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Coastline profiles of Mauritius

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Coastline profiles of Mauritius

Gilsemans, Isaac

On 14th August 1642, the Zeehaen and the Heemskerck set sail under the command of Abel Tasman. Before commencing the actual journey to discover the so-called undiscovered Terra Australis (in Dutch: Zuidland), Tasman sailed to Mauritius to deliver supplies and to stock up for his own journey. Since 1638 the Dutch had set up a small fort on Mauritius. The island served as a place for Dutch ships to obtain refreshments for Dutch ships sailing to and from Asia. He arrived there on the 4th of September. After taking on fresh food and water and useful maps and repairing his ships, Tasman set sail again in early October. Isaac Gilsemans, merchant on board the Zeehaen, drew these coastline profiles of Mauritius in Tasman’s journal from various perspectives.

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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)