The Trials. About two hundred years have elapsed since the instructions here mentioned were drawn up, and still these cliffs belong to the “doubtfuls.” To what is this to be attributed? Do they in reality not exist at all? The Governor-General, Antonio Van Diemen, to whom the science of geography is so deeply indebted, did not doubt their existence. He thus writes to the governor of Mauritius, Adrian van der Hael, on the 2nd of September, 1643.
“The yacht _Cleen Mauritius_ has, like the former ships bound for these parts, not seen anything of the Trials. This, however, proves nothing. Those who would discover those shoals (as they are usually called) in coming from your country, must be ordered to touch at the Southland at about 27° S. L., or Dirk Hartog’s Reede; they must then sail as far north as 20°, when they would find themselves about fifty miles E. of the Trials. They then have to sail W., as there is no doubt that they lie in 20° S. L.”
It may also not be unnecessary to quote in full the following statement, taken from the “Vertooninge van Eylanden, Custen, Havens, en Bayen aº 1757, door den E. Capiteyn D. van Schilde en Schipper P. Hoogendorp (H. S.)”
_Extract from the journal of the skipper Franchoys Buscop, on his voyage out in the ship ’t Vaderland Getrouw, under date July 21st, 1707,[43] about his falling in with the Trials._
In the morning, at seven o’clock, in the day watch, we saw the little islands of the Trials’ Shoals, at E. by E. well E., about five miles from us, being three in number, the most southerly of them running up to a sharp point and hanging over towards the S.E., being at its top a little rounder than the one in the middle, but lower than the north one, and a little more pointed. We also saw a high pointed cliff south of the islands.
Shortly afterwards we saw the surf breaking E.N.E. ½ N. a short mile from us, and four from the island. We at once turned away towards the S.W., heaved the lead, and found fifty-seven fathoms water, with a bottom of fine sand and rocks.
Shortly afterwards we encountered a storm with rain from the S.W. and S.S.W. by S. Turned again to the W., ran in that direction till noon, then put our course N.W.; heaved the lead and found sixty-five fathoms, bottom as before. Took the bearings of the pointed island, lying E.N.E., at five and a half to six miles distance from us, and found the longitude to be 124° 34´; I had calculated it at 123° 6´, so that by the position of these islands we were 1° 28´ more to the E. than we imagined. S. L. 20° 34´. I then corrected my reckonings. Afternoon wind S. and S.S.E., blowing at top-sail and top-gallant-sail breeze, with fog and drizzle. In the evening again heaved the lead, but found no bottom. Shortened sail in order to heave the lead during the night. First watch, water of a pale tint. Heaved the lead several times, but no bottom found. Held on at N.W. to the beginning of the day-watch; steered N.; wind at night S.S.E. and S.E., top-sail and top-gallant-sail breeze.[44]