Mabrabomma, what manner of Isle.
Some Merchants that were call’d the Austrian Company, fitted out one Schouten in great danger. Ship with sixty five, and a Ketch with two and twenty Sea-men, giving Incredible many Eggs. the Command thereof to the Captains Schouten and Le Maire: Anno 1615. they Great Corps. Weigh’d Anchor from the Texel; the first took a view of one of the three Ketch burnt. Islands, call’d Mabrabomma, lying before Cape Sierra Leona. This Island appearing Strange Horn. a great height out of the Sea, was not inhabited, they seeing onely three Wild Buffles, many Wild Cats, Birds which bark’d like Dogs, Wild Palm-Trees, Lemon-Trees, Turtles, Crocodiles, Partridges, and Storks: From hence, passing by the dangerous Shelf Abrolhos, they ran into Porto Desire, where on the Rocks they found abundance of Eggs, and Spierings, or Smelts, and Spiregrass sixteen Inches long, wherefore they call’d that Inlet Spierings-Bay. Their Sloop also brought two Sea-Lions, and one hundred and fifty Penguins from the Penguin Isles, having Sail’d two Leagues up the River; in the interim, the ground being meer Stone, and their Anchors coming home, the great Ship drove against a Rock, and at Ebbing Water, broke off the outermost Planks and Iron-Work, and the Ketch also striking on a high Shelf, was at low Ebb two Fathom with her Keel above the Water, and had without peradventure been overset, and bilg’d, but a fresh North-West Wind kept her upright, yet at last, the Weather growing calm, she lean’d, but the Tide coming in very fast, set her afloat, so that she was miraculously sav’d; then setting Sail again to King’s-Island, they found so many Eggs of black Mews, that one without stirring from his place, might reach above fifty Nests, and in each of them at least three Eggs, which they carry’d aboard by thousands. Their Boat Rowing Southerly down the River, found some Ostriches, and Beasts not unlike Stags, but with exceeding long Necks. On the Hills lay Stones heap’d one upon another, which removing, they found Dead Bodies of eleven Foot long; here they spent their time in cleansing their Ships, and new Sheathing the Ketch, but as they were Tallowing, the Flame accidentally got between the Crevisses which immediately taking Fire, in a short time consum’d it to Ashes: The great Ship had gotten a Horn in her Bow, seven Foot under Water; this Horn being firm without any hollowness, and not unlike a great Elephants Tooth, struck thorow two Ashen and one Oaken Plank, sticking in a Rib of the like Wood, and yet above half a Foot remain’d out to be seen.
Great Mews.
At length Schouten Weighing Anchor from Porto Desire, and Sailing to four and fifty Degrees Southern Latitude, met whole Shoals of Whales, insomuch, that he was fain to Tacque to and again to shun them. Sea-Pies, bigger than Swans, came flying in great numbers aboard, suffering themselves to be taken with the hand. On the North-side they spy’d a high and scraggy Coast spreading it self to the East South-East, which they call’d, The States Countrey, that which lay to the Westward of it, Maurice of Nassau, the Islands in fifty seven Degrees Barnevield’s Isles, and the sharp Point in which lay the Snowy Mountains, Southward of the Magellan Straights end, the Cape of Hoorn.
Straights Le Maire.
Schouten had now gotten the height of fifty nine Degrees, when he enter’d the South-Sea, through the new passage between Mauritius and the States-Countrey, which was call’d from his Partner, The Straights of Le Maire.
Isles in the South-Sea.
Near the two Isles Juan Fernando, they found great store of Fish, after that they view’d these Islands, that lay scatter’d up and down the South-Sea, each of them they nam’d according to their several occasions, calling the first, The Isle of Dogs, because they have abundance of Dogs there that could not bark: Another, The Bottomless Island, because the Sea was so deep about it, that they could not come to an Anchor. The Inhabitants who go naked, with their Skins pounced full of strange shapes, of blue Snakes, Dragons, and such like Creatures, Salli’d out of the Woods upon the Hollanders with great Clubs, to which was fasten’d the Sword or Snout of a Sword-Fish, and also with Slings.
Somewhat further they came to Water-Land, and Flyes-Island, the first so nam’d, because the Shore round about was planted with Trees, but in the middle all lay cover’d with Salt-Water; the other from the Flyes, which with incredible numbers troubled the Sea-men four days together.
Strange entertainment at the Horn Islands.