i 7 8o . feen b eaiing down to us, which proved to be an Engliih
. ApnU . Eafl-India packet, that had left Table Bay three days before,
and was cruizing with orders fo r the China fleet, and other
India ihips. She told us, that, about three weeks before,
Monf.Trongoller’s fquadron, confifting o f fix ihips, had failed
from the Cape, and was gone to cruize o ff St. Helena, for
our Eafl-India fleet. This intelligence made us conjefture,
th'at the five fail we had feen ftanding to the Eaftward muft
have been the French fquadron, who, in that cafe, had
given over their cruize, and were probably proceeding to
the Mauritius. Having informed the packet o f our conjectures,
and alfo o f the time we underftood the China ihips
■were to fail from Canton, w e left them, and proceeded toward
the Cape. *
In the evening o f the ioth, the Gunner’s Quoin bore
North by Eaft, and Falfe Cape Eaft North Ea ft; but the wind
being at South Weft, and variable, prevented our getting
Wednet. 12. into Falfe Bay, till the evening o f the 12th, when we dropt
anchor abreaft o f Simon’s Bay. We found a ftrong current
fetting to the Weftward, round the Cape, which, for fome
time, we could but juft ftem, with a breeze that would
Thurfdayij. jjave carrjed us four knots an hour. T he next morning, w e
flood into Simon’s B a y ; and at eight came to anchor, and
moored a cable each w a y ; the beft bower to the Eaft South
Eaft, and fmall bower Weft North Weft ; the South Eaft
point o f the bay bearing South by Eaft, Table Mountain
North Eaft h a lf North; diftant from the neareft Ihore one-
third o f a mile. We found ly ing here, the Nafiau and
Southampton Eaft-Indiamen, waiting for convoy for Europe.
The Refolution faluted the fort with eleven guns, and the
fame number was returned.
Mr.
Mr. Brandt, the Governor o f this place, came to vifit us, >7*o.
as foon as we had anchored. This gentleman had con- 1
ceived a great affeition for Captain Cook, who had been his
conftant gueft, the many times he had vifited the Cape; and
though he. had received the news o f his melancholy fate
fome time before, he was exceedingly affeited at the fight
o f our ihips returning without their old Commander. He
appeared much furprized to fee our crew in fo flout and
healthy a condition, as the Duteh ihip that had left Macao,
on our arrival there, and had touched at the Cape fome time
before, reported, that we were in a moil wretched ftate,
having only fourteen hands left on board th e . Refolution,
and feven on board the bifcoyery. It is not eafy to conceive
the motive thefe people could have had for propagating fo
wanton and malicious a falfehood.
On the 15th, I accompanied Captain Gore to Cape T o w n ; Saturday 15,
and, the next morning, we waited on Baron Plettenberg, Sunda>' l6’
the Governor, by whom we were received with every pof-
fible attention and civility. , He had alfo conceived a great
perfonal afle&ion for Captain Cook, as well as the higheft
admiration o f his character, and heard the recital o f his
misfortune, with many expreflions o f unaffefted forrow.
In one o f the principal apartments o f the Governor’s houfe,
he ihewed us two piilures, o f Van Trump and De Ruyter,
with a vacant fpace left between them, which he faid he
meant to fill up with the portrait o f Captain C o o k ; and, for
that purpofe, he requefted our afliftance when we fhould
arrive in England, in purchafing one for him, at any
price.
We were afterward informed by the Governor, that all
the powers at this time at war with England had given
5 Q_2 orders