part of Torres Straits. It is evident tltat a suspicion was enterlaineil in 

 1(141 i.t' snrh a strait; but that the Dutch wero ijmouint of its having been 

 p.ii-.'it. The ' hijjli Uland-.' are those which lie in 10" S. lat. on the west siiie of 

 the straits. Speults river appears to be the opening between the Prince of 

 Wales Island :ind Cape York ; through which Cook afterwards passed, and 

 named Endeavour Strait. (Flinders' Voyage, ' Introduction.') 



