S E C T. VI. Return t0‘ the Cape of Good Hope. f length we quite turned our backs upon thefe cold latitudes, when thè daily increaiing warmth, and our approach to the north, to the civilized world, to our friends and our home, contributed to enliven us with the hopes o f a quick and fortunate conclulion to the whole voyage, and the many difagreeable circumftances attending it. But that we now had many more hardihips to undergo, than B y r o n , W a l l i s , and C o o k had fuffered in their former voyages round the earth, many of our officers, as well as o f the crew, who had been on one or more of thofe voyages, attefted. The purpofes intended to be anfwered by our voyage, particularly that of approaching as near as we could to the fouth pole, required other attempts to be made, other dangers to be undergone : the remainder o f the voyage confequently, was almoft a concatenation o f dangers and hardihips. On the 1 7 th o f March we faw land, v iz. the coaft o f Africa. . The reader may eafily imagine, how delightful a light this was to us. In the mean while, entirely ignorant of the fiate o f affairs in Europe, we could not, when once in fight of ' 775- March. A of the harbour itfelf, aflure ourfelves that we ffiould not ■he picked up by fome unknown enemy, who might Carry us out as prifoners, perhaps to the moft diftant part o f the Eaft-Indies. The next day, however, we overtook a Dutch veflel, and received from her the joyful news of a general ■ peace. Before night we faw feveral fails more, which feemedr to be fleering by the Cape, and making as faft as poffible for Europe; and with no fmall pleafure, particularly on my part, we faw the Swediih flag flying upon two of them. The ocean had hitherto, during our voyage,been really too lonefome and defolate a theatre to u s ; and it would be neceffary to be as weary o f the uniformity o f it, as we were, in order to enjoy a fight upon it, which at any other time would have been of no confequence. Neither is it any wonder, that in fo long a fpace of time, we came to be in fome meafure weary of each others company; when, for inftance, thofe who were ufed to entertain the company with tales and anecdotes, were obliged to have recourfe two. or three times to the fame ftories, in order to furniih their quota in converfation. The following morning we overtook an Engliih ihip called the True Briton, commanded by Captain-BROADLY, who fent us fome old news-papers. Full: of love for my native country, L firft and foremoft, with the greateft eager-- nefs, ran over all the articles imthem thatrconcerned Sweden but found only a couple of lines, which gave me to underhand that a great revolution had taken place there, but did not fay when or how. This gave rife to divers conjectures amongft us, and was-to me in particular an affeft- ing fubject to ruminate upon.; but from.what the Engliib told
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