Indian South Current

Across the southern Indian Ocean, early modern voyages connected the Cape of Good Hope with the ports of Asia. In 1611 the Dutch captain Hendrik Brouwer sailed east from the Cape using the strong westerly winds south of 35 degrees, then turned north towards the Sunda Strait. The Dutch East India Company later directed its ships to use this route across the ocean.

Long passages demanded provisions, repairs and careful navigation. The winds that hastened an eastward crossing also carried ships towards the Australian coast if navigators misjudged when to turn north. Crews faced storms, illness and the long distances between places where they could replenish supplies.