LESSON 15 A SONG OF CAPE LEEUWIN

A SONG OF CAPE LEEUWIN

E RNEST F AVENC (1845-1908) was an Australian poet and story writer.

Beaten by tempest and stormed by drift,

Steady I keep my post,

And laugh at the southern rollers long,

For I'm guard of the Southern Coast.

I watched the Dutchmen [1] on their way,

In the days of long ago,

But they set no foot on my rocky shore,

Where the billows break in snow [2] .

They gave me my name and sailed away,

And then the English came,

With their straining sails on their plunging ships,

And their flag flew out like flame.

—ERNEST FAVENC

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[1] Dutchmen: The early Dutch explorers.

[2] snow: Foam.