taken up the further exploration of the coast of Nova Guinea in hopes of
discovering silver- and gold-mines there. We do not expect great things
of the continuation of such explorations, which more and more burden the
Company's resources, since they require increase of yachts and of
sailors. Enough has been discovered for the Company to carry on trade,
provided the latter be attended with success. We do not consider it part
of our task to seek out gold- and silver-mines for the Company, and
having found such, to try to derive profit from the same; such things
involve a good deal more, demanding excessive expenditure and large
numbers of hands...These plans of Your Worships somewhat aim beyond our
mark. The gold- and silver-mines that will best serve the Company's turn,
have already been found, which we deem to be our trade over the whole of
India..."

[* I have dealt at some length with this subject in Vol. III
('s-Gravenhage, NIJHOFF, 1895) of my _Bouwstoffen voor de geschiedenis
der Nederlanders in den Maleiscken Arckipel_, pp. LVI ff.]

[** The eighty years' war was still going on]

[*** Van Diemen died April 19, 1645.]

Is it wonderful that, where the supreme authorities of the E.I.C.
regarded matters in this light, there was no longer question of
exploratory voyages of any importance? The period of the great voyages of
discovery undertaken by Netherlanders, accordingly terminates with Van
Diemen's death. It is true that occasionally voyages of this nature were
planned [*]; that Australia--not to go further afield--was also visited
now and then in later times, but such visits either bore an incidental
character, or formed part of expeditions undertaken for other purposes