VOYAGE OF THE " PERA " AND " AERNEM " 51 



in danger. If, on the other hand, we could make use of trained 

 and proved soldiers (who are really necessary on such an expedi- 

 tion), we might make good reddings and scourings. 1 Still, in 

 spite of all these obstacles and difficulties, we have spared neither 

 labour, trouble nor risk, with the means at our command, to 

 inquire into everything, for our honour and reputation, and that 

 nothing may pass unmarked, the following are the results of our 

 investigations : 



" The land between 13 and 17 8' is a dry and barren tract, 

 without any fruit trees or anything that man could make use of. 

 It is low and flat, without mountains or heights, overgrown in 

 many places with scrub and stunted timber, with little fresh water 

 and what there is must be collected in holes dug for the purpose. 

 There is also an entire absence of capes or inlets, except for a few 

 bights not sheltered from the sea winds. It extends mainly N. 

 by E. and S. by W., with clay- and sand-bottomed shoals, with 

 numerous salt inlets extending into the interior, across which the 

 natives ferry their women and children by means of dry logs or 

 boughs of trees. The men are in general utter barbarians and 

 built very much alike as to shape and features, pitch black and 

 stark naked, with a braided net on head or neck for keeping their 

 food in, the same consisting, so far as we could make out, of roots 

 which they dig out of the earth, very evil-smelling. Their resi- 

 dences or dwelling-places appeared to us to be on the beaches 

 during the easterly monsoons, as there we saw numerous huts made 

 of hay. We also saw many dogs, herons and water curlews and 

 other wild fowl, and also delicate fish, which may easily be caught 

 with a seine net. They have absolutely no acquaintance with 

 gold, silver, tin, iron, lead or copper, nor even with nutmegs, 

 cloves or pepper, all of which we repeatedly showed them without 

 their evincing any sign of recognising or setting any value on the 

 same. From all of which, taken together with the rest of our 

 observations, it may safely be concluded that they are poor and 

 miserable creatures who prize most such things as iron and beads. 

 Their weapons are shields, assegais and callaways, of the length 

 of i- fathoms, made of light wood and cane, some with fish-bones 

 and others with human bones fastened to them. As we dis- 

 covered, they are particularly expert in throwing them by means 

 of a stick half a fathom in length, on which a hook is bound, so as 

 to catch the upper part of the callaway or assegai." 

 The text of the diary continues : 



" In the morning of the gth, the wind ESE., good weather : whereupon set sail, 

 course NE. along the land, and after running 2 miles [8 minutes], anchored close to 

 the shore in 9 fathoms [Pera Head. R. L. J.]. I LANDED IN PERSON, with 10 



1 " Reddinge ende scheuringh," pickings of odds and ends. The old English verb 

 " to redd " means to clean up. Stoffel's free rendering of the phrase is " we might have 

 done a good deal of useful work." R. L. J. 



