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GEOGRAPHICAL AND ETHNOGRAPHICAL

ELUCIDATIONS

TO THE DISCOVERIES OF

MAERTEN GERRITSEN VRIES.

COMMANDER OF THE FLUTE CASTRICUM
A. D. 1643

IN THE EAST AND NORTH OF JAPAN;

TO SERVE AS
A MARINER'S GUIDE IN THE NAVIGATION
OF THE EAST COAST OF JAPAN, AND TO JEZO, KRAFTO, AND THE KURILS.
BY

P. F. VON SIEBOLD

TRANSLATED FROM THE DUTCH
BY

F. M. COWAN,

INTERPRETER TO THE BRITISH CONSULATE GENERAL IN JAPAN.
WITH A REDUCED CHART OF VRIES' OBSERVATIONS.
AMSTERDAM,
FREDERIK MULLER.
LONDON: TRUBNER & Co.
1859.

P. F. von Siebold (1796–1866)

I. Discovery of the Island of Breskens and of Quast's Islands.

      Commodore Vries had called a council of the flute Castricum and of the yacht Breskens, on the 29th April, at 16° 50' N. Lat. and 149° 38 1/2' East of Teneriffe (128° 18' 6" East of Greenwich) and determined, should wind and weather permit, to continue his course N.E. to 24° N. Lat. and to the longitude of the east coast of Japan (then fixed by the observations of Mathys Quast and Abel Tasman, August 24th 1630, at 31° 40' East of Pulo Timoan, (135° 55' East of Greenwich). On the 7th of May they found themselves at 24° 4' N. Lat. and 150° 56' 30" East of Teneriffe. Small rockmews, foam, floating seaweed and a piece of wood were so many signs of land, which however was not yet visible. The next morning (May 8th) after sunrise they discovered to the W. N 1/3 N., within a distance of four German miles, a small low island, about a mile and a half long. According to the observation taken at noon, the island lay at 24° 43' N. Lat. and 151° 31 1/2' East from Teneriffe (130° 11' 6" from Greenwich). As at this latitude no other island than that of Malabrigo was to be found on the Company's charts,* and as that lay, by computation, 21 miles to the west, they considered the one before them

      * Twee caerten van gedaene coursen der Comm. Quast, tot ontdeckingh van 't Goudrijcke eyland.

4 IHLAS DOS HARMANOS, IDENTICAL

      as unknown, and because the Breskens had first discovered it, they named it Breskens Island.

      On the charts of that period we only find three islands between 25° and 27° North. Latitude and within a longitude of about 70 German miles. The most southern and westerly of these bears the name of Amsterdam, the north-eastern (properly a group of five small islands) that of Ihlas dos Hermanos, and the third, at 26° N. Lat., 17 miles to the S. W. of the Ihlas dos Hermanos, that of Malabrigo.

      The two last named islands, which are both given on Abraham Ortelius's "Theatrum orbis terrarum", published in 1570, and of which Malabrigo was seen in 1543 by Bernardo de Torres, are certainly the Hooge Meeuwen Island, the Engels and Grachts Islands discovered by Quast and Tasman in 1639* and named Quast's Islands† on the above quoted Caerten

      * Journael ofte dachregister van den Ed. Commandeur Mathijs Quast M. S. 1639. Von Siebold's Geschichte der Entdeckungen im Seegebiete von Japan. Leyden 1853.

      † This chain of islands, stretching from 26° 38' to 27° 45' N. Lat. and from 142° to 142° 14' East Long. from Greenwich, has been frequently found in later times, and is given under the names of Islas del Arzobispo (1734), Margaret's islands (1773), Mendizaval, Desconosida, Guadelupe etc., and marked at widely differing longitudes on the maps of the 18th century, though no-where geographically described. They were also accidentally discovered by the Japanese as early as 1675, and called Munin-sima, i.e. islands without men, and afterwards, after their discoverer, Ogasawa-sima. In 1785 a Japanese geographer, Fajasi Sivei, described and mapped them in his work entitled "San-kok-tsu-ran-dsu-ki" ("description of three kingdoms."). That work, aud a Dutch translation, was brought over to Holland by the learned Isaac Titsingh, Chief of the Dutch trade in Japan in the years 1780?1785. After his death (at Paris in 1812), it fell into the hands of Abel Remusat and afterwards into those of Julius Klaproth.

WITH QUAST'S ISLANDS. 5

van gedaene Coursen. The first, indisputably discovered by Netherlanders and by degrees disappearing from the the maps, was re-discovered by a Russian officer, Lieut. Ponafidin, in 1820, at 25° 50' N. Lat. and 131° 12' E. Long., and called Porodino's Islands, after his ship and because there are two. They are doubtless the same which Captain Forbes sailed past with the brig Nile, in August 1825, and of which the most southerly was found to be at 25° 42'N. Lat., 131° 13' E. Long., and the most northerly at 25° 53' N. Lat., 131° 17' E. Long. These islands were lately visited by Commodore Perry,

By these illegal heirs of Titsingh's literary remains therefore the description of the so called "Isles Bonin ou innabitées" was published in 1818, again drew the attention of navigators to them, and led as it were to their re-discovery by the English Captain Beechey (June 1827) and by the Russian Capt. Lutke (May 1828). Now, since the 22nd Aug. 1853, there has been a colony, mostly of Americans, on the largest of the Bonins, ("Peel Island", which was taken possession of for England by Beechey) calling themselves the colony of Peel Island. The southern group of these islands, named by Beechey Baily Group, was visited and taken possession of in October 1853 by the American Capt. Kelly for the United States of North America, and named Coffin's Islands after the Captain of the American whaler Transit, which accidentally anchored there in 1823. Commodore Perry, who visited the Bonin islands in 1853, saw very rightly that for whalers as well as for the steam-mail-packets from California to China and later to Japan, these islands would soon become one of the most important stations in the North Pacific Ocean. England has thus shared the possession of the Quast's Islands with America, whilst the honour of the discovery belongs to our old Dutch navigators, and the merit of the first geographical knowledge of them to the literary researches of our Netherland literati. As early as 1824 the writer of the present sheets called the attention of the Dutch Indian Government to this important gronp, where the Japan government, for they belong to the Japanese empire, would rather see the Dutch flag wave than any other.

6 BRESKENS, A DUTCH DISCOVERY.

and the situation of the largest and most northern fixed at 25° 47' N. Lat. and 131° 19' E. Long.

      The Island of Breskens might justly be regarded as a new discovery; yet as Vries's Log was lost, it was nowhere mentioned. In the beginning of this century however its existence was several times confirmed. In 1807 the French frigate La Canonnière discovered an island at 24° 30'N. Lat. and 130° 18' 30" E.Long., and in 1815 the Spanish frigate Magelan also discovered a small low island covered with bushes, at 24° 26' 40" and 131° 03' 46", and named it Isla Rasa. These two islands are doubtless one and the same*, of which the average latitude would be 24° 28' 20" N. and the average longitude 130° 41' 8" East. If we consider at the same time the strong easterly current of the sea in those parts, ranging to from 35' to 40' and even more in 24 hours, the imperfect means for finding and calculating the longitude during the 17th cent., and the remark that the latitude as given by Vries is always some minutes too high, we may confidently mark Breskens Island on the charts of the Pacific Ocean as a Dutch discovery, and this with the more justice, as on the newest charts the island of Rasa is still given as doubtful (pointe dubieuse) and Kendrick's Island is never more marked.

      * Von Krusenstern is also of opinion that a small island about four miles long, seen by Capt. Kendrick at 24° 35' N. Lat. and 134°, and marked in Arrowsmith's map as Kendrick Island, is Rasa.

DISCOVERY OF TASMAN S ISLANDS. 7

II. Discovery of Tasmans Islands.

      On the home passage of Mathijs Quast and Abel Tasman in 1639 from the voyage for the discovery of the Gold and Silver islands {Gout- en Silverrycke eylanden) , situated to the east of Japan, the coast of Japan was made on the 2nd of December, at 34° 54' N. Lat. This land, which they mistook for the islands given in the old Portuguese charts to the W. of the S. E. point of Nippon, is in reality the S. E. point of the great island of Japan, Cape Sirofama or as it is named on the old Portuguese charts, Cabo de Bosho. From here they held a S. S. W. course, along which they discovered several small islands, determining their position as exactly as they could, and preparing excellent drawings to present to their government. To this chain of islands I have given the name of Tasman's Islands.*

      One of these islands, which appeared as very high land {heel hooch lant), was seen from the Castricum at a short distance, on the 19th of May 1643, and by stress of wind and stream that vessel was soon after obliged to anchor at the N. W. point. This island, to which Vries gave the name of Het Ongeluckich eylant, is called Fatsi sjo by the Japanese, and according to the observations of the court-astronomer Sakusajemon at Jedo, lies at 33° 6' 30' N. and 3° 50' 30" E. of Mijako, (139° 30' 30" E. of Greenwich). Capt. Broughton, who visited these islands in 1796, fixed the

      * Von Siebold's Geschichte der Entdeckungen, p. 8.

8 INACCURABIES IN LONGITUDE ACCOUNTED FOR.

position of Fatsi sjo at 30° 6' N. and 140° E. On the original chart of his voyage it lies at 33° 4' N. and 140° 7' E. The N. W. point where Vries anchored is, as he calculates, at a latitude of 33° 22' and 158° 51 1/2' Long. East of Teneriffe (137° 30'6" E. of Gr.) We have already remarked that the difference in the longitude of the islands we find on the charts of the 17th and 18th centuries, between 24° and 28° N. Lat., is attributable to an eastward current and, as we have seen, this difference sometimes amounts to twelve degrees. In comparison with this therefore, the difference between Vries's longitude and that of the court-astronomer (which I prefer to Broughton's which is 2° more easterly), is insignificant when we consider that the stream between Fatsi sjo and the S. E. coast of Nippon was for three successive days observed by the American expedition to be 72', 74' and 78' within 24 hours.

      The description given in the Journal of the Unlucky island, agrees with the sketch made by Quast and Tasman, and is therefore the only description of that island we as yet know. The words "the Unlucky island was very high land, appearing with two high round mountains, between which was a large valley", are illustrated by Quast and Tasman on their chart, and at the same time explain the name of an island nearly at this point in a map of de l'Isle's "Montagne avec deux pics".* These peaks are also to be found on an original Japanese map by Fatsi sjo; the highest is Aka fusi jama, i.e. the Red Fusi mountain

      * Carte de l'Asie, par J. de l'Isle, a Amsterdam, chez Covens & Mortier.

THE KURO SIWO, OR JAPAN STREAM. 9

(opposite the celebrated volcano Fusi, which is covered with snow the greater part of the year – and is therefore white). The position and form also of the small "high round island", 1 to 1 1/2 mile W. from the N. W. point of the Unlucky island, called Kosima (i. e. little island) by the Japanese, and marked by Vries "ronde holm", is very accurately given, while the observation that, "between here the stream runs with a stiff current round the N. W.", is of the first importance for a knowledge of the Japanese stream Kuro siwo or Kuro gawa, i. e. black sea-stream. Of this current, which I have given on my map of Japan,* from an original Japanese map, it is said that between Fatsi sjo and Mikura (Prince-eyland of Vries) it is about three miles broad, and in spring and winter dangerous for navigation. This stream has been more closely examined, mapped and described by the American expedition†. Vries's remark: "saegen veel steencroos drijven", confirms the observation that the Japan stream, like the gulfstream in the Atlantic, is distinguished by banks of a peculiar sort of sea-weed.

      The high island seen by Vries on the morning of the 20th May to the south of Unlucky island, called by him Suyder eylandt, and by the Japanese Awo sima. (i. e. Green island), was discovered by Quast and Tasman (Nov. 3rd 1639), its position determined, from

      * Von Siebold, Atlas von Land- und Seekarten vom Japanischen Reiche. No. I.

      † Narrative of the expedition of an American Squadron in the China Seas and Japan], performed in the years 1852?54, under the command of Commodore M. C.Perry, by Francis L. Hawks. New-York, 1856. The Kuro siwo, or Japan stream, p. 601.

10 VRIES VISITS THE TASMAN'S ISLES

6 to 7 miles S. by W. of Unlucky island, at 32° 33' N. Lat., and a drawing made of it.

      On coming to anchor in the evening of the 20th May at a latitude, by calculation, of 33° 52' and 159° 22' Long. East of Tener., (according to our correction with + 2°, at 140° 0' 36" E. of Gr.), two other islands were seen from the Castricum W. by W., at a distance of 11 or 12 German miles. These are, – the island of Mikura, called by Vries Prince eylandt, and that of Myake, according to the Log Barnevelt's and on his chart, Brandend eylandt, because there was a smoking mountain seen on it.

      These two islands were calculated to lie at latitude 34° 1' and longitude 158° 28' (according to our correction 139° 7' 36" E. of Gr.); a calculation which tolerably well agrees with the observations of the court-astronomer and with the map of Broughton. From here, as I shall afterwards show, Vries continued his course along the N. E. and E. coast of Japan, the first hydrographic knowledge of which we owe to him.

      On his voyage back, the Tasman's Islands were again visited by Vries, and their geographical position more exactly determined. The 28th October he was at 33° 58' N. Lat. and 160° 25' E. of Ten. (138° 34' 36" E. of Gr.), where Prince island W. six miles, and Barnevelt's island W. N. W. six miles were observed. According to this observation, the former lies at 33° 58' and the second at 33° 6' N. Lat, which only offers a difference of some minutes between those of the court-astronomer and of Broughton, while the longitude of Mikura {Prince Island), as taken ou the roads of Fatzi sjo on the 29 October (159° 56' E.

AND DETERMINES THEIR RELATIVE POSITION. 11

of Tener. or 138° 34' 36" E. of Gr.), being 55' 54" less than that of the court-astronomer, may be fixed at 139° 36' 30" E. of Gr., if we correct by +55' 54"; – and this agrees pretty nearly with the geographical position given to it on the small chart of Commodore Perry's voyage.*

      Vries directed his course to Barnevelt's Island on the 28th October, sailed between that island and Prince Island and determined the relative position of the Tasman's group by repeated observations. On my corrected map of Japan (Atlas N°. 1) I have called this passage first undertaken by a European ship, Castricum Straits, and the "number of high pointed cliffs which appear as so many high towers", 1 mile by W. 1/2 N. (from Barnevelt's Island), Coen's Cliffs, after the worthy mate of the vessel. Broughton, who in 1796 followed the same course as Vries had taken, also saw and described these cliffs: "Off the West point of Volcano Isle are some detached black rocks at two or three miles distance"†, and marked them on his map. On the map of Japan N°. 2347, published by the Admiralty in London 1855-56, these cliffs are called "Black Rocks". This navigator has also discovered an other group of rocks more to the south-west than Coen's Cliffs, called by the Japanese Inaniwa and by

      * Map of the Japan Islands copied from von Siebold's with slight addition! and corrections by the U. S. Japan Expedition and other authorities, compiled by order of Commodore M.C.Perry, by Lieuts W. L. Maury and Silas. Bent. 1855.

      † A. voyage of discovery to the North Pacific Ocean, performed in H. M. sloop Providence and her tender, in the years 1795-98, by W. R. Broughton. London. 1804. p. 140.

12 LATIT. OF COEN'S CLIFFS AND REDFIELD's ROCKS.

von Krusenstern Broughton's Cliffs. I believe Coen's Cliffs to be the same as the Redfield-Rocks, marked as a new discovery on the small chart of Commodore Perry and on the Admiralty chart at about 33° 55' N. Lat, and 138° 50' E. Long. If off this height there were any other cliffs than Coen's (Broughton's Black Rocks), Broughton, who cruised there, would have seen them. If however the Redfields Rocks exist, they lie more to the north, and are the same as marked on Janssen's chart at 34° 35' N. Lat. and at the meridian of Cape Idsu, and therefore also seen by Vries. The islands N. W. by W. five miles and N. N. W., six miles from Barnevelt's Island were also observed by Vries on this voyage, and mapped as Gebroken Eilanden. This name {Broken Islands) applies to these islands, and not to the whole group. To the whole chain – a series of active and extinct volcanoes from Ohosima to Fatsi sjo Sima – we have given the name of Tasman's Islands. I have thought it necessary to enter into these historio-hydrogeographical particulars, not only to fix indisputably the discovery of this whole chain of islands, more than two hundred years ago, by Quast, Tasman and Vries, but also to make the justness of their observations appreciated by comparing them with those of celebrated navigators of our own days.

.  .  .  . 

Philipp Franz Balthasar von Siebold
(17 February 1796 – 18 October 1866)

      See the article in Wikipedia for information about P. F. von Siebold.

Source:

P. F. Von Siebold.
      Geographical and Ethnographical Elucidations to the Discoveries of Maerten Gerritsen Vries, Commander of the Flute Castricum A. D. 1643 in the East and North 0f Japan; To Serve as a Mariner's Guide in the Navigation of the East Coast of Japan, and to Jezo, Krafto, and the Kurils.
Translated from the Dutch by F. M. Cowan
    Amsterdam, Frederik Muller, and London: Trubner & Co., 1859.
pp.3-12.

Last updated by Tom Tyler, Denver, CO, USA, Dec 1 2021.


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