The Exploration of Cape York Peninsula by Robert Logan Jack

During the acquisition of such a knowledge of the South Land as enabled one or other of them to draw a passable sketch of the shore, the Portuguese and Spanish must have landed on the Australian coast, but the first recorded account of a landing which has come down to us is that of Flemish sailors.

The 30-ton yacht Duyfken, commanded by Willem Jenszoon (Janszoon) left Bantam for New Guinea on December 18, 1605. Jenszoon visited Aru Island, and passed Torres Strait without settling the question of the existence of a passage. Keeping the land in sight, and under the impression that he was still coasting New Guinea, he got as far as a point (Cape Keerweer) where he turned back. We know little more of the voyage than that it was disastrous. An official document, dated 1664, states that Jenszoon found "vast regions for the most part uninhabited, and certain parts inhabited by savage, cruel, black barbarians, who slew some of our sailors. " At a Queensland river, which was afterwards named the Carpentier, one of the crew was "killed by the missiles of the blacks. " Another report says that "nine of the Dufyken's men were killed by the heathen. " If this was unexaggerated truth it is still doubtful whether the event took place in Cape York Peninsula or in New Guinea proper.