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 OF WILLEM DE VLAMINGII. IT

APPENDIX I. EXTRACT FROM THE RESOLUTIONS OF THE XVII.

- • .Thursday, December 8th, 1695. The Commissioners of the Chamber of Amsterdam have reported, how the said Chamber, in accordance with and to fulfil what their Nobilities have by resolution of the lOth of last month been ordered to do, concerning the sending of a ship to the South Land, or the land of d'Eendracht, having ex- amined and also heard and taken the advice of Commander Hendrich Pronck and Skipper Willem de Vlamingh, is of opinion ; firstly, as regards the South Land, that for certain reasons it should not be undertaken from Batavia, as pre- viously thought proper, and in favour of which this Assembly has declared itself by its missive of Nov. 10 last, to the General and Council, but from the Cape of Good Hope, and on the 1st of Oct. next year; that for this purpose should be equipped and prepared, in order to go to sea next March, a frigate and two galiots, under command of and accom- panied by the before-mentioned skipper De Vlamingh, with such instructions as should be deemed necessary. That the said frigate should be provided with a Greenland shallop — supposed to be better adapted for putting into harbour and landing than the ordinary shallops in the use of the Com- pany. Secondly, that De Vlamingh should be directed in his instructions to touch at the islands of St. Paul and Amsterdam, as lying directly on his track, on his way from the cape to the South Land, to examine their situation, and also, whether any traces of the crew of missing vessels, espe- cially of the Ridderschap van Hollandt, are to be found.

After deliberation, the resolution was passed : — That all the above written shall be further examined by Commis- sioners, and report be made of their considerations and reso-