Page:Early voyages to Terra Australis.djvu/285

 VOYAGE TO THK SOUTH LAND. 129

Although we were divided, we met with no men nor cattle, but nothing but wild brushwood.

On the 2Tth, at the point of day, we betook ourselves to the shore, and thence to our vessels, which we reached near noon : the crew complained greatly of sore eyes.

On the 28th, having held a council before sunrise, we braced our sails, and put to sea an hour and a half after dinner, the wind being S.S.W. quarter W. in latitude, in 27 degrees 50 minutes. Shortly after, we again steered for the coast N.E., and by N. to N.W. and N.N.W., hugging the shore.

The 29th we still kept along the shore, the land high and rocky. Latitude 27 degrees 40 minutes.

The 30th the land rather high, until five o'clock in the afternoon watch, when we cast anchor in an extensive 'gulf, which probably must have been that named " Dirk Hartog's Reede."

On the 31st, two boats entered the gulf to explore it, and two others to go fishing, which brought back in the evening a good quantity. The same evening the chief pilot reported that they had been in the gulf, but had seen nothing further to shew whether the part to the north of the gulf were an island or not. They saw there a number of turtles.

On the 1st of February, early in the morning, our little boat went to the coast to fish : our chief pilot, with De Vlaming's boat, again Avent into the gulf, and our skipper went on shore to fix up a commemorative tablet.

On the 2nd, we took three great sharks, one of which had nearly thirteen little ones, of the size of a large pike. The two captains (for De Vlaraing had also gone on shore) returned on board late in the evening, having been a good six or seven leagues up the country. Our captain brought with him a large bird's head, and related that he had seen two nests, made of boughs, which were full three fathoms in circumference.

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