33 



This landfall was somewhere to the north of Point H-ibbs, 

 on the West Coast of Tasmania, probably near the entrance of 

 Maequarie Harbour — Mounts Heemskirk and Zeehan* being 

 noticeable objects to the north-east. After standing off for the 

 night, the ships next day made the land again, approaching 

 within one Dutch mile (i.e., four English miles) of Point 

 Hibbs. By carefully comparing reckonings the longitude was 

 fixed at 163° 50', t and a new departure taken. The wind now 

 came easterly with thick weather, so that they could not see 

 the land. Rounding South West Cape they got the wind from 

 the north, and sailed along the south coast. Tasman named 

 the outlying islands and some peaks on the broken coast, 

 which he mistook for islands, after members of the Council 

 of India — Wit, Maatsuyker, Sweers, and Boreel. Passing 

 between Pedra Branca and the main, and rounding the Friars 

 (which he called Boreel Islands), south of Brum, Tasman 

 stood up for Adventure Bay, but was caught in a violent 

 north-west gale, which drove the ships out to sea. From this 

 incident the bay received its well known name of Storm Bay. 

 Rounding Tasrnan's Island on the 1st December, he came to 

 an anchor off what is now known as Blackmail's Bay, but, 

 which Tasman called Fredrik Hendrik Bay, in honour of the 

 Stadtholder of the United Provinces. His anchorage was 

 oil' Green Island, near Cape Frederick Henry on Forestier's 

 Peninsula. Next day Pilot-Major Visscher was sent in the 

 Zeehaen's boat through the Narrows to explore Fredrik Hen- 

 drik (or Blackman's) Bay. On the 3rd, Tasman with two 

 boats made for a little bay, now known as Prince of Wales 

 Bay,]: but the wind was so stiff from the south-east that the 

 Zeehaenh launch with Visscher and Gilsemans on board had 

 to run back to the ship. The Seemskerck's longboat with 

 Tasman on board made the bay, but the surf was too high to 

 allow of landing. The carpenter therefore swam through the 

 surfj and planting the Prince's flag on shore, took formal 

 possession of the newly discovered country. 



On the 4th December Tasman weighed anchor, intending to 

 sail northwards along the coast and take in water ; the wind, 

 however, was unfavourable, blowing from the north west, and 

 being unable to hold the land aboard, the ship's council 

 resolved to stand away to the east. Alter naming Maria 

 Island, Schouten Island, and Van der Lyn Island (Freycinet 



* These mountains were so named by Flinders when he made the first 

 circumnavigation of Tasmania in the Norfolk in 1798. 



t East from Teneriffe. 



t Mr. Gell thinks that this Prince of Wales Bay is the Fredrik Hendrik 

 Bay of Tasman. 



