pany.--E.]

After the death of his father, the younger Roggewein applied to his
studies with much vigour, and qualified himself for the office of
counsellor in the court of justice at Batavia, where he resided
for many years. After his return from Java, where he had acquired a
handsome fortune, he resolved upon carrying his father's projected
discovery into execution; and, in the year 1721, presented a memorial
to the West India Company, narrating the proposal of his father
for discovering the southern continent and islands, which they had
formerly been pleased to approve of, and which he was now ready to
attempt. The Company received this memorial with readiness; and, as
its affairs were now in better order, acquainted Mr Roggewein, that it
would give immediate orders for equipping such a squadron as might
be necessary for carrying his design into effect. The squadron
accordingly fitted out on this occasion consisted of three ships: The
Eagle of 36 guns and 111 men, commanded by Captain Job Coster, and in
which Mr Roggewein embarked as Commodore; the Tienhoven of 28 guns and
100 men, commanded by Captain James Bowman; and the African, a galley
armed with 14 guns, and carrying 60 men, commanded by Captain Henry
Bosenthal.

It may be proper to acquaint the reader, that the subsequent account
of this voyage is derived from an original journal, which never
appeared before in our language, for which I was indebted to the
gentleman who commanded the land-forces on board the Commodore, and
whose name I am not at liberty to mention; neither that of another
gentleman who was engaged in the voyage, and from whom I received
considerable assistance. The nature of the expedition is sufficient
in itself to recommend it to the notice of the curious; and the many
remarkable particulars it contains, especially respecting the state of
the Dutch Company in the Indies, renders it both a very entertaining
and a most instructive performance.

Before proceeding to the narrative of this voyage, I hope to be
indulged in making a few remarks, which may contribute both to
amusement and information, and may clear up some points that might
otherwise appear obscure in the following voyage. It is worth
observing, that the Dutch West India Company had been long in a
declining condition; which, instead of dispiriting the Directors,
engaged them to turn their thoughts to every method that could be
devised for recovering their affairs. There is so w