Abel Janszoon Tasman His Life And Voyages

Embark on an exhilarating journey through the life and adventures of the legendary Abel Janszoon Tasman, meticulously chronicled by James Backhouse Walker. This biographical masterpiece unveils the compelling narrative of a fearless explorer whose voyages shaped the course of history. Walker, with meticulous detail, recounts Tasman's exploits as he navigates uncharted waters, discovering lands that would leave an indelible mark on the world map. From the awe-inspiring landscapes to the encounters with diverse cultures, this literary odyssey captures the spirit of exploration and the indomitable human spirit. Immerse yourself in the triumphs and tribulations of Tasman's life, a tale intricately woven with intrigue and discovery. As history unfolds on the open sea, Walker's narrative skillfully invites readers to chart their course through the unexplored realms of this captivating biography, leaving an enduring imprint on the pages of maritime history.

Excerpt from Abel Janszoon Tasman: His Life and Voyages, Read Before the Royal Society No life of the first circumnavigator of Australia has hitherto appeared in English. Nothing has been accessible to the English reader but an abstract of one voyage and a few lines in biographical dictionaries. This is scarcely surprising, when we consider how careless Tasman's own countrymen have been of his fame. Fifty years ago all that had been printed in his own country consisted of short abstracts of a few voyages, and these were hidden away in bulky collections. Even the date and place of his birth were matter for conjecture and dispute. Things are somewhat better now. Thirty-five years ago the complete journal of his famous voyage of 1642 was published in Holland, and we are now promised a sumptuous fac simile edition of the original manuscript, with notes by two eminent scholars, and with an English translation. Moreover, patient searchers in the Dutch Colonial Archives have for years past been laboriously gleaning scattered particulars respecting him, and the results of their investigations have been printed from time to time in the transactions of Dutch learned societies, and in other places. It has thus become possible to piece together a fairly connected account of the great navigator's life. But after all available information has been made use of, the result is disappointing. The man himself remains for the most part an indistinct figure. Personal details are few. The facts are mostly dry and meagre, gathered from formal official despatches and dusty registers. The material is wanting for a biography which would give a clear and sharply defined picture of the man as he lived. It is possible, however, to attain what is of even more interest. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

"No life of the first circumnavigator of Australia has hitherto appeared in English. Nothing has been accessible to the English reader but an abstract of one voyage and a few lines in biographical dictionaries. This is scarcely surprising, when we consider how careless Tasman's own countrymen have been of his fame. Fifty years ago all that had been printed in his own country consisted of short abstracts of a few voyages, and these were hidden away in bulky collections. Even the date and place of his birth were matter for conjecture. and dispute. Things are somewhat better now. Thirty-five years ago the complete journal of his famous voyage of 1642 was published in Holland, and we are now promised a sumptuous fac simile edition of the original manuscript, with notes by two eminent scholars, and with an English translation. "

Abel Janszoon Tasman (1603 - 1659) was a Dutch seafarer, explorer, and merchant, best known for his voyages of 1642 and 1644 in the service of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). He was the first known European explorer to reach the islands of Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania), Fiji and New Zealand. Abel Tasman was born around 1603 in Lutjegast, a small village in the province of Groningen, in the north of the Netherlands. The oldest available source mentioning him is dated 27 December 1631 when, as a seafarer living in Amsterdam, the 28-year-old became engaged to marry 21-year-old Jannetje Tjaers, of Palmstraat in the Jordaan district of the city.

Brief references to Aborigines encountered on voyage.

It is the 1640s and Claesgen lives in Batavia with her stepmother, Jannetje, waiting weeks, and sometimes months, for her father, Abel Tasman, to come back from his sea voyages. When he returns, Tasman delights his young daughter with tales of treacherous oceans and relentless wild weather, hazards of unseen coral reefs and endless days of empty ocean, encountersboth friendly and hostilewith indigenous peoples, murder and theft, and the threat of smugglers and pirates. Inspired by a 1637 painting of the Tasman family by Jacob Cuyp and meticulously researched, My Fathers Islands is a fictional story told through the voice of Claesgen. Tasmans young daughters curiosity about her fathers life takes the reader on his voyage on the unchartered seas of the Pacific Ocean, in the search for unknown lands and new sources of riches for the powerful trading company, the Dutch East India Company. My FathersIslands opens up to children a significant, but little known, part of Australias historythe European discovery of parts of the Unknown South Land by the heroic explorer and navigator, Abel Janszoon Tasman.