The recital of discoveries in Tasman’s instructions speaks of the first knowledge gained of these coasts in the following terms:  “In the years 1616, 1618, 1619, and 1622, the west coast of this Great unknown SOUTH LAND, from 35 deg. to 22 deg. south latitude, was discovered by outward-bound ships; and among them by the ship Endragt.”  The recital gives no further particulars; but from thence, and from a manuscript chart by Eessel Gerrits, 1627,* there seems to be sufficient authority for attributing the first authenticated discovery of any part of the Western Coasts to DIRK HARTOG, commander of the ship Endragt, outward-bound from Holland to India.  He appears to have first seen the West Coast in latitude about 261/2 deg. south; and to have sailed northward along it, to about 23 deg.; giving the name LANDT DE ENDRAGT, to the country so discovered.  An important part of his discovery was Dirk Hartog’s Road (at the entrance of a sound afterwards called Shark’s Bay, by Dampier), lying a little south Of 25 deg..  Upon one of the islands which form the road there was found, first in 1697, and afterwards in 1801, a plate of tin, bearing the following inscription.

[* See Dalrymple’s Collection concerning Papua, note, page 6.]

“Anno 1616, the 25th of October arrived here the ship Endragt of Amsterdam; the first merchant Gillis Miebais of Luik, Dirk Hartog of Amsterdam, captain.  They sailed from hence for Bantam, the 27th Do.”  On the lower part, as far as could be distinguished in 1697, was cut with a knife, “The under merchant Jan Stins; chief mate Pieter Dookus of Bill.  Ao. 1616.”

The Mauritius, another outward-bound ship, appears to have made some further discovery upon the West Coast, in July 1618, particularly Of WILLEM’S RIVER, near the North-west Cape; but no further particulars are known.

EDEL. 1619.

In Campbell’s edition of Harris’ Voyages (p. 325), it is said, “The next year the LAND OF EDEL was found, and received its name from the discoverer.”.  The president De Brosses says nearly the same thing (Tome I. P. 432); whence, combining this with the Dutch recital and the chart of Eessel Gerritz, it should appear that J. DE EDEL commanded an outward-bound ship; and, in July 1619, accidentally fell in with that part of the West Coast to which his name is applied.  The extent of Edel’s discovery appears, from Thevenot’s chart, to have been from about the latitude 29 deg., northward to 261/2 deg., where the Land of Endragt commences; but in a chart of this coast, by Van Keulen, the name is extended southward to 32 deg. 20’, past the island Rottenest, which, according to Thevenot, should rather have been the discovery of the ship Leeuwin.

The great reef lying off the coast of Edel, called Houtman’s Abrolhos, was discovered at the same time; probably by Edel, or by some ship in the same squadron.