Inscriptions left by Early European Navigators. 11 



March 28, 1529, and reached Sumatra the same year, where one of 

 the brothers, Jean, died in December. But apart from the name of 

 the home port, there seems to be no connection with that of the ships 

 or the dates. 



The only instance of French vessels being recorded near Table 

 Bay, but not in Table Bay as is generally believed, in these early 

 times, is by the Dutch Commander Spilbergen, a record corroborated 

 by the narrative of Francois Pyrard, from Laval, who was on board 

 an expedition from St. Malo, consisting of two vessels, Le Croissant 

 and Le Corbin. under the command of La Bardeliere. The accounts 

 of both leave no doubt that the French vessels met the Dutch 

 Commander sailing out of the Bay, and did not land. 



It does not, therefore, seem improbable that this French graved 

 record is that of one of the vessels that left Dieppe in 1526 ; in 

 which case this is the oldest inscription other than the Mossel Bay. 



POST OFFICE STONES. 



From the end of the sixteenth and the beginning of the seven- 

 teenth century many vessels, other than Portuguese, touched at 

 Table Bay in order to obtain fresh provisions from the natives. 

 Anthony Marlow, on board the English ship Hector in 1602, says, 

 speaking of Table Bay, " the best and cheapest place to refresh men 

 in these voyages that ever ship can come to " ; and it is recorded 

 that on the first voyage of an English squadron to the East Indies 

 begun under command of the Admiral G. Eaymond, who perished 

 with the Flag-ship, and finished by Captain James Lancaster, they 

 put into Table Bay where ultimately thirty natives brought forty 

 bullocks and about as many sheep, of which the English got a 

 good supply, giving two knives for an ox. These vessels left 

 graved on flat stones inscriptions recording the name of the ship 

 and of her captain and the dates of arrival and departure. Letters 

 were often also placed beneath these stones, as borne out by the 

 inscriptions. 



In these early days a stream descending from Table Mountain 

 ran to the sea, discharging its water into Table Bay near what is 

 now Adderley Street, and there it was that the mariners landed, 

 to till their water-casks at or near the bottom of Strand Street, where 

 was a large sand-dune continued as far as the present Green Point 

 Common. 



Most of the inscribed stones recovered have been found near what 

 is now Adderley Street, with the exception of two English which 

 were used, intentionally or not, in building the walls of the " Castle " 



