of the great continent: the former concluded that it was a part of the Archipelago through which he was sailing; the latter, that it was the south coast of New Guinea: thus the actual discovery appears to have been made without the knowledge by the discoverers of its importance. Theodoric Dirk Hartog has the reputation of being, in 1616, the first actual, but accidental, discoverer of this great continent when on his passage from Holland to the East Indies in a small vessel called the Eendracht or Concord; he fell in with the western coast in 25° south, and to which he gave the name, still retained, of the land of Eendracht. This discovery stimulated the Dutch; and in 1618 Zeachen made the northern coasts of Australia, called Amhem and Northern Dieman. Edels sailed along the western coast in 1619: in 1622 we first hear of Leeuwin's Coast. On the 26th of January, 1627, Pieter De Nuitz, who was going as ambassador to Japan, and was afterwards Governor of Formosa, in the Gulde Zeepaard, looked closely into the southern coast. In 1628, the Veanen having Governor General Carpenter on board, also a Dutch commander, gave his name to the great gulf of Carpentaria. In 1629 Franceso Pelsert was wrecked in the Batavia off the coast, and left two mutineers on the main-land, instead of putting them to death. From that period to 1642, very few and indefinite records are extant relative to farther discoveries. On the 8th of October in that year, Tasman sailed with two ships, fitted
