TASMAN'S VOYAGE OF 1642 283 



the Dutch had not the least idea where they were, and knew Where are 

 enough to be aware of their ignorance. Perhaps the we : 

 islands were Le Maire's islands. Perhaps they were the 

 Solomons. Perhaps they were the islands of Quiros. 

 Perhaps they fringed the Eastern coast of New Guinea. 

 Tasman thought it wise to ask for a formal expression 

 of opinion from Visscher, and the other chief officers, 

 as to the best course. His own opinion was that " we 

 should from here run due North, as far as 4 S. Lat., and 

 then due West as far as the coast of Nova Guinea, seeing 

 that the weather we now have is such that one might easily 

 miss a known coast, let alone an unknown one, and that 

 we are in the bad season here, when the South-East trade- 

 wind and the North monsoon meet each other." 



The opinions of Visscher and the other officers were to the 

 same effect. Their problem was virtually the same as 

 that which had been discussed, and in a locality not very 

 distant, by Le Maire and Schouten twenty-six years 

 before. Le Maire had wished to sail hence Westward 

 in search of Terra Australis. Schouten had victoriously 

 answered that this course would bring them on the South Fear of the 

 side of New Guinea, among unknown and dangerous coas 

 coasts, where a passage was at best uncertain ; for there Guinea, 

 was no knowledge of the route of Torres. So argued 

 Visscher now. It was true that their " Instructions " 

 seemed to suggest, in a phrase of horrible obscurity, that 

 from the Latitude of the Solomons, which were supposed 

 to stretch from 7 to 15, they should sail Westward 

 towards the East coast of New Guinea. But, argued 

 Visscher, " this could not be done without incurring 

 the risk of being cast aside into a Bay from which it might 

 be difficult or impossible to beat out again ; and, since 

 the East coast of New Guinea is still unknown, it is quite 

 possible that there may be plenty of small islands and 

 shoals to the Eastward of the said land of New Guinea, 

 such as we have already met with before ; and, having 

 no secure anchorage in such rough weather, in which it 

 is impossible to keep a proper look-out, we might happen 

 to be cast on the shores, before we had become aware 



