565
On the 27th, Captain Furneaux loft one of his petty officers.
"With variable winds they advanced but fiowly, and without meeting with any thingremarkable till the 23d, when they faw a leal, or, as fome thought, a fea-lion, whichprobably might be an inhabitant of one of the illands of Triftian de Cunha, being nownearly in their latitude.
At two in the afternoon on the 29th, they made the land of the Cape of GoodHope. The Table Mountain which is over the Cape Town , diftance 12 or 14leagues, was a good deal obfcured by clouds, otherwife it might, from its height, havebeen feen at a much greater diftance. Between eight and nine o’clock this evening,the whole fea, within the compafs of their fight became at once, as it were, illuminated,or, what the feamen call, all on fire. This appearance of the fea, in fome degree, isvery common ; but the caufe is not fo generally known. Mr. Banks and Dr. SolanderWere of opinion it was occafioned by fea infects ; Mr. Fofter, however, feemed not tofavour this opinion. Some buckets of water, were drawn up from along-fide the fhip,which was found full of an innumerable quantity of fmall globular infedts, about thefize of a common pin’s head, and quite tranfparent.
In the morning they flood into Table Bay, and anchored in five fathom water;They had no fooner anchored than they were vifited by the captain of the port and^Ir. Brandt. This laft gentleman brought off fuch things as could not fail of beingacceptable to perfons coming from fea. The mailer attendant alfo vifited them,according .to cuftora, to take an account of the Ihips; to enquire into the health of thecrews; and, in particular, if the fmall-pox was on board; a thing they dread aboveall others at the Cape , and for thefe purpofes- a furgeon is always one of thevifitants.
Captain Cook waited upon the governor, accompanied by Captain Furneaux andthe two Mr. Forfters. He received them with great politenefs, and promifed everyaffiftance the place could afford.
After having vifited the governor and fome other principal perfons of the place,they fixed at Mr. Brandt’s, the ufual refidence of molt officers belonging to EnglilhIhips. This gentleman fpares neither trouble nor expence to make his houfe agreeableto thofe who favour him with their company, and to accommodate them with everything they want.
Three or four days after them, two Dutch Indiamen arrived here from Holland,after a paffage of between four and five months, in which one loft, by the fcurvy and°ther putrid difeafes, 150 men, and the other 41. They fent, on-their arrival, great^Umbers.to the hofpital in very dreadful circumftances.
It was the 18th of November before they had got ready to put to fea. During thishay the crews of both Ihips were ferved every day with frelh beef or mutton, newbaked bread, and as much greens as they could eat. The Ihips were caulked^jad painted; and, in every refpect, put in as good'a condition as when they leftEngland.
Mr. Forfter, whofe whole time was taken up in the purfuit of natural hiftory andbotany, met with a Swedilh gentleman, one Mr. Sparrman, who had ftudied underHr. Linnams. He, by Captain Cook ’s confent, embarked as an affiftant to Mr. Forfter,avho bore his expences on board, and allowed him a yearly ftipend befides. .
At three o’clock in the afternoon of the 22d they weighed, with the wind at northby weft. On the 25th they had abundance of albatroffes about them, feveral of whichWere caught with hook and line; and were very well relilhed by many of the people,botwithftanding they were at this time ferved with frelh mutton. Judging that they
fhould