138 PELSART GROUP. 



others four feet, in which the sea birds burrow, and 

 which, from what I have since seen of the much 

 sought after guano, I believe to contain some of that 

 valuable substance. In some of the islands forming 

 Houtman's Abrolhos which we subsequently ex- 

 amined, I found similar signs of the presence of this 

 manure, which I think worthy of being made the 

 subject of inquiry. 



On the south part of the island I found a block 

 of scoria measuring three feet by two ; which, though 

 not appearing to possess the power of floating, must 

 have been brought by the current from the volcanic 

 island of St. Paul's. We saw a few hair seals on 

 the beach when we landed, and a rich kind of 

 rock oyster was found at low water. 



On the south-west point of the island the beams 

 of a large vessel were discovered, and as the crew 

 of the Zeewyk, lost in 1728, reported having seen 

 the wreck of a ship on this part, there is little 

 doubt that the remains were those of the Ba- 

 tavia, Commodore Pelsart, lost in 1627- We 

 in consequence named our temporary anchorage 

 Batavia Road, and the whole group Pelsart Group. 

 It was the wreck of this Dutch ship that led to the 

 discovery of this part of the continent of Australia, 

 Commodore Pelsart himself having crossed over 

 to it in a boat in search of water. 



April 8. — In the afternoon we got under weigh, 

 with a fresh south wind. The low neck over which 

 the boat was hauled, and which appeared like a gap 



