After getting into the latitude abovementioned, I steered to the east, in order if possible to find the land laid down by Bouvet. As we advanced to the east, the islands of ice became more numerous and dangerous; they being much smaller than they used to be; and the nights began to be dark.
On the third of March, being then in the latitude of 54° 4ʹ S., longitude 13° E., which is the latitude of Bouvet’s discovery, and half a degree to the eastward of it, and not seeing the least sign of land, either now or since we have been in this parallel, I gave over looking for it, and hauled away to the northward. As our last track to the southward was within a few degrees of Bouvet’s discovery, in the longitude assigned to it, and about three or four degrees to the southward, should there be any land thereabout, it must be a very inconsiderable island. But I believe it was nothing but ice; as we, in our first setting out, thought we had seen land several times, but it proved to be high islands of ice at the back of the large fields; and as it was thick foggy weather when Mr. Bouvet fell in with it, he might very easily mistake them for land.
On the 7th, being in the latitude of 48° 30ʹ S., longitude 14° 26ʹ E., saw two large islands of ice.
On the 17th, made the land of the Cape of Good Hope, and on the 19th anchored in Table Bay, where we found Commodore Sir Edward Hughes, with his Majesty’s ships Salisbury and Sea-horse. I saluted the Commodore with thirteen guns; and soon after, the garrison with the same number; the former returned the salute, as usual, with two guns less, and the latter with an equal number.
On the 24th, Sir Edward Hughes sailed with the Salisbury and Sea-horse for the East Indies; but I remained refitting the ship and refreshing my people till the 16th of April, when I sailed for England and on the 14th of July anchored at Spithead.
CHAP. IX.
TRANSACTIONS AT THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE; WITH AN ACCOUNT OF SOME DISCOVERIES MADE BY THE FRENCH; AND THE ARRIVAL OF THE SHIP AT ST. HELENA.
I now resume my own Journal, which Captain Furneaux’s interesting Narrative in the preceding chapter, had obliged me to suspend.
The day after my arrival at the Cape of Good Hope, I went on shore and waited on the governor, Baron Plettenberg, and other principal officers, who received and treated us with the greatest politeness, contributing all in their power to make it agreeable. And, as there are few people more obliging to strangers than the Dutch in general at this place, and refreshments of all kinds are no where to be got in such abundance, we enjoyed some real repose, after the fatigues of a long voyage.
The good treatment which strangers meet with at the Cape of Good Hope, and the necessity of breathing a little fresh air, has introduced a custom not common any where else (at least I have no where seen it so strictly observed), which is, for all the officers who can be spared out of the ships to reside on shore. We followed this custom. Myself, the two Mr. Forsters, and Mr. Sparrman, took up our abode with Mr. Brandt, a gentleman well known to the English by his obliging readiness to serve them. My first care after my arrival, was to procure fresh-baked bread, fresh meat, greens, and wine, for those who remained on board; and, being provided every day during our stay with these articles, they were soon restored to their usual strength. We had only three men on board whom it was thought necessary to send on shore for the recovery of their health; and for these I procured quarters, at the rate of thirty stivers, or half a crown, per day, for which they were provided with victuals, drink, and lodging.
We now went to work to supply all our defects. For this purpose, by permission, we erected a tent on shore, to which we sent our casks and sails to be repaired. We also struck the yards and topmasts, in order to overhaul the rigging, which we found in so bad a condition, that almost every thing, except the standing rigging, was obliged to be replaced with new; and that was purchased at a most exorbitant price. In the article of naval stores, the Dutch here, as well as at Batavia, take a shameful advantage of the distress of foreigners.