early australian voyages-第5部分

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s　and　continent　of　America；　and　finding　gold　and　other　commodities；　which　till　then　had　never　been　brought　from　the　Indies；　he　really　thought　that　this　was　the　west　coast　of　that　country　to　which　the　Portuguese　sailed　by　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope；　and　hence　came　the　name　of　the　West　Indies。　　Magellan；　who　followed　his　steps；　and　was　the　only　discoverer　who　reasoned　systematically；　and　knew　what　he　was　doing；　proposed　to　the　Emperor　Charles　V。　to　complete　what　Columbus　had　begun；　and　to　find　a　passage　to　the　Moluccas　by　the　west；　which；　to　his　immortal　honour；　he　accomplished。

When　the　Dutch　made　their　first　voyages　to　the　East　Indies；　which　was　not　many　years　before　Captain　Pelsart's　shipwreck　on　the　coast　of　New　Holland；　for　their　first　fleet　arrived　in　the　East　Indies　in　1596；　and　Pelsart　lost　his　ship　in　1629I　say；　when　the　Dutch　first　undertook　the　East　India　trade；　they　had　the　Spice　Islands　in　view：　and　as　they　are　a　nation　justly　famous　for　the　steady　pursuit　of　whatever　they　take　in　hand；　it　is　notorious　that　they　never　lost　sight　of　their　design　till　they　had　accomplished　it；　and　made　themselves　entirely　masters　of　these　islands；　of　which　they　still　continue　in　possession。　　When　this　was　done；　and　they　had　effectually　driven　out　the　English；　who　were　likewise　settled　in　them；　they　fixed　the　seat　of　their　government　in　the　island　of　Amboyna；　which　lay　very　convenient　for　the　discovery　of　the　southern　countries；　which；　therefore；　they　prosecuted　with　great　diligence　from　the　year　1619　to　the　time　of　Captain　Pelsart's　shipwreck；　that　is；　for　the　space　of　twenty　years。

But　after　they　removed　the　seat　of　their　government　from　Amboyna　to　Batavia；　they　turned　their　views　another　way；　and　never　made　any　voyage　expressly　for　discoveries　on　that　side；　except　the　single　one　of　Captain　Tasman；　of　which　we　are　to　speak　presently。　　It　was　from　this　period　of　time　that　they　began　to　take　new　measures；　and　having　made　their　excellent　settlement　at　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope；　resolved　to　govern　their　trade　to　the　East　Indies　by　these　two　capital　maxims：　　1。　　To　extend　their　trade　all　over　the　Indies；　and　to　fix　themselves　so　effectually　in　the　richest　countries　as　to　keep　all；　or　at　least　the　best　and　most　profitable　part　of；　their　commerce　to　themselves；　2。　　To　make　the　Moluccas；　and　the　islands　dependent　on　them；　their　frontier；　and　to　omit　nothing　that　should　appear　necessary　to　prevent　strangers；　or　even　Dutch　ships　not　belonging　to　the　Company；　from　ever　navigating　those　seas；　and　consequently　from　ever　being　acquainted　with　the　countries　that　lie　in　them。　　How　well　they　have　prosecuted　the　first　maxim　has　been　very　largely　shown　in　a　foregoing　article；　wherein　we　have　an　ample　description　of　the　mighty　empire　in　the　hands　of　their　East　India　Company。　　As　for　the　second　maxim；　the　reader；　in　the　perusal　of　Funnel's；　Dampier's；　and　other　voyages；　but　especially　the　first；　must　be　satisfied　that　it　is　what　they　have　constantly　at　heart；　and　which；　at　all　events；　they　are　determined　to　pursue；　at　least　with　regard　to　strangers；　and　as　to　their　own　countrymen；　the　usage　they　gave　to　James　le　Maire　and　his　people　is　a　proof　that　cannot　be　contested。

Those　things　being　considered；　it　is　very　plain　that　the　Dutch；　or　rather　the　Dutch　East　India　Company；　are　fully　persuaded　that　they　have　already　as　munch　or　more　territory　in　the　East　Indies　than　they　can　well　manage；　and　therefore　they　neither　do　nor　ever　will　think　of　settling　New　Guinea；　Carpentaria；　New　Holland；　or　any　of　the　adjacent　islands；　till　either　their　trade　declines　in　the　East　Indies；　or　they　are　obliged　to　exert　themselves　on　this　side　to　prevent　other　nations　from　reaping　the　benefits　that　might　accrue　to　them　by　their　planting　those　countries。　　But　this　is　not　all；　for　as　the　Dutch　have　no　thoughts　of　settling　these　countries　themselves；　they　have　taken　all　imaginable　pains　to　prevent　any　relations　from　being　published　which　might　invite　or　encourage　any　other　nation　to　make　attempts　this　way；　and　I　am　thoroughly　persuaded　that　this　very　account　of　Captain　Pelsart's　shipwreck　would　never　have　come　into　the　world　if　it　had　not　been　thought　it　would　contribute　to　this　end；　or；　in　other　words；　would　serve　to　frighten　other　nations　from　approaching　such　an　inhospitable　coast；　everywhere　beset　with　rocks　absolutely　void　of　water；　and　inhabited　by　a　race　of　savages　more　barbarous；　and；　at　the　same　time；　more　miserable　than　any　other　creatures　in　the　world。

The　author　of　this　voyage　remarks；　for　the　use　of　seamen；　that　in　the　little　island　occupied　by　Weybhays；　after　digging　two　pits；　they　were　for　a　considerable　time　afraid　to　use　the　water；　having　found　that　these　pits　ebbed　and　flowed　with　the　sea；　but　necessity　at　last　constraining　them　to　drink　it；　they　found　it　did　them　no　hurt。　　The　reason　of　the　ebbing　and　flowing　of　these　pits　was　their　nearness　to　the　sea；　the　water　of　which　percolated　through　the　sand；　lost　its　saltness；　and　so　became　potable；　though　it　followed　the　motions　of　the　ocean　whence　it　came。



THE　VOYAGE　OF　CAPTAIN　ABEL　JANSEN　TASMAN　FOR　THE　DISCOVERY　OF　SOUTHERN　COUNTRIES。　1642…43。　By　direction　of　the　Dutch　East　India　Company。　　＇Taken　from　his　original　Journal。＇



CHAPTER　I：　　THE　OCCASION　AND　DESIGN　OF　THIS　VOYAGE。



The　great　discoveries　that　were　made　by　the　Dutch　in　these　southern　countries　were　subsequent　to　the　famous　voyage　of　Jaques　le　Maire；　who　in　1616　passed　the　straits　called　by　his　name；　in　1618；　that　part　of　Terra　Australia　was　discovered　which　the　Dutch　called　Concordia。　　The　next　year；　the　Land　of　Edels　was　found；　and　received　its　name　from　its　discoverer。　　In　1620；　Batavia　was　built　on　the　ruins　of　the　old　city　of　Jacatra；　but　the　seat　of　government　was　not　immediately　removed　from　Amboyna。　　In　1622；　that　part　of　New　Holland　which　is　called　Lewin's　Land　was　first　found；　and　in　1627；　Peter　Nuyts　discovered　between　New　Holland　and　New　Guinea　a　country　which　bears　his　name。　　There　were　also　some　other　voyages　made；　of　which；　however；　we　have　no　sort　of　account；　except　that　the　Dutch　were　continually　beaten　in　all　their　attempts　to　land　upon　this　coast。　On　their　settlement；　however；　at　Batavia；　the　then　general　and　council　of　the　Indies　thought　it　requisite　to　have　a　more　perfect　survey　made　of　the　new…found　countries；　that　the　memory　of　them　at　least　might　be　preserved；　in　case　no　further　attempts　were　made　to　settle　them；　and　it　was　very　probably　a　foresight　of　few　ships　going　that　route　any　more；　which　induced　such　as　had　then　the　direction　of　the　Company's　affairs　to　wish　that　some　such　survey　and　description　might　be　made　by　an　able　seaman；　who　was　well　acquainted　with　those　coasts；　and　who　might　be　able　to　add　to　the　discoveries　already　made；　as　well　as　furnish　a　more　accurate　description；　even　of　them；　than　had　been　hitherto　given。

This　was　faithfully　performed　by　Captain　Tasman；　and　from　the　lights　afforded　by　his　journal；　a　very　exact　and　curious　map　was　made　of　all　these　new　countries。　　But　his　voyage　was　never　published　entire；　and　it　is　very　probable　that　the　East　India　Company　never　intended　it　should　be　published　at　all。　　However；　Dirk　Rembrantz；　moved　by　the　excellency　and　accuracy　of　the　work；　published　in　Low　Dutch　an　extract　of　Captain　Tasman's　Journal；　which　has　been　ever　since　considered　as　a　very　great　curiosity；　and；　as　such；　has　been　translated　into　many　languages；　particularly　into　our　own；　by　the　care　of　the　learned　Professor　of　Gresham　College；　Doctor　Hook；　an　abridgment　of　which　translation　found　a　place　in　Doctor　Harris's　Collection　of　Voyages。　　But　we　have　made　no　use　of　either　of　these　pieces；　the　following　being　a　new　translation；　made　with　all　the　care　and　diligence　that　is　possible。



CHAPTER　II：　　CAPTAIN　TASMAN　SAILS　FROM　BATAVIA；　AUGUST　14；　1642。



On　August　14；　1642；　I　sailed　from　Batavia　with　two　vessels；　the　one　called　the　Heemskirk；　and　the　other　the　Zee…Haan。　　On　September　5　I　anchored　at　Maurice　Island；　in　the　latitude　of　20　degrees　south；　and　in　the　longitude　of　83　degrees　48　minutes。　　I　found　this　island　fifty　German　miles　more　to　the　east　than　I　expected；　that　is　to　say；　3　degrees　33　minutes　of　longitude。　　This　island　was　so　called　from　Prince　Maurice；　being　before　known　by　the　name　of　Cerne。　　It　is　about　fifteen　leagues　in　circumference；　and　has　a　very　fine　harbour；　at　the　entrance　of　which　there　is　one　hundred　fathoms　water。　　The　country　is　mountainous；　but　the　mountains　are　covered　with　green　trees。　　The　tops　of　these　mountains　are　so　high　that　they　are　lost　in　the　clouds；　and　are　frequently　covered　by　thick　exhalations　or　smoke　that　ascends　from　them。　　The　air　of　this　island　is　extremely　wholesome。　　It　is　well　furnished　with　flesh　and　fowl；　and　the　sea　on　its　coasts　abounds　with　all　sorts　of　fish。　　The　finest　ebony　in　the　world　grows　here。　　It　is　a　tall；　straight　tree　of　a　moderate　thickness；　covered　with　a　green　bark；　very　thick；　under　which　the　wood　is　as　black　as　pitch；　and　as　close　as　ivory。　　There　are　other　trees　on　the　island；　which　are　of　a　bright　red；　and　a　third　sort　as　yellow　as　wax。　　The　ships　belonging　to　the　East　India　Company　commonly　touch　at　this　island　for　refreshments　on　their　passage　to　Batavia。

I　left　this　island　on　the　8th　of　October；　and　continued　my　course　to　the　south　to　the　latitude　of　40　degrees　or　41　degrees；　having　a　strong　north…west　wind；　and　finding　the　needle　vary　23；　24；　and　25　degrees　to　the　22nd　of　October；　I　sailed　from　that　time　to　the　29th　to　the　east；　inclining　a　little　to　the　south；　till　I　arrived　in　the　latitude　of　45　degrees　47　minutes　south；　and　in　the　longitude　of　89　degrees　44　minutes；　and　then　observed　the　variation　of　the　needle　to　be　26　degrees　45　minutes　towards　the　west。

As　our　author　was　extremely　careful　in　this　particular；　and　observed　the　variation　of　the　needle　with　the　utmost　diligence；　it　may　not　be　amiss　to　take　this　opportunity　of　explaining　this　point；　so　that　the　importance　of　his　remarks　may　sufficiently　appear。　　The　needle　points　exactly　north　only　in　a　few　places；　and　perhaps　not　constantly　in　them；　but　in　most　it　declines　a　little　to　the　east；　or　to　the　west；　whence　arises　eastern　and　western　declination：　　when　this　was　first　observed；　it　was　attributed　to　certain　excavations　or　hollows　in　the　earth；　to　veins　o