Page:Early voyages to Terra Australis.djvu/327

 TO THE COAST OF NEW HOLLAND. 171

men, lias the appearance of a wide river, but is salt ; as how- ever nothing remarkable was found there, we shall let the journal of the skipper, on the date May 12th, speak for itself, it being described in the account of the commander of the Waijer, under the name of the Bessia River.

The third inlet visited by the expedition is rather large, its E. point being named Kaijmans, and its W. Oranjes-hoek. The tide flows here with great force, and the Patsjallang sailed between eight and ten miles inland, without finding any diminution in the saltness of the water. As the bottom, and the general aspect still remain the same, it was supposed by our people, that this inlet runs right through to the south side of New Holland, and not only this, but also others both E. and W. of the angle of Van Diemen's land.

From this it seems to follow, that the South Land in a great measure consists of islands, — a supposition not at all im- probable, considering how on its south side, from the point called Leeuwin, or the land visited by the Leeuwin in the year 1622, to Nuyts-land, discovered in 1627, it is en- tirely girt and surrovmded by innumerable islands, although these things had better be left to a more accurate examina- tion of the country, and a more matured judgment. But there is another consideration in favour of this supposition, namely, the rude and barbarous character, and malicious dis- position of the above-mentioned islanders, as it has been frequently remarked, that such serious defects are much more generally found among islanders, than among the in- habitants of continents. However, be this as it may, ^xe shall only further remark, that the Patsjallang, owing to the strength of the current, was not able to proceed, but was obliged to return to the Vossenhosch, having first discovered within this inlet an island, five miles in circumference, on which was found very good drinking-water and a tiger was met with ; a number of snipes also were seen on another island, which lay at the entrance of this strait, and of which