CHAPTER XV 



TASMAN'S VOYAGE OF 1642 



AUTHORITIES : 



HEERES' Tasman. 

 WALKER'S Early Tasmania. 



MEANWHILE nothing had been done to carry forward the Anthony 

 plan for systematic exploration, which had been devised Governor 10 " 

 by Coen in September 1622. " Our Masters " in Holland General, 

 were " instantly recommending the discovery of the T 3 ' 

 South-land," and the Batavian officials were very willing ; 

 but they lacked ships, and were " prevented by voyages 

 of greater necessity." In January 1636, however, there 

 became Governor-General a man whose name is very 

 famous in our story, Anthony Van Diemen. As usual 

 we learn very little about our Dutchman, and as usual 

 the little that we do learn is not altogether satisfactory. 

 " Our manuscript memoirs," wrote Du Bois in I763, 1 

 " tell us that it was to escape the pursuit of his creditors 

 that he decided to go to the Indies, under a borrowed 

 name, and with a title that hardly distinguished him 

 from the common soldiers ; but his extraordinary skill 

 in the art of writing, and certain Placets which he drew 

 up for his comrades, were so admired that the Governor- 

 General of the time took him as clerk in the secretariate." 

 The fortunate clerk soon became " Ordinary Councillor 

 of the Indies," " Director General," Admiral of the fleet, 

 " First Councillor and Director General," and finally 

 Governor-General in January 1636. So good was it in 

 Batavia to have this " extraordinary skill in the art of 

 writing." 



1 Du Bois, p. 1 1 6. 



253 



