Auguft. 1768. greeable dilemma of either fitting below the council, or following the commodore's example, I applied to the governor to know the station. that would be allotted me, before I accepted his invitation, and finding that I could not be permitted to take place of the council, I declined it. On both these occafions I spoke to his excellency by an English merchant who acted as an interpreter. The first time he had not the civility to offer me the leaft refreshment, nor did he the last time so much as ask me to go into the house. September. The defects of the fhip were at length repaired, much to my fatisfaction, and I ought the might then fafely proceed to Europe, though the Dutch carpenters were of a different opinion. The proper feafon for failing was not yet arrived, and my worthy friend, Admiral Houting, reprefented that if I went to fea before the proper time, I fhould meet with fuch weather off the Cape of Good Hope as would make me repent it; but being very ill myself, and the people being fickly, I thought it better to run the risk of a few hard gales off the Cape, than remain longer in this unhealthy place, efpecially as the weft monfoon was fetting in, during which the mortality here is yet greater than at other times. On Wednesday the 15th of September, thereWednes, 15. fore, we fet fail from Onrust, where the ship had 1768. had been refitted, without returning, as is ufual, into Batavia Road; and as I was not well, I September, fent my lieutenant to take leave of the gover- Wednes. 15. nor on my behalf, and offer my fervice, if he had any dispatches for Europe. It was happy for me that I was able to procure a supply of English seamen here, otherwise I should not at last have been able to bring the ship home, for I had now loft no lefs than four and twenty of the hands I had brought out of Europe, and had four and twenty more fo ill, that feven of them died in our paffage to the Cape. On the 20th, we anchored on the fouth east Monday 20, fide of Prince's Island, in the Streight of Sunda, and the next morning, I fent out the boats for wood and water: of water, however, we could not get a fufficient quantity to complete our ftock, for there had not yet been rain enough to fupply the fprings, the wet monsoon having but just fet in. At this time we had the wind fo fresh from the south-east, which made this part of the island a lee-fhore, that I could not get under fail till the 25th, when, it being Friday 25. more moderate, we weighed, and worked over to the Java fhore. In the evening, we anchored in a bay called by fome New Bay, and by others Canty Bay, which is formed by an island of the fame name. We had fourteen fathom water, with a fine fandy bottom. The peak of Prince's Inland bore N. 13 W., the weftermost point of New 1768. September. Friday 25. New Iland S. 82 W. and the eastermost point of Java that was in fight, N. E. Our distance from the Java fhore was about a mile and a quarter, and from the watering-place a mile and an half. New Bay is the best place for wooding and watering of any in these parts: the water is extremely clear, and fo good that I made my people ftave all that we had taken in at Batavia and Prince's Ifland, and fupply it from this place. It is procured from a fine ftrong run on the Java fhore, which falls down from the land into the fea, and by means of a hoafe it may be laded into the boats, and the cafks filled without putting them on shore, which renders the work very easy and expeditious. There is a little reef of rocks within which the boats go, and lie in as smooth water, and as effectually fheltered from any fwell, as if they were in a mill-pond; nor does the reef run out fo far as to be dangerous to fhipping, though the contrary is afferted in Herbert's Directory; and if a fhip, when lying there, should be driven from her anchors by a wind that blows upon the fhore, fhe may, with the greatest ease, run up the paffage between New Island and Java, where there is a fufficient depth of water for the largest vessel, and a harbour, in which, being land-locked, fhe will find perfect fecurity. Wood may be had any where either upon Java or New Inland, neither of which, in this part, are inhabited. 1768. September. Having in a few days completed our wood Friday 25. and water, we weighed and ftood out of the Streight of Sunda, with a fine fresh gale at fouth-eaft, which did not leave us till the inland of Java was feven hundred leagues behind us. On Monday the 23d of November, we difco- November. vered the coast of Africa; at day-break on the Monday 230 28th we made the Table Land of the Cape of Saturd, 28. Good Hope, and the fame evening anchored in the bay. We found here only a Dutch ship from Europe, and a fnow belonging to the place, which however was in the Company's fervice, for the inhabitants are not permitted to have any shipping. Table Bay is a good harbour in fummer, but not in winter; fo that the Dutch will not permit any of their veffels to lie here longer than the 15th of May, which answers to our November. After that time, all fhips go to Falfe Bay, which is well fheltered from the north-weft winds, which blow here with great violence. At this place we breathed a pure air, had wholesome food, and went freely about the country which is extremely pleafant, fo that I began to think myself already in Europe. We found the inhabitants open, hofpitable, and polite, there being scarcely a gentleman in the place, either in a public or private ftation, from whom 1768. November. 1769. January. Wednef. 6. Wednef 20. whom I did not receive fome civility; and I should very ill deserve the favours they bestowed, if I did not particularly mention the first and fecond governor, and the fiscal. The recovery of my people made it necessary to continue here till the 6th of January 1769; in the evening of this day I set fail, and before it was dark cleared the land. On the 20th, after a fine and pleasant paffage, we made the island of Saint Helena; and Sunday 24. fet fail again on the morning of the 24th. At Saturd, 30. midnight on the 30th, we made the north-eaft part of the Island of Afcenfion, and brought to till day-light, when we ran in close to it. I fent a boat out to discover the anchoring-place which is called Cross-hill Bay, while we kept running along the north-eaft and north fide of the island, till we came to the north-weft extremity of it, and in the afternoon anchored in the bay we fought. The way to find this place at once, is to bring the largest and most confpicuous hill upon the island to bear S. E.; when the fhip is in this pofition, the Bay will be open, right in the middle between two other hills, the westermost of which is called Cross-hill, and gives name to the Bay. Upon this hill there is a flag-staff, which if a fhip brings to bear S. S. E. E. or S. E. by E. and runs in, keeping it fo till fhe is in ten fathom water, fhe will be in the 2 beft part of the Bay. In our run along the north. |