]

In the same spot they have again erected a new pole with a flattened
pewter dish nailed to it in commemoration of their visit, having first
had the following inscription engraved on the dish, as is more amply set
forth in the Journals:

"A.D. 1697, on the 4th of Febr. there arrived here the ship de Geelvinck,
skipper Willem de Vlaming, of Vlieland; assistant Joannes van Bremen, of
Copenhaguen; upper-steersman Michiel Blom, of Bremen; the hooker de
Nijptang, skipper Gerrit Collart, of Amsterdam; assistant Theodorus
Heermans, of do.; upper-steersman Gerrit Gerrits, of Bremen; the galiot
't Weseltje, master Cornelis de Vlaming, of Vlieland; steersman Coert
Gerrits, of Bremen; the whole of our flotilla sailed from here on the
12th do., in order to explore the South-land with destination for
Batavia" [*]

[* This dish was afterwards brought to Paris by the French expedition,
with the ships l'Uranie and la Physicienne (1817-1820), (see L. DE
FREYCINET, _Voyage autour du monde, sur les corvettus l'Uranie et la
Physicienne_, Historique, Paris, 1825. pp. 449, 482-486) and would seem
to be no longer extant there. An evidently inaccurate copy of the
inscription engraved on the dish, is here reproduced on a reduced scale
from _Planche 14_ of the _Atlas Historique_ accompanying De Freycinet's
work.]

[Map No. 12. Opschrift op den schotel, door Willem De Vlamingh op het
Zuidland achtergelaten (Inscription on the dish, left by Willem De
Vlamingh at the Southland), 1697.]

{Page 85}

And since it is our intention, in order to let Your Worships have the
more information and satisfaction touching this voyage, to dispatch to
the Netherlands again in the last return-ships sailing from here, the
ex-leader of the expedition, Skipper Willem de Vlaming Senior, together
with his upper-steersman Michiel Blom, they having not yet returned from
Bengal with their ships Geelvinck and Nijptang, but being expected every
day, therefore we shall not trouble Your Worships with further
particulars, but would beg leave to refer you to their verbal reports for
ampler information touching their experiences in the said expedition...

In the Castle of Batavia, on the last day of November, 1697.

B.

_Journal kept by Skipper WILLEM DE VLAMINGH on his voyage with the ships
de Geelvinck, Nijptang and T'Weseltje via Trestan da Cunha, the Cape, the
islands of Peter and Paul, and the South-land to Batavia, begun on May 3,
1696, and ended March 20, 169