2.9S
1768. the watch had orders to give fuch as brought provifions of
. Febr; ,ry-, any kind, water fufficient to drefs it, and a proper quantity
alfo to fuch as brought tea and coffee.
Thurfday On the 25th, the wood and water being nearly completed,
and the Ihip almoft ready for the fea, I ordered every body
to go on board, and the fick tents to be brought off; the
people being fo well recovered, that in the whole Ihip’s company
there were but three men unable to do duty, and hap-
Friday 26. pily, fince our leavingBatavia, we hadloftbut three. The next
Saturday 27. d a n d the JTS following, the carpenters finifhed caulking
all the out-works, the forc-caftlei and the main-deck; we
got all our bread on board from the fliore, with a con-
fiderable quantity of ftraw, and thirty-four flieep for fea-
ftores. In the mean time I came on board, and having un-
March. moored, lay waiting for a wind till the evening o f Thurfday
Thurfday 3. £hè d of March, when a breeze fpringing up, we got under
fail. While we were on Ihore at Green Point, we had an
opportunity o f making many celeftial obfervations, by
which, we determined Table Bay to lie in latitude 340 2' S.
longitude, from Greenwich, 18° 8' E. The variation of the
needle, at this place, was 19° 30 W.
Monday 7. On the 7th, being in latitude 29° 33' S. longitude, by account,
347" 38', the Ihip was eight miles to the Northward of
her dead reckoning.
Sunday i3. On the 13th, having failed weftward 360 degrees from the
meridian of London, we had loft a d a y ; I therefore called
the latter part of this day Monday, March 14.
Wednef. 16. - At fix o’clock in thé evening, of Wednefday the ióth, we
faw the Ifland of Saint Helena, at the diftance o f about fourteen
leagues; and at one the next morning, brought to. At
^ " break of day, we made fail for the ifland, and at nine, anchored
in the bay. The fort faluted us with thirteen guns,
and
and we returned the fame number. We found riding here
the Northumberland Indiaman, Captain Milford, who fa-
luted us with eleven guns, and we returned nine. We got
out all the boats as foon as poflible, and fent the empty calks
to be filled with water ; at the fame time feveral o f the people
were employed to gather purflain, which grows here in
great plenty. About two o’clock, I went on fliore myfelf,
and was faluted by the fort with thirteen guns, which I returned.
The governor and the principal gentlemen o f the
ifland did me the honour to meet me at the water-fide, and
having conduced me to the fort, told me, that it was expected
I Ihould make it my home during m y flay.
By noon the next day, our water was completed, and the Friday 18.
Ihip was made ready for fea ; foon after, flie was unmoored,
to take advantage of the firft breeze, and at five in the afternoon,
I returned on board. Upon my leaving the fhore, I
was faluted with thirteen guns, and foon after, upon getting
under way, I was faluted with thirteen more, both which I
returned ; the Northumberland Indiaman then faluted me
with thirteen guns, fo did the Ofterley, which arrived heie
the evening before I made fail, and I returned the compliment
with the fame number.
On the 21ft, in the evening, we faw feveral men o f war Monday 21.
birds; and at midnight, heard many birds about the flnp. iwdayat.
At five o’clock in the morning of the 23d, we faw the ifland wednef. 23,
of Afcenfion ; and at eight, difcovered a Ihip to the Eaft-
ward, who brought to, and hoifted a jack at her main-top-
maft-head, upon which we fhewedour colours, and Ihe then
Hood in for the land again. We ran down clofe along the
north-eaft fide of the ifland, and looked into the bay, but
feeing no Ihip there, and it blowing a ftiff gale, 1 made the
belt of my way.
On Monday the 28th, we croffed the equator, and got Monday 23.
again into Nortli latitude.
V O L . I . 0,1