THE "RIJDER" (GONZAL) 79 



fishing-lines, claws of animals used for fish-hooks, and spears barbed 

 with bone. The description of the country could not possibly 

 apply to any portion of the adjacent Cape York Peninsula. There 

 were very rich soil, tall grasses, long straight timber and fine 

 valleys with rills of fresh water. Several landings were subsequently 

 made for the purpose of taking in water and firewood before the 

 " Rijder " put out to sea again on 26th April. Her next recorded 

 course was ENE., " following the trend of the coast," in 5, 6 or 

 7 fathoms. The coast-line of Prince of Wales Island, it is true, 

 takes this direction from the north-western point of the island, but 

 modern charts show that it would have been impossible to carry 

 the depth of water indicated for any distance on an ENE. course. 

 The presumption is that after an unsuccessful attempt on this im- 

 possible coast-line, the ship stood out to sea until she had cleared the 

 Gerard and Larpent Banks and then followed the Prince of Wales 

 Channel east-north-eastward, passing the north sides of GOOD and 

 HAMMOND ISLANDS. The anchor was dropped on 28 th April in 

 10 30' S. The only land in this latitude is WEDNESDAY ISLAND. 

 Here a party LANDED, but found only bark huts inhabited by 

 NATIVES, who fled into the woods. The ship's boat was beached 

 and repaired. The " Rijder " herself lay at anchor till i$th May, 

 to give the " Buijs " a chance of rejoining her. 



Had Gonzal taken the " Rijder " east of Wednesday Island, he 

 would have had a clear way into the Coral Sea and the Pacific 

 Ocean, but he turned back on I3th May with the intention of 

 following the coast to the south. He kept well out from the land, 

 and, in fact, overdid it in his natural desire for sea-room, and it was 

 not until 24th May that he again sighted LAND (south of the 

 Pennefather River Tasman's Prince Revier), in 12 18' S. (SEE 

 MAP B.) Drawing closer to the shore, he anchored on 2$th May 

 in 12 26' S. (9 miles north of Duyfken Point). 



" As they lay at anchor at about I or i miles distance from the shore, they 

 saw two of the previously described canoes paddling up to the ship, each containing 

 two men, who, when they had got near the ship, by signs and cries began to signify 

 to our men that they wished them to come ashore. The following day, being the 

 26tb of May, our men went ashore at daybreak, and on landing found several persons 

 there, who, however, all took to flight directly. They also saw two dogs, 1 not unlike 

 Bengal jackals. The persons who had fled shortly afterwards returned to them, 

 when they found them armed with the assegays above described. They were 

 accompanied by a number of womenfolk who were clothed with a sort of mat. The 

 natives then all of them sat down on the beach near our men, who made signs to them 

 that they were seeking fresh water, upon which the natives rose and signified their 

 willingness to point out the places where water was obtainable. And so it happened 

 that our men were taken along the beach for a short distance and conducted to a 

 beautiful valley with fine trees. This seemed to be the home of the natives, as there 

 were more women and children and also some places where they lived, consisting 

 merely of shelters beneath the trees covered in with bark. The water which was found 

 here welled up through artificial openings. They walked round and inspected the 



1 They were thus the first white men to record having seen the DINGO. 



