Page:Early voyages to Terra Australis.djvu/243

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From the journal of the above-mentioned Abraham Lcc- man, steersman of the IVaec/cende Boey, it appears that they first sighted the SouthLand on the 22nd of February, 1656, went several times on shore with the boat, and on one occa- sion, on the 20th of March, having again landed, they went inland in a northerly direction, and in searching along the beach found there pieces of plank, lids of boxes, staves of water-barrels and butter-casks, and other objects of trifling importance. The heat on that day was excessive, so much so that one of the men fainted. They also found similar planks, staves, etc., in an enclosure. They then encoun- tered a very heavy sea, which prevented their returning on board their vessel, and were obliged to sail along the cliffs in the utmost peril. Owing to the dangerous nature of the coast they were obliged to keep themselves alive by eating seals' flesh, gulls, etc., and, from want of fresh water, they were compelled to supply its place by sea-water and their own urine. At last they were compelled to undertake a perilous voyage across the ocean in their little shallop, and at length reached Batavia by way of Mataram and Japara.

Moreover the General and Council recount, in their gene- ral letter of the 14th of December, 1658, that the fly-boat Elburg, when on its way hence, had come upon the South- land in o\h° latitude, and had been obliged, on account of wind and the heavy sea, to anchor about two miles and a half off the coast in twenty-two fathoms water, not without great danger. Twelve days afterwards they again got into open sea, and in latitude 33° 14' found a commodious anchor-

tion in these seas. Among other passages he speaks of it in these terms : " We had deviated from our course fifteen minutes to the south, and this we attributed to a southern current, which we have observed several times on this coast, which is a strange thing, the being drawn by the current in spite of the wind and the waves." Elsewhere he estimates the force of this current at ten miles in the twenty-four hours.