25 



problem by sailing through the strait that now bears his name, 

 in the year 1606.* 



In the year 1636 Van Diemen despatched two ships from 

 Banda under the command of Captain Gerrit Thomasz Pool, 

 with instructions to proceed along- the south coast of New 

 Guinea. If, contrary to all expectation, a strait was found 

 between New Guinea and the South Land, Pool was to sail 

 through it and trace, if possible, the east coast of the Known 

 South Land, circumnavigating it and returning home along 

 Nuyts Land and Eendragt Land. If, however, as seemed 

 most probable, New Guinea was joined to the Known South 

 Land, he was to sail along the northern and western coasts of 

 Australia as far south as Houtman's Abrolhos, searching all 

 the way for any possible passage to the Pacific. More particu- 

 larly was he to search the more northerly parts, as it was 

 presumed that a strait was more likely to be found in that 

 quarter than further south, where the' South Land was pre- 

 sumably much wirier. If Pool with some of his crew had 

 not been murdered by the savages of New Guinea, it is possible 

 that he might have sailed through the strait already traversed 

 by Torres, and have anticipated Captain Cook in the discovery 

 of New South Wales. As it happened, however, the ship's 

 returned without having discovered anything of importance. 

 In the same year Van Diemen planned the expedition to search 

 for the supposed "golden island," east of Japan, which three 

 years later was undertaken by Quasi and Tasman, with the 

 result we have already seen. 



2. — The Planning of the Great Disco very Voyage. 

 Governor Van Diemen's heart was now set, on a complete 

 exploration of the Unknown South Land, in which he hoped to 

 discover a new Peru, rich in silver and gold, or at the least 

 fertile countries inhabited by civilised people, in which might 

 be found new and yet undreamed of commodities to bring fresh 

 wealth into the already overflowing coffers of the East India 

 Company. For some years domestic troubles and the want of 

 suitable ships delayed the execution of his plans; but in the 

 year 1641 he writes to the Council of Seventeen :—" We are 

 very desirous to make the discovery of the South Land. The 

 fly-ship Zeehaen was intended for this service, but through the 

 strange delay of the ships from Persia and Suratte we were 

 compelled to employ this same Zeehaen for the last voyage to 

 Tayouwan and Japan. Moreover, we have kept, here in the 



•The discovery of Torres remained unknown until the English took 

 Manilla in 1702, and discovered in the'Archives a copy of Torres' original 

 letter to the King of Spain. See Major : Bartii Voyai/es. 



