210 Transactions of the South African Philosophical Society. 
form of ‘‘Steenbras,’’ one of the most familiar names at the Cape. 
It is called Steenbras, White Steenbras, Kaapsche Blaauwe Steen- 
bras. This last name, which I give on the authority of Pappe, does 
not seem to be now in popular use. Curiously enough the same fish 
seems to be known at Mossel Bay and Knysna as Vorkbek, or 
Varkebek, evidently corruptions of Vark-bek, literally Pig-nose. It 
may be that the Dutch who had spread to these places, not being of 
the seafaring class, or having lost their recollection of the fish of the 
fatherland, had invented this new name on account of the resemblance 
of the snout of this fish to that of a pig, and probably also on 
account of its habit of grubbing in the mud. If this is so the name 
throws an interesting side-light on the progress of early colonisation. 
As regards the fish that looked like a Haddock, I am at a loss to 
know to what this could refer, and it is interesting to note that the 
name has not survived. It may have been a small Geelbek or 
Kabeljauw. 
Van Riebeek’s enthusiasm as to the superiority of the flavour of 
Cape fish has also not survived. Perhaps it is to be regarded as a 
tinge of the exaggeration and romance of those early voyagers to 
whom the world was then only becoming known. 
The following entry is found at a later date (July 24th): ‘‘ Stock 
fish supply exhausted—resolved to catch fresh fish to be supplied 
3 times a day as long as the heavy work lasts. Went out fishing 
yesterday ; caught 400 Steenbraesem and about 2,000 Harders, which 
we salted. Would that fresh meat were so abundant!” Harders are 
here mentioned for the first time, and the name applied to a South 
African fish which closely resembles the Dutch ‘‘ Harder” (Mugil 
chelo) or English ‘‘ Grey Mullet” (Mugil capito). The Dutch name 
Harder has survived in the Colony, and I know of no locality where 
the English name is used. 
The mention of Stock fish is of interest. It occurs again in an 
entry in the Journal of October 21, 1655, and the context clearly 
shows that reference is made to the preserved fish brought out from 
Holland and not to the fish now known as Stok-visch at the Cape. 
The term is used in Holland with two different significations: (1) 
As dried Cod, called in Holland Kabeljaauw (Gadus morrhua) in 
opposition to salted Cod called “ Laberdaan”’; (2) as the popular 
name for Merluciwus vulgaris known as ‘‘ Hake”’ in England, and now 
known in South Africa, where the same fish occurs, as the Stok- 
visch, or Stock-fish. 
In no instance can I discover that Van Riebeek refers to the South 
African fish under this name, and in this I am confirmed by 
Mr. Leibrandt, who is of opinion that this may be explained by 
