EARLY AUSTRALIAN VOYAGES.
VOYAGE OF FRANCIS PELSART TO AUSTRALASIA.
1628-29.
It has appeared very strange to some very able judges of voyages,
that the Dutch should make so great account of the southern
countries as to cause the map of them to be laid down in the
pavement of the Stadt House at Amsterdam, and yet publish no
descriptions of them. This mystery was a good deal heightened by
one of the ships that first touched on Carpenter's Land, bringing
home a considerable quantity of gold, spices, and other rich goods;
in order to clear up which, it was said that these were not the
product of the country, but were fished out of the wreck of a large
ship that had been lost upon the coast. But this story did not
satisfy the inquisitive, because not attended with circumstances
necessary to establish its credit; and therefore they suggested
that, instead of taking away the obscurity by relating the truth,
this story was invented in order to hide it more effectually. This
suspicion gained ground the more when it was known that the Dutch
East India Company from Batavia had made some attempts to conquer a
part of the Southern continent, and had been repulsed with loss, of
which, however, we have no distinct or perfect relation, and all
that hath hitherto been collected in reference to this subject, may
be reduced to two voyages. All that we know concerning the
following piece is, that it was collected from the Dutch journal of
the voyage, and having said thus much by way of introduction, we now
proceed to the translation of this short history.
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