35 



north along the west coast of the North Island and sighted 

 the Three Kings Islands, on which they would have landed to 

 get fresh water, but were deterred by seeing thirty or forty men 

 of uncommon stature who showed themselves in a threatening 

 attitude. He did not land in New Zealand, partly on account 

 of bad weather and partly owing to the hostile attitude of the 

 Maoris. After rounding the north of New Zealand he steered 

 north-east after consultation with the ship's council, and found 

 a great swell from the south east, which must have made him 

 doubt the existence of the Great Southern Continent. It did 

 indeed assure him that here was a clear passage from Batavia 

 to Chili. Still holding a north-east course, on 21st January 

 he came to several islands, to which he gave the names of 

 Amsterdam, Middelburg, and Rotterdam, now known as 

 Tongataboo, Eooa, and Annamooka, part of the Tonga or 

 Friendly Group. He was very hospitably received by the 

 natives, and after a few days' stay he weighed anchor (1st 

 February), and after discovering Willems' Shoals, south east 

 of Fiji, by the advice of Visscherand the council he stood north 

 by west to 5° or 6° S. lat., and then west for New Guinea. 

 He sailed along the north coast of New Guinea, and arrived at 

 Batavia on 15th June, 1643, after an absence of ten months, 

 during which he had lost ten men by sickness, besides the four 

 men killed by the Maoris. His" journal concludes thus: 

 " God be praised and thanked for a safe voyage ! Amen." 



4.— The Voyage of 1644. 



Tasman had not, as Van Diemen had hoped, discovered any 

 rich gold or silver mines, or indeed any rich trade for the 

 Company, but he had circumnavigated New Holland, or, as he 

 called it on his chart, " Compagnies Nieuvv Nederlandt," and 

 had found a clear way to Chili, which opened up a good 

 prospect for trade, or at least for great spoil to be come at from 

 the Spanish settlements in South America. From this last 

 Governor-General Van Diemen hoped much. On 4th January, 

 1644, he wrote to the Home Directory that he contemplated 

 fitting out a fleet in September to open up a Chili trade and to 

 plunder the Spaniards in Peru. He also intended to send two 

 or three ships to make an examination of the newly discovered 

 South Land, which Tasman had not found possible. For he 

 hoped that such great countries must contain much that would 

 be profitable to the Company, and especially gold and silver 

 mines, as in Peru, Chili, and Japan. But, in the meantime, 

 it would much facilitate the attempts on Chili and Peru if a 

 shorter passage could be found between New Guinea and the 

 Known South Land. This the Governor-General announced 



