TASMAN'S VOYAGE OF 1644 289 



part extending between 43^ and 2| S. Lat. . . . Such 

 things should not be done in a hurry, and we would request 

 Your Worships to rest assured that whenever opportunity 

 serves, we shall from time to time have everything diligently 

 and closely investigated by persons more vigilant and 

 courageous than those who have hitherto been employed 

 on this service." 1 Thus, once more, the arm-chair 

 critics ! 



Secondly, we have another very useful source of informa- Tasman's 

 tion. This is a chart made by Tasman in the same year 

 1644, which shows on a single sheet the geographic results 

 of the two voyages, 2 and supplements in an interesting 

 way the meagre story of the official letter. Heeres says 

 that, when he wrote, the original of the map was possessed 

 by Prince Roland Bonaparte, who refused permission 

 to reproduce it. Heeres assures us, however, that the 

 copy which he gives is " sufficiently serviceable." 3 On 

 it we follow the tracks of the three ships down the Southern 

 coast of New Guinea, and across the " Shallow Bight " There is a 

 (Torres Strait), to the anchorage on its South side. The Bighand 

 Eastern coast of the "Shallow Bight" is drawn with a not a Strait, 

 firm hand. Tasman, if we take the map as complete 

 evidence, had satisfied himself that there was no strait. 

 If, however, the lost Journal were discovered, we might 

 possibly find that, as in the case of the similar question 

 in New Zealand, 4 Tasman knew that exploration had not 

 been completed, and that the problem was unsolved. 5 



1 Heeres' Tasman, <p. 156. 2 Ib. p. 72. See p. 259. 



3 Ib. p. 71. 4 See p. 279. 



5 Tasman's map has the inscription : " The Company's Nieuv Neder- 

 land. In the East the large country of Nova Guinea with the first 

 discovered South-land, forming all one continent together, as may be 

 seen from the dotted line near the yachts Limmen and Zeemeeuw and 

 the ' quel ' de Brak. A.D. 1644." [Heeres' Tasman, p. 73 : a some- 

 what different translation is given on the map which Heeres prints.] 

 But the " dotted line " near the track of the ships suggests, not con- 

 tinuous land, but continuous difficulty. The firm line, representing 

 land, is drawn far away to the East, so far away that land which existed 

 there could not possibly have been seen from the ships. It is a line 

 which seems merely to express the opinion that exploration beyond 

 the " dotted line " of difficulty was not worth while. Visscher's map 

 seems to have had the same meaning. It has been lost : but there is 

 W.A. T 



