CHAPTER X 



VOYAGES OF THE " BUIJS " AND "RIJDER" (1756) 

 VAN ASSCHENS AND GONZAL 



START FROM BATAVIA. SEPARATED BY STORM. " BUIJS " MAKES BANDA HARBOUR. HER 

 VOYAGE RESUMED. SIGHTS PERA HEAD, WHICH is MISTAKEN FOR THE " DUYFKEN'S " 

 CAPE KEERWEER. COASTING NORTHWARD. TASMAN'S VLIEGEBAIJ (NOW ALBA- 

 TROSS BAY) RECOGNISED. ASSCHEN'S HOEK NAMED (NOW DUYFKEN POINT). 

 BATAVIA RIVER NAMED. VAN SPULT RIVER RECOGNISED. MAKES FOR THE " PERA'S " 

 WATERING-PLACE. BOAT AND CREW LOST. " BUIJS " WAITS AND SEARCHES 

 (WITHOUT LANDING) TILL SHORTAGE OF WATER COMPELS THE SURVIVORS TO MAKE 

 FOR TIMOR LAUT, TENIMBER ISLANDS. UNJUST CRITICISM BY THE CHIEF 

 CARTOGRAPHER AT BATAVIA. " Ri JDER " REACHES FREDERICK HENRY ISLAND. PRINCE 

 OF WALES AND BOOBY ISLANDS SIGHTED. LANDING ON PRINCE OF WALES ISLAND 

 AND EXPLORATION OF PART OF ITS COAST. LANDING ON WEDNESDAY ISLAND. 

 VOYAGE RESUMED. Too FAR WEST. LAND SIGHTED SOUTH OF PENNEFATHER 

 RIVER. VISITED BY NATIVES IN CANOES. LANDING. Two DINGOES SEEN. 

 NATIVES GUIDE PARTY TO WATER. THEN GIVE A CORROBORREE. ARRACK AND 

 SUGAR GIVEN TO NATIVES. ANOTHER LANDING NEXT DAY WITH INTENTION OF 

 KIDNAPPING NATIVES. UNSUCCESSFUL. LANDING NEXT DAY. NATIVES MADE 

 DRUNK. ONE WOUNDED AND DRAGGED TO BOAT. GENERAL ENCOUNTER. "RlJDER" 

 ANCHORS IN VLIEGEBAIJ (ALBATROSS BAY), WHICH is NAMED MOSSELBAAIJ. BOAT 

 PARTY DISCOVERS WATER AT THE "PERA'S" WATERING-PLACE OF 9 MAY, 1623, 

 WHICH IS RENAMED RlJDER's WATERING-PLACE. WOOD AND WATER TAKEN IN. 

 SOUTHWARD VOYAGE RESUMED. RIJDER'S HOEK NAMED. LANDING. BRUSH WITH 

 NATIVES. ONE CAPTURED. SAILS FOR ARNHEIM LAND. TIMOR REACHED. 



WE are indebted to Professor Heeres' Commemoration 

 Volume The Part of the Dutch in the Discovery oj 

 Australia for the text of a Summary, forwarded by 

 GERRIT DE HAAN, Chief Cartographer at Batavia, to 

 the Governor and Council of the Netherlands East India Company, 

 of the LOGS OF THE "RIJDER" AND "Buijs," the former commanded 

 by Lieutenant Jean Etienne Gonzal and the latter by " Stuurman " 

 (first mate) LAVIENNE LUDOWIJK VAN ASSCHENS. The Dutch 

 text is accompanied by an English translation by C. Stoffel, which, 

 however, I have not always followed literally. 



The two ships set out together from Batavia on 8th February, 

 1756, but parted company in a storm which was encountered off 

 the Banda Islands. The " BUIJS " took refuge in the port of Banda 

 and remained there till 1st April. The "RijDER," 1 having ridden 

 out the gale, continued her voyage alone. 



1 Rijder, Ritter, Rider, person of equestrian rank, Knight. 

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