What territories were first sighted (by Europeans) by Willem Schouten and Jacob Le Maire during their famous circumnavigation of the globe in their ship the Eendracht (Unity) in 1616?

BRY2K

New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea. The first travellers from the ‘old world’ of Europe to see New Ireland were the Dutch, The first European ship ever to sail around, and name, Cape Horn at the southernmost tip of South America (earlier ships had sailed through the Straits of Magellan to reach the Pacific since Magellan in 1521) was the Dutch sailing vessel Eendracht. Jacob le Maire, with his pilot Willem Schouten then sailed across the Pacific Ocean and on June 24 1616, sighted the Anir/Feni islands and named them St.John's Island, because it was that Saint's day. They continued NW along the coast of New Ireland, thinking, such were the difficulties of determining longitude at the time, they were on the north coast of New Guinea island. They carryied with them New Ireland’s first recorded, and probably reluctant, overseas traveller. He was nicknamed 'Moses' by the crew and had failed to be ransomed by his people for food, following an attack on the ship in which three New Irelanders were captured. He went with the ship to Jakarta where it was impounded and no more is known of 'Moses' fate. http://www.newirelandtourism.org.pg/history.htm May 15 08, 3:43 AM

author

They also sighted Futuna Island, in Wallis and Futuna Islands, today a French overseas teritory. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Futuna_Island%2C_Wallis_and_Futuna May 15 08, 10:12 AM

author

And also some of the Tonga Islands + the Schouten Islands of Papua New Guinea. Quote: Between April 21 and 24 1616 they were the first Westerners to visit the (Northern) Tonga islands: "Cocos Island" (Tafahi), "Traitors Island" (Niuatoputapu), and "Island of Good Hope" (Niuafo'ou). On April 28 they discovered the Hoorn Islands (Futuna and Alofi), where they were very well received and staid until May 12. They then followed the north coasts of New Ireland and New Guinea and visited adjacent islands, including what became known as the Schouten Islands on July 24. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Le_Maire May 15 08, 10:14 AM