Coastline profile of St. Jan's Island (Ambitle Island)
Gilsemans, Isaac
In late March 1643 the expedition of Abel Tasman approached the island of New Ireland, part today of Papua New Guinea. Due to a misunderstanding Tasman believed that he had already reached the mainland of New Guinea, while he was in fact sailing along the eastern coast of this separate island. Before reaching the coast of New Ireland, the expedition passed south of an island they called St. Jan’s Island, which today is Ambitle Island.-Isaac Gilsemans, supercargo on board the Zeehaen, drew these coastline profiles of St. Jans Island in Abel Tasman’s journal as seen to the southeast and southwest at 2 miles distance.
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