Memoire on the Discovery of Southern Coastline of Western Australia

[Purry, Jean-Pierre]. Memoire sur le Pais des Cafres et la…
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[Purry, Jean-Pierre]. Memoire sur le Pais des Cafres et la Terre de Nuyts [and] second memoire sur le Pais des Cafres et la Terre de Nuyts. Amsterdam, 1718. Two volumes in one, small octavo, pp. 84 + 78, [ii], later calf. First title a little dusty and with two early signatures, light marginal waterstain on a few leaves in the second work, but very good, crisp copies. The only published record of the European discovery of the southern coastline of Western Australia in 1627, when Pieter Nuyts in the Gulden Zeepaert surveyed some 900 miles from Point Nuyts in the west to the Nuyts Archipelago in the east - names still used - including the whole of the Great Australian Bight. Purry was a Swiss in the service of the Dutch East India Company at Batavia, where he found Nuyts's report of his discoveries - now lost. Because of the Company's secretiveness no account was published at the time of the voyage and nor could Purry interest his superiors when he submitted a proposal to colonise the region. On his return to Holland he presented his case in detail in these two pamphlets, citing principally the ideal climate, in answer to the possible objection that settlement would dispossess the indigenous inhabitants, he offers both philosophical and pragmatic arguments. In the preface to the English edition of 1744, the translator records that ' Neither this Memorial, nor another which accompanied it, were well receiv'd, inasmuch that a friend of his told him privately, he had better get out of the way, for that some things had been observed in both papers which ought not to be made publick. He took the advice and went into France.' Printed no doubt in small numbers, they are now of great rarity. Mackaness, in The art of book collecting in Australia, 1956, stated that 'I have never seen a copy offered by a bookseller' and to our knowledge, this pair, formerly in the libraries of the Melbourne collectors Ivo Hammet, his brother Rollo and Eric Stock, are the only examples to have appeared at auction in Australia in the last half-century: they were bought by Martin Copley at Australian Book Auctions in 2001, for $93,200.

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  • East India Company - The British East India Company was a British trading company that was active from 1600 to 1858. It was one of the leading commercial enterprises of its time and played a key role in the development of British trade and commerce with India, China, and Southeast Asia.

    The British East India Company was granted a monopoly on trade with the East Indies by the English government, and it quickly established a network of trading posts and settlements throughout India and Southeast Asia. The company was involved in numerous wars and conflicts in India and Southeast Asia, and it gradually gained political influence over large parts of the region.

    In addition to its commercial activities, the British East India Company was also involved in the spread of British culture and influence in the regions it traded with. The company played a significant role in the introduction of British goods, ideas, and institutions in India and Southeast Asia, and it was instrumental in the establishment of the British Empire in India.
    The British East India Company was dissolved in 1858, following the Indian Rebellion of 1857.



    The Dutch East India Company, also known as the Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie (VOC), was a Dutch trading company that was active from 1602 to 1798. It was one of the first multinational corporations in the world and one of the largest commercial enterprises in history.

    The Dutch East India Company was established with the goal of establishing a trade monopoly in the spice trade with the East Indies. The company was granted a 21-year monopoly on the Dutch spice trade, and it quickly became one of the most successful and powerful trading companies in the world.

    Over the course of the 17th and 18th centuries, the Dutch East India Company expanded its reach and influence throughout Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and the Far East. The company established a network of trading posts and colonies, and it played a major role in the commercial and political development of many regions in Asia.

    Despite its commercial success, the Dutch East India Company was also notorious for its ruthless treatment of local populations and its exploitation of resources. The company was involved in numerous conflicts and wars throughout its history, and it was accused of using slave labor and engaging in acts of piracy.

    The Dutch East India Company was dissolved in 1798.

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