250 



THE DISCOVERY OF AUSTRALIA 



by women, children, sick people, and faint-hearted men," 

 they thought it best to land the greater part. Pelsart 

 tells the story in detail ; the difficult landing of one hundred 

 and eighty persons on one barren rocky island, of forty 

 on another ; the brutal behaviour of the crew who made 

 themselves drunk with wine ; the discovery that water 

 had been forgotten ; the failure of the attempt to communi- 

 cate with the fast-breaking ship, which had at last to 

 be left with seventy men on board " on the very point 

 of perishing." 



The survivors on the waterless islands were " not in 

 much better condition." It was resolved that Pelsart 

 should take a crew in the pinnace, should seek water 

 on the neighbouring islands or on the coast, and, if none 

 were found, should " at the mercy of God, continue the 

 voyage to Batavia." They found only brackish water 

 on the islands. The coast was " barren and rocky," 

 they failed to land, and were nearly overwhelmed by a 

 storm. They sailed North, and the coast " seemed to 

 us a barren accursed earth, without leafage or grass"." 

 In 24 they saw smoke ; and, concluding that smoke meant 

 men and water, six men swam ashore on " a steeply rising 

 coast, full of rocks and stones, and with the surf running 

 violently." They saw four black men, stark naked, 

 creeping up to them on all fours, who ran away in full 

 career when approached. But they found no water, 

 and swam on board grievously wounded by the rocks. 

 They landed again in 23, and found rain-water in the 

 cavities of a rock, and " somewhat quenched our cruel 

 thirst, which almost prevented us from dragging ourselves 

 along." But still there was no running water, and the 

 higher ground was still barren and unpromising, without 

 trees, shrubs or grass. They saw high ant-hills in all 

 directions, which from afar somewhat resembled huts 

 for the abode of men. And multitudes of flies " perched 

 on our mouths, and crept into our eyes." They went 

 on to 22 I/', and then struck for Batavia, where they 

 arrived on the 7th of July, " God be thanked and praised ! " 

 Pelsart in his pinnace had sailed from 283- to 22 17^', 



