heaps of old gazettes, the hiftory of thofe years, during
which we had been baniflied, as it were, from all the World.
This fettlement being reforted to, in fummer and autumn,
by £hips of all nations, appeared at prefent in a more flou-
rifliing light, than during our former flay in 1772. Be-
fides the great annual fleet of Dutch Indiamen, we found
■ here feveral French veffels from the Ifle of France, and like-
wife one from Europe, commanded by M. Crozet, who had
formerly been at New Zeeland. Several Danilh and two
Svvedilh Indiamen alfo came in ; a Portuguefe fliip of war
lay here feveral days, and three Spanifh frigates, one homeward
bound from Manilla, and two going out to that fettlement,
paffed feveral weeks in this bay. The great events
which had happened in Europe during our abfence, crouded
upon us unexpectedly. Sweden delivered from the yoke
o f ariftocratical tyranny, by a young hero, emulous of
Guftave-Vafa ; the barbaric darknefs, which in the Eaft of
Europe and Alia had baffled the Herculean efforts of Peter,
difpelled by a princefs, who, like the wonder of the polar
fky, fpreads luminous beams, which turn night into day;
laflly, Poland reftored to peace, from anarchy and the horrors
of civil war, by the united efforts of the leading powers
in Europe ; and Frederick the G reat refting from hjs
triumphs, and facrificing to the Mufes in the fhade of his
laurels, revered and beloved even by his former foes ! Such
■ were the great and unexpected profpects, which all at once
opened
S S i
opened to our eyes, which promifed general happinefs to marcIc.
the human race, and feemed to announce a period of time,
when mankind will appear in a more exalted light than
ever!
During our flay at the Cape, we made an excurfion to Fril£”7lL‘
Falfe Bay, where Mr. Brand commanded for the Dutch Eaft
India Company. The heat of the fummer had, in many
places, darkened all the tints of green, on that immenfe variety
of low fhrubs and plants, which grow in Africa;.
However we found a great number of fpecies in flower,
with which we filled our herbals. The roads are very
bad, confifting of deep fand in many places, and of rugged
heaps of the hardeft ftones, in the neighbourhood of Falfe
Bay. In our way we faw great coveys of a fpecies of partridge,
which the Dutch improperly call pheafants. They
are not very £hy, and may eafily be taken alive, and tamed.
As there are many parts about the Gape where thefe partridges
do not breed, the Dutch have found the method of
flocking fuch fpots with them. They take feveral pair of
tame partridges, dip them in water, and ftrew them with
a flies, and thus put them among the bullies, with their
heads under the wing, I do not doubt but that many
readers will call in queftion the fuccefs of this fimple manoeuvre
; but I have only to add, that I heard it from per-
fons whofe fincerity I had no reafon to fufpect.
The