...So that the E.I.C. opines that in every case the Australia Company aforesaid ought to be excluded from the Southern parts, situated between the Meridian passing through the Eastern extremity of Ceylon and the Meridian lying a hundred miles eastward of the Salomon islands; seeing that the United East India Company has repeatedly given orders for discovering and exploring the land of Nova Guinea and the islands situated east of the same, since, equally by her orders, such discovery was once tried about the year 1606 with the yacht de Duyve by skipper Willem Jansz and subcargo Jan Lodewijs van Rosingijn, who made sundry discoveries on the said coast of Nova Guinea, as is amply set forth in their journals. [*]

[* In 1618, therefore, there must have been extant journals of the expedition of 1605-6.]

{Page 5}

C.

See infra the Journal of the voyage Of JAN CARSTENSZOON 1623, at the dates: March 7, May 11, 12, 15.

D.

South-eastern part of the Map Indiae Orientalis Nova descriptio in the atlas JOANNES JANSSONIUS-MERCATOR-HONDIUS 1633 [*]

[* The whole map is reproduced in Remarkable Maps (II, 7.) See also C. H. COOTE’S Introduction; P. A. TIELE:  Nederlandsche Bibliographic van Land- en Volkenkunde, s. vv.  Janssonius and Mercator, and my Life of Tasman, p. 91, note I.]

[Map No. 3.  Zuidoostelijk gedeelte der Kaart (South-eastern part of the Map) Indiae Orientalis Nova descriptio]

E.

Instructions for Skipper Commander Abel Jansen Tasman, Skipper Pilot-Majjr Frans Jacobsen Visscher, and the Council of the Yachts Limmen, Zeemeeuw, and the Quel de Brack, destined for the further discovery of Nova Guinea, and of the unknown coasts of the discovered East- and South-lands, together with the channels and islands presumably situated between and near the same.

* * *

Both by word of mouth and through the perusal of Journals, Charts and other writings, it is in the main well-known to you, how the successive Governors of India, at {Page 6} the express command of our Lords and Masters the “Heeren XVII”, have, in order to the aggrandisement, enlargement and improvement of the Dutch East India Company’s standing and trade in the East, divers times diligently endeavoured to make timely discovery of the vast country of Nova Guinea and of other unknown Eastern and Southern regions; to wit, that four several voyages have up to now with scant success been made for this desired discovery; of the which voyages the first was undertaken in the year 16066 with the Yacht ’t Duyffken, by order, of President Jan Willemsz Verschoor (who then managed the Company’s affairs in Bantham), on which voyage the islands of Key and Arouw were visited in passing, and the unknown south and west coasts of Nova Guinea were discovered over a length of 220 miles from 5 to