We have already stated that there is reason to believe some part of New Holland was first discovered by the Portuguese:  two ancient maps in the British Museum are supposed to confirm this opinion; but the date of one is uncertain; the other is dated 1542, and certainly contains a country, which, in form and position, resembles New Holland, as it was laid down prior to the voyage of Tasman.  But allowing this to be New Holland, it only proves, that at the date of this map it was known, not that it had been discovered by the Portuguese.

The Dutch, however, certainly made several voyages to it between 1616 and 1644:  the western extremity was explored in 1616.  The same year Van Dieman’s Land was discovered.  In the course of the ten following years, the western and northern coasts were visited.  The southern coast was first discovered in 1627, but we have no particulars respecting the voyage in which it was discovered.  In 1642, Tasman, a celebrated Dutch navigator, sailed from Batavia, and discovered the southern part of Van Dieman’s Land and New Zealand.  From this time to the beginning of the eighteenth century, little progress was made in exploring the coast of New Holland.  Dampier, however, a man of wonderful talents, considering his education and mode of life, collected, during his voyage, some important details respecting the west coast.  And among the numerous voyages undertaken by the Dutch East India Company towards the close of the seventeenth and beginning of the eighteenth century, to examine this vast country, which the Dutch regarded as belonging to them, there was one by Van Vlaming deserving of notice:  this navigator examined with great care and attention many bays and harbours on the west side; and he is the first who mentions the black swans of this country.

Papua, or New Guinea, another part of Australasia, was discovered by the Portuguese in 1528.  The passage that divides this country from New Britain was discovered by Dampier, who was also the first that explored and named the latter country in 1683.  The discovery of Solomon Islands by the Spaniards took place in 1575:  Mendana, a Spanish captain, sailed from Lima, to the westward, and in steering across the Pacific, he fell in with these islands.  On a second voyage he extended his discoveries, and he sailed a third time to conquer and convert the natives.  His death, which took place in one of these islands, put an end to these projects.  They are supposed to be the easternmost of the Papua Archipelago, afterwards visited by Carteret, Bougainville, and other navigators.  Mendana, during his last voyage, discovered a group of islands to which he gave the name of Marquesas de Mendoza.