TASMAN'S VOYAGE OF 1642 267 



Having found the East coast of New Guinea, Tasman 

 was to sail the North coast in the tracks of Le Maire. 

 At the Western extremity he was to find some passage 

 Southward, and to sail through it, if possible, about " the 

 unsettled month of April, in order to reach Cape Keerweer Through 



(on Cape York Peninsula) before the Eastern monsoon " 1 " 



begins to stiffen." Then he was to sail Westward with Keerweer, 

 this monsoon till he came to Willem's River (Ashburton ^he coast 

 River ?) i.e. the Northern limit of the land of D'Eendracht. to Willem's 

 He was definitely to endeavour to ascertain whether 

 in the course of the unknown region he would pass, and 

 especially near Cape Keerweer and Willem's River, there 

 were channels or passages Southward, for such channels 

 and passages would be "of the utmost importance for 

 getting speedily into the South Sea." It was expected 

 that Tasman would reach Willem's River between May 

 and July 1643, and he was to sail thence straight to 

 Java. 



The natives were to be treated with kindness, and none Prospects 

 were to be carried off against their will. But caution 

 also was to be shown, " seeing it is well known that the 

 Southern regions are peopled by fierce savages." In 

 spite of the expectations that had been expressed in 

 words stolen from Quiros of wealthy lands in the un- 

 known South, it is now declared, in plain Dutch, to be 

 " unlikely " that Tasman would " happen to come to any 

 country peopled by civilised men." If he did so, however, 

 he was to treat them with respect, and not to annex their 

 country till he^ had obtained their consent. He was 

 to bring them to profitable trade, and to conceal the fact 

 that the Dutch valued gold and silver. The ships sailed 

 well prepared for any trade they might come to. The 

 Bill of Lading shows the Voyage of the South-land debtor to 

 the Office of Batavia for f. 2965 .16. 12 for goods on board, 

 which are enumerated in detail in lists which illustrate 

 the extensiveness of Dutch commerce. Among the goods 

 for which it was hoped to find customers in the South-lands 

 were silk, Guinea linen, Golconda blankets, sandal-wood, 

 Dutch steel and Surat chintzes. 



