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1618

Zeewolf (Claeszoon van Hillegom)

There were many chance discoveries of the South Land by the Dutch.

On 2 December 1617, a fleet of VOC (Dutch East India Company) vessels left the Netherlands for the long voyage to the East Indies. Among them was the Zeewolf (Sea Wolf), commanded by Haevik Claeszoon van Hillegom. Like others before her, the Zeewolf followed the instructions of the Seynbrief after leaving the Cape of Good Hope in June 1618, catching the trade winds between latitudes 35° and 45°S and sailing for a thousand mijlen (about 7000 km), before turning north.

Unexpectedly, the ship saw land to the east at 21° 15’S. It was probably the North West Cape, the point at which Hartog had left the Australian mainland two years earlier and sailed for Java.