Tasman, Abel Janszoon : Journal / translated from the original Dutch by Charles Godfrey Woide

Manuscript of the first translation from Dutch into English (made for Sir Joseph Banks) of Tasman's journal from Batavia in 1642-1643, by C G Woide. Woide includes an introduction to Joseph Banks on the nature of his transcription. There is also a small lexicon of some of the Dutch words used by Tasman. The journal begins on the 14th August 1462 as Tasman and his crew set sail from Batavia aboard the `Heemskerck' and the `Zeehaen'. The vessels travelled south via Mauritius and Tasmania. The entry for 13 Dec 1642 describes their first sighting of New Zealand. From New Zealand Tasman continued on to Tonga and Fiji, then returning to Java.

Volume also includes a tipped in letter from the British Museum to the Alexander Turnbull Library (1960) regarding the provenance of the volume and how it had been originally owned by Sir Joseph Banks. Another facsimile copy of this journal by Woide is held by the British Library (MS 8947).

Charles G Woide was commissioned by Sir Joseph Banks to translate Tasman's original journal from the Dutch language. A note by Sir Clements Robert Markham in the prefix of the volume indicates Woide hoped to be paid £30 for the transcription work. Markham also advises he will let Edward Stanhope (politician and owner of Bank's property estate) of the removal of the volume from Banks' personal library. Woide was an orientalist, biblical scholar and Assistant Librarian in the British Museum from 1782 until his death in 1790.

Quantity: 1 volume(s) (338 pages).

Physical Description: Mss and typescript