66 NORTHMOST AUSTRALIA 



It would be of great assistance to know whether or not Tasman 

 succeeded in getting Carstenszoon's diary and charts from the 

 Vice-Governor at Banda. I am inclined to think that he left 

 Banda without these important documents l and had to rely 

 entirely on the general chart with which he was furnished at 

 Batavia. Had he been able to refer to the original report and chart, 

 he would surely have adopted for the northmost " Watering- 

 place " at which he touched, Carstenszoon's name of " Van Spult 

 Revier." The question arises, was the sketch-chart made by de 

 Leeuw, mate of the " Pera" prepared for the guidance of Tasman ? 

 I conclude that it could not have been, or Tasman would have used 

 de Leeuw's name of " Batavia Revier " instead of Carstenszoon's 

 " Carpentier." 



The note at 17 S. latitude, on Tasman's 1644 chart, which may 

 be freely translated : " Some people have been as far as this," was, 

 in all probability, of the nature of an instruction. To that point 

 the coast had been explored, and it was in Tasman's discretion 

 (i) to hurry past it and begin where Garstenszoon left off, or (2) to 

 land from time to time for the purpose of verifying Carstenszoon's 

 report. His decision would depend upon how much time he was 

 prepared to spend on an already-known coast. 



In all probability, he landed, or at least anchored, in several 

 places on the coast of the Cape York Peninsula short of previous 

 explorers' furthest south, as he makes observations, or leaves 

 names, which he could not possibly have got from pre-existing 

 charts, e.g., the Prince Revier (12 12'), the Revier mit Bosch 

 (12 30' or 12 33 X ), Vliege Baij (13 12'), Visscher's Revier (13 42', 

 named after his Assistant Skipper) and the Pera Revier (16 15'). 

 It remains for us to consider the places named by Tasman, one by 

 one, in their order from north to south. 



Having given the shoals of the " Drooge Bocht " a wide berth, 

 the first position noted in Cape York Peninsula is the WATER 

 PLAETS to which the latitude of 11 S. is assigned. 



Carstenszoon, in the " Pera" on I4th May, 1623, noted an 

 inlet (SEE MAP A) which he named " WATERING-PLACE " and also 

 " REVIER VAN SPULT," in, as he said, 10 50' S. lat. For reasons 

 already given, I have pointed out that this (which is the latitude of 

 Red Island) is impossible, and that the Van Spult Inlet must be a 

 mouth of the Jardine River, and in, or about, 10 59' S. 

 Carstenszoon having described it as an ideal watering-place, where 

 fresh water could be taken up in buckets lowered from ships, 

 Tasman was likely enough to have paid it a visit, especially if he 

 needed water. If he really found and identified it, he was practically 



1 My son, R. Lockhart Jack, suggests that if Tasman had a difficulty in obtaining 

 the " Pera's " charts, he would endeavour to enlist and carry with him some of the 

 " Pera's " old sailors, in the hope of getting from them assistance in the identification 

 of Carstenszoon's reviers. R. L. J. 



