[* The Abbe Prevost in his Hist. gen. des Voyages, Tome XVI. (a la Haye) p. 79-81, has given some account of Vlaming’s voyage in French; but the observations on the coast between Shark’s Bay and Willem’s River are there wholly omitted.]

A Dutch ship, called the Ridderschap, having been missing from the time she had left the Cape of Good Hope, in 1684 or 1685, it was thought probable she might have been wrecked upon the GREAT SOUTH LAND, and that some of the crew might (in 1696) be still living.  Accordingly, the commodore Willem de Vlaming, who was going out to India with the Geelvink, Nyptang, and Wezel, was ordered to make a search for them.

On Dec. 28, the ships got soundings in 48 fathoms, coral bottom; in latitude 31 deg. 53’, and longitude 133 deg. 44’ (east, apparently, from the Peak of Teneriffe, 16 deg. 45’ to the west of Greenwich); where the variation was observed to be 10 deg. 28’ west:  they afterwards had 25 fathoms, on better ground.  On the 29th, they anchored under the island Rottenest, which lies in lat. 31 deg. 50’, long. 134 deg. 25’;* and next day, a piece of wood, which had some time been fixed to the deck of a ship, was found upon the shore; but the nails were then rusted away.  Fire wood was abundant here.

[* The account in Van Keulen is somewhat different.  He says “we steered for the Land of Endragt:  and on Dec. 28, got soundings in 63 fathoms, sandy bottom.  The ensuing day we had 30 fathoms, and the coast was then in sight.  The Island Rottenest, in 32 deg. south latitude, was the land we steered for; and we had from 30 to 10 fathoms, in which last we anchored on a sandy bottom.”]

VLAMING. 1697.

Jan. 5.  Vlaming went on shore (to the main coast), with eighty-eight armed men, and walked inland to the eastward.  There were a few large, and some small trees, from which dropped a kind of gum-lac; but they found nothing which could be used as food:  the birds were small cockatoos and green parrots, and both were very shy.  At the end of three hours walk they came to a piece of water, which was salt, and upon the beach were footsteps of full-grown persons and of children.  No men were seen, but they observed many smokes; and found three deserted huts, so low and ill-constructed as to be inferior to those of the Hottentots.

On the 6th, they divided themselves into three parties:  one took to the north, another to the south, and the third went four miles east, more into the interior; but, except one or two decayed huts, they met with nothing.  Being returned to the salt lake without finding fresh water, they dug a pit near the side of it, and obtained wherewith to relieve their thirst.  The lake had fallen a foot, which showed it to have a communication with the sea; and they afterwards found the outlet, a little to the southward.  No noxious animal of any kind was seen; and after remaining on shore all night, they returned on board on the 7th.  The ships were then anchored nearer to the land, with the entrance of the lake or river bearing S. E. by E. The commodore afterwards went up this river, to the distance of fourteen or sixteen leagues, and caught some smelts, as also several black swans, of which two were taken alive to Batavia.*