280 THE DISCOVERY OF AUSTRALIA 



he would have been still more interested had he been 

 able to consult the map of Visscher. 



From the 26th of December to the 4th of January, 



Tasman sailed along the West coast of the North island 



in search of a passage round it that would open the 



way to Chili. His Chart shows a continuous coastline 



with features that can be identified. Then, on the 4th of 



January, 1643, he saw a cape and an island. He gave 



the cape the name of the Governor-General's wife, Maria 



Three Kings Van Diemen ; and he named the island Drie Coningen 



4th U Ta'n Island, " because we came to anchor there on Twelfth 



1643- night even." ' There was a heavy sea running from 



the North-East, which gave us great hopes of finding a 



passage here. The land falls away to Eastward." 



Next day, Tasman sent the boats to see if they could 

 get water in the island. They returned with the report 

 that they had seen " good fresh water coming down in great 

 plenty from a steep mountain, but that, owing to the 

 heavy surf, it was highly dangerous, nay well-nigh impossible, 

 for us to get water there." They had also seen in several 

 places on the highest hills from thirty to thirty-five persons 

 of tall stature, so far as they could see from a distance, 

 armed with sticks or clubs, who called out to them in 

 avery loud rough voice certain words which our men could 

 More giants, not understand. They had noticed that "these people 

 in walking took enormous steps or strides " ; and, no 

 doubt, they thought them akin to the gigantic tree-climbers 

 of Van Diemen's Land. 



Tasman had failed even to make landing on the new 

 country, and he decided to run on. The Eastward fall- 

 away of the land, together with the heavy sea running from 

 the Eastward, seemed to prove that he had rounded Staten 

 A passage to Land, and had shown an open ocean passage to Chili 

 for those who wished to do great business, or to damage 

 the Castilians. His experience during the next two days 

 confirmed the belief. " The sea," he noted as he sailed 

 North, " is running very high from the Eastward," so that 

 "the great swells," he wrote next day, " now come from 

 the South-East. This passage from Batavia to Chili is in 



