Nothing remarkable happen’d till the 27th of December, but that my Ship prov’d so leaky, that on the 31st of October she had near 3 Foot Water in the Hold, and our Pumps being choak’d, we were in such Danger, that we made Signals, and fir’d Guns for our Consorts to come to our Relief, but had just suck’d her as the Dutchess came up. The 10th of October, she sprung a new Leak, which we could not fully stop, tho’ we us’d all our Endeavours, and at the same time I had been for the most Part confin’d to my Cabbin by Illness, ever since I left Batavia. The 28th of December, Mr. James Wase our chief Surgeon died, and we buried him decently next Day, with our Naval Ceremonies as usual, being a very honest useful Man, a good Surgeon, and bred up at Leyden, in the Study of Physick as well as Surgery. We made Land the 15th of December, came in with the Shoar the 18th, and had Soundings in 60 and 70 Fathom, the Ground grey Grett, with small Stones and Shells; had a strong Southerly Current, S. Lat. 34. 2. Lon. W. from London 334. 34.
At the Cape of Good Hope.
The 27th of December, we came up with Cape Falso, betwixt which and the Cape of Good Hope, there’s a deep Bay, and about a 3d over from the Cape, there’s a Shold which breaks for a good Distance, but plain enough to be seen. By Noon we were a-breast of the Cape, and saw the Table-Land S. Lat. 34. 14.
The 28th We had very hard Flaws of Wind off the High Land, till we came within Sight of the Lions Head and Rump, two Hills over the Cape Toun. This Day we arriv’d in the Harbour of the Cape, saluted the Dutch Fort with 9 Guns, and were answer’d by 7. We anchor’d in 6 Fathom Water, about a Mile off Shoar, and found only one English Ship, call’d the Donegal, Capt. Cliff Commander, homeward bound from Mocha, and 2 Middleburgers outward bound for Batavia in the Harbour, besides the Guard-Ship, and 2 or 3 Galliots.
The 29th. We moor’d our Ship, and got down our Yards and Topmasts to guard against the hard Flaws of Wind off the Table-Land, which frequently blow very fresh betwixt E. S. E. and S. E. We sent 16 sick Men a-shoar. We spent till the 18th of January, 1710-11. in watering and re-fiting, and then held the following Committee.
On the 18th the Committee met a-shoar, and agreed as follows.
THE Three Ships wanting several Necessaries and Provisions, we agree, that Captain Rogers and Captain Courtney do bring 100 Weight of Plate a-shoar from either Duke or Dutchess, and 60 Ounces of unwrought Gold, with all the coined Gold or Silver that is in both Ships. We likewise empower them, in Conjunction with Captains Dover and Cook, to purchase what Necessaries are wanting for the Whole, and to sell what Goods are fit to be dispos’d of here, if not too much to our Disadvantage, rather than exchange more Gold or Silver. We also desir’d they would agree for a Cable and Anchor, now wanting for the Duke, in Place of her Sheet Anchor and Cable, lately put aboard the Batchelor for her Security.
| Tho. Dover, Pres. | Robert Fry, |
| Woodes Rogers, | John Connely, |
| Steph. Courtney, | Lan. Appleby. |
| Wm. Dampier, |
On the 1st of February, I offer’d some Proposals in Writing to Captains Dover and Courtney, with the rest of the Committee, wherein I told them ’twas my Opinion we should loose too much Time to stay for the Dutch Fleet, in order to have the Benefit of their Convoy to Holland, which would not only be out of our Way, but very tedious and chargeable; and we having large Quantities of decaying Goods on Board, the Time we should loose by waiting for the Dutch, might be advantagiously imploy’d in Brazile, where we could lie in very little Danger of the Enemy, and vend them at great Rates, and thence get to Bristol through the North Channel, having the Summer before us. Continuing in the Lat. of 55 or 56 Degrees, 2 or 300 Leagues, before we get the Length of the North of Ireland, and by that Means might avoid the Track of the Enemy. I earnestly press’d, that if they could not agree to this, one of our Privateers might take this Run alone, and the other keep with the Batchelor and Dutch Fleet, but the Majority was against any Thing, but going Home with the Dutch Fleet altogether, so that all I could do more was to remind them of examining the Goods aboard the Batchelor, and to take out of her so much Goods in safe Package, as would lie in the like Room of European Goods on Board the Dutchess, That if any Accident should happen to the Batchelor, we might have Part of her Value in another Bottom. I desir’d, if any amongst them were not of this Opinion, they would give their Reasons to the contrary in Writing; but we could agree to nothing. So I was forced to yield to the Majority of a Committee to go home with the Dutch Fleet, and having a good Conveyance by two Ships to advise our Owners, I wrote ’em a full Account of all our Transactions since we left Grande, and other Matters relating to the Voyage. And also sent what we had agreed in the Committee to our Owners, which was as follows.
Gentlemen,