KUNGL. SV. VET. AKADEMIENS HANDLINGAR. BAND 57. N:o 4. 75 



Verstegen' s representations immediately gained a liearing from the Dutch authorities 

 both in the East Indies and in the mother-country, and found an especially warm supporter 

 in the recently appointed Governor-General of Batavia, Antonio van Diemen. Various 

 circumstances, however, prevented the carrying out of the enterprise until 1639, when 

 two vessels, the "Engel" and the "Gracilt", were sent under the command of Matthijs 

 Quast and the afterwards so famous Abel Tasman. 1 In the instructions made out for 

 them it is stated that the Gold Island should be sought for in 37 1 /.° lat., about 400 miles 

 east of Japan, but that some other islands also, which according to the Spanish charts 

 were situated in a somewhat lower degree of latitude, and nearer Japan, ought if 

 possible to be explored: amongst these last-named islands is mentioned "Armeneti" 

 without doubt the Isla del Armenio — ■ and Rica de Platå. 



The expedition left Batavia on 2 June 1639 and steered north of Luzon; on 17 July 

 they saw a reef which received the name of Engelsdroogte; 2 and 20 — 22 in the same montli 

 three islands were discovered, which were nanied Hooge Meuwen, Engels, and Grachts 

 Eilanden, and låter were called by the common name of Quast' s Eilanden. 3 A montli 

 afterwards, on 24 August, the coast of Japan was sighted in 37 ° 40', and from there they 

 now steered due east. With admirable persistence the two captains explored the sea 

 between 35 1 / z ° lat. up to 42°, and in course of this search, according to their own reckoning, 

 they sailed a distance of 600 Dutch or 700 Spanish miles in an easterly direction. All 

 this search was fruitless; and, as sickness and death began to make terrible havoc amongst 

 the crews, they were compelled to turn back; and for the same reason, they could not 

 carry out the explorations, prescribed in their instructions, of Korea and the coast of 

 Tartary. On 1 November they were again in sight of Japan, sailed round the Shitchito 

 Archipelago, — to which Siebold has given the name of Tasman Islands — - and after 

 passing through the Van Diemen Strait, reached the Dutch settlement Zeelandia on 

 Formosa, on 24 November. 



The remarkable chart 4 on which the course of the expedition is plotted out shows 

 both the islands and coasts observed on the voyage and also their position in relation to 

 the land contours on a map sent with them to guide the expedition; which map, based 

 on Spanish sources, must be regarded as representing the conception of the geography of 

 these regions which at that time prevailed amongst the Dutch. Strangely enough, we 

 find on this map no indication whatever of the islands the search for which was the chief 

 object of the expedition; and yet it is said expressly that these were marked on the Spanish 

 maps that had been consulted in planning the voyage and probably also taken on board 

 the ships. 5 



1 Concerning their voyage and the preparations for it see the detailed account in J. E. Heekes, Abel 

 Janszoon Tasman, Jäs life and labours, pp. 19 — 33 (in Tasmarfs Journal, Åmst. 1898). The log-book kept 

 on the "Engel" was published by Teleki (op. cit., pp. 47 — 95). 



2 Undoubtedly the same as de la Torre's Abreojos and Urdaneta's Parece Vela (ef. above p. 39); 

 rediscovered in 1789 and now called after its then discoverer Bouglass Beef. 



3 The Volcano and Bonin Archipelagos. See Ph. Fr. von Siebold, GescJäcJitlicJtc Uebersicht der Ent- 

 deckungen der Europäer im Seegebietc von Japan und dessen Neben- und ScJmtzländern, Leyden 1862, p. 96; 

 Teleki, op. cit., p. 96. 



4 Reproduced in facsimile in Heeues' above-cited work (Tab. III). 



5 Heekes, op. cit., pp. 24, 25, 28. 



