lxxx 
INTRODUCTION. 
[Prior Discoveries, 
Tasman. none were seen, though their noise was heard. Muscles were found 
1G43 * sticking to bushes, in different places. The country was covered 
with trees ; but so thinly scattered, that one might see every where 
to a great distance amongst them, and distinguish men and animals. 
Several of the trees were much burnt about the foot ; and the 
" ground was here and there like little squares ( vuysterchen ) , and 
" become as hard as stone, by fire." 
A short time before the boats returned, a thick smoke had been 
observed upon the continent, to the west of where the ships lay at 
anchor; and from the people staying so much longer than they had 
been ordered, it was thought to have been made by them, as a signal. 
But on inquiry, they answered in the negative ; and said that they, 
also, had seen smoke in several places; and bushes — (here seems 
to be a line omitted. ) " So that without doubt, here must be ex- 
" ceedingly tall people." 
Dec. 3. A boat was sent to the south-east part of the ( outer ) bay, 
and found fresh water ; but it broke through the low shore to the 
sea, and was brackish ; and the soil was too rocky to dig wells. In 
the afternoon, commodore Tasman went, with several officers from 
both vessels in two boats, to the south-east extremity of the bay; 
taking with them the Prince's flag, and a post upon which was cut 
a compass, to be erected on shore. One of the boats was obliged to 
return, from the bad weather ; but the shallop went to a little cove 
W. S. W. of the ships. The surf being there too high to admit of 
landing, the first carpenter, Pieter Jacobsz, swam on shore with the 
post and Prince's flag ; and set it up near the last of four remark- 
able trees, which stood in the form of a crescent, in the middle of the 
cove. " When the first carpenter had done this, in the sight of me 
" Abel J. Tasman, of the master Gerrit Jansz, and under-merchant 
" Abraham Coo/nans, we went with the shallop as near as possible 
" to the shore, and the said carpenter swam back, through the surf. 
We then returned on board ; and left this as a memorial to the 
