LOPE DE VEGA. 41 



would be recorded in Maori song and dance. If in 170° W. 

 Longitude, Samoa and Fiji would have occupied the atten- 

 tion of the wanderer. If in 170° E. Longitude, the New 

 Hebrides and Caledonia would have been investigated. 

 But if the parting took place in 9° S. Latitude and 180° 

 Longitude, they would clear the Isle of Pines with a 

 spanking trade wind and make a landfall at Port Mac- 

 quarie, as hundreds of south sea traders have done since. 

 Can we not see the picture at sunrise one bright November 

 morning in 1595 ? The land as far as eye could reach to 

 north and south. Can we not hear the shout " Te Deum 

 laudamns, te Dominum confitemur "? Hark ! The blaring 

 of the trumpets. The throbbing of the alligator drums. 



Here they would fall into the usual spring routine of 

 north-easters and southerly bursters which have existed 

 since Australia was, and which would enable them to visit 

 all the coast to Cape Howe, and call it sombre, barren and 

 goldless. If Sydney was visited and described or charted, 

 North Head and South Head would be shown as islands. 

 It is sufficient to indicate the sand dunes between Bondi 

 and Rose Bay. The oldest one is that on which the Golf 

 Club-house stands. The second one had its growth stunted 

 by the Old South Head Road passing along its crest. The 

 third one has been formed within the last few decades. 

 Retracing their steps, Sandy Cape would appear to be the 

 northern limit of the Great Southern Continent, but a few 

 hours sail to the westward would pick up the land again, 

 which of necessity they would follow by the Inner Route, 

 wondering as they went further how they were going to 

 beat back. Arriving at Raine Island and seeing the open 

 ocean, they would gladly avail themselves of the passage, 

 and coasting the outer edge of the Barrier, get embayed 

 near Murray Islands, where so many other ships have 

 left their bones. There was nothing for it but to rush the 



