Wilhem Adriaan van der Stel had for ten years been filling various offices in the city of Amsterdam, among others that of judge, when the assembly of seventeen, in recognition of his father's services, offered him the appointment of councillor extraordinary of India and governor of the Cape Colony and its dependency the island of Mauritius. He had once resided here for a short time, and was well acquainted with the circumstances of the country. There is nothing in the records or contemporary publications to indicate what manner of man he was in personal appearance, though the details of his administration are given very minutely.

Notwithstanding the pains taken by the late governor to promote tree planting, there was a scarcity of timber and fuel at the Cape. It was a difficult matter to supply the ships with firewood. Some skippers reported that in passing by two islands, named Dina and Marseveen, in latitude 41° or 42° south and about four hundred sea miles from the Cape, they had observed fine forests, which they suggested should be examined. The master of the galiot Wezel was therefore instructed to proceed to the locality indicated, to inspect the forests closely, and ascertain what quantity of timber was to be had. The Wezel sailed from Table Bay on the 31st of March 1699, but returned on the 13th of May with a report that the search for the islands had been fruitless.