they anchored under the island _Rottenest_, which
lies in lat. 31 deg. 50', long. 134 deg. 25';* and next day, a piece of wood,
which had some time been fixed to the deck of a ship, was found upon the
shore; but the nails were then rusted away. Fire wood was abundant here.

[* The account in _Van Keulen_ is somewhat different. He says "we steered
for the Land of Endragt: and on Dec. 28, got soundings in 63 fathoms,
sandy bottom. The ensuing day we had 30 fathoms, and the coast was then
in sight. The Island Rottenest, in 32 deg. south latitude, was the land we
steered for; and we had from 30 to 10 fathoms, in which last we anchored
on a sandy bottom."]

VLAMING. 1697.

Jan. 5. Vlaming went on shore (to the main coast), with eighty-eight
armed men, and walked inland to the eastward. There were a few large, and
some small trees, from which dropped a kind of _gum-lac_; but they found
nothing which could be used as food: the birds were small cockatoos and
green parrots, and both were very shy. At the end of three hours walk
they came to a piece of water, which was salt, and upon the beach were
footsteps of full-grown persons and of children. No men were seen, but
they observed many smokes; and found three deserted huts, so low and
ill-constructed as to be inferior to those of the Hottentots.

On the 6th, they divided themselves into three parties: one took to the
north, another to the south, and the third went four miles east, more
into the interior; but, except one or two decayed huts, they met with
nothing. Being returned to the salt lake without finding fresh water,
they dug a pit near the side of it, and obtained wherewith to relieve
their thirst. The lake had fallen a foot, which showed it to have a
communication with the sea; and they afterwards found the outlet, a
little to the southward. No noxious animal of any kind was seen; and
after remaining on shore all night, they returned on board on the 7th.
The ships were then anchored nearer to the land, with the entrance of the
lake or river bearing S. E. by E. The commodore afterwards went up this
river, to the distance of fourteen or sixteen leagues, and caught some
smelts, as also several black swans, of which two were taken alive to
Batavia.*

[* This appears to be the first mention made of the black swan: the river
was named _Black-Swan River_.]

Having clearly ascertained the latitude (of the ships at anchor, most
probably,) to be 31 deg. 43' south, and discov