284 



of the same." His advice, therefore, was that they should 

 sail Northward as far as 4 or 5 S. Lat., in order to avoid 

 all risks, and " prevent our being thrown on a lee-shore." 

 Thus in 1642, as in 1616, the Dutch declined a voyage 

 t ^ iat m ight nave made them first discoverers of East 

 Australia, and second discoverers of Torres Strait. From 

 the Fijis they made Northward, in the tracks of Le Maire 

 and Schouten, sailing wide of the Solomons, coasting 

 New Ireland and New Hanover, which were thought 

 to be parts of New Guinea, and coming to the North coast 

 of New Guinea in April. They hoped to find a passage 

 through New Guinea, sailing through which they would 

 have had time to explore the unknown regions between Cape 

 Keerweer and Willem's River. The Journal gives a view 

 of " De bocht van Goede Hoop " (the Bay of Good Hope), 

 where "we hoped, but in vain, to find a passage." They 



had to Sail the whole lon g len g th f the North C0ast f 

 New Guinea, identifying the islands on Schouten's Chart, 



and making use of Le Maire's vocabulary to ask the natives 

 for hogs, fowls, cocoa-nuts, and bananas. In the end of 

 May, they came to " the extremity of New Guinea," 

 which, says Tasman, " consists of broken land that would 

 take more time in mapping out than we think necessary 

 to bestow upon it." It was already too late in the season 

 for the voyage by Cape Keerweer to Willem's River. 

 Tasman made for home, and on the I4th of June anchored 

 at Batavia. " Item, the 1 5th do. In the morning at day- 

 break, I went to Batavia in the pinnace. God be praised 

 and thanked for this happy voyage. Amen." 



