274 



DISCOVERY OP VAN DJEMKNS LAND. 



Branca off' the coast of China, and sailed past the en- 

 trance of D'Entrecasteaux Channel without entering it, 

 though in his chart he marks an opening in (he coast. 

 Rounding the Friars (which he called Boreels Isles) on 

 November 29 he bore up for a large bay, intending to 

 anchor there. When he had almost reached his intended 

 anchorage* a heavy storm arose, and he was driven out 

 so far to sea that next morning lie could hardly discern 

 the land. It was from this incident that Storm Bay got 

 its name. When the wind moderated he continued his 

 easterly course, and rounding Tasman's Island (the 

 Pillar) he turned northward along the east coast of Tas 

 man's and Forestier's Peninsulas until, on December ] , 

 an hour after sunset, he came to an anchor in a good 

 port in 22 fathoms, the bottom fine, light-grey sand. 

 " Wherefore," says Tasman piously, " we ought to lift 

 up thankful hearts to Almighty God." The position of 

 this anchorage, as shown in Tasman's chart, is north- 

 west of the rocky islet now called Green Island, just 

 north of the basaltic cliffs of Cape Frederick Henry. 



On December 2, early in the morning, the boat was 

 sent to explore, and entered a bay a good 4 miles to the 

 north west (Blackmail's Bay). The boat was absent all 

 day, and returned in the evening with a quantity of 

 green stuff which was found fit to cook for vegetables. 

 The crew reported that they had rowed some miles after 

 passing through the entrance to the bay (now known as 

 tbe Narrows). They had heard human voices, and a 

 sound like a trumpet or small gong (probably a cooey), 

 but had seen no one. They saw trees from 12 to 15 feet 

 round, and 60 to 65 feet up to the first branch. In the 

 bark of these trees steps had been hacked with a flint for 

 the purpose of climbing to the birds' nests. From the 

 steps being five feet apart they inferred that the natives 

 were either very tallt, or had some unknown method of 

 climbing. The forest was thin and unencumbered by 

 scrub, and many of the tree trunks were deeply burnt by 

 fire. In the bay were great numbers of gulls, ducks, 

 and geese. At various times during the day both the 

 boats' crews and the people on board the ships had seen 

 smoke rising from different points on shore, " so that 

 without doubt in this place must be men, and these of 

 uncommon height." 



* The anchorage he aimed at was the fame where Fnmcaux anchored in 

 1773, and which he named Adventure Bay. 



tTbe early navigators had a fixed idea that these southern lands were 

 inhabited by giants. At the Three Kings, north of New Zealand, Tasman 

 describes the men they saw wanting on the shore as being of gigantic stature. 



