MatdL me> as w dl as from what my own ideas fuggefted to me, O w J I was convinced, that the commotions in the Swediih government were then almoft at fuch a height, as fcarcely to be capable o f growing worfe, and that thus tins news in all probability argued fomething better. This confideration was not without its effedt in comforting me, till time ihew- ed how extremely right we had been in our conjectures. At length on the Wednefday following, being the 2 2d o f March, 1 7 7 5 , after a voyage o f iixty thoufand miles, and an abfence o f two years and a quarter from the Chrif- tian and civilized part o f the world, we came again to anchor in 'Table-bay. Thofe who before us had failed round the globe always went to the weftward, and thus loft a day in their reckoning. But, as we made the fame voyage towards the eaft, and thus continually anticipated the riling o f the fun, we were confequently the lirft, and, indeed, only navigators, who had gained a day, or found a fuper- numerary day on their journals. Confequently, according to the Dutch almanacks at the Cape, in was on Tuefday, or the 21 ft of March, that we landed there; fo that, diredtly contrary to every known and ufual mode o f ex- preflion, we adhially had two Tuefdays in one week. It was now a thing which we earneftly wifhed for, as well as o f the greateft confequence to us, to enter the ‘ harbour, as feveral o f our crew were attacked with the fcurvy. Our unparalleled prefervatives o f four-crout and wort, had, it muft be owned, pretty well kept us from the ravages of this otherwife cleftrudtive diforder, fo that we loft only one of our crew by ficknefs (an old complaint ¡of the lungs) fince we left the Cape ; but our blood and humours humours were, as well as our malt, and the greateft part W L. of Our proviiions, in confequence o f the length o f the voyage, fpoiled and corrupted. Our bread was; and had been for a long time, both mufty and mouldy; and at the fame time fwarming with two. different forts of little brown grubs (the curculio grdnarius, or weevil, and the dermejles paniceus) which either in that ftate or in that of their larvas, or maggots, had neftled themfelves into every bit o f bread that we had, fo that we could not poflibly avoid eating them; and they frequently difcovered themfelves to us, the former by a bitter, the latter by a difagreeable cold tafte in the mouth. Nay, their larvas, or maggots, were found in iuch quantities in the peas-foup, as i f they had been ftrewed over our plates on purpofe, io that we could not avoid fwallowing fome of them in every fpoonful we took. The peas ufed for this purpofe, had been ground a little in England, that they might boil the eaiier, but had by this very means afforded an eaiier paffage to thefe dilguftful infedts. What was of ftill more confequence, was, that we had only a quantity of bread, bad as it was, fufficient for a few days on board; and as for the brandy, an article of great importance to the crew, it was, i f I remember right,, quite gone the day before we arrived in the harbour. Pepper, vinegar, coffee and fugar, by the help o f which, taking them in their turns, the fait provifion would have been lefs hurtful to us, we had for a long time been entirely without. Our fait meat, now almoft three years old, having been kept on board during the whole of this period, was the more dried and ihrunk up, as the fait had had fo much the
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