Abel Janszoon Tasman was a Dutch explorer commissioned by the Dutch East India Company for several voyages during the 17th century. He is mainly noted for his exploration of the South Pacific in the hopes of discovering a new shipping route from Australia to South America to enhance trade possibilities for the company. During this voyage, he became the first European to discover New Zealand and Tasmania; Tasmania was later named in his honor. On a subsequent voyage, he traveled to Australia where he spent time mapping the northern coastline. Although his travels resulted in the discovery of several islands throughout the South Pacific waters, his expedition was viewed as incomplete by the Dutch East India Company. The company was disappointed that Tasman failed to find any useful shipping routes for their trading purposes. They also felt he had failed to adequately explore the islands he came across, resulting in little knowledge about those islands. Later on, Tasman met with further disgrace when he attempted to hang two of his sailors who were accused of insubordination. As a result, Tasman was suspended from his position with the company without salary. Eleven months later, he was reinstated and continued to work for the company until his retirement.