| Martin Van Delft led the last of the explorations commissioned by the Dutch. |
Given only 3 days notice, he commanded the fluit Vossenbosch and the sloops Waijer and Nova Holland which weighed anchor from the port of Batavia on the 23rd of January 1705.
They arrived on the north west corner of Van Diemens Land on 2nd April but having already been explored, they occupied themselves in visiting the bays, headlands, islands and rivers until July 12th, according to their instructions.
His journals discuss the native population and both good and bad interactions between them.
By leaving Batavia so quickly, they left without the sufficient fresh provisions they needed for such a long voyage and many men on board began to suffer and also to die from severe sickness, principally fever, acute pains in the head and eyes, and above all, dropsy.
This of course cut short the expedition and Van Delft set sail for home. He headed for Macassar where the newly created maps made by the direction of the skipper, were improperly detained.
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