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Coastline profiles of the Green Islands, Papua New Guinea

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Coastline profiles of the Green Islands, Papua New Guinea

Gilsemans, Isaac

After finding the Ontong Java group of islands described by Jacob le Maire, the expedition of Abel Tasman was now in waters previously described and charted by Europeans. The main objective now was to reach the island of New Guinea, and from there to return to the Indies archipelago. Sailing in western direction to the north of islands that today are part of the Solomon Islands, the expedition observed another island described by le Maire, which he had called Marcken. After passing Marcken, a few days later the expedition encountered a group of islands which Le Maire had called the Green Islands, a name they still have today. The main islands of this group are Mapiri and Pinipel.

Isaac Gilsemans, supercargo on board the Zeehaen, likely drew these coastline profiles of the Green Islands in Abel Tasman’s journal as seen to the southeast and southwest at 2 miles distance.

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Sources and literature

Posthumus Meyjes, De Reizen van Abel Janszoon Tasman en Franchoys Jacobszoon Visscher, ter nadere ontdekking van het Zuidland (Australië) in 1642 - 1644. (1919)