AN ERA OF DISCOVERY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22294, 21 June 1934, Page 9

AN ERA OF DISCOVERY

THE ADVENTUROUS DUTCH LECTURE BY DR HERRINGTON. An interesting address on the subject of “ The Dutch Discoverers of Australasia ” was given before the Otago branch of the New Zealand Historical Association last night by the Rev. Dr E. N. Herrington. The chair was occupied by Mr J. T. Paul, who briefly introduced the speaker. Dr Herrington stated that, in his opinion, it was doubtful whether justice had been done to the great part played by the Dutch in the discovery of Australia and New Zealand. Naturally they honoured James Cook, whose work as a navigator possibly excelled that of Abel Janssen Tasman. In particular, the circumnavigation of New Zealand and the discovery of the eastern coast of Australia redounded to the glory of the Englishman. It so happened that the territories visited by Cook proved to be more suitable for settlement than those upon which Tasman gazed from the deck of hie ship. The unfortunate hostilities between England and Holland in the seventeenth century left their mark upon national feelings for generations. It was desirable that the work of the Dutch should be better known and appreciated in the dominions who owed so much to his discoveries, as evidenced by the Dutch names of New Zealand and Tasmania, and the earlier name of the great southern land, viz., New Holland. Dr Herrington then reviewed briefly the conceptions of a great unknown southern land which had come down from the time of the famous map of Claudius Ptolemy in the second century. A long unbroken stretch of coast extended from Africa to the eastern prolongation of Asia. This Terra Australis Incognita ruled men’s ideas of the southern seas until Cook finally sailed over the only remaining parts of the ocean, and disproved its existence. Passing over the reports of Marco Polo, he spoke of the marvellous extension of the knowledge of the world brought about by the great discoverers of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, whereby the western and southern seas were opened up to adventurous voyagers. The lure of the East Indies drew exploration to that centre of trade, and. in the struggle with Spain, Holland, newly arisen to civil and religious liberty, proved her supremacy on the seas of the Far East. Dutch fleets swarmed out for trade with the Moluccas or Spice Islands, especially after the unification of companies of merchants into the celebrated Dutch East India Company in 1602. The rise of the company in Holland and Java was traced, and the establishment of Batavia under the GovernorGcuerai Coen secured the new Dutch Empire of the Indian Ocean; for the merchant ships were armed and fought with Spanish and Portuguese fleets of war with remarkable courage and success. Dutch ships had been accustomed to sail round the Cape as far north as Madagascar and then strike east for Java, the lecturer continued, but Brouwer discovered that they could shorter) the voyage by sailing due east from the Cape. That route was adopted in 1611, and the discovery of Australia on the western side wag inevitable sooner or later. In 1605 the Duyfhcn left Banda and sailed southwards aloug the western side of Cepe York Peninsula to Cape Kcer-weer, and returned in 1606. The lecturer narrated the Dutch arrivals off the coast of Western Australia, beginning with Dirck Hartog’s ship Eendracht, and Houtman relating the tragic experiences of Captain IMsavt’s shipwrecked crew at the Abrolbos, one of the most terrible tales of the sea, yet with some stirring deeds of heroism. Coen and Van Diemen wore the most far-seeing of the Dutch Governors of the East India Company, and supported in turn a scheme of wider exploration in the south seas. Accordingly Tasman and his pilot Visscher were sent on their great voyage in 1642, and sailed south of Australia, discovering Tasmania and the western coast of New Zealand. The contact with the Maoris in Murderers’ Bay and subsequent experiences on the return journey wore described. They circumnavigated the great southern continent and discovered New Zealand, which was then believed to be the western shore of tho real Terra Australia Incognita. Although, they wer» rewarded on their return, the Dutch Council had hoped for more profitable results. Accordingly, they were sent out again in 1644, and Tnsman then added greatly to the knowledge of the north coast of Australia. After 1644 little was done in the way of exploration of Australia and nothing of New Zealand until Cook’s epoch-making voyage in 1770. One Dutch explorer, however, Vlamiugh, accurately mapped the coast of West Australia and discovered the Swan River. A party from.

the ship rowed sis leagues up the river past the present site of Perth in 1606. Everywhere the Dutch reported barren and dangerous coasts and savage inhabits ants. This had much to do with their subsequent neglect of these countries, and hence paved the way for British discoverers and settlement in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. On the motion of Mr 0. J. Bcgg, Dr Merrington was accorded a hearty vote of thanks for his address..