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The Part Borne by the Dutch in the Discovery of Australia 1606-1765 by J. E. (Jan Ernst) Heeres
page 26 of 251 (10%)
In the course of these two voyages of 1623 and 1636, therefore, the whole
of the north-west coast from Melville Bay to Melville Island was surveyed
by Dutch ships. But in the absence of charts made on these voyages it is
impossible for us to say with certainty, whether the coastline can have
been traced with correctness. On this point also more light is thrown by
the well-known chart of 1644, in which the results of Tasman's voyages
are recorded. Tasman sailed along the whole of the coast, but in this
case too, his observations were not on all points accurate. Thus the
situation of Wessel-eiland and the islets south of it, with respect to
the mainland, is not given correctly by him; nor has he apprehended the
real character of Dundas Strait and of Van Diemen's Gulf, so that also
according to him Melville island forms part of the mainland. But for the
rest Tasman's chart also in this case approximately reproduces the
coast-line with so much correctness, that we find it quite easy [*] to
point out on the maps of our time the results of the Dutch voyages of
discovery in this part of the Australian coast.

[* Chart No. 14 below may also be of excellent service here.]

Far more accurate, however, than Tasman's chart is the chart which in
1705 was made of the voyage of the ships Vossenbosch, de Waijer and
Nova-Hollandia, commanded by Maarten van Delft [*]. This chart may at the
same time be of service to elucidate Tasman's discoveries and those of
his predecessors. It is to be regretted, therefore, that it only embraces
a comparatively small portion of the north-west coast, namely the part
extending from the west-coast of Bathurst island and the western
extremity of Melville island to the eastern part of Coburg peninsula and
Croker-island. This time again the real character of Dundas Strait and
Van Diemens Gulf were not ascertained [**].

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