XI. (1619)
VOYAGE OF THE SHIPS DORDRECHT AND AMSTERDAM UNDER COMMANDER FREDERIK DE HOUTMAN, SUPERCARGO JACOB DEDEL, AND SKIPPERS REYER JANSZOON VAN BUIKSLOOT AND MAARTEN CORNELISZOON(?), FROM THE NETHERLANDS TO THE EAST-INDIES.--FURTHER DISCOVERY OF THE WEST-COAST OF AUSTRALIA: DEDELSLAND AND HOUTMAN'S ABROLHOS.
A.
Letter of Commander FREDERIK DE HUTMAN to Prince Alaurice, October 7, 1619.
Most Noble Highborn Prince,
Most Highborn Prince, my last letter to Your Princely Excellency was dated May the 20th last from the Taefelbay near Cabo de bonne esperance with the ship Anna from England...
Now as regards my subsequent progress I would inform Your Excellency that on the 8th of June we set sail from the Tafelbay with a fair wind with the ships Dordrecht and Amsterdam, add that on the 19th of July following we suddenly came upon the Southland of Beach [*] in 32 degrees 20 minutes. We spent a few days there in order to get some knowledge of the same, but the inconvenience of being unable to make a landing, together with the heavy gales, prevented us from effecting our purpose, upon which shaping our course for Java, we got sight of the same on the 19th of August, and arrived safely before Jacatra on the 3rd of September...
[* Though De Houtman knew of the discovery of Eendrachtsland (see infra), he still uses the name Beach; which clearly proves that in the early part of the seventeenth century the Netherlanders identified the discovered South-land with the mysterious land of Beach.]
From Jacatra, this seventh of October, A.D. 1619.