J. E. Heeres - The Part Borne by the Dutch in the Discovery of Australia 1606 1765
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J. E. Heeres >> The Part Borne by the Dutch in the Discovery of Australia 1606 1765
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* * *
NOTE
That in our landings between 13 deg. and 11 deg. we have but two times seen black
men or savages, who received us much more hostilely than those more to
southward; they are also acquainted with muskets, of which they would
seem to have experienced the fatal effect when in 1606 the men of the
Duyffken made a landing here.
* * *
In the morning of the 16th, the wind was E.S.E. with good weather, the
Eastern monsoon having set in; course held N.N.W., at noon we were in 10 deg.
27', having sailed 30 miles in 24 hours.
{Page 44}
In the morning of the 17th the weather was good with a strong wind;
course held as before; at noon we were in 8 deg. 43'; towards the evening, in
18 and 19 fathom, we saw from the main-topmast land N.E. of us, when we
were in 8 deg. 19'; towards daybreak we passed a shallow Of 4 and 41/2 fathom,
on which we changed our course to S.W., having sailed 30 miles in 24
hours.
In the morning of the 18th, sailing in 51/2 fathom, we saw land, being the
western extremity of Nova Guinea; course held W., with a strong wind; at
noon latitude as before; during the night we sailed with small sail along
the land on the course aforesaid, having run 27 miles in 24 hours.
On the 19th, the wind as before, course held N.; at noon we were in 7 deg.
57' Lat.; we ran on the same course for the rest of the day and night.
In the morning of the 20th there was a strong wind; we were in 18 fathom
and by estimation in 7 deg. Lat., we therefore ran on a W. course towards the
islands which are said to lie in this latitude; sailed 24 miles in 24
hours.
On the 21st the wind was as before, and since we saw no land or signs of
land, which by the ships' reckoning and by estimation we ought to have
seen, if there had been any here, we changed our course to northward, in
order to run to the latitude of 5 deg., in which Aru is situated.
In the morning of the 22nd we were in 5 deg. 38' Lat., with the wind as
before, and since we estimated ourselves to be in the latitude of Aru, we
turned our course westward; about noon we saw the island of Aru ahead of
us...without seeing any signs of the yacht Aernem, which on the 17th of
April last, in 17 deg., near the coast of Nova Guinea, had with malice
prepense sailed away from the Pera, while the Aruese, who came forthwith
alongside with their prows, also declared not to have seen the said
yacht...
JUNE.
In the evening of the 8th we came to anchor before the castle of Amboyna,
having therewith brought our voyage to a safe conclusion by the merciful
protection of God Almighty, who may vouchsafe to grant prosperity and
success in all their good undertakings to their High Mightinesses the
States-General, to his Excellency the Prince of Orange etc., to the Lords
Managers of the United East India Company and to the Worshipful Lord
General and his Governors.
Continuing for ever
Their High Mightinesses' etc. obedient and affectionate servant
(signed)
JAN CARSTENSZOON.
{Page 45}
C.
A SUMMARY ABSTRACT [*] OF THE JOURNAL OF THE MAIN INCIDENTS BEFALLEN IN
THE VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY TO EASTWARD WITH THE YACHTS PERA AND AERNEM.
BEGUN THIS 21ST OF JANUARY A.D. 1623.
[* In a great number of passages this abstract merely copies the
authentic journal verbatim; I accordingly transcribe such parts only as
would seem to have a certain supplementary value.]
A.D. 1623.
_In the name of God Amen._
JANUARY.
In the morning of Saturday the 21st we weighed anchor before Amboyna and
set sail with the western monsoon together with the yacht Arnem...
MARCH.
On the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th we skirted the land with
the wind and course aforesaid, and came to anchor at about a mile's
distance from the land. I went ashore in person with the pinnaces duly
manned and armed...[*]
[* What follows in the original is an almost verbatim transcript of the
corresponding passages in the authentic journal.]
(Keerweer formerly mistaken for islands)
To this place or part of the land where the aforesaid happened, we have
in the new chart given the name of Keer-Weer [Turn-again], seeing that
the land here bends to S.W. and West, in 7 deg. Latitude; the place, which
has formerly been mistaken for a group of islands by the men of the yacht
Duijfken in the year 1606 [*], lies about 50 miles S.E. by East of
Aro...
[* The passage in the text furnishes interesting evidence respecting the
voyage of the yacht Duifken in 1606; a fact that has so often been called
in question, or even flatly denied.]
On the 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st [of March]
[*] with a W.N.W. wind in 2, 21/2, 3 and 4 fathom, we got clear of the
shallows which we had previously run into as into a trap; we managed to
do so by tacking and taking advantage of the current, so that in the
evening of the 21st aforesaid we came to anchor in 7 fathom near an islet
situated one mile or upwards S. and N. of the mainland...
[* A comparison with the authentic journal at the dates given, will
enable the reader to ascertain the points which the yachts had then
reached.]
On the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th [of April] we tried
on divers courses, such as S.E. and S.E. by E., to make the land of Nova
Guinea, until on the 8th aforesaid in the night-time we ran in between
certain reefs, where by God's providence the yachts were preserved from
taking harm; after which on the 12th aforesaid we sighted the land of
Nova Guinea in 11 deg. 45', our yachts being in 131/2 fathom, clayey bottom.
On the 18th [of April], after running southward between 5 and 6 miles, we
saw a large number of blacks on the beach; we therefore dropped anchor
and sent the skipper ashore with the two pinnaces; who, by offering them
pieces of iron and strings of beads, caused some of the blacks to draw
near, so that he could lay hold of one of them, whom with the help of his
men (who met with little resistance) he carried on board...
On the 5th, 6th and 7th [of May] we skirted the coast as before on a
northward course, and repeatedly endeavoured to effect a landing, but
were in every case treated by the savages in hostile fashion, and forced
to return to the yachts...
On the 11th [of May] we sailed close inshore past a large river (which in
1606 the men of the yacht Duijfken went up with the boat, on which
occasion one of them was killed by the arrows of the natives), situated
in 11 deg. 48' Lat., to which river we have in the new map given the name
of...[*]
Always continuing
Their High Mightinesses' etc. obedient and affectionate servant
J. CARSTENSZOON.
[* Carpentier, erased in the original MS. Cf. my Life of Tasman, p. 100,
note 4.]
{Page 46}
D.
CHART MADE BY THE UPPER STEERSMAN AREND MARTENSZ. DE LEEUW, WHO TOOK PART
IN THE EXPEDITION [*].
[* The original of this chart, of which a full-sized reproduction is
given in _Remarkable Maps_, II, 5, is preserved in the State Archives at
the Hague. There would seem to have been still more charts of this
voyage: see VAN DIJK Carpentaria, p. 37, note 3.]
[Map No. 7. Kaart van den opperstuurman AREND MARTENSZ. DE LEEUW, der
Zuidwestkust van Nieuw Guinea en der Oostkust van de Golf van Carpentaria
(Chart, made by the upper steersman Arend Martensz. De Leeuw, of the
Southwest coast of New-Guinea and the East-coast of the Gulf of
Carpentaria)]
{Page 47}
2.
VOYAGE OF THE ARNHEM ALONE UNDER THE COMMAND OF VAN COOLSTEERDT, AFTER
THE SHIP PERA AND HERSELF HAD PARTED COMPANY ON THE 27TH OF APRIL, 1623.
A.
_Letter from the Governor of Banda to the Governor-General Pieter De
Carpentier, May 16, 1623._
Noble, Worshipful, Wise, Valiant and very Discreet Sir,
* * *
The day before yesterday...we sighted...a ship. We forthwith presumed it
to be Mr. Carstens, or perhaps one of the Yachts Pera or Arnehem...The
ship turned out to be the Arnehem, which during the preceding night had
lost her rudder...
(They) have not done much worth mentioning, for at the place where the
chart [*] they had with them, led them to expect an open passage, they
did not find any such, so that they could not get to the island they
wished to reach...[**]
[* It is highly probable that this is another allusion to a chart of the
voyage of Willem Janszoon with the Duifken in 1605-1606, because other
documents concerning this expedition of the Arnhem and the Pera put it
beyond a doubt that they had on board a chart of the voyage of the ship
Duifken. In that case the passage in the text proves that Willem Janszoon
already suspected the existence of Torres Strait, since the "open
passage" can hardly refer to anything else.]
[** The remaining part of the letter refers to the time when the two
ships were still together, and contains nothing new.]
Done in the Castle of Nassauw at Nera in the island of Banda, this 16th
of May, A.D. 1623. (signed) ISACK De BRUNE.
B.
_Letter from the Governor-General Antonio Van Diemen to "Commander"
Gerrit Thomaszoon Pool, February 19, 1636._
Worshipful, Provident, very Discreet Sir,
* * *
With the present we also [*] send you a chart of the coasts made A.D.
1623 by the Yachts Pera and Arnhem, together with a small map of the
South-land as surveyed by divers ships coming from the Netherlands, both
of which may be of use to Your Worship [**]...
Done in the Castle of Batavia, February 19, A.D. 1636.
(signed) ANTONIO VAN DIEMEN
[* _Vis_. together with the Instructions of Febr. 19 for Pool's
expedition to the Southland; see _infra_.]
[** To wit, with a view to the voyage just referred to.]
C.
_Instructions for Pool, Febr. 19, 1636._
...Failing ulterior instructions, we desire you to sail as quickly as
possible from Banda to Arnhems and Speultsland, situated between 9 and 13
degrees Southern Latitude, discovered A.D., 1623, as you may further see
from the annexed chart [*]...
[* This, then, is the chart of the "coasts made A.D. 1623 by the yachts
_Pera_ and _Arnhem_"; for the "small map" handed to Pool, in the second
place referred to in the above letter of Febr. 19, 1636, refers to
surveyings of the west-coast of Australia by ships going from the
Netherlands to India, and can therefore have nothing to do with the
expedition of 1623. Arnhems- and Van Speults-Land were accordingly
discovered on the voyage of the Pera and the Arnhem. Now the journal of
the Pera shows that she did _not_ discover them, so that we are led to
the conclusion that Arnhems- and Van Speults Land were discovered by the
ship Arnhem.]
{Page 48}
D.
_Letter from the Governor-General and Councillors to the Managers of the
E.I.C., December 28, 1636._
...[The ships of Pool's expedition touched at] the native village of
Taranga, situated at the south-western extremity of Arouw, and then
sailed southward, hoping to be able to run on an easterly course in order
to execute their orders; they, however, met with strong south-east winds
and very high seas besides; in 11 degrees S.L. they discovered vast
lands, to which they gave the names of Van Diemen's and Maria's Land, and
which we suspect to be Arnhems or Speults's islands, though they extend
in another direction than the latter [*].
[* Cf. as regards the situation of Arnhem's and Van Speult's Lands my
Lite of Tasman, pp. 101 and 102, and the charts there referred to. Of the
Nolpe-Dozy chart, of which there is question in note 4 on p. 102 of the
book just mentioned, a reproduction will be found in _Remarkable Maps_,
with a note by myself.]
The council of the said yachts, finding they could not run on an eastern
course, after discovering and surveying Arnhem's Land twenty miles to
westward, resolved to steer their course northward again past the islands
of Timor and Tenember, and thus return to Banda, where they arrived on
July 7...
E.
_Instructions for Tasman, 1644._
...The third voyage was undertaken from Amboyna in the month of January
1623 with the Yachts Pera and Arnhem, commanded by Commander JAN
CARSTENS, for the purpose of entering into friendly relations with the
inhabitants of the islands of Key, Arou and Tenimber, and of exploring
Nova Guinea and the South-lands, on which occasion alliances were made
with the islands aforesaid and the south-coast of Nova Guinea was further
discovered...but owing to untimely separation the Yacht Arnhem, after
discovering the large islands of Arnhem and Speult, returned to Amboyna
unsuccessfully enough, while the Yacht Pera, continuing her voyage,
navigated along the south coast of Nova Guinea as far as a shallow bay in
10 degrees, and afterwards along the west coast of the same land as far
as Cape Keer-Weer, whence she further explored the coast to southward as
far as 17 degrees near the Staten river, where she saw the land
stretching farther to westward, after which she returned again to
Amboyna...
* * * * *
{Page 49}
XV.
(1623) VOYAGE OF THE SHIP LEYDEN COMMANDED BY SKIPPER KLAAS
HERMANSZ(OON) FROM THE NETHERLANDS TO JAVA.--FURTHER DISCOVERY OF THE
WEST-COAST OF AUSTRALIA.
_Journal kept on board the ship Leyden from the Texel to Batavia, 1623._
Laus Deo. This 9th day of July, A.D. 1623 in the ship _Leyden_...
On the 15th do. Latitude 27 deg. 15'; during the last twenty-four hours we
sailed 16 miles East by North and East-north-east...At noon we saw a
large dead fish floating near our ship, with a great many birds perched
on its carcase.
On the 16th do. Latitude 26 deg. 27'; sailed 16 miles in 24 hours North by
east...
On the 17th do. Latitude 27 deg. 23'; from last night sailed 16 miles
East-south-east...
On the 18th do. Latitude 27 deg. 25'; sailed 24 miles East-south-east, East
by South and East-north-east, on the whole keeping an eastward course...
On the 19th do. Latitude 27' 20'. sailed due east 20 Miles in 24 hours...
On the 20th do. Latitude 27 deg. 20' sailed 20 miles these 24 hours
North-east, East-north-east and East, with a light breeze, fair weather,
and a West-south-west wind; course held east.
On the 21st do. in the morning we sighted Eendrachtsland in Latitude 27 deg.
at about 6 miles' distance South-west by west; we sounded off it in 61
fathom fine gravel bottom, the land showing outwardly like Robben Island
in the Taffel Bay; at noon in Latitude 26 deg. 43' we shaped our course to
northward, and afterwards drifted in a calm.
On the 22nd do. Latitude 26` 36, sailed and drifted about 4 miles, at
about 8 miles' distance North~north-west from the land. We sighted
everywhere a hilly coast with large bays, with low-lying land in between,
the whole covered with dunes; we drifted in a calm, our course being
North-west by West.
On the 23rd do. Latitude 26 deg. 3'; during the last twenty-four hours we
mostly drifted in a calm at about 3 or 4 miles' distance from the coast;
here we sighted a large inlet, looking like a river or bay. We sounded in
80 fathom, good sandy bottom; in the afternoon there was a light breeze
from the South-south-west, our course being North-west by West. In the
evening we saw the farthest extremity of the land north by east at six
miles' distance from us.
On the 26th do. Latitude 25 deg. 48', we did our best to keep off the land,
which extended North-north-west and East-south-east. The land looked like
the west-coast of England with many reddish rocks; out at sea there were
plenty of cliffs and sunken rocks; at noon the wind went round to
South-west afterwards to the south; we held our course North-west by
North. In the evening the endmost land lay North by east of us at about 7
miles' distance.
On the 27th do. WILLEMTGEN JANSZ., wedded wife Of WILLEM JANSZ. of
Amsterdam, midshipman, was delivered of a son, who got the name of
SEEBAER VAN NIEMELANT. At noon Latitude 24 deg. 15', sailed northward both in
a calm and with variable winds, generally on a North-by-west course...[*]
miles, our course being north, and the wind south with a fine breeze.
[* Left blank.]
On the 29th do. Latitude 20 deg. 56'.
On the 30th do. Latitude 18 deg. 56'; the wind being east, we could not get
higher than north. We saw a good deal of rock-weed floating about, and
plenty of fish near the ship...
* * * * *
{Page 50}
XVI.
(1624) DISCOVERY OF THE TORTELDUIF ISLAND (ROCK).
A.
_Daily Register [*] of what has happened here at Batavia from the first
of January, A.D. 1627._
[* This Daily Register has been edited by me ('s Gravenhage, Nijhoff,
1896).]
...On the 21st [of June] there arrived here from the Netherlands the
advice-yacht Tortelduiff...which had left the Texel...on the 16th of
November, 1623...
B.
_Hessel Gerritsz Charts, 1627 [*] (Nos. 4 and 5.--VII, C, D)._
[* The situation of Tortelduif island was accordingly known as early as
1677. The voyage Of 1623-1624 is the only one made to India by the ship
of that name (see LEUPE, Zuidland, p. 48). If we take for granted that
this ship gave its name to the island (rock), which is highly probable,
then the name must have been conferred in 1624. The note of interrogation
in the text is only meant to ward off the charge of over-hasty inference
on my part.]
* * * * *
XVII.
(1626) VOYAGE OF THE SHIP LEIJDEN, COMMANDED BY SKIPPER DANIEL
JANSSEN COCK, FROM THE NETHERLANDS TO JAVA.--FURTHER DISCOVERY OF THE
WEST-COAST OF AUSTRALIA.
Copy of the Journal kept by me DANIEL JANSSEN COCK, Captain and Skipper
of the ship LEIJDEN, which set sail on the 17th of May 1625, of all that
has occurred during the voyage.
* * *
Praise God. April 1626.
26 do. Latitude 291/2 degrees, sailed 36 miles...
27 do. Latitude 27 2/3 degrees, sailed 28 miles; course held north-east;
the wind being south and south-west, I had the top-gallants set. God
grant what is best for us. Amen. Course kept North-north-east.
28 do. In the morning we took the sun's azimuth: between 7 and 8 degrees
to northward, the rise being 16 degrees. We sighted land, being the
Southland, at 10 miles' distance. We found a strong current here, with a
depth Of 40 fathom. The current set to eastward or straight against the
land. In the evening we shaped our course to North-west.
29 do. Latitude slightly under 26 deg.. the weather was calm, so that we ran
along the coast, North and at times North-north-west. In the evening I
saw the endmost (?) land north-east of me; the wind blowing from the
south.
30 do. In the morning I took the sun's azimuth: between 9 and 10 degrees
to northward, the rise being 161/2 degrees, remains 71/2 degrees. At noon
Latitude 24 deg. 47'. Course held North by west, with a southerly wind;
sailed 18 miles; in the evening it fell calm...
* * * * *
{Page 51}
XVIII.
(1627) DISCOVERY OF THE SOUTH-WEST COAST OF AUSTRALIA BY THE SHIP
HET GULDEN ZEEPAARD, COMMANDED BY PIETER NUIJTS, MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL OF
INDIA, AND BY SKIPPER FRANCOIS THIJSSEN OR THIJSZOON.
A.
_Dail Register of what has happened here at Batavia from the first of
January, 1627 [*]._
[* On p. 307 of my edition of the Daily Register of 1624-1629.]
...On the 10th [of April] there arrived here from the Netherlands the
ship t' Gulden Seepaart fitted out by the Zealand Chamber [*], having on
board the Hon. Pieter Nuyts, extraordinary Councillor of India, having
sailed from there on the 22nd of May, 1626...
[* The Register of outgoing vessels of the E.I.C. shows that the
skipper's name was Francois Thijssen or Thijszoon.]
B.
_Hessel Gerritsz-Huydecoper Chart (No. 5.--VII D)._
This chart has 't land van Pieter Nuijts (discovered January 26 [*],
1627) and the islands of Sint Francois and Sint Pieter.
[* Some of the charts have February, but most of them January. This month
is also mentioned as the time of the discovery in the instructions for
Pool (1636, see _infra_) and for Tasman (1644). Cf. my Life of Tasman,
pp. 97f.]
* * * * *
XIX.
(1627) VOYAGE OF THE SHIPS GALIAS, UTRECHT AND TEXEL, COMMANDED BY
GOVERNOR-GENERAL JAN PIETERSZOON COEN.
FURTHER DISCOVERY OF THE WEST-COAST OF AUSTRALIA.
A.
_Letter of Jan Pieterszoon Coen to the Directors of the E.I.C._
Most Noble Wise Provident Very Discreet Gentlemen,
The present is a copy of our letter written from Illa de Mayo on the 15th
of April last...On July the 22nd we sailed from the Tafelbay with the
ships Galias, Utrecht and Texel. When coming out to sea we got the wind
from the south, so that we could not sail higher than the Cape, and lost
eight days during which we made no progress. Then getting a favourable
wind we remained together in 371/2 degrees Southern Latitude up to the 10th
of August; the following night, however, the rudder of the Galias broke
in a strong wind, so that the ship became ungovernable, and the sails
were dashed to pieces, in consequence of which she got separated from the
other two ships, who had failed to observe the accident of the Galias
owing to the darkness; {Page 52} the next day, the rudder having been
repaired, we continued our voyage with the Galias, and in the afternoon
of the 5th of September in 281/2 degrees S. Lat. came upon the land of
d'Eendracht. We were at less than half a mile's distance from the
breakers before perceiving the same, without being able to see land. If
we had come upon this place in the night-time, we should have been in a
thousand perils with our ship and crew. In the plane charts the
reckonings of our steersmen were still between 300 and 350 miles from any
land, so that there was not the slightest suspicion of our being near
any, although the reckoning of the chart with increasing degrees showed
only 120 miles, and the reckoning by the terrestrial globe only 50 miles
distance from the land. But to this little attention had been paid. It
seems certain now that the miscalculation involved in the plane chart
from Cabo de bon' Esperanca to the Southland in 35 degrees latitude gives
an overplus of more than 270 miles of sea, a matter to which most
steersmen pay little attention, and which has brought, and is still daily
bringing, many vessels into great perils. It would be highly expedient if
in the plane charts most in use, between Cabo de bon' Esperanca and the
South-land south of Java, so much space were added and passed over in
drawing up the reckonings, as is deducible from the correct longitude
according to the globosity of earth and sea. We would request Your
Worships to direct attention to this point, and have such indications
made in the plane chart as experts shall find to be advisable; a matter
of the highest importance, which if not properly attended to involves
grievous peril to ships and crews (which God in his mercy avert).
In this plane chart the South-land also lies fully 40 miles more to
eastward than it should be, which should also be rectified.
On the 20th of September we struck the South-coast of Java about 50 or 60
miles eastward of its western extremity...
Your Worships' obedt. servant
J.P. COEN.
At Batavia, October 30, 1627.
* * * * *
XX.
(1627) VOYAGE OF THE SHIP HET WAPEN VAN HOORN, COMMANDED BY SUPER
CARGO J. VAN ROOSENBERGH.
FURTHER DISCOVERY OF THE WEST-COAST OF AUSTRALIA.
_Letter Of Supercargo J. Van Roosenbergh to the Directors of the E.I.C.,
November 8, 1627._
Worshipful Wise Provident Very Discreet Gentlemen,
You have no doubt received my letter from Illa de Mayo...
On the 7th of September we resolved to run for the South-land, that we
might be near Java before the middle of October. On the 17th do. we
sighted the land of d'Eendracht near Dirck Hartochs reede [road-stead],
at about 7 miles' distance from us; the land was of middle height,
something like D'overen [Dover] in England; it is less low than has been
asserted by some, and of a whitish hue, so that at night it cannot be
seen before one is quite close to it. When by estimation we were at two
miles' distance from the land, the coast seemed to have a foreshore
consisting of small hills here and there. According to our observations
the land lay quite differently from what the chart would have us believe,
to wit, North by West and North-north-west, from a point three miles
south of the aforesaid height to a point 8 or 9 miles north of it; which
were the farthest points seen by us; this constituting a difference Of 31/2
{Page 53} points with the chart, which makes it North-north-east and
South-south-west. We cast the lead five miles off the shore in 75 fathom,
muddy bottom mixed with small red pebbles, and five glasses afterwards,
two miles off shore, in 55 fathom sandy bottom, for hardly anything was
found sticking to the lead when heaved. We had seen no other signs of
land beyond gulf-weed floating about in small quantities just as in the
Sargasso Sea, and some land-birds flying high overhead. The many-coloured
birds which we met near the islands of Tristan de Aconcha, left us two
days before, just as they did when we got near Cabo de bone Esperanca, so
that they would seem to dislike the land. Instead of them, we saw a black
bird with a white tail, having white streaks here and there under its
wings; a bird, it seems, of rare occurrence. Three or four days before we
also saw a number of sanderlings. Close inshore we also saw a quantity of
cuttlebone, but the pieces were very small and scattered, so that they
could hardly be seen in hollow water, except by paying very close
attention to them and only 6 or 8 miles off shore, seeing that the steady
west-wind prevents their getting out to sea, which they would certainly
do, if now and then the wind blew from the east for a few days in
succession. Careful estimations based on the globosity of the earth will
give the best signs after all. By estimation we have got into...[*]
Longitude, some of our steersmen having got one or two degrees more, some
less, which in the plane charts makes a considerable difference, about
217 miles by calculation. I repeat that since I have seen the land a good
deal earlier, it will be expedient in the plane chart to mark out a
distance of about 200 miles, to westward of St. Paulo island and to
eastward of Madagascar, the said distance to be passed over in drawing up
reckonings, seeing that the plane chart involves serious drawbacks; the
same might well be done to eastward of the Cape, in such fashion as Your
Worships' cartographers and other experts, such as Master C. J. Lastman,
shall find to be most expedient for the Company's service. Seeing that we
had nothing to do near the coast, and there was a fair wind blowing for
us to make use of, we deemed it advisable that night to run north-west,
and the next morning, having got north into 20 degrees S. Lat., from
there to hold a north by-west course for Java, whither God Almighty may
in safety conduct ourselves and those who shall come after us.
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