| The Dutch East India Company had already spent countless dollars in their rush to open up the new world and to find goods of all descriptions for trade. |
In 1623, Dutch Explorer Jan Carstensz, with fellow explorer Van Colster, was sent by Herman van Speult, the Governor of Amroyna to sail 2 ships Arnhem and Pera and check up on the unfavourable reports of earlier explorer Willem Janszoon, and to search for gold on the south coast of New Guinea.
Using the most up to date maps they set sail, totally missed Torres Strait and entered the Gulf of Carpentaria where Carstensz imagined False Cape to be a part of the south coast of New Guinea.
Because of this, he named Cape York 'Nova Guinea'. Their report of the country was also unfavourable as they described 'a barren and arid tract, without any fruit trees, producing nothing fit for the use of man'. Of the natives 'poor and abject wretches, caring mainly for bits of iron and strings of beads'.
The captain and several of the crew of the Arnhem were killed by natives but this did not stop the Dutch East India Company from further explorations which continued for a few more years.
Arnhem Land is named after his ship.
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