264 THE DISCOVERY OF AUSTRALIA 



to the Ladrones " in order to find out the exact Rendez- 

 vous of the Spanish ships " that sailed from America 

 to Manila, so that " the Company's ships may be enabled 

 to cruise with more hope of success in search of that rich 

 booty." 



These instructions show once more how far-reaching 

 were the Dutch plans. North Pacific as well as South 

 Pacific must be included in the Dutch Ocean. But the 



Failure. voyage was a failure. They sailed over six hundred 

 leagues to the East of Japan, but they did not find the 

 golden islands. They resolved to explore the coasts 

 of Corea and Tartaria, but were prevented by disease. 

 They came back " in very bad plight," having lost nearly 

 half their men. 



But the Dutch did not know when they were beaten. 

 Though they " had not seen any land, they had observed 

 numerous unmistakable signs of the same." Tasman 

 was eager to be off again on the same voyage, and the 

 Directors determined to send him " in the course of next 

 year 1641" He made a Chart, which together with Quast's 

 journal, formed the basis of later exploration in the North 

 Pacific. But when the Dutch ships next sailed North, 

 it was in 1643, and under another captain. Tasman 

 was busy elsewhere. In -1641 he was engaged in the 

 very lucrative but very precarious trade in Japan, where 

 the Dutch were vainly protesting that they, unlike the 

 Portuguese, might be trusted to make no attempt to 

 convert people to Christianity. He was also in Cambodia, 

 chasing Cambodian ships that sought to carry Portuguese 

 goods to Japan. Early in 1642 he was in Sumatra, dealing 

 with a certain Chinaman, high in favour at court, and 

 " putting great affronts upon us." Tasman lured him 

 on board by pretence of friendship, put him in 



[asman sails irons, and shipped him to Batavia. Six weeks later, 

 he was ready to take command of the voyage " for the 

 discovery and exploration of the supposed rich Southern 

 and Eastern lands," and " strongly inclined to this 

 discovery." Tasmania was to be not in North Pacific 

 but in South. 



