[* The ship had sailed from the Netherlands, November 7, 1726.]

[We] have found...not only that the ex-skipper Jan Steijns has, against his positive instructions and against the protests of the steersmen, too recklessly sailed near the South-land, and thereby been the cause of this disaster, but also that he has attempted to impose upon his superiors by falsified journals, hoping thereby, if possible, to conceal his grievous mistake...

The situation of the islands on whose outermost reef the ship Zeewijk has run aground, is shown by the annexed small chart [*].  They lie out of sight of the South-land, and are partly overgrown with brushwood, edible vegetables, etc...here have been discovered not only a number of wells dug by human hands, but also certain vestiges of a Dutch ship, presumably also lost on the reef aforesaid...

[* To the Netherlands were sent “two charts of the situation of the Reef, and of the islands aforementioned” (charts 16 and 17 below).]

[Map No. 16.  Kaarte betreffende de schipbreuk der Zeewijk (Chart, concerning the shipwreck of the Zeewijk) 1727.]

[Map No. 17.  Kaarte betreffende de schipbreuk der Zeewijk (Chart, concerning the shipwreck of the Zeewijk) 1727.]

B.

Journal or daily register, kept [by the second steersman Adriaan (Van) de Graeff] on board the sho Zeewijk; after the miscarriage of the same, on the wreck stuck fast on a rocky reef near the unknown Southland; and a few days after, in the island [*].

[* This journal is of no interest for our purpose, and I mention it pro memoria only.  The charts sufficiently record the results.]

C.

Chart drawn by JAN STEIJNS. (No. 16).

D.

Chart drawn by ADRIAAN (VAN) DE GRAAF [*]. (No. 17.)

[* Later in the XVIII century (inter alia in 1755 and 1765) the West-coast of Australia was again visited by Dutch ships, but what we know about this point is of no significance.]

* * * * *

{Page 92}

XXXVI.

(1756).  EXPLORATORY VOYAGE OF THE SHIPS RIJDER.  AND BUIS, COMMANDED BY LIEUTENANT JEAN ETIENNE GONZAL AND FIRST LAVIENNE LODEWIJK VAN ASSCHENS, TO THE GULF OF CARPENTARIA.

Report of the “Master Cartographer” at Batavia, GERRIT DE HAAN, to the G.-G., and Counc.  September 30, 1756.

Pursuant to Your Honourable Worships’ highly honoured orders, the undersigned has the honour to submit to Your Honourable Worships a report concerning the voyage made by the small bark-ships de Rijder and de Buijs to the South-land, so far as the same has been touched at by them, as Your Honourable Worships may be pleased further to gather from the annexed charts [*].

[* I have not found either these charts or any journals of this expedition.]