NOVEMBER. 

 The monthly meetiDg of the Royal Society of Tasmania was held in 

 the large room of the Art Gallery on Monday, November 25th, Sir 

 James Agnew presiding. There was a large attendance. 

 Mr. L. Rodway read a paper "On some New Botanical Specimens." 

 A paper from Mr. Weymouth on some New Mosses. 

 Mr. J, B. Walker read a paper on " Abel Jansen Tasman : 

 His Life and Times." He said that for long Tasman was neglected by 

 his own countrymen, but at this late date a good deal of close 

 attention was being given to the existing records of his work. About 

 the time of Tasman the Dutch had become the carriers of the 

 European peoples. Powerless before their enemies on land, the Dutch 

 took to the sea. They cut off the wealth brought by Spain from the 

 Mew World, and by that means found the wherewithal to carry on 

 the conflict. The Hollanders swept the seas, and harried the Spaniards 

 at their pleasure. Philip forbade Dutch ships to trade with any 

 port of Spain. But the blow fell upon himself and crippled the trade 

 of Spaic Various attempts were made to find a shorter route to India. 

 Bafflsd in their search in the North, the Dutch turned their attention 

 to the old route by the Cape of Good Hope, and along that line acquired 

 the practical monopoly of the great trade of the East Indies, particularly 

 of the Spice Islands. The Dutch also took possession of Japan and 

 Ceylon. Sir Walter Raleigh gave some most interesting figures as to 

 the extent of Dutch trade, and the effects of Dutch maritime enter- 

 prise. Such was the position of the Dutch nation at the time oi 

 Tasman. Amsterdam was the centre of the world's trade, and the 

 richest city in Europe. Iu 1603 Tasman was born, in a small inland 

 village in aremote province of Holland. The locality was inhabited by 

 representatives of the fine Frisian race, who differed much from the 

 typical Dutch. Tasman was probably a Frieslander. No information 

 coneerning Tasman's family wa3 obtainable, and nothing was known of 

 his youth. But after an apprenticeship in the fisheries of the North 

 Sea it was natural that he should get to Amsterdam. The first 

 authentic information concerning him showed him living as a widower 

 with one young daughter in one of the poorest streets of Amsterdam, 

 Tasman married again, and made his first voyage to the East at the 

 age of 28. His promotion was rapid ; from the rank of a simple 

 sailor to that of a master, he rose in two years. On the acquisition of 

 the_ monoply of the valuable spice trade the Dutch concentrated all 

 their energies. They succeeded— at the cost of much bloodshed and 

 long-continued embitterment. Tasman's singular capacity soon made 

 itself obvious to the colonial authorities, for he shortly had commaud of 

 a small fleet in East Indian wate.s. Desiring thereafter to visit the 

 old land, he accepted a subordinate position as mate of the ship 

 Banda. On arrival he remained at Amsterdam for some months, when 

 he returned to the Indies, taking his wife with him. In 1639, a year 

 after his return to Batav.a, Tasman was selected to assist in the work 

 of discovery. Anthony Van Diemen was at that time Governor,. 

 Tasman was on service which took him to the coasts of China and 

 Japan. Here reports again came of a golden island to the eastward, 

 Tasman commanded one of the ships fitted out for the quest, being 

 second in command. After long searching over a wide area the venture 

 was abandoned, after the loss of 50 of the 90 men who made up the 

 number of the expedition. The Dutch were very anxious at that 

 time to discover the great south land, of which there had long been, 

 rumours. Already, before the expedition after the golden island, a 

 Dutch ship found itse'f, by an error of longitude, off the coast of 

 Western Australia. In a few years that coast was well known to Dutch 

 mariners. Anthony Van Diemen at length fitt.d out an expedition 



