„ 1 775- March.
Saturday 18.
Sunday 19,
Africa. Some fifliing lines were thrown overboard, and a:
fifli called a pollack was caught. In the evening we made
the coaft of Africa, which here confided of low fandy
hummocks, and on which we perceived feveral fires. The
next morning a boat was hoided out, and fent on board the
Indiaman, which was now about five miles off. Our people
returned in a few hours with the welcome news, that
there was univerfal peace in Europe. The pleafure of this
intelligence, was however, in a. great meafure foured by an
account of the maffacre of the Adventure’s boat’s crew. The
Dutch captain having been long at fea from: Bengal, lamented
that he had no refrefhments to offer us. In the-
afternoon, the weather being very fair, and the breeze,
frefliening, we got fight of two Swedilh, one Danifh, and;
an Englifh ihip, which glided along with all their fails
fet, and colours flying, and offered to our eyes one of the
mod pleafing fights which we had beheld for fome time-
pad. The next morning, the Englifh fhip bore down to
us, and lieutenant Clerke, with my father, and a midfhip-
man, went on board of her. In the afternoon, a ftrong
breeze fet in, our boat returned, and the Indiaman carefully
dood off to fea, whild we proceeded till we were clofe in:
fhore. This fhip was the True Briton, captain Broadley, on
her return from China. Our gentlemen fpoke in the
flronged terrrfs of the hearty hofpitality with which they
had been received, and invited to a plain dinner. Our
readers
(readers may imagine with what avidity three famifhed cir- wt&t
•cumnavigators, who had not feen frefh meat for fix weeks
pad, fell upon a difh of fattened Chinefe quails, and a delicious
goofe, which their hod reckoned a very homely fare.
On relating how long they had been abfeilt from any
European fettlement, how long they had lived upon falt-
beef, and how oft they had regaled themfelves with feals,
albatroffes, and pinguins, the captain and his mates dropt
their knives and forks, and in pure pity to the flrangers,
refigned all pretenfions to their dinner. At parting, captain
Broadley prefented them with a large fat pig, and feveral
geefe, on which we dined the two following days. We
paffed Cape Agulhas on the 20th, and were near being
blown far to leeward of the Cape, by a very hard gale, if
we had not difcovered the land through the haze early on
the 2 id. We hauled up for it, and carrying more fail
than we had ever ventured to do, in the courfe of the whole
voyage, we came fafe to an anchor in Table Bay, on the WcdneM
22d in the morning, which we found was only the 2 id , tuera” ,
according to the reckoning of the people on fhore, we
having gained a whole day by failing round the world to
the eaflward.
■ Errabant acti fatis maria omnia circum. V irgil,
4 A 2 CHA P .