ered a reef four geographic
miles in length, and two miles from the shore, they sailed from thence on
Jan. 13. The wind was from the southward; and whilst the ships steered N.
by W., parallel to the coast, the boats ran along within them, to examine
it more closely. On the 15th, the people from the boats reported that
they had seen neither men nor animals, and very few trees; but had met
with a reef near the shore, in 30 deg. 17'; and many shoals, both under and
above water.

Fires upon the land were seen from all the ships in the night of Jan. 16;
and next day, a boat was sent with armed people; but they returned with
nothing, except some sea-mews which had been caught upon the islands and
shoals lying along the coast. On the 18th, the ships were in latitude 30 deg.
30', and found the variation to be 9 deg. 21' west; and the 20th, some small
islands were seen, and shrubs observed on the main land. On the 23rd,
they were near a steep head, in 28 deg. 8', and sent a boat to the shore; but
the high surf prevented landing. People were perceived walking on the
downs, but at too great a distance to distinguish more than that they
were of the common stature, black, and naked.* The boat got on shore soon
afterward, when some brackish water was found; and having landed again on
the 27th, the people saw some huts, as also the footsteps of men, and
some birds; but there was no other vegetation than small shrubs. Some
very indifferent water was the sole useful thing met with, and it was too
far off for any to be taken on board.

[* It was near this place that captain Pelsert put the two Dutch
conspirators on shore in 1629. Vlaming appears to have passed within
_Houtman's Abrolhos_ without seeing them.]

Jan. 30. The boats were again sent on shore, and discovered two inlets,
of which the southernmost, in latitude 26 deg. 16', was three miles in width.
On Feb. 2, they found two other openings, very deep, one of which ran up
northward, and the other to the east, far inland. They went eleven
leagues up the first of these, and found that it had another
communication with the sea, to the N. N. W.* On the 3rd, a boat brought
the above account; and also, that the chief mate of the Geelvink had
found a plate of tin, with an inscription commemorating the arrival and
departure of _Dirk Hartog_. (See the inscription under the article
Hartog, preceding.) This Road of Dirk Hartog's Bay, where the plate had
been set up, is in 25 deg. 24'; and