1768.

January.

At fix in the evening, of the 30th of January, we saw land,, and on the 4th of February, we anSaturd. 30. chored in Table Bay, at the Cape of Good

February.

Thurid. 4. Hope.

Our run from Prince's Inland to the Cape was, by our reckoning, 89 degrees longitude, which makes the longitude of the Cape 345° W.; but the longitude of the Cape being, by observation, 342° 4, it appeared that the fhip was three degrees to the Eastward of her reckoning.

CHAP.

CHA P. XII.

An Account of our Tranfactions at the Cape of Good Hope, and of the Return of the Dolphin to England.

A

1768.

S foon as the fhip was at anchor, I sent an officer on fhore, with the usual compli- February. ments to the Governor, who received him with great civility, telling him that we were welcome to all the refreshments and affiftance that the Cape afforded, and that he would return our falute with the fame number of guns.

We found riding here a Dutch Commodore, with fixteen fail of Dutch East Indiamen, a French East India ship, and the Admiral Watson, Captain Griffin, an Eaft India packet-boat, for Bengal. We faluted the Governor with thirteen guns, and he returned the fame number; the Admiral Watfon faluted us with eleven guns, and we returned nine; the French ship afterwards faluted us with nine guns, and we returned feven.

Having got off fome mutton for the fhip's company, with plenty of greens, I fent the furgeon on fhore to hire quarters for the fick, but he could procure none for lefs than two fhillings a day, and a ftipulation to pay more, if any of them should take the small-pox, which was then in almost every house, in proportion to the malignity of the VOL. 1. disease.

A a

1768. disease. February.

The first expence being great, and it appearing, upon inquiry, that many of our people had never had the fmall-pox, fo that the increase was likely to be confiderable, besides the danger, I requested the Governor's permiffion to erect a tent upon a fpacious plain, at about two miles diftance from the town, called Green Point, and to fend my people on fhore thither during the day, under the care of an officer, to prevent their ftraggling. This permiffion the Governor immediately granted, and gave orders that they fhould fuffer no moleftation.

tents.

In this place, therefore, I ordered tents to be erected, and the furgeon and his mate, with proper officers, to attend; at the fame time ftrictly charg ing that no man fhould be fuffered to go into the town, and that no liquor fhould be brought to the All the fick, except two, left the ship early in the morning, with their provifions and firing; and for those that were reduced to great weaknefs, I ordered the furgeon to procure fuch extraordinary provifions as he fhould think proper, particularly milk, though it was fold at an exceffive price. About fix in the evening they returned on board. And feemed to be greatly refreshed. At the fame time, being extremely ill myself, I was obliged to be put on fhore, and carried about eight miles up the country, where I continued all the time the fhip lay here; and when he was ready to fail, returned on board without having received the leaft benefit.

3

No

February.

No time, however, was loft in refitting the 1758. veffel: the fails were all unbent, the yards and top-mafts ftruck, the forge was set up, the carpenters were employed in caulking, the fail-makers in mending the fails, the cooper in repairing the casks, the people in overhauling the rigging, and the boats in filling water.

By the 10th of February, the heavy work being Wednef. 10. nearly dispatched, twenty of the men who had had the small-pox, were permitted to go afhore at the town, and others, who were ftill liable to the diftemper, were landed at fome diftance, with orders to go into the country, and return in the evening, which they punctually obeyed: this liberty, therefore, was continued to them all the while the veffel lay at this port, which produced fo good an effect, that the fhip's company, except the fick, who recovered very faft, had a more healthy and vigorous appearance than when they left England. We purchafed here the neceffaries that we endeavoured to procure at Batavia, at a reasonable price, befides canvas and other ftores; we also procured fresh water by diftillation, principally to fhew the captains of the Indiamen, and their officers, that, upon an emergency, wholesome water might be procured at fea. At five o'clock in the morning, we put fifty-fix gallons of falt water into the ftill, at feven it began to run, and in about five hours and a quarter afforded us two and forty gallons of fresh water, at an expence of nine pounds of wood, and fixty-nine pounds of coals. Thirteen gallons and two quarts remained in the

February.

1768. ftill, and that which came off had no ill taste, nor, as we had often experienced, any hurtful quality. Wednef. 10. I thought the fhewing this experiment of the more

Thurfd. 25.

confequence, as the being able to allow plenty of water not only for drink, but for boiling any kind of provifion, and even for making tea and coffee, especially during long voyages, and in hot climates, conduces greatly to health, and is the means of faving many lives. I never once put my people to an allowance of water during this whole voyage, always ufing the ftill when we were reduced to five and forty tons, and preferving the rain water with the utmost diligence. I did not, however, allow water to be fetched away at pleasure, but the officer of the watch had orders to give fuch as brought provifions of any kind, water fufficient to dress it, and a proper quantity also to such as brought tea and coffee.

On the 25th, the wood and water being nearly completed, and the fhip almost ready for the fea, I ordered every body to go on board, and the fick tents to be brought off; the people being fo well recovered, that in the whole fhip's company there were but three men unable to do duty, and happily, fince our leaving Batavia, we had loft but three. Friday 26. The next day, and the day following, the carpenters finished caulking all the out-works, the fore-caftle, and the main-deck; we got all our bread on board from the fhore, with a confiderable quantity of ftraw, and thirty-four sheep for fea-ftores. In the mean time I came on board, and having unmoored, lay waiting for a wind till

Saturd. 27.

the