THE LEEUWIN. 1622.

I do not find it any where said who commanded the Leeuwin, or Lioness; but it should appear, that this was also one of the outward-bound ships which fell in with the West Coast.  In Thevenot’s chart, Leeuwin’s Land comprehends about ninety leagues of the south-west extremity of New Holland; and, from the latitude of 35 deg., extends northward to about 31 deg.; but in later publications, it has been much restricted in its northern limit, apparently, upon the authority of Van Keulen.

THE VIANEN. 1628.

The next discovery upon the Western Coasts was that of the ship Vianen, one of the seven which returned to Europe under the command of the governor-general Carpenter.  The Dutch recital speaks of this discovery in the following terms.  The coast was seen “again accidentally in the year 1628, on the north side, in the latitude 21 deg. south, by the ship Vianen, homeward bound from India; when they coasted two-hundred miles, without gaining any knowledge of this Great Country; only observing a foul and barren shore, green fields, and very wild, black, barbarous inhabitants.”

This was the part called DE WITT’S LAND; but whether the name were applied by the captain of the Vianen does not appear in the recital.  De Brosses says, “William de Witt gave his own name to the country which he saw in 1628, to the north of Remessen’s River; and which Viane, a Dutch captain, had, to his misfortune, discovered in the month of January in the same year; when he was driven upon this coast of De Witt, in 21 deg. of latitude, and lost all his riches.”  The confusion that reigns in the president’s account does not render it improbable, that the country might have received its name in the way he describes, and in the year 1628; for, in 1644, De Witt’s Land is used as a known term for this part of the North-west Coast.

PELSERT. 1629.

Thus far, the parts of the Western Coasts have been distinguished by little else than the dates and limits of their discovery; for, in fact, this is all that has reached us from these early navigators.  The following account is of a different character:  it is extracted from the twenty-first piece in Thevenot’s collection; and, in the table of contents, is said to be translated from the Dutch.

The Batavia, commanded by FRANCISCO PELSERT, struck, in the night of June 4, 1629, upon a reef, “called by our Flemings the Abrolhos or Rocks of Frederick Houtman,” lying off the west coast of New Holland.  At daylight, an island was seen about three leagues distant, and two islets, or rather rocks, somewhat nearer, to which the passengers and part of the crew were sent.  There being no fresh water to be found upon these islands, Pelsert had a deck laid over one of the boats; and, on June 8, put to sea, in order to make search upon the opposite main land:  his latitude, at noon, was 28 deg. 13’ south.