1 
lii INTRODUCTION. \JPrior Discoveries. 
The Vianen. president's account does not render it improbable, that the country 
1628 
might have received its name in the way he describes, and in the 
year 1628; for, in 164,4, De Witt's Land is used as a known term 
for this part of the North-west Coast. 
Fblsert. Thus far, the parts of the Western Coasts have been distinguished 
1629 ' by little else than the dates and limits of their discovery ; for, in 
fact, this is all that has reached us from these early navigators. 
The following account is of a different character: it is extracted 
from the twenty-first piece in Thevenot's collection; and, in the 
table of contents, is said to be translated from the Dutch. 
The Batavia, commanded by Francisco Pelsert, struck, in the 
night of June 4, 1629, upon a reef, " called by our Flemings the 
" Abrolhos or Rocks of Frederick Houtman," lying off the west coast 
of New Holland. At daylight, an island was seen about three 
leagues distant, and two islets, or rather rocks, somewhat nearer, 
to which the passengers and part of the crew were sent. There 
being no fresh water to be found upon these islands, Pelsert had a 
deck laid over one of the boats; and, on June 8, put to sea, in order 
to make search upon the opposite main land : his latitude, at noon, 
was 2 8° 13' south. 
A short time after quitting the Abrolhos, captain Pelsert got sight 
of the coast, which, by estimation, bore N. by W. eight leagues 
from the place of shipwreck.* He had 25 to 30 fathoms, and stood 
off till midnight, when he again steered for the land ; and in the 
morning of the 9th, it was four leagues off. He ran that day from 
five to seven leagues, sometimes to the north, sometimes to the west ; 
the direction of the coast being N. by W. : it appeared to be rocky, 
— without trees, — and about the same height as the coast of Dover. 
* Thevenot says six milles, and does not explain what kind of miles they are ; but it 
is most probable that he literally copies his original, and that they are Dutch miles of 
fifteen to a degree. Van Keulen, in speaking of Houtman's Abrolhos, says, page 19 } 
u This shoal is, as we believe, 11 or 12 leagues (8 a 9 mijlen) from the coast." 
