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The north coast of New Guinea is mapped here as it was discovered by the Dutch explorer Willem Corneliszoon Schouten. He is named on the map as Guillaume Schouten de Hoorn, known as the first to sail from Europe to the Pacific Ocean via Cape Horn.

The north coast of New Guinea is mapped here as it was discovered by the Dutch explorer Willem Corneliszoon Schouten. He is named on the map as Guillaume Schouten de Hoorn, known as the first to sail from Europe to the Pacific Ocean via Cape Horn.

From Robert Morden’s ‘Geography Rectified’, a description with maps of the known world in the late 17th century. The map shows the Moluccas, but the text describes the Philippines: Spanish colonial rule, trade, the city of Manila and port of Cavite.

This map of the Eastern Hemisphere (Asia, Europe, Africa) shows New Guinea (‘Nouvelle Guinee’) and Australia (‘Nouvelle Hollande’) as one landmass, demonstrating that there was some uncertainty about the area’s geography in the early 18th century.

This elaborately illustrated map of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans includes the eastern islands of Southeast Asia. The routes of five expeditions west across the Pacific are marked, including that of Ferdinand Magellan to the Philippines in 1520.

This map features maritime routes: between Siam and Batavia; and five routes of the explorers Juan Gaetan and Olivier du Nord (dated 1542) east of the Philippines. The cartouche has a colourful illustration of Asian people in traditional costume.

This map of the Eastern Hemisphere was designed to show maritime routes from the Netherlands to Southeast Asia. It shows New Guinea (‘Nieuw Guinee’) and Australia (‘Nieuw Hollande’) as one landmass, connected via an area labelled ‘Karpentarie’.

This map of the Eastern Hemisphere was designed to show maritime routes from the Netherlands to Southeast Asia. It shows New Guinea (‘Nieuw Guinee’) and Australia (‘Nieuw Hollande’) as one landmass, connected via an area labelled ‘Karpentarie’.

This map of the Eastern Hemisphere was designed to show maritime routes from the Netherlands to Southeast Asia. It shows New Guinea (‘Nieuw Guinee’) and Australia (‘Nieuw Hollande’) as one landmass, connected via an area labelled ‘Karpentarie’.

This map of the Eastern Hemisphere was designed to show maritime routes from the Netherlands to Southeast Asia. It shows New Guinea (‘Nieuw Guinee’) and Australia (‘Nieuw Hollande’) as one landmass, connected via an area labelled ‘Karpentarie’.

This map of the Eastern Hemisphere was designed to show maritime routes from the Netherlands to Southeast Asia. It shows New Guinea (‘Nieuw Guinee’) and Australia (‘Nieuw Hollande’) as one landmass, connected via an area labelled ‘Karpentarie’.

Map charting the three expeditions of the British Royal Navy captain James Cook, including HMS Endeavour’s journey via Batavia (Jakarta) in 1770, and HMS Resolution’s journey through the South China Sea (after Cook’s death) in 1779.