were of the common stature, black, and naked.* The boat got on shore soon
afterward, when some brackish water was found; and having landed again on
the 27th, the people saw some huts, as also the footsteps of men, and
some birds; but there was no other vegetation than small shrubs. Some
very indifferent water was the sole useful thing met with, and it was too
far off for any to be taken on board.

[* It was near this place that captain Pelsert put the two Dutch
conspirators on shore in 1629. Vlaming appears to have passed within
_Houtman's Abrolhos_ without seeing them.]

Jan. 30. The boats were again sent on shore, and discovered two inlets,
of which the southernmost, in latitude 26° 16', was three miles in width.
On Feb. 2, they found two other openings, very deep, one of which ran up
northward, and the other to the east, far inland. They went eleven
leagues up the first of these, and found that it had another
communication with the sea, to the N. N. W.* On the 3rd, a boat brought
the above account; and also, that the chief mate of the Geelvink had
found a plate of tin, with an inscription commemorating the arrival and
departure of _Dirk Hartog_. (See the inscription under the article
Hartog, preceding.) This Road of Dirk Hartog's Bay, where the plate had
been set up, is in 25° 24'; and the west variation was 8° 34'.

[* These two openings, which in the original are called rivers, were
nothing more than the entrance into Shark's Bay. A small island, lying a
little within the entrance, probably made it be taken for two openings.]

No mention is made by Valentyn of the ships entering the road, nor of
their departure from it; but it should seem that they anchored on Feb. 4.
On the 5th, commodore Vlaming and the commander of the Nyptang went with