occafioned us to found; but we found no ground" with a line
of one hundred and fifty fathoms. We put a boat in the
water, and ihot a few birds; one of which was a black petrel,
about the fize of a crow, and, except as to the bill and
feet, very like one. It had a few white feathers under the
throat; and,the under-fide of the quill-feathers were of an.
afh-colour. AIL the other feathers, were jet black, as alfo
the hill and legs.
On the 8th, in the evening, one o f th’ofe birds which
failors call noddies, fettled on our rigging, and was caught.
It was fomething larger than an Englilh black-bird, and
nearly as black, except the upper part of the head, which
was white, looking as i f it were powdered; the whiteft feathers
growing out from the bafe of the upper bill, from
which they gradually alfumed a darker colour, to about the
middle of the upper part of the neck, where the white lhade
was loft in the black, without being divided by any line.
It was web-footed; had black legs and a black bill, which
was long, and not unlike that of a curlew. It is faid thefe
birds never fly far from land. We knew of none nearer the
ftation we were in, than Gough’s or Richmond Ifland, from
which our diilancc could not be lefs than one hundred
leagues. But it m'uft be obferved that the Atlantic Ocean,:
to the Southward of this latitude, has been but little frequented;
fo that there maybe more iflands there than we
are acquainted with.
We frequently, in the night, faw thofe luminous marine
animals mentioned and defcribed in my firft voyage
Some of them feemed to be confiderably larger than any I
Jfc gee; Hawkefworth’s Collection of.Voyagcs, Vol. II. p. 15»
had'
T H E P A C IF--1 G OÇE.AN. 37
1776. -
CUober.
bad before met with ; and fometimes they were fa numerous,
that hundreds were vifible at the fame moment
This calm weather was fucceeded by a frefh gale from
the North Weft, which lafted two days. Then we had
again variable light airs for about twenty-four hours; when
the North Weft wind returned, and blew with fuch ftrength,
that on the 17th we had fight of the Cape of Good Hope ; Thurfdayi^,
and the next day anchored in Table Bay, in four fathoms Friday 18.
water, with the church bearing South Weft 4. South; and
Green Point North Weft a Weft.
As foon as we had received the ufuâl vifit from thé Mailer
Attendant and the Surgeon, I fent an officer to wait on Baron
Plettenberg, the Governor; and, on bis return, faluted'
the garrifon with thirteen guns, which compliment was
returned with the. fame number
We found in the bay two French Eaft India Ships; the
one outward, and the other homeward bound. And two or
three days before our arrival, another homeward bound
ihip of the fame nation had parted from her cable; and been
driven on ill ore at the head of the bay, where-file was loft.
The c.rew were faved; but the great eft: part of the cargo-
iharcd the fame fate with the ihip, or (which amounted to
• the fame) was plundered and ftolen by the inhabitants,.,
either out of the ihip, or as it was driven or carried on
fhore. This is the account the French officers gave to me;
and the Dutch themfelves could not deny the facft. ■ But,, by
way,of excpfmg tbemfelyes from being guihv of a crime
' difgraceful to every civilized ftate,, they endeavoured, to lay
the whole blame one..the, French- Captain,, for not applying
in time for a guard.
As