governor-general ANTONIO VAN DIEMEN, and by _Vander Lyn_, _Maatsuyker_,
_Schouten_, and _Sweers_, members of the council. The instructions are
prefaced with a recital, in chronological order, of the previous
discoveries of the Dutch, whether made from accident or design, in NOVA
GUINEA, and the _Great_ SOUTH LAND; and from this account, combined with
a passage from Saris,* it appears, that--

THE DUYFHEN. 1606.

On the 18th of November 1605, the Dutch yacht, the _Duyfhen_, was
dispatched from Bantam to explore the islands of New Guinea; and that she
sailed along, what was thought to be, the west side of that country, to
13¾° of south latitude. "This extensive country was found, for the
greatest part, desert; but, in some places, inhabited by wild, cruel,
black savages; by whom some of the crew were murdered. For which reason
they could not learn anything of the land, or waters, as had been desired
of them; and, from want of provisions and other necessaries, they were
obliged to leave the discovery unfinished: The furthest point of the
land, in their map, was called Cape KEER-WEER," or Turn-again.

(ATLAS, Pl. I.)

The course of the Duyfhen, from New Guinea, was southward, along the
islands on the west side of Torres' Strait, to that part of Terra
Australis, a little to the west and south of Cape York; but all these
lands were thought to be connected, and to form the west coast of New
Guinea. Thus, without being conscious of it, the commander of the Duyfhen
made the first authenticated discovery of any part of the great South
Land, about the month of March 1606; for it appears, that he had returned
to Banda in, or before, the beginning of June, of that year.