Part 9

My last letter to Your Worships was dated May 20th from the Tafelbay...We next sailed from the Tafelbay with the ships Dordrecht and Amsterdam on June the 8th...

We ran on with a fair north-west wind as far as 36° 30', in which latitude we kept this steady breeze with us up to the 17th of July, when we estimated ourselves to have sailed straight to eastward the space of a thousand miles. We observed 16° decreasing north-westerly variation of the compass, and resolved to steer...on a north-east-by-north course, {Page 15} we then being in 35° 25' Southern Latitude. After keeping the aforesaid course for about 60 miles, in the evening of the 19th we suddenly saw land, which we steered away from. On the 20th we found it to be a mainland coast extending South and North. We resolved to use our utmost endeavours to obtain some knowledge of this coast, which seemed to be a very good land, but could find no spot for conveniently landing owing to the surf and the heavy seas. On the 23rd both the Amsterdam and our ship lost an anchor each, since our cables were broken by the strong gale. We kept near the coast till the 28th of July, but owing to the violent storm could not effect a landing, so that we were forced to leave the land aforesaid, not without imminent danger of being thrown on it by the strong gale.

On the 28th we sighted a cape of the said coast, off which we sounded in from 45 to 70 fathom, but shortly after we got no bottom, and in the evening the land was out of sight.

On the 29th do. deeming ourselves to be in an open sea, we shaped our course north-by-east. At noon we were in 29° 32' S. Lat.; at night about three hours before daybreak, we again unexpectedly came upon a low-lying coast, a level, broken country with reefs all round it. We saw no high land or mainland, so that this shoal is to be carefully avoided as very dangerous to ships that wish to touch at this coast. It is fully ten miles in length, lying in 28° 46.

On the 2nd of August, the wind becoming contrary, we turned our course eastward at noon we again sighted a long stretch of land in Lat. 27° 40' South. We are all assured that this is the land which the ship Eendracht discovered and made in the year [*], and noways doubt that all the land they saw in 22, 23, 25 degrees, and which we sighted down to 33 degrees, is one uninterrupted mainland coast.

When in 26° 20' we were in sight of the land, we had 8 degrees decreasing northwesterly variation of the compass. We then shaped our course north and north by west, which leaves it due north, if the variation is deducted. On the 29th of August we made the south-coast of Java, 60 miles to eastward of the western extremity of the said island, so that if you are near this South-land in 23, 24 or 25 degrees S. Lat., and shape your course north by west, which deducting the variation is due north-north-west, you will strike the coast of Java [*] miles to eastward of its south-western extremity. Therefore, in order to have a fixed course from the Cape to Java, it is advisable to set sail from the Cape de bonne Esperance in June or July, and to run on an eastern course in 36 and 37 degrees Southern Latitude, until you estimate yourself to have covered a thousand miles to eastward, after which you had better shape your course north and north by east, until you get into 26 or 27 degrees, thus shunning the shoal aforesaid which lies off the South-land in 28° 46'.

When you have reached the 26th or 27th degree, run eastward until you come in sight of the South-land, and then, as before mentioned, from there hold your course north by west and north-north-west, and you are sure to make the western extremity of Java, as shown in the annexed small chart [*], which I have drawn up for the better assurance. This South-land, as far as we could judge, seems to be a very fair coast, but we found it impossible to land on it, nor have we seen any smoke or signs of inhabitants there; but further investigation is wanted on this point.

On the 25th of August we got into Sonda Strait...

In the fortress of Jacatra, October 7, 1619. Your Worships' obedient servant FREDERICK HOUTMAN.

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Letter of Supercargo JACOB DEDEL to the Managers of the E.I.C., October 7, 1619.

Worshipful Wise Provident Gentlemen,

My last letter to you was dated May 20 last, in which I informed you of my arrival at Cabo de bonne Esperance..., where I found Commander Houtman...

On the first of June I was ready to set sail for Bantam from Cabo de bonne Esperance but contrary winds prevented my putting to sea before June 8th, when I sailed in company with the Hon. Houtman, pursuant to a resolution of the Plenary Council. The ships were found to have nearly the same sailing powers, so that we constantly remained in each other's company. After having had plenty of westerly, south westerly and southerly winds in 35, 36 and 37 degrees Southern Latitude, with occasional stiff breezes, we safely made the required distance to eastward, and on the 19th of July last came upon the south-lands situated behind Java. We anchored in 14 fathom in 32Ω degrees latitude, the bottom being level and hard; in full sight of the land the sea was 100 fathom deep, the coast being steep and mountainous, the interior uniformly high, of which I append a map. We used our best endeavours to make a landing, which, however, could not conveniently be done owing to the steep coast, whereupon we resolved to run a little more north, where the coast seemed easier of access; but the wind steadily blowing very stiffly from the north under the land, and the tide coming in from the south, we spent a good deal of time in tacking, until a sudden squall from the west, which made the coast a lee-shore and made us lose one of our anchors, threatened to throw us on the coast. We then made all sail, and the wind coming round a little, we stood out to sea, not deeming it advisable to continue longer inshore in this bad weather with such large heavy ships and such costly cargoes as we had entrusted to our care, and with great peril to lose more precious time, but being contented with having seen the land which at a more favourable time may be further explored with more fitting vessels and smaller craft. We have seen no signs of inhabitants, nor did we always keep near the coast, since it formed large bays which would have taken up much time. Still we kept seeing the coast from time to time, until in 27 degrees we came upon the land discovered by the ship Eendracht, which land in the said latitude showed as a red, muddy coast, which according to the surmises of some of us might not unlikely prove to be gold-bearing, a point which may be cleared up in time.

Leaving the 27th degree, we shaped our course north and north by west, until on the 19th of August we struck the island of Java 70 miles to eastward of its western extremity...after which we arrived in Sunda Caleppe Strait on the 23rd of the same month...

This 7th day of October, 1619.

On board the ship Amsterdam at anchor before our fortress of Jacatra. Your Worships' Servant, JACOB DEDEL.

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Maps of Hessel Gerritsz, numbered VII C and D. (1616).

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XII.

(1622). VOYAGE OF THE SHIP LEEUWIN FROM THE NETHERLANDS TO JAVA.--DISCOVERY OF THE SOUTH-WEST COAST OF AUSTRALIA.--LEEUWIN'S LAND.

Chart of Hessel Gerritsz, VII C (1616).

I print such of the legends of this chart as refer to the results of this expedition:

"Duynich landt boven met boomen ende boseage. Laegh ghelijck verdroncken landt. 't Landt van de Leeuwin beseylt Ao 1622 in Maert [*]. Laegh duynich landt." [Dunes with trees and underwood at top.--Low land seemingly submerged (by the tide).--Land made by the ship Leeuwin in March, 1622.--Low land with dunes].

Instructions for Tasman 1644.

...likewise, during the same period in the years 1616, 1618, 1619 and 1622, the west coast of the great unknown South-land from 35 to 22 degrees was unexpectedly and accidentally discovered by the ships d'Eendracht, Mauritius, Amsterdam, Dordrecht and Leeuwin, coming from the Netherlands...

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