DIRK HARTOG’S ISLAND

Taranaki Daily News, 8 July 1929, Page 16

DIRK HARTOG’S ISLAND

DUTCHMAN DISCOVERER -VOYAGE OF THE EENDRACHT. SOME LINKS CENTURIES OLD. Midway along the western coast of Australia there lies a narrow barren island which bears the name of the Dutchman—Dirk Hartog—who discovered it. Sometimes wte are apt to think of Australian history as commencing with the explorations of Cook 160 years ago. But on this island there are definite links which take us back through the centuries to the year 1616 A.D., writes “J. 0. in the Melbourne Age. At this period the Dutch at home in Europe were carrying on an important trade with their colonists living in Java. In 1611 it was discovered that by taking a new route the time occupied in voyaging from the Netherlands to Java could be halved. Ships after passing the Cape of Good Hope were now to sail due east for 4000 miles before-they turned northwards. Previously after rounding the Cape the route had been north along the coast of Africa and the east to<jjiiva. By the new course mariners were able to utilise the prevailing winds, and the calms of the tropic regions were to a large extent avoided. HARTOG’S LANDING. In 1616 Captain Dirk Hartog set out from Holland for Java in the ship Eendracht (360 ton*). After rounding the Cape the sails . were set so that the ship ran due east. On October 25 unknown land was sighted, and the Eendracht; entered the inlet now known as Sharks’ Bay. A landing was effected on Dirk Hartog’s Island, and the mariners made their way to a sandy eminence which lies at the northern end. Here they erected a stout pole, to which was nailed a common pewter plate inscribed with a record of their visit. The translation of that inscription reads as follows: —“On the 25th October, 1616, arrived here the ship Eendraeht, of Amsterdam; first merchant, Gillis Milbais, of Leige; captain, Dirk Hartog, of Amsterdam; the 27th do., set sail for Bantam; under merchant, Jan Steyn; upper steersman, Pieter Leodocker, of Bil.” We see from this record that Hartog and his men did not tarry long on the island. Its inhospitable barren downs compared very unfavourably with the tropical splendour of Java. Lieutenant King on his voyage of discovery in 1821 described the island in the following terms: “This island has the greatest surface of red sandy bare desert I have ever observed in New Holland.” “LAND OF THE EENDRACHT.” The Dutchmen then poceeded northward, and named that portion of the coast along which they sailed “The Land of the Eendracht.” Arrived in Java, they reported their discoveries to the directors of the East India Company. As a result definite instructions were given to the captains of ships to sail east till “the land of the Eendracht is sighted.” Hence, to-day various prominent features of the north-western coast 5 bear the names given them by Dutch captains in the seventeenth century. The northern end of Dirk Hartog’s Island, whjyre the pole had been erected, became known as Cape Inscription. This post remained undisturbed till February, 1697, when it was discovered by Captain Willem van Vlaming, a Dutch skipper 'sent from Java to explore the land of Eendracht. The Governor-General and councillors at Batavia, in their report of van Vlaming’s voyage to the managers at Amsterdam, wrote as follows: “Nothing of importance has been discovered in this exploratory voyage. Only we must not omit to mention that in an island situated in 25 deg., near or before the south land, they have found fastened to a pole which, though half rotten wood, stood still erect, a common pewter dish of medium size, which had been flattened and nailed to the pole aforesaid, where they found it still hanging. This old dish which Captain Willem van Vlaming brought us has now likewise been handed to the commandei' (of the fleet) to be delivered to your worships, who, with us, will no doubt stand amazed that the same has for so long a series of years been preserved in spite of its being exposed to the influence of sky, rain, and sun.” After he had recoved the old plate van Vlaming set up a new pole, to which he nailed a pewter dish inscribed with Dirk Hartog’s record and also a description of his own visit to the island. INSCRIPTIONS. Another century passed and no more was heard of Dirk Hartog’s inscription till the time of the French explorations under Baudin in 1891. Baudin’s two ships, the Georgraphe and the Naturaliste, became separated near Dirk Hartog’s Island, and Captain Hamelin, in charge of the Naturaliste, sent three sailors on to the island to signal the other ship. These men found van Vlaming’s dish lying on the sand beneath the pole, which was now in process of decay. The sailors took the plates back to their ship, where Captain Hamelin made a copy of the inscription. Ife

was then returned to • the island and reerected on a new post. In 1818 Cautain Louis de Freycinet, of the French ship Uranie, removed the plate from the island and sent it to the museum of the French Institute at Paris for safe keeping. It has since been lost. However, Dirk Hartog’s plate still in existence, and may at the prjsent time be seen in the State’s museum at Amsterdam. Perhaps some day it will be returned to Australia, and set up as a tribute to the gallant Dutch capta'i who first erected it on his lonely island. In addition, it has a very real significance for us, as being the first memorial set uj by a white man in ouir country.