_Letter of the Governor-General and Councillors to the Governor of Banda,
November 29, 1644._
...We shall not recount here how...Tasman had coasted along the land of
Nova Guinea and the South-land without finding any channel or opening up
to Willems River, from where he has returned hither through Sunda Strait,
but would refer Your Worship to the annexed extract from their journals,
which we request you to peruse with attention, and to order...Dortsman
[*] or any other person whom you shall charge with the voyage to
Timorlaut, in case their plans touching these islands should succeed
speedily and prosperously, and they should still have time at their
disposal, to make for the great river which our men have christened
Waterplaets, in 12 degrees Southern Latitude and 160º degrees Longitude,
to sail up the same river landinward, in which there is the less
difficulty, since the river, being deep and wide, can be sailed up by the
yacht, which can conveniently turn, veer and tack in it...
[* Adriaan Dortsman had been ordered on a voyage of discovery east and
south of Banda. This voyage took place in 1645 and 1646, but Australia
was not visited on that occasion.]
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