76 DAHLGREN. THE DISCOVERY OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 



The unfortunate issue of this enterprise could not deter the Dutch from renewing it. 

 Tasman himself, who had taken part in the expedition, soon declared himself prepared 

 to go out again with the same object; and van Diemen still showed his willingness to 

 support the plan. On 4 April 1643, a new expedition sailed to search for the Gold and 

 Silver islands, but also, like the former, with the objeot of exploring the regions north of 

 Japan. It consisted of the ships "Castricum" and "Breskens", under the command of 

 Maarten Gerritsz. Vries and Hendrick Cornelisz. Schaep. 1 On 19 May the two 

 ships were separated by a storm off one of the above-named Shitchito Islands, which 

 was consequently called Ongelukkig Eiland (now Fatsidsio-shima), and each of them 

 steered independently for the northern parts of Japan. The "Breskens" here made no 

 discoveries of any great importance, while Vries on the "Castricum" found a number of 

 new islands which have played an important part in the history of discovery, but with 

 which we have no occasion to concern ourselves in this place. Both vessels also made 

 attempts to reach the Gold and Silver Islands; Vries had to turn back on 1 October in 

 36° 56' lat., af ter having sailed 460 miles eastwards; the "Breskens" is said to have sailed 

 500 miles in the same direction. No islands were seen, but they did observe signs of land, 

 such as birds, driftwood, etc. The last-named voyage was taken under the command 

 of the mate, because the Captain Schaep had been treacherously captured by the Japanese, 

 with some of his people, when he had incautiously put in at a Japanese harbour in order 

 to provide himself with food and water. The captured Dutchmen were conveyed to 

 Yedo and subjected to a strict interrogation with the object of finding out the intention 

 of their voyage. They confessed t hat they had intended to go to "Tartary" in order to 

 open up trade with the rich towns which were believed to be situated there; but the plan 

 about the Gold and Silver Islands was carefully concealed. The Japanese, however, 

 doubted their good faith in this respect also: in one of the interrogations they said that 

 the Emperor regarded it as no trivial offence that they had intended to steer to the islands 

 rich in gold and silver, which were situated out in the sea in a south-easterly direction 

 from the Japanese coast, but still subject to the Emperor's rule. When the Dutchmen 

 assumed an innocent expression and enquired where these islands might be situated, 

 they received the answer that they lay 60 miles away from "the point of Yedo"; from 

 which Schaep drew the conclusion that the Japanese meant the island off which the two 

 Dutch ships had löst sight of each other. 2 



This expedition ended in the arrival of the ships "Castricum" and "Breskens" at 

 Formosa on 18 November 1643, af ter having met again by chance off the south coast of 

 Japan. In December of the same year Schaep and his fellow-captives obtained their 

 liberty through the mediation of the Director of the Dutch factory in Nagasaki. 



1 See the above cited narrative, edited by P. A. Leupe after a journal kept by C. J. Coen on board 

 the "Castricum", and equipped with a number of appendices by P. F. von Siebolu; printed at Amsterdam 

 in 1858. 



2 Arnoldös Montanus, G-edenlcivaerdige GesantscJiappen der Oost-Indische Maetscliappy aen de Kaisaren 

 van Japan, Amst. 1669, pp. 339, 340. 



