Heemskerck, Jacht, 1638

 On 14 August 1642 Dutch sailor Abel Tasman sailed west from Batavia (Indonesia) for Mauritius, with the 'Heemskerck' and 'Zeehaen'. As leader of the expedition, his objectives were to explore New Holland (Australia), to search for the mysterious 'southern continent' and to find a trade route to China.