the west variation was 8 deg. 34'.

[* These two openings, which in the original are called rivers, were
nothing more than the entrance into Shark's Bay. A small island, lying a
little within the entrance, probably made it be taken for two openings.]

No mention is made by Valentyn of the ships entering the road, nor of
their departure from it; but it should seem that they anchored on Feb. 4.
On the 5th, commodore Vlaming and the commander of the Nyptang went with
three boats to the shore, which proved to be an island. They found also a
river, and went up it four or five leagues, amongst rocks and shoals;
when they saw much water inland, as if the country were drowned, but no
men, nor any thing for food; and, wherever they dug, the ground was salt.
They afterwards came to another river, which they ascended about one
league, and found it to terminate in a round basin, and to be entirely
salt water. No men were seen, nor any animals, except divers which were
very shy; and the country was destitute of grass and trees. Returning
downward on the 10th, they saw footsteps of men and children, of the
common size, and observed the point of entrance into the river to be of a
very red sand.

The ships appear to have left Dirk Hartog's Road on Feb. 12. In the
evening, the west variation was observed to be 7 deg. 21'; am on the 13th,
they saw a cliffy point from whence three shoals, connected by a reef,
stretch out to the N. N. E. The shore here, in latitude 24 deg. 42', lies S.
by E. and N. by W. On the 16th, they passed round the point, and steered
southward along the inner side of this land; and having doubled its south
end, found that it was it was an island: their latitude was then 24 deg. 54'.

Feb. 17. The variation was observed to be 5 deg. west, in latitude 23 deg. 59'.
Eight miles south of this situation they saw a bay with a rugged point;
but to the northward the land was low: the variation was 7 deg. 3', in the
evening. They discovered some reefs on the 19th, lying three geographic
miles off shore; and also a point or cape (the North-west Cape) from
which a reef extended two miles to the N. N. W. On the north side of this
cape is a bay, where the Geelvink anchored; and a little further on
(eastward), the other two vessels found an _opening like a river, whose
entrance was twelve miles wide_. They went into it, _but could no where
find anchorage_. The bay is called _Willem's River_; and the two vessels
afterwards there