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XV.
(1623) VOYAGE OF THE SHIP LEYDEN COMMANDED BY SKIPPER KLAAS
HERMANSZ(OON) FROM THE NETHERLANDS TO JAVA.--FURTHER DISCOVERY OF THE
WEST-COAST OF AUSTRALIA.
_Journal kept on board the ship Leyden from the Texel to Batavia, 1623._
Laus Deo. This 9th day of July, A.D. 1623 in the ship _Leyden_...
On the 15th do. Latitude 27 deg. 15'; during the last twenty-four hours we
sailed 16 miles East by North and East-north-east...At noon we saw a
large dead fish floating near our ship, with a great many birds perched
on its carcase.
On the 16th do. Latitude 26 deg. 27'; sailed 16 miles in 24 hours North by
east...
On the 17th do. Latitude 27 deg. 23'; from last night sailed 16 miles
East-south-east...
On the 18th do. Latitude 27 deg. 25'; sailed 24 miles East-south-east, East
by South and East-north-east, on the whole keeping an eastward course...
On the 19th do. Latitude 27' 20'. sailed due east 20 Miles in 24 hours...
On the 20th do. Latitude 27 deg. 20' sailed 20 miles these 24 hours
North-east, East-north-east and East, with a light breeze, fair weather,
and a West-south-west wind; course held east.
On the 21st do. in the morning we sighted Eendrachtsland in Latitude 27 deg.
at about 6 miles' distance South-west by west; we sounded off it in 61
fathom fine gravel bottom, the land showing outwardly like Robben Island
in the Taffel Bay; at noon in Latitude 26 deg. 43' we shaped our course to
northward, and afterwards drifted in a calm.
On the 22nd do. Latitude 26` 36, sailed and drifted about 4 miles, at
about 8 miles' distance North~north-west from the land. We sighted
everywhere a hilly coast with large bays, with low-lying land in between,
the whole covered with dunes; we drifted in a calm, our course being
North-west by West.
On the 23rd do. Latitude 26 deg. 3'; during the last twenty-four hours we
mostly drifted in a calm at about 3 or 4 miles' distance from the coast;
here we sighted a large inlet, looking like a river or bay. We sounded in
80 fathom, good sandy bottom; in the afternoon there was a light breeze
from the South-south-west, our course being North-west by West. In the
evening we saw the farthest extremity of the land north by east at six
miles' distance from us.
On the 26th do. Latitude 25 deg. 48', we did our best to keep off the land,
which extended North-north-west and East-south-east. The land looked like
the west-coast of England with many red
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