The Large Islands Were Pretty High, But All
Appeared Dry, And Mostly Rocky And Barren.
The rocks looked of a
rusty yellow colour, and therefore I despaired of getting water on
any of them,
But was in some hopes of finding a channel to run in
beyond all these islands, could I have spent time here, and either
got to the main of New Holland or find out some other islands that
might afford us water and other refreshments; besides that among so
many islands we might have found some sort of rich mineral, or
ambergris, it being a good latitude for both these. But we had not
sailed above a league farther before our water grew shoaler again,
and then we anchored in six fathom, hard sand.
We were now on the inner side of the island, on whose outside is the
Bluff point. We rode a league from the island, and I presently went
ashore and carried shovels to dig for water, but found none. There
grow here two or three sorts of shrubs, one just like rosemary, and
therefore I called this Rosemary Island; it grew in great plenty
here, but had no smell. Some of the other shrubs had blue and
yellow flowers; and we found two sorts of grain like beans; the one
grew on bushes, the other on a sort of creeping vine that runs along
on the ground, having very thick broad leaves, and the blossom like
a bean blossom, but much larger and of a deep red colour, looking
very beautiful.
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