46 NORTHMOST AUSTRALIA 



along the land. Midday latitude 16 30', wind W. by N. So we made for the land, 

 two full hours before sunset, with foresail only, so as not to outpace the ' Aernem ' 

 (which was a howitzer shot behind us), and in the evening, in 3 fathoms, \\ miles from 

 the land, hung out a lantern, that the ' Aernem ' might keep clear of us when dropping 

 anchor, but this proved useless, because it is quite clear that, with deliberate malice 

 and perversity, and contrary to the instructions and resolution, she ran away from us 

 and shaped a course for Aru (to have a good time there) ; but that time will show." 



[The few particulars available regarding the subsequent pro- 

 ceedings of the " Aernem " will be mentioned later on. R. L. J.] 



" In the morning of the 28^, the wind E. by S., lovely weather, the skipper landed 

 here with the boat, to look for water, and sunk several holes in the sand, without 

 finding any : therefore set sail, course NE. by N., in 2, 3, 4 and 5 fathoms, along the 

 land, and had got 2 miles [10 minutes] when a violent land wind drove us off the 

 land, and we anchored in 3 fathoms : and the BLACKS made on the land such a great 

 fire and smoke that we could hardly see the shore. In the night, in the first watch, 

 again set sail, and, having gained 3^ miles NNE., anchored in 2 fathoms. 



" In the morning of the 29^, wind SE., good weather, course NE. by E., ran 

 I \ miles along the land, in 2\ and 3 fathoms, and anchored in 2 fathoms, and here also, as 

 before, landed to look for water. Several pits were dug, a good way in from the shore, 

 and no fresh water was found. Here the BLACKS showed themselves at a distance, 

 but were too shy to parley, nor did we succeed in luring any towards us by any sort of 

 strategy. At noon, in the latitude of 16 10', we passed an inlet which is named the 

 REVIER NASSAU in the chart, and having satisfied ourselves [by landing or by observation 

 from the sea ? R. L. J.] that nothing profitable could be done here, set sail again, 

 the wind E., course NNE., along the land, and in the evening anchored in 2^ fathoms." 



[EDITORIAL NOTE. The inlet, in lat. 16 10', named the 

 NASSAU by Carstenszoon was, no doubt, the mouth of the unnamed 

 creek between Leichhardt's " Rocky Creek " and the " Staaten 

 River " of modern land maps. The creek in question has been 

 traced from east to west through the pastoral blocks Rocky No. 2, 

 Wynola No. 4 and Wynola No. 3 for a distance of about 13 miles. 

 It may be referred to as the NASSAU de jure, to distinguish it from 

 the NASSAU de facto, which falls into the Gulf in lat. I555 / . The 

 lower course of the Nassau de facto has been named the Nassau 

 from an erroneous identification of it with the Nassau de jure, while 

 its upper course is known as Dunbar Creek. This creek or river 

 is one of the mouths of Leichhardt's MITCHELL RIVER. 



The Nassau de jure traverses the continuous deltas of the 

 Mitchell and the Staaten dejacto, and in times of high flood would 

 probably be found to be connected with both rivers, as in the 

 whole of this coastal flat the mouths of the large rivers anastomose 

 in a manner which could only be satisfactorily traced in flood 

 seasons (when nobody goes there) with the aid of a canoe. It 

 is, perhaps, more likely that a canoe survey would prove the 

 Nassau de jure to be a trickle emanating from the Mitchell River 

 than from the Staten River dejacto. 



Although it is quite clear that the inland rivers have, in many 

 cases, been erroneously identified with the " reviers," or inlets, 



