[Sidenote: Incredible many Eggs.] [Sidenote: Great Corps.] [Sidenote: _Ketch_ burnt.] [Sidenote: Strange Horn.] Some Merchants that were call’d the _Austrian_ Company, fitted out one Ship with sixty five, and a Ketch with two and twenty Sea-men, giving the Command thereof to the Captains _Schouten_ and _Le Maire_: _Anno 1615._ they Weigh’d Anchor from the _Texel_; the first took a view of one of the three Islands, call’d _Mabrabomma_, lying before _Cape Sierra Leona_. This Island appearing 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. [Sidenote: Great Mews.]