CHAPTER III 



VOYAGE OF THE " DUYFKEN " TO NEW GUINEA AND THE 

 CAPE YORK PENINSULA, 1605-6 



EARLY PORTUGUESE AND SPANISH KNOWLEDGE OF NEW GUINEA. DUTCH POSSESSIONS 

 IN THE EAST. "DUYFKEN" VISITS CERAM TO COLLECT INFORMATION ABOUT NEW 

 GUINEA (1603). " DUYFKEN V VOYAGE TO NEW GUINEA (1605-6). NINE MEN 



KILLED BY NATIVES IN NEW GUINEA PROPER. TORRES STRAIT PASSED UNOBSERVED. 



SOUTHWARD ALONG EASTERN SHORE OF GULF OF CARPENTARIA. A MAN KILLED 

 BY NATIVES AT CARPENTIER INLET. " DUYFKEN " TURNS BACK AT CAPE KEERWEER. 



" f ^ HE discovery of NEW GUINEA is most commonly credited to the Portuguese. 



In the early days, these people then famous for their brave efforts in 



I exploration and settlement held Malacca 1 and the Spice Islands 



(i.e., the Moluccas). In 1527, one Jorgo de Meneses was sent from 



Malacca to the latter islands. He attempted a new route by going 



round the north of Borneo, and is said to have then discovered New Guinea. He 



called the new island Papua, because of the fact that the natives of the Molucca Islands 



called the New Guinea aborigines ' Papuans,' on account of their woolly hair. Next 



in order came the Spanish navigator Alvaro de Saavedra, in 1537. In 1545 his 



countryman Ortis de Retes, proceeding to take a more southerly course to the 



Moluccas, in order to catch more favourable winds, sighted the island, and imagined 



he was the discoverer, and named it Nueva Guinea. The island first appeared on 



Mercator's chart of 1569." a 



The Dutch had been more or less in possession of Java since 

 1597, but even within the first decade the necessity for expansion 

 had begun to be felt, and had a spur been needed it would have 

 been supplied by the rivalry excited by the comings and goings 

 of the Spanish and Portuguese. The Dutch " General United 

 East India Company," founded in 1602, was a power in the East 

 for three centuries, until its functions were absorbed by the 

 Government of the Netherlands. 



On loth April, 1602, at Banda Island, on board the ship 

 " Gelderlant" a general meeting of ships' officers was held by order 

 of Admiral Wolphert Hermanszoon. The meeting drew up 

 instructions for the yacht " Duyffken " [sic], Skipper Willem Cor- 

 neliszoon Schouten, and Supercargo Claes Gaeff. 



The ship was to proceed to the island of Ceran [sic], calling 

 at certain ports, e.g., Queuin, Quelibara, Quelilonhen and Goule- 

 goulij, where trade might be expected, and to enquire whether 

 anything was to be had besides sago, what was the commerce of 



1 (Malay Peninsula.) 



2 " Kaiser's Lost Domain, Late German New Guinea. Early Settlement and 

 Development," in Sydney Morning Herald, 27th May, 1916. 



23 



