Jan Carstenszoon
Encyclopedia
Jan Carstenszoon or more commonly Jan Carstensz ) was a 17th century Dutch
explorer.
In 1623, Carstenszoon was commissioned by the Dutch East India Company
to lead an expedition to the southern coast of New Guinea
and beyond, to follow up the reports of land sighted further south in the 1606 voyages of Willem Janszoon
in the Duyfken
.
Setting sail from Amboyna
in the Dutch East Indies
with two ship
s, the Pera and Arnhem
(captained by Willem Joosten Van Colster). The ships travelled along the south coast of New Guinea, then headed south to Cape York Peninsula and the Gulf of Carpentaria
. On 14 April 1623, Cape Keerweer was passed. Landing in search of fresh water
for his stores, Carstenszoon encountered a party of the local indigenous Australian inhabitants. Carstenszoon described them as "poor and miserable looking people" who had "no knowledge of precious metal
s or spice
s".
On 8 May 1623, Carstenszoon and his crew fought a skirmish with 200 Aborigines at the mouth of a small river near Cape Duyfken (named after Janszoon's vessel which had earlier visited the region) and landed at the Pennefather River
. Carstenszoon named the small river Carpentier River
, and the Gulf of Carpentaria
in honour of Pieter de Carpentier
, at that time Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies
. Carstenszoon reached the Staaten River before heading north again. The Pera and Carstenszoon returned to Ambon while the Arnhem crossed the Gulf of Carpentaria, sighting the east coast of Arnhem Land
.
Carstensz Pyramid, Irian Jaya, Indonesia
was named after him. Carstenszoon sighted the glacier
s on the peak of the mountain in 1623; he was ridiculed in Europe
when he said he had seen snow
near the equator
.
Carstenszoon also named several other features along Australia
's north coast. See also European exploration of Australia
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
explorer.
In 1623, Carstenszoon was commissioned by the Dutch East India Company
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
to lead an expedition to the southern coast of New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
and beyond, to follow up the reports of land sighted further south in the 1606 voyages of Willem Janszoon
Willem Janszoon
Willem Janszoon , Dutch navigator and colonial governor, is probably the first European known to have seen the coast of Australia. His name is sometimes abbreviated to Willem Jansz....
in the Duyfken
Duyfken
Duyfken was a small Dutch ship built in the Netherlands. She was a fast, lightly armed ship probably intended for shallow water, small valuable cargoes, bringing messages, sending provisions, or privateering...
.
Setting sail from Amboyna
Ambon Island
Ambon Island is part of the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. The island has an area of , and is mountainous, well watered, and fertile. Ambon Island consists of 2 territories: The main city and seaport is Ambon , which is also the capital of Maluku province and Maluku Tengah Ambon Island is part of the...
in the Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
with two ship
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
s, the Pera and Arnhem
Arnhem (ship)
The Arnhem, named after the city of Arnhem in the Netherlands, was a Dutch East Indiaman that entered the Gulf of Carpentaria and recorded having sighted Groote Eylandt in 1623. The vessel was shipwrecked off Mauritius on 12 February 1662. Volkert Evertsz and other survivors of the wreck came...
(captained by Willem Joosten Van Colster). The ships travelled along the south coast of New Guinea, then headed south to Cape York Peninsula and the Gulf of Carpentaria
Gulf of Carpentaria
The Gulf of Carpentaria is a large, shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the Arafura Sea...
. On 14 April 1623, Cape Keerweer was passed. Landing in search of fresh water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
for his stores, Carstenszoon encountered a party of the local indigenous Australian inhabitants. Carstenszoon described them as "poor and miserable looking people" who had "no knowledge of precious metal
Precious metal
A precious metal is a rare, naturally occurring metallic chemical element of high economic value.Chemically, the precious metals are less reactive than most elements, have high lustre, are softer or more ductile, and have higher melting points than other metals...
s or spice
Spice
A spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark, or vegetative substance used in nutritionally insignificant quantities as a food additive for flavor, color, or as a preservative that kills harmful bacteria or prevents their growth. It may be used to flavour a dish or to hide other flavours...
s".
On 8 May 1623, Carstenszoon and his crew fought a skirmish with 200 Aborigines at the mouth of a small river near Cape Duyfken (named after Janszoon's vessel which had earlier visited the region) and landed at the Pennefather River
Pennefather River
The Pennefather River in Queensland, Australia, is located on western Cape York Peninsula at . The river is about 11 km long and up to about 2km wide.- External links :**...
. Carstenszoon named the small river Carpentier River
Carpentier River
The Carpentier River, on the Cape York Peninsula in Queensland was named in honour of Pieter de Carpentier, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies. The name was conferred by Jan Carstenszoon in 1623. There is now no river in Northern Queensland with that name. See the entry for Pennefather River...
, and the Gulf of Carpentaria
Gulf of Carpentaria
The Gulf of Carpentaria is a large, shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the Arafura Sea...
in honour of Pieter de Carpentier
Pieter de Carpentier
Pieter de Carpentier was a Dutch, or Flemish, administrator of the Dutch East India Company, and who served as Governor-General there from 1623–1627...
, at that time Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies
Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies
The Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies represented the Dutch rule in the Dutch East Indies between 1610 and Dutch recognition of the independence of Indonesia in 1949.The first Governors-General were appointed by the Dutch East India Company...
. Carstenszoon reached the Staaten River before heading north again. The Pera and Carstenszoon returned to Ambon while the Arnhem crossed the Gulf of Carpentaria, sighting the east coast of Arnhem Land
Arnhem Land
The Arnhem Land Region is one of the five regions of the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located in the north-eastern corner of the territory and is around 500 km from the territory capital Darwin. The region has an area of 97,000 km² which also covers the area of Kakadu National...
.
Carstensz Pyramid, Irian Jaya, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
was named after him. Carstenszoon sighted the glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
s on the peak of the mountain in 1623; he was ridiculed in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
when he said he had seen snow
Snow
Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...
near the equator
Equator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
.
Carstenszoon also named several other features along Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
's north coast. See also European exploration of Australia
European exploration of Australia
The European exploration of Australia encompasses several waves of seafarers and land explorers. Although Australia is often loosely said to have been discovered by Royal Navy Lieutenant James Cook in 1770, he was merely one of a number of European explorers to have sighted and landed on the...