Coastline profile of New Britain, Papua New Guinea

After rounding the northern side of New Hanover by the 9th of April, the expedition of Abel Tasman sailed south until it again encountered land several days later, which it still believed to already be the coast of New Guinea. The coast they found, however, was that of New Britain, which they believed to lie in a large bend in the New Guinea landscape. In fact, it lies in a sea east of New Guinea, which is now named the Bismarck Sea. The expedition then continued westwards along the coast and past a number of islands which they believed to be part of the New Guinea mainland. Tasman hoped to find a passage towards Cape Keerweer in the Gulf of Carpentaria between New Guinea and Australia, but did not find any as he missed the passage between New Guinea and New Britain.-Isaac Gilsemans, supercargo on board the Zeehaen, is commonly identified as the artist who drew this depiction of the landscapes of New Britain observed while sailed along the coast.