Richard Henry Major

“ At nearly a gun shot from the shore we found on the south east coast of the island seven or eight great rocks, the island being on this side of a rocky and stony aspect, bearing north-east from us; then we had eight fathoms both good and bad ground; with here and there a gulf, where was a straight bank stretching from the coast up to the nearest rock nearly three quarters of a mile from the coast. Along the east side there are many capes and gulfs, with white sand, which is found also round the greater part of the land. ”

“ It had exactly the natural taste of the ray. There remained enough for thirty more persons to feed on. We slept on shore.
The 8th, in the morning, fair weather. We set sail for what the chief pilot had pointed out to us a river, and up which we proceeded full three leagues, but found it to be different from what it appeared. There were, in fact, two rivers, which, for some time invisible, afterwards reappeared and formed an island eastwards, a full half league from the coast, in three, two, and one feet of water, surrounded on all sides by rocks, and sand, and stones. ”

“ On the 2nd I again went on shore, with out skipper, to examine the island on the west side, which we found similar to the last. It is to be avoided for about a league, on account of the great numbers of rocks along the coast; otherwise it is easily approachable, as from six to seven leagues from the shore there are soundings at a hundred fathoms. On the mainland we again saw smoke arising. ”

“ On the morning of the 13th we made sail for the coast, which bore off us S. and N., and before noon saw a cape and three island two of which were but small. Turning the cape, we held close on the wind in a great winding of the coast, on the southward tack, and on various tacks 17, 15, 12, and 9 to 4 fathoms water. At five o'clock in the afternoon we made our course W. to S. with a south wind, latitude 24°, 40'. In the evening we cast anchor.
During the 14th we tacked continually all day, and in the evening cast anchor. ”

“ On the 3rd, Vlaming's chief pilot returned on board, he reported that he had explored eighteen leagues, and that it was an island. He brought with him a tin plate, which in the lapse of time had fallen from a post to which it had been attached, and on which was cut the name of the captain, Dirk Hartog, as well as the names of the first and second merchants, and of the chief pilot of the vessel De Eendragt, which arrived here in the year 1616, on the 25th October, and left for Bantam on the 27th of the same month. ”

“ It was probably from a shipwrecked vessel, and three or four leagues from us some smoke was seen to rise at different points of the main land. The country had the appearance of being higher than it really is. The coast is like that of Holland.
On the 1st of January, 1697, the crew went to seek for fuel, and again saw smoke rising at different points on the mainland. They observed also the flow and ebb; and our sail-master found on the shore a piece of planed wood about three feet long and a span broad. ”

“ On the 21st (sic) our boat again made sail for the land, and keeping along the shore, we found that here, in between 28 and 29°, tolerably good anchorage might be found. The land is tolerably high. Our chief pilot returning on board after dinner, informed us that he had seen on the shore three or four men, and several more on the little downs beyond, all quite naked, black, and of our own height ”

“ Further on was a large basin of brackish water, which we afterwards found was a river; on the bank of which were several footsteps of men, and several small pools; in which was, fresh water, or but slightly brackish. In spite of our repeated searches, however, we found no men. ”