to save him than his money, for I
may tell you that neither you nor your ship's company would have been
allowed to leave this place had you not spoken to the king of the
ill-luck which these rubies bring to those who come not honestly by
them."

I thanked Mahomet for his frankness, which I promised to remember
should I ever have occasion to revisit Sumatra.

And now, all being ready, we put to sea, and by evening the island of
Sumatra had disappeared beyond the horizon.

CHAPTER XLVIII

STATEN LAND

Hartog believed, from an ancient Portuguese chart which we had with us,
that an island continent lay to the south-east, and after a lengthened
period, during which we encountered bad weather and rough sea, we
sighted a formidable coastline, which appeared to be a mainland
extending on either side as far as the eye could reach. We coasted
along this new-found country for several days in search of a landing
place, without being able to find one, the coast being a continuous
line of precipitous rocks. Toward the end of the third day we
encountered a canoe, the largest we had seen, containing upward of one
hundred natives. We offered food and other articles, but, although the
canoe came quite close to us, none of her people could be induced to
come on board.

These natives appeared to be strong and fierce, nor did they show the
least fear of us, but rather an intention to begin hostilities when an
opportunity should offer. In view of this we loaded our brass cannon,
and made ready a supply of ammunition in case they should attack us.
But after keeping company with us for some time the canoe made off, and
Hartog had no mind to follow it.

Next morning we hove to off a pebbly beach, upon which I undertook to
land a boat's crew and examine the country. Hartog sent two boats, one
in my charge and the other in charge of Janstins. The sea was smooth,
so that we had no difficulty in running the boats ashore, where,
leaving a man aboard each, the rest of us followed the course of a
stream inland. Here we soon came to a valley so beautiful as almost to
defy description. Colossal trees rose to a great height above our
heads, festooned with a flowering creeper which resembled a bridal
veil, whilst emerald green ferns stretched their fronds into a stream
which descended from the higher land beyond by a series of cascades. A
kind of flax plant grew here, with leaves over nine feet long, and
bearing a flower which looked like