If one would distribute over chronological periods the voyages of
discovery, both accidental and of set purpose, made by the Netherlanders
on the mainland coast of Australia, it might be desirable so to adjust
these periods, that each of them was closed by the appearance in this
field of discovery and exploration, of ships belonging to other European
nations.

The first period, extending from 1595 to 1606, would in that case open
with the years 1595-6, when JAN HUYGEN VAN LINSCHOTEN, in his highly
remarkable book entitled _Itinerario_, imparted to his countrymen what he
knew about the Far East; and it would conclude with the discovery of
Torres Strait by the Spaniards in 1606, a few months after Willem Jansz.
in the ship Duifken had discovered the east-coast of the Gulf of
Carpentaria, the latter discovery forming the main interest of this
period.

The second period may be made to extend from 1606 to 1622, i.e. from the
appearance of the Spaniards on the extreme north-coast of the fifth part
of the world, to the year in which the English ship Trial was dashed to
pieces on a rock to westward of the west-coast of Australia; the
discovery of this west-coast by the Dutch in and after 1616, and of the
south-western extremity of the continent in 1622, constituting the main
facts of the period.

{Page iv}

We next come to the palmiest period of Dutch activity in the discovery of
Australia (1622-1688), terminating with the first exploratory voyage of
importance undertaken by the English, when in 1688 William Dampier