You will remember that there are several islands left out in Ribero’s map [see pp. 28-29].  Now the principal one between Java and Timor is Sumbawa, and, strangely enough, we find that island grafted on here, and thus forming the northernmost part of York Peninsula, with Timor to the east of it in its actual position with reference to Sumbawa and smaller islands around, although out of place with reference to Australia.  We next come to Coste Dangereuse, Dangerous Coast.  It is situated in the locality of the Great Barrier Reef, not far from the spot where, nearly three hundred years later, Lieutenant Cook, in the Endeavour, was almost wrecked.  The name speaks for itself; it appears along a coast lined with reefs, clearly shown on this map. Baye Perdue, Lost Bay, a broad bay with an island in mid-channel, the modern Broad Sound and Long Island.  This name suggests a double voyage, a bay that was once discovered and could not be found again.*

[* Many years ago an old cannon, supposed to be of Spanish origin, was dug out of the sand a little to the south of Broad Sound, and near Port Curtis.  It may be connected with this Lost Bay.]

R. de beaucoup d’isles; the letter R, in Spanish, meant either river or coast.  This appellation refers to the locality of the Burnett river, where the coast is lined with numerous islands.  The term may, therefore, mean either “coast of many islands,” or “river of many islands.” Coste des Herbaiges, Coast of Pastures; it has been suggested that this name gave rise to the term Botany Bay, chosen by Sir Joseph Banks,* instead of Stingeray Bay, given by Cook.  The locality, however, corresponds to a stretch of coast further north than Botany Bay.

[* It will be remembered that this chart once belonged to Sir Joseph Banks.  See above.]

CHAPTER VII.

PIERRE DESCELIERS’ MAP.

This is a map of the same type as the one I have just described.  It forms part of another large manuscript planisphere, draughted and illuminated by Pierre Desceliers, a priest of Argues near Havres, and it bears in bold characters an inscription to that effect with the date 1550.

At first sight the most, remarkable feature of this map is the display of descriptive matter contained in cartouches spread here and there between the illuminations.  These, however, do not refer to Australia but are descriptive of such countries as Java, Sumatra, Pegu, Malacca, Ceylon, the Andaman Islands, etc.

The only illustrations which might be supposed to appertain to Australia are those not alluded to in the French text, a fact which suggests that the other, extraneous matter, has been interpolated.