TASMAN'S VOYAGE OF 1644 287 



York Peninsula) from the South-land (West Australia), 

 Tasman was to sail down it to the newly-discovered Van 

 Diemen's Land of the South ; and at the same time he 

 was to ascertain whether Van Diemen's Land was an island, (3) is Van 



or was united to Nova Guinea or to Nuyts's Land. Then, P ien } en s 



J ' Land an 



after a visit to the islands of St. Francis and St. Peter, island ? 

 he was to sail back Northward, skirting the Eastern coast 

 of the South-land. Emerging into the open sea at the 

 Northern end of the supposed channel, he was to follow 

 the coast Westward to Willem's River ; " after which 

 the whole of the known South-land would have been 

 circumnavigated, and found to be the largest island in 

 the world." 



This was the voyage that was desired. A passage From the 

 between Nova Guinea and the South-land (i.e. between ^|[ e ^' s 

 East Australia and West Australia), with another passage River, 

 between Nova Guinea and Van Diemen's Land, would 

 provide a splendid short cut for ships making from Batavia 

 for the Northern end of Staten Land (New Zealand), with 

 a view to explore the " promising " route to Chili. The 

 ;1 Instructions," however, admit that " it seems likely 

 enough that the land of Nova Guinea (East Australia) 

 joins the South-land (West Australia) without any channels, 

 and consequently forms a whole with it." The Gulf of 

 Carpentaria, it is feared, is a Gulf and is not the entrance 

 to a passage. If this should prove to be so, Tasman was 

 to trace the coastline to Willem's River, " and fully discover 

 the same." Then, if wind and weather were favour- 

 able, he was tQ sail on to Houtman's Abrolhos, and try 

 to fish up the chest of dollars which had been sunk with 

 the Batavia, and which Pelsart had. failed to get because 

 a heavy cannon had fallen on top of it. Then Tasman 

 was to look for the two delinquents, whom Pelsart had set 

 ashore. And, at the same time, he was to seek a convenient 

 place, about 26 or 28, for obtaining water and refresh- 

 ments, " which would be a thing highly desirable for ships 

 bound to India from the Netherlands." He was to take A colony in 

 possession of land by erecting a structure with an inscription 

 declaring " your fixed intention to send a body of men 



