ighty years' war was still going on]

[*** Van Diemen died April 19, 1645.]

Is it wonderful that, where the supreme authorities of the E.I.C.
regarded matters in this light, there was no longer question of
exploratory voyages of any importance? The period of the great voyages of
discovery undertaken by Netherlanders, accordingly terminates with Van
Diemen's death. It is true that occasionally voyages of this nature were
planned [*]; that Australia--not to go further afield--was also visited
now and then in later times, but such visits either bore an incidental
character, or formed part of expeditions undertaken for other purposes
[**], the occasion being then used to "obtain once for all some full and
reliable information touching the situation and coast-lines" of lands
previously discovered.

[* See p. 72 and Note below: 1645 and 1646.]

[** Now, for instance (No. XXVIII, 1648), for the purpose of seeking
another route than the customary one from Batavia to Banda, at another
time (No. XXIX, 1656-1658) to inquire into the fate of a shipwrecked
crew; or to prevent the voyages of William Dampier from entailing
unpleasant consequences for the Dutch E.I.C. (1705, No. XXXIII).--Thus,
in 1718, a Swiss of the name of J. P. Purry submitted to the Managers of
the E.I.C. proposals for the further discovery of Nuytsland. The proposal
was duly reported on, but ultimately laid aside _(Resolutions of the
"Heeren XVII", Oclober 3, 1718, and March 11 1719; Resolution of the
Amsterdam Chamber, April 17, 1719)_.]

Still, we must not omit to mention that at the close of the seventeenth
century a desire to contribute to the enlargement of geographical
knowledge for a moment got a voice in the question of equipping vessels
for expeditions sent out for this purpose. And this scientific impulse
originated in the mother-country [*]. The impulse was undoubtedly given
by the well-known burgomaster of Amsterdam and Manager of the E. I. C.,
_Nicolaas Corneliszoon Witsen, LL D_, author of the work entitled {Page
xvii} _Noord en Oost Tartarije_. He took a diligent part in the
preparations for the voyage of skipper De Vlamingh: "We are having the
vessels manned mainly with unmarried and resolute sailors; I have
directed a draughtsman to join the expedition that whatever strange or
rare things they meet with, may be accurately depicted". And Witsen
anxiously awaited the outcome of De Vlamingh's expedition. He was
disappointed by the results: the