254 THE DISCOVERY OF AUSTRALIA 



Van Diemen was a reader as well as a writer. He read 



those memorials of Quiros that had been printed and 



translated, and he hoped to realise some of the great 



Spanish ambition in Dutch form. But his first thought 



was to push the scheme of exploration which had been 



mapped by his patron Coen. And, in February 1636, 



[nstructions he issued " Instructions for Commander Gerrit Thomasz 



Commander PV wn was to explore the lands East of Banda, and 



Pool, 1636. furthermore " the South-lands thence extending to the 



South-West." 



Let us realise what in 1636 was known, and what was 

 unknown, of the coasts of "the South-lands." The Dutch 

 knew the West coast of Cape York Peninsula. They called 

 it Nova Guinea, and thought that it was probably con- 

 tinuous with our New Guinea, which they called " the 

 West end of Nova Guinea." They had some little know- 

 ledge also of Arnhem Land ; but they had no knowledge 

 of any land between Cape York Peninsula and Arnhem 

 Land. They called the sea between these two lands the 

 Gulf of Carpentaria, apparently because, when the Pera 

 and the Arnhem returned from the voyage of 1623, the 

 name of the Governor-General was Carpentier. But 

 Problems in was it a Gulf ? Or was it the opening of a passage to the 



South Sea? Who could sa Y ? Then West of Arnhem 

 Land, again, there was a huge gap in Dutch knowledge, 

 till you came to our Barrow Island and North- West Cape 

 in about 21, where began the land of D'Eendracht, well 

 enough known as a very dangerous landmark. Was 

 this huge gap between Arnhem Land and D'Eendracht 

 Land all land, or was it all water, or was it islands and 

 Ocean passages ? From D'Eendracht Land, the Dutch 

 drew the outline of the coast Southward and then East- 

 ward, all the way to our Fowler's Bay, and to the Islands 

 of St. Francis and St. Peter. And there knowledge ended. 

 Was there land further East ? Or would it be possible to 

 sail thence Northward up an East coast of D'Eendracht 

 Land, till you found yourself in the Gulf of Carpentaria 

 with Nova Guinea on your right ? Here were problems 

 that were interesting, and whose solution might be profit- 



