180 SURVEY OP THE INTERTROPICAL 18?. so dried as to be covered with'crystals of salt? j?n. ?o. and in this state it continued during our stay. Ul?n rounding the cape, two posts were des- cri?ed upon its summit, which we conjectured to be those on which the French had affixed a record of their visit, as well as the more ancient one of the Dutch navigators, Dirk Hartog and viaming; for they were very conspicuously phced, and appeared to be in good preserva- tion. We had not anchored five minutes before the vessel was surrounded by sharks, which at once impress?ed us 'with de propriety 'of Dampier's nomenclature. 'One that was caught measured eleven feet in length, but the greater num- ber. ?vere not more than three or four feet long. They w?re very voraCiou.s, and scared away large quantities of fish, of which, however, our people during the evdning caught a good supply. ?. The following morning we landed at the Cape, and with eager steps ascended the rocky face of the hill, to examine the interesting memo'rials that were affixed to' the post; bdt found to our great mortification, that they had been removed; the' only '* vestige that remained was the nails by which they had been secured. One of the posts was about two feet high, and evidently made Of
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