J. E. Heeres - The Part Borne by the Dutch in the Discovery of Australia 1606 1765

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* * *

In the morning of the 11th, the wind being W.N.W. and the weather fair,
we set sail on a S.S.W. course along the coast in 4, 31/2 and 21/2 fathom
muddy bottom; towards the evening we saw no more land ahead of us, the
farthest extremity falling off quite to eastward, and extending east by
south; we accordingly ran S.S.E., but it was not long before we got into
2 fathom water and even less. We therefore went over to the north, and in
the evening dropped anchor in' fathom, having this day sailed eight miles
to S.S.W.

In the morning of the 12th the wind blew from the N.W.; in the forenoon I
rowed to the land myself with the two pinnaces well-manned and armed, in
order to see if there was anything worth note there; but when we had got
within a musket-shot of the land, the water became so shallow that we
could not get any farther, whereupon we all of us went through the mud up
to our waists, and with extreme difficulty reached the beach, where we
saw a number of fresh human foot-prints; on going a short distance into
the wood, we also saw twenty or more small huts made of dry grass, the
said huts being so small and cramped that a man could hardly get into
them on all fours, from which we could sufficiently conclude that the
natives here must be of small stature, poor and wretched; we afterwards
tried to penetrate somewhat {Page 30} farther into the wood, in order to
ascertain the nature and situation of the country, when on our coming
upon a piece of brushwood, a number of blacks sprang out of it, and began
to let fly their arrows at us with great fury and loud shouts, by which a
carpenter was wounded in the belly and an assistant in the leg: we were
all of us hard pressed, upon which we fired three or four muskets at them
killing one of the blacks stone-dead, which utterly took away their
courage; they dragged the dead man into the wood, and we, being so far
from the pinnaces and having a very difficult path to go in order to get
back to them, resolved to return and row back to the yachts.

(The Valsch Caep is 8 degrees 15 minutes south of the equator and 70
miles S.E. of Aru.)

The The same day at low tide we saw a large sandbank, S.E., S., and S.W.
of us, where we had been with the yacht on the 11th last, the said
sandbank extending fully 4 miles W., S.W. and W. by S. of the land or
foreland; on which account we have in the new chart given to the same the
name of de Valsch Caep [*]; it is in Lat. 8 deg. 15' South, and about 70
miles east of Aru.

[* The South-west point of Prince Frederik Hendrik island.]

* * *

NOTE

That the land which we have touched at as above mentioned, is low-lying
and half-submerged to northward, so that a large part of it is under
water at high tide; to the south it is somewhat higher and inhabited by
certain natives who have built huts there; so far as we could ascertain
the land is barren, covered with tall wild trees; the natives quite black
and naked without any covering to hide their privy parts; their hair
curly in the manner of the Papues: they wear certain fish-bones through
the nose, and through their ears pieces of tree-bark, a span in length,
so that they look more like monsters than like human beings: their
weapons are arrows and bows which they use with great skill.

* * *

On the 13th the wind was N., the weather fair, and the current stronger
to west than to northward; we set sail in the forenoon, holding our course
W.N.W. in order to get into deeper water; when we had run some distance,
we got into eight feet of water; upon which we turned back and towards
evening came to anchor in 2 fathom.

On the 14th the weather was fair, the wind N. by W., the current running
strongly to S.W., as before; at noon we sent out the two pinnaces to take
soundings; they rowed as far as 2 miles W.N.W. of the yachts, and nowhere
found more than 11/2 and 2 fathom of water; the same day, seeing that the
weather is now getting more constant every day, it was resolved to put up
again the main-topmast in the yacht Aernem, which had been taken down
before on account of bad weather.

On the 15th the wind was N.N.E. with good weather and the current as
strong as before; we set sail at noon with the tide running from the
N.W., hoping to get into deeper water, but having been tacking about till
the evening, we were by counter-currents forced to come to anchor in
three fathom.

On the 16th the weather was good, the wind being N.E. by N.; we set sail
in the forenoon; in the course of the day we had a calm; towards the
evening the wind went round to W.S.W., course held N.N.W. along the
shallows in 21/2 and 2 fathom; in the evening we came to anchor in 3
fathom; we find that in these parts the currents set very strongly to
south-west, as before mentioned, and that the water rises and falls fully
11/2 and 2 fathom at each tide.

{Page 31}

On the 17th the wind was East; we set sail, holding a W.N.W. and W. by N.
course, and thus got into deeper water upwards of 5 fathom; at noon we
were in Lat. 8 deg. 4'; in the evening we cast anchor in 6 fathom, having
sailed 4 miles W.S.W.

In the morning of the 18th the weather was good with a W. wind; in the
afternoon we set sail with the rising tide running from the west; course
held S.W. by S. in 6 fathom. when we got into deeper water than 7 and 8
fathom, we altered our course to S.E. by E. and E.S.E. in 10, 12, 14, 18,
20, 26 and 28 fathom; towards evening we went on an Eastward course,
having sailed 51/2 miles on the aforesaid course from the morning to the
evening, and 9 miles to eastward from the evening till the morning.

On the 19th the wind was W., course held E., with the Valsch Caep N.N.E.
of us at 5 miles' distance, the land extending N. by W.; the water being
24 fathom here, we went over to E.N.E. and sailed 4 miles, when we got
into 6 fathom, where we cast anchor about 4 miles from the land.

On the 20th the wind was N.N.E., with good weather; we set sail, holding
our course as before in 6 fathom. at night we dropped anchor in 51/2
fathom, having sailed 71/2 miles this day.

On the 21st we set sail again in the morning with a N.N.W. wind, keeping
a N.E. course for 4 miles in 4 fathom; in the afternoon we went over to
eastward sailing 8 miles; in the evening we came to anchor in 7 fathom,
near an island situated a mile or upwards South and North of the
mainland; a quarter of a mile N. by E. and S. by W. of the island there
is a rock with two dry trees on it.

On the 22nd, the council having been convened, it has finally been
resolved to land with two pinnaces properly manned and armed, seeing that
the coast is covered with cocoa-inut trees here, and the land seems to be
higher, better and more fertile than any we have seen before; and since
we could not get ashore on account of the shallowness of the water, the
muddy bottom and other inconveniencies, we rowed to the small island
aforementioned; while we were making inspection of it, the yacht Aernem
got adrift owing to the violent current and the strong gale, and ran foul
of the bows of the Pera, causing grievous damage to both the ships; this
accident detained our yachts for some days, and without God's special
providence they would both them have run aground.

On the 23rd, the weather being good, and the council having once more
been convened, I proposed to try every possible means to get the Aernem
into sailing trim again, in the first place by constructing another
rudder. This we found impossible since there were no new square rudders
in either of the yachts; we were accordingly compelled to try some
makeshift, and in order to be able to continue our voyage and avoid
abandoning the yacht, it was finally resolved that with the available
materials there should be constructed a rudder after the manner of the
Chinese and Javanese; for this purpose the Pera will have to give up her
main-top mast, the rest of the required wood to be cut on the land, and
we shall tarry here until the rudder has been replaced.

On the 24th while our men were engaged on the rudder, the subcargo rowed
to the small island aforesaid with the two pinnaces, in order to get
fresh water for the Aernem, which was very poorly supplied with the same,
and in the evening he returned on board again with four casks of water,
which he had got filled with extreme difficulty.

{Page 32}

On the 25th, the yacht Aernem being in sailing trim again, for which God
be thanked, we set sail again with good weather and a favourable wind,
holding our course along the land in 51/2, 6, and 61/2 fathom; in the evening
we cast anchor in 21/2 fathom about 2 miles from the land, having sailed 10
miles this day.

* * *

NOTE

(The Vleermuys-Eylandt is in 8 degrees 8 minutes Lat., 40 miles east of
the Valsch Caep.)

That the island aforesaid is in 8 deg. 8' Southern Latitude, about a mile
south and north of the mainland as before mentioned; it is pretty high,
having a great number of wild trees on the east-side, and being quite
bare on the west-side. It is about a quarter of a mile in circumference,
and is surrounded by numerous cliffs and rocks, overgrown with oysters
and mussels, the soil is excellent and fit to be planted and sown with
everything; by estimation it bears a hundred full-grown cocoanut-trees
and a great many younger ones; we also observed some banana- and
oubi-trees; we besides found fresh water here, which comes trickling
through the clay in small rills, and has to be gathered in pits dug for
the purpose; the island also contains large numbers of bats living in the
trees, on which account we have given to it the name of Vleermuys-Eylant
[Bats' Island] in the new chart. We have seen no huts or human beings in
it, but found unmistakable signs that there had been men here at some
previous time.

* * *

(Clappes Cust [Cocoanut Coast].)

On the 26th the weather was good, the wind N.N.W., course held S.E. by E.
along the land in 5 fathom. In the forenoon 4 small canoes put off from
the land and followed us; we waited for them to come alongside, and found
they were manned with 25 blacks, who had nothing with them except their
arms; they called out and made signs for us to come ashore; we then threw
out to them some small pieces of iron and strings of beads, at which they
showed great satisfaction; they paid little or no attention to the gold,
silver, copper, nutmegs and cloves which we showed them, though they were
quite ready to accept these articles as presents. Their canoes are very
skilfully made out of one piece of wood, some of them being so large that
they will hold 20 and even more blacks. Their paddles are long, and they
use them standing or sitting; the men are black, tall and well-built,
with coarse and strong limbs, and curly hair, like the Caffres, some of
them wearing it tied to the neck in a knot, and others letting it fall
loose down to the waist. They have hardly any beards; some of them have
two, others three holes through the nose, in which they wear fangs or
teeth of hogs or sword-fishes. They are stark-naked and have their
privities enclosed in a conch shell, fastened to the waist with a bit of
string; they wear no rings of gold, silver, copper, tin, or iron on their
persons, but adorn themselves with rings made of tortoise shell or
terturago (_Spanish_ tortuga?), from which it may be inferred that their
land yields no metals or wood of any value, but is all low-lying and
half-submerged, as we have actually found it to be; there were also among
them some not provided with paddles, but wearing two strings of human
teeth round their necks, and excelling all the others in ugliness; these
men carried on the left arm a hammer with a wooden handle and at one end
a black conch-shell, the size of a man's fist, the other end by which
they hold it, being fitted with a three-sided bone, not unlike a piece of
stag's horn; in exchange for one of these hammers they were offered a
rug, some strings of {Page 33} beads and bits of iron, which they
refused, though they were willing to barter the same for one of the boys,
whom they seemed to have a great mind to. Those who carry the hammers
aforesaid would seem to be noblemen or valiant soldiers among them. The
people are cunning and suspicious, and no stratagems on our part availed
to draw them near enough to us to enable us to catch one or two with
nooses which we had prepared for the purpose; their canoes also contained
a number of human thigh-bones, which they repeatedly held up to us, but
we were unable to make out what they meant by this. Finally they asked
for a rope to tow the yacht to shore, but soon got tired of the work, and
paddled back to the land in a great hurry.

In the evening we cast anchor in three fathom about 3 miles from the
land, having sailed 13 miles this day.

In the morning of the 27th the wind was W.N.W. with a stiff breeze,
course held S.E. by S. and S.E., on which we sailed 7 miles, and
afterwards E.S.E. 5 miles, in 51/2, 5 and 3 fathom; in the evening we came
to anchor in 61/2 fathom, 31/2 miles from the land; a quarter of a mile
farther to landward we saw a sandbank, on which the Aernem struck but got
off again, for which God be praised.

On the 28th we set sail again, with a N.W. wind, on an eastern course
towards the land, in various depths, such as 7, 9, 12, 4 and 51/2 fathom;
at noon we were in 9 deg. 6' S. Lat., having sailed 5 miles; from noon till
the evening we ran on an E. by S. course a distance Of 4 miles in 18, 12,
9, 7, 5 and 2 fathom, after which we cast anchor, and sent out the
pinnace to take soundings; the water being found to become deeper nearer
the coast, we again weighed anchor and sailed to the land, casting anchor
finally in 4 fathom three miles from the coast.

In the morning of the 29th the wind was N.N.E. with fine weather; in the
forenoon it was deemed advisable to send off the boat of the Pera with
thirteen men and the steersman of the Aernem and victualled for four
days, in order to take soundings and skirt the land, which extended
E.N.E., for a distance of 7 or 8 miles.

On the 30th the wind was N. with good weather, so that we also sent out
the pinnace of the Aernem in order to take soundings in various
directions 2 or 3 miles from the yachts; at low water we saw various
sandbanks and reefs lying dry, to wit E.S.E., S.S.W. and W.; in the
afternoon the pinnace of the Aernem returned on board, having found
shallows everywhere at 2 miles' distance. Towards the evening the boat of
the Pera also returned, when we heard from the steersman that they had
been E. by S. and E.S.E. of the yachts, at about 8 miles' distance, where
they had found very shallow water, no more than 7, 8, 9 and 10 feet,
which extended a mile or more, and was succeeded by depths Of 2, 21/2, 3, 5
and 7 fathom; they had found the land to extend E. and E. by N., and to
be very low-lying and muddy, and overgrown with low brushwood and wild
trees.

On the 31st the wind was N.N.E. with rain. In the afternoon I rowed with
the two pinnaces to one of the reefs in order to examine the state of
things between the yachts and the land, which space had fallen dry at low
tide; in the afternoon the skipper of the Pera also got orders to row to
the land with the boat duly manned and armed, in order to ascertain
whether anything could be done for the service of our Masters, and to
attempt to get a parley with the inhabitants and to get hold of one or
two of them, if practicable; very late in the evening the boat returned
on board, and we were informed by the skipper that, although it was high
water, they could not come nearer than to a pistol-shot's distance from
the land owing to the shallow water and the soft mud; they also reported
the land to be low-lying and half-submerged, overgrown with brushwood and
wild trees.

* * *

{Page 34}

NOTE.

(The Drooge Bocht, where we were compelled to leave the western extremity
of Nova Guinea is in 9 degrees 20 minutes S. Lat.)

After hearing the aforesaid reports touching the little depths sounded to
eastward, we are sufficiently assured that it will prove impossible any
longer to follow the coastline which we have so long skirted in an
eastward direction, and that we shall, to our great regret, be compelled
to return the same way we have come, seeing that we have been caught in
the shallows as in a trap; for this purpose we shall have to tack about
and take advantage of the ebb, and as soon as we get into deeper water,
to run south to the sixteenth degree or even farther, if it shall be found
advisable; then turn the ships' heads to the north along the coast of
Nova Guinea, according to our previous resolution taken on the 6th of
March last; as mentioned before, we were here in 9 deg. 6' S. Lat., about 125
miles east of Aru, and according to the chart we had with us and the
estimation of the skippers and steersmen, no more than 2 miles from Nova
Guinea, so that the space between us and Nova Guinea seems to be a bight
to which on account of its shallows we have given the name of drooge
bocht [*] [shallow bight] in the new chart; to the land which we had run
along up to now, we have by resolution given the name of 't Westeinde van
Nova Guinea (Western extremity of N. G.), seeing that we have in reality
found the land to be an unbroken coast, which in the chart is marked as
islands, such as Ceram and the Papues, owing to misunderstanding and
untrustworthy information.

[* Entrance of Torres Strait.]

APRIL.

On the first the wind was W. by S. with good weather; we weighed anchor
and drifted with the ebb running from the N.E. when we had run 11/2 mile
with the tide to the S.W., we came to anchor again in 6 fathom.

On the second, the wind being W. by N., we tried to tack about to the W.
with the ebb-tide in 4, 5 and 6 fathom; we had variable winds the whole
day; towards the evening we cast anchor in 4 fathom three miles from the
land, having this day progressed 4 miles to the W. and W. by N.

On the third we set sail again at daybreak, the wind being N., course
kept W.N.W. in 7, 2, and 21/2 fathom, the water in these parts being of
greatly varying depths, so that we had to keep sounding continually; in
the afternoon we dropped anchor in 4 fathom, having drifted 21/2, miles
with the ebb-tide.

On the 4th, the wind being N.E. by N., we set sail again with good
weather: in the afternoon we ran on with the tide and cast anchor in 7
fathom, having lost sight of the land, and sailed 8 miles W. and W. by N.

* * *

NOTE.

Here we managed with extreme difficulty and great peril to get again out
of the shallows aforesaid, into which we had sailed as into a trap,
between them and the land, for which happy deliverance God be praised;
the shallows extend South and North, from 4 to 9 miles from the mainland,
and are 10 miles in length from East to West.

{Page 35}

On the fifth we set sail again at daybreak, the wind being E.N.E., on
courses varying between S.W. and S., by which we got into deeper water,
between 14 and 26 fathom, and sailed 18 miles in the last 24 hours.

On the sixth the wind was S.W. with rain, course held S.E.; at night we
were in Lat. 9 deg. 45', having sailed 11 miles to the E.S.E. in the last 24
hours.

On the 7th, the wind being S.S.E., we ran on an Eastern course in 15 or
16 fathom, and sailed 4 miles till the evening; at nightfall we went over
to S.E., and cast anchor in 4 fathom, but as the yacht was veering round,
we got into 2 fathom, having sailed three miles E.S.E. during the night.

In the morning of the 8th we clearly saw several stones lying on the
sea-bottom, without perceiving any change in the water in which we had
sounded 26 fathom; so that the land here, which we did not see, is highly
dangerous to touch at, but through God's providence the yachts did not
get aground here; at noon we set sail, being in 10 deg. 15' S. Lat., the wind
being W. by S. and afterwards variable; we sailed S.S.W. till the next
morning, in 10 and 101/2 fathom, and covered 6 miles.

On the 9th the wind was N. with rain, course held S.E.; at night the wind
went round to S.E.; we therefore came to anchor in 11 fathom, having
sailed 5 miles this day.

In the morning of the 10th the wind was E.N.E., course held S.E. in 9,
10, and 11 fathom; at night the wind blew from the S.E., upon which we
cast anchor, having sailed 5 miles this day.

On the 11th the wind was E. by N. with a fair breeze, course kept S.S.E.;
at noon we were in 11 deg. 30'; the whole of this day and night we tried to
get south with variable winds and on different courses, and sailed 22
miles in the last 24 hours; course kept S.E.

In the morning of the 12th the wind was S.E. with good weather; at
sunrise we saw the land of Nova Guinea [*], showing itself as a low-lying
coast without hills or mountains; we were then in 131/2 fathom, clayey
bottom; course held S.S.W.; at noon we were in Lat. 11 deg. 45' South, having
sailed 10 miles on a S.E. course in the last 24 hours.

[* York Peninsula.]

In the morning of the 13th the wind was S.E. by E. and we were in 24
fathom; we still saw the land aforementioned and found it to be of the
same shape as before; course held S.W.; at noon we were in 12 deg. 53'; for
the rest of day and night we tried to get south with the winds aforesaid
and on varying courses, having sailed 22 miles in the last 24 hours;
course kept S.W.

On the 14th the wind was E. by S., course held S. by E. along the land in
11, 12, 13, and 14 fathom; at noon we were in Lat. 13 deg. 47', the land
being no longer in sight. The rest of the day and the whole night we
tried to get the land alongside with divers winds and on varying courses
in 7, 6, 6, 4, 3, and 21/2 fathom; towards daybreak we were so near the
land that one might have recognised persons on shore.

In the morning of the 15th the wind blew hard from the East; course held
S. by E. in 3 and 21/2 fathom along a sandbank, situated about one mile
from the mainland; at noon we were in 14 deg. 36. The land which we have
hitherto seen and followed, extends S. and N.; it is low-lying and
without variety, having a fine sandy beach in various places. In the
afternoon we dropped anchor owing to the calm, having sailed {Page 36} 11
miles South. Great volumes of smoke becoming visible on the land, the
subcargo [*] got orders to land with the two pinnaces, duly manned and
armed, and was specially enjoined to use his utmost endeavours for the
advantage of Our Masters; when the pinnaces returned at nightfall, the
subcargo reported that the pinnaces could get no farther than a stone's
throw from the land, owing to the muddy bottom into which the men sunk to
their waists, but that they had in various places seen blacks emerging
from the wood, while others lay hid in the coppice; they therefore sent a
man ashore with some pieces of iron and strings of beads tied to a stick,
in order to attract the blacks; but as nothing could be effected and the
night was coming on, they had been forced to return to the yachts.

[* Pieter Lintiens. (Summary).]

In the morning of the 16th, being Easter-day, the wind was East; we set
sail, holding our course S. by E.; at noon we were in 14 deg. 56'; in the
evening we came to anchor in 5 1/2fathom, having sailed 101/2 miles, course
kept South.

In the morning of the 17th the wind was S. by W., with rain and the tide
setting to the south; at noon the wind went round to East, so that we
made sail, course held S. by W., along the land in 41/2 fathom; towards the
evening, it fell a calm, so that we dropped anchor with the ebb, after
which I went ashore myself with the two pinnaces duly provided with men
and arms; we went a considerable distance into the interior, which we
found to be a flat, fine country with few trees, and a good soil for
planting and sowing, but so far as we could observe utterly destitute of
fresh water. Nor did we see any human beings or even signs of them; near
the strand the coast was sandy with a fine beach and plenty of excellent
fish.

In the morning of the 18th the wind was E.N.E., course held S. by W.
along the land; about noon, as we saw persons on the beach, we cast
anchor in 31/2 fathom clayey bottom; the skipper of the Pera got orders to
row to land with the two pinnaces, duly provided for defence; in the
afternoon when the pinnaces returned, we were informed by the skipper
that as soon as he had landed with his men, a large number of blacks,
some of them armed and others unarmed, had made up to them; these blacks
showed no fear and were so bold, as to touch the muskets of our men and
to try to take the same off their shoulders, while they wanted to have
whatever they could make use of; our men accordingly diverted their
attention by showing them iron and beads, and espying vantage, seized one
of the blacks by a string which he wore round his neck, and carried him
off to the pinnace; the blacks who remained on the beach, set up dreadful
howls and made violent gestures, but the others who kept concealed in the
wood remained there. These natives are coal-black, with lean bodies and
stark naked, having twisted baskets or nets round their heads; in hair
and figure they are like the blacks of the Coromandel coast, but they
seem to be less cunning, bold and evil-natured than the blacks at the
western extremity of Nova Guinea; their weapons, of which we bring
specimens along with us, are less deadly than those we have seen used by
other blacks; the weapons in use with them are assagays, shields, clubs
and sticks about half a fathom in length; as regards their customs and
policy and the nature of the country, Your Worships will in time be able
to get information from the black man we have got hold of, to whom I
would beg leave to refer you...

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