PELSART’s VOYAGE TO AUSTRALASIA.
431
an opening; the coaft lying to the north-eaft, they continued a north courfe, but foundthe coaft one continued rock of a red colour, all of an height, againft which the wavesbroke with fuch force, that it was impoffible for them to land.
The wind blew very frelh in the morning on the 14th; but towards noon it fellcalm; they were then in the height of 24 degrees, with a fmall gale at eaft, but thetide ftill carried them further north than they defired, becaufe their delign was tomake a defcent as foon as poffible; and with this view they failed flowly along thecoaft, till perceiving a great deal of fmoke at a diftance, they rowed towards it as faftas they were able, in hopes of finding men, and water of courfe. When they camen ear the fhore, they found it fo fteep, fo full of rocks, and the fea beating over them^ith fuch fury, that it was impoffible to land; fix of the men, however, trufting totheir fkill in fwimming, threw themfelves into the fea and refolved to get on fhore at anyrate; which with great difficulty and danger they at laft effected, the boat remaining atanchor in 25 fathoms water. The men on fhore fpent the whole day in looking forWater ; and while they were thus employed, they faw four men, who came up very near;b ut one of the Dutch failors advancing towards them, they immediately ran away asfaft as they were able, fo that they were diftinctly feen by thofe in the boat. ThefePeople were black favages, quite naked, not having fo much as any covering abouttheir middle. The failors finding no hopes of water on all the coaft, fwam on boarda gain, much hurt and wounded, by their being beat by the waves upon the rocks;and as foon as they were on board, they weighed anchor, and continued their courfealong the fhore, in hopes of finding fome better landing-place.
On the 25th, in the morning, they difeovered a cape, from the point of which therefan a ridge of rocks a mile into the fea, and behind it another ridge of rocks ; theyv entured between them as the fea was pretty calm ; but finding there was no paffage,*bey foon returned. About noon, they faw another opening; and the fea beingftill very fmooth, they entered it, though the paffage was very dangerous, inafmuchas they had but two feet water, and the bottom full of ftones; the coaft appearing a flatjand fo r about a mile. As foon as they got on fhore, they fell to digging in the fand,but the water that came into their wells was fo brackifh, that they could not drink it,though they were on the very point of choaking for thirft. At laft, in the hollows°f the rocks, they met with confiderable quantities of rain water, which was a greatbelief to them, fince they had been for fome days at no better allowance than a pinta 'piece; they foon furnifhed themfelves in the night with about eighty gallons, per-j^iving, in the place where they landed, that the favages had been there lately, by aar ge heap of afhes, and the remains of fome cray-fifh.
On the 16th, in the morning, they returned on fhore, in hopes of getting more'y at er, but were difappointed ; and having now time to obferve the country, it gaveno great hopes of better fuccefs, even if they had travelled farther within land,'vhich appeared a thirfty barren plain, covered with ant-hills, fo high that they lookeda ar off Uk e the huts of negroes, and at the fame time they were plagued with flies,an d thofe in fuch multitudes, that they were fcarce able to defend themfelves. Theyaw at a diftance eight favages, with each a ftaff in his hand, who advanced towardseni within mufket fhot; but as foon as they perceived the Dutch failors moving to-ar ds them, they fled as faft as they were able. It was by this time about noon, and,receiving no appearance either of getting water, or entering into any correfpondencell b the natives, they refolved to go on board, and continue their courfe towards the0rth > in hopes, as they were already in the latitude of 22 degrees 17 minutes, they
might