entered southern oceans. Their first object was to colonise Santa Cruz Island, thence to seek Australia. But De Quiros was not destined to ever sight this continent. Among others, he discovered one of the islands of the New Hebrides group, and thinking he was on the coast of the unknown continent, named it Australia del Espirito Santo. Then, either by reason of storms or difficulty with his ship's company, he was separated from the consort vessels, and we next hear of him in October, 1606, when he reached Mexico. He advised the Spanish monarch to lose no opportunity to explore these unknown regions, which advice was not followed, and he died at Panama in 1616. But he had done his good work in securing the discovery, and left "a name which for merit, though not for success, was second only to that of Columbus." Alexander Dalrymple, a contemporary of Captain Cook, wrote that "the discovery of the southern continent, whenever and by whomsoever it may be completely effected, is in justice due to this immortal name."
Torres, left alone, did not desire that his adventures should end with the separation from De Quiros, and he called his men together and, evidently for form's sake, asked them what their wishes were—to extend their voyage of discovery, or return immediately whence they came. Most of them preferred the latter course, but De Torres pushed on and sailed south of New Guinea, and about August, 1606, sighted land on the other side, which he believed an island. Different authorities have decided that this land was Cape York and the country in juxtaposition to it in Northern Australia. Thus, without knowing it, De Torres saw the Australian continent and the water he sailed through south of New Guinea is known to this day as Torres Straits.
Spain did not secure such benefits from her discoveries in the south as might have been expected. She was so heavily engaged in the Atlantic, and possessed such numerous and strong enemies, that there was a gradual decadence of her naval enterprise. The Dutch, whom she had so long persecuted, determined to deprive her, if possible, of her transatlantic commerce. They set about doing this in the most practical ways, and the better classes entered eagerly into the national sentiment. Geography and hydrography were earnestly studied, and schools of instruction were opened. The natural result of such well directed preparation is the grand name which Dutch navigators have attained in the Southern, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. In 1602 the Dutch East India Company was established as a part of the great scheme, and under the auspices of this company the first authenticated discovery of Australia was made and many subsequent and important voyages were undertaken.Their headquarters in the East India Islands were mainly at Batavia. It is needless to say that the Dutch secured much wealth from their trade. One of their vessels, the yacht Duyfhen (the Dove), by order of the Governor, left Bantam, or Batavia, on November 18, 1605, to explore New Guinea. After some sailing, a long coast-line was made, which was reckoned as that of New Guinea, but in reality was the eastern portion of the Gulf of Carpentaria. The date is given as about the month of March, 1606. The navigator, whose name does not appear on the records, prepared a map of his voyage, in which it is seen that he coasted down to Cape Keer-Weer, or "Turn Again." He described the country as mostly desert, inhabited by "wild, cruel, black savages," who murdered members of the crew. Efforts were made to land for water, but were futile. The first authenticated discovery of Australia was at last made; but the country seen, and the report given of the natives, was not likely to encourage the opening up of trade relations.
Several vessels visited the Australian coast within the next twenty years. In the years 1616, 1618, 1619, and 1622, ships outward bound from Holland discovered different parts of the Western Australian coastline, but through want of reliable data little information can be given concerning their movements. The voyage of Dirk Hartog is the most important, and a plain tin plate romantically tells the story of his sighting a part of Terra Australis. In 1616, Hartog, who came from Amsterdam, and commanded the ship Endraght (the Concord), 360 tons burthen, discovered Dirk Hartog Island and Roads at the entrance to a capacious sound, which Dampier named Sharks Bay. Much of the mainland from Sharks Bay to Exmouth Gulf was known in old charts, until recent times, as Endraght's Land, and showed the portion of the coast visited by Hartog in the Endraght. Another island opposite Dirk Hartog Island he named Doore Island, after his pilot. On the north end of the island bearing his own name he left the historical tin plate, which was destined to remain there, unseen, amid many storms for nearly a century as a memorial of his visit. The plate was nailed to a post, and bore the inscription which, translated, reads
"On the 25th of October, 1616, arrived here the ship Endraght, of Amsterdam: the first merchant, Gillis Mibais Van Luyck; captain, Dirk Hartog, of Amsterdam. The 27th ditto set sail for Bantam. Under merchant, Jan Stoyn; upper steersman, Pieter Dockes, from Bil. Aº 1616."
Mutely retaining its message, the plate was seen in 1697 by Wilhelm Van Vlaming, captain of the Geelvink, who took it to Batavia, replacing it by another, inscribed:—
"On the 4th of February, 1697, arrived here the ship Geelvink, of Amsterdam: captain, Commandant Wilhelm Van Vlaming, of Vlielandt; assistant, Jan Van Bremen, of Copenhagen; first pilot, Michael Bloem Van Estight, of Bremen; the hooker, the Nyptough: captain, Gerrit Collaert, of Amsterdam; assistant, Theodorus Heermans, of the same place; first pilot, Gerrit Gerritz, of Bremen; then the galliot Weseltje: commander, Cornelis Van Vlaming, of Vlielandt; pilot, Coert Gerritz, of Bremen. Sailed from here with our fleet on the 12th to explore the South Land, and afterwards bound for Batavia."
The history of these remarkable inscriptions does not end here, for still a century later, during the French voyage of discovery made by Commander Baudin in the corvettes Geographe and Naturaliste, Van Vlaming’s plate was observed. In July, 1801, Captain Hamelin, of the Naturaliste, in order to signal the Geographe, from which he had been separated, sent three men to Dirk Hartog Island. The boatswain brought back with him the plate of tin, which he found on the north point of the island, and which was then named the Cape of the Inscription. He narrated that the antique relic was half covered with sand, and lay near an oaken post to which it was probably originally nailed. Nature had so long spared it that, rather than take away so valuable a memento, Captain Hamelin copied the inscription, and reverently caused the plate to be nailed to a new and stronger post. He also placed on the north-east of the island a plate inscribed with the name of his ship and the date of his arrival. The old plate, which had so long withstood its enemy—decay—was there but a few years longer. In 1822 King was unable to find it, and afterwards learned that Captain de Freycinet, in 1818, removed it from its long resting-place, and presented it to the Museum of the Institute of Paris. Hartog Island and the Abrolhos Islands are the most historical features of the whole Australian coast.
There is some doubt as to the date of the original discovery of the Abrolhos group. In Portuguese maps of the sixteenth century, islands are shown off the west coast, and in one the name Abrolhos is attached to them. Don Jorge de Meneses is said to have discovered them in 1527, and there is no doubt as to their being known to the Portuguese. The name itself, "Abrolhos," is a Portuguese term or contraction meaning "open your eyes," or "keep your eyes open," and no more appropriate appellation could
