I INTRODUCTION 13 



on the 15th June, 1643, with the loss of four- 

 teen men. 



Although this historic voyage had not dis- 

 covered the earthly paradise which the Governor 

 expected, it had proved Australia to be an island, 

 and that a possible route by this way existed to 

 South America. So inveterate, however, was the 

 belief in the existence of an Antarctic continent, 

 that when Tasman had proved Australia to be 

 an island, he still believed that New Zealand 

 was the northernmost extension of a southern 

 continent which was probably joined on to South 

 America. 



Tasman' s subsequent career was not very dis- 

 tinguished ; he was sent to discover Torres' 

 Straits, but failed, and on a subsequent piratical 

 expedition against the Spaniards at Manilla, he 

 appears to have summarily hanged one of his 

 crew for disobedience, a proceeding which led to 

 temporary suspension from his command. He 

 died in 1657, one of the most prominent citizens 

 of Batavia. 



Dutch enterprise in the southern seas subsided 

 almost completely after Tasman, and it was not 

 until the end of the next century that Europeans 

 revisited the southern shores of Australia and 

 Tasmania. The reason for attention being again 

 paid to this remote part of the world, was the 

 rivalry of France and England for the command 

 of the seas and the extension of their empires, 

 and the story of the rediscovery and final coloniza- 



