On the 18th of May, in the latitude of 26
minutes south and in the longitude of 147 degrees 55 minutes, we observed the
variation to be 5 degrees 30 minutes east. We were now arrived at the western
extremity of New Guinea, which is a detached point or promontory (though it is
not marked so even in the latest maps); here we met with calms, variable and
contrary winds, with much rain; from thence we steered for Ceram, leaving the
Cape on the north, and arrived safely on that island; by this time Captain
Tasman had fairly surrounded the continent he was instructed to discover, and
had therefore nothing now farther in view than to return to Batavia, in order to
report the discoveries he had made.
On the 27th of May we passed through the straits of Boura, or Bouton, and
continued our passage to Batavia, where we arrived on the 15th of June, in the
latitude of 6 degrees 12 minutes south, and in the longitude of 127 degrees 18
minutes. This voyage was made in the space of ten months. Such was the end of
this expedition, which has been always considered as the clearest and most exact
that was ever made for the discovery of the Terra Australis Incognita, from
whence that chart and map was laid down in the pavement of the stadt-house at
Amsterdam, as is before mentioned. We have now nothing to do but to shut up this
voyage and our history of circumnavigators, with a few remarks, previous to
which it will be requisite to state clearly and succinctly the discoveries,
either made or confirmed by Captain Tasman’s voyage, that the importance of it
may fully appear, as well as the probability of our conjectures with regard to
the motives that induced the Dutch East India Company to be at so much pains
about these discoveries.
Early Australian Voyages, 1886, John Pinkerton |
