of the wood. Mr. Boswell, being a young man of talents and
genius in liis* profession, saw these' defects, and*'proposed, in addition
to the bars abovementioned, that in place of thé bolts
passing' right through 'th e . keel from side to. si<fej rag-bolts
should be substituted in their róoto, passing: Only half way
through each plank; and tha f no two bolts should fall in a
direct liné with each other, the planks by this means would'b'd
pinned One to another without any more than half of each being
perforated in any one place. With thé* af)probation.' of the
Adtniral triisimode whs adopted1, and'with bolts and Bó’ffds’ 'of
édpper th e whole was soon fmished in a stile, that from the ex-
perience l ’afterwards had of themTeflectx^tfiëej^idést crédit
on the builder.*
On the l 6th we sailed for Simon’s Bay-, and .anchored the
following day at nine o’clèék A. M. I found- tkerh -His
iy’s ship Porpoise, which had., sailed from Spithead witli us^
bound tb'New Holland ;• the cdifimander of which thought we
had returned to Portsmouth, after parting company with th i
East India, fleet on the 23d o f M arch. From that Officer I
learned, that the night we parted one of the Indiameri-had lost
her top-masts, arid that the Porpoise on her passage had been
obliged to cut away one of her boats, which was slung on her
quartery :and likewise had her foremast damaged. I was vèry
thankfuf that the Lady Nelson, which was uOt-deemed-seaworthy,
should have performed her voyage to the Cape-Without
losing a stitch of canvas,’or having a spar of any kind damaged^
arid thatiwe had oxir three boats safe on the .deck. After this,
surely even those who do not approvfe of such constructed ves-
* This, like many observations I have been obliged to make oil leaks, &Ci has proceeded-
from the faplt of tl)e workmanship, and not any fault jin the original plap the' fore-keel,
which was constantly used in the worst of weather, absolutely lasted the voyage, and was in.
the vessel when I left her.
sels
^els will nate^ltribute-i#'to chance, but to.the proper cause, her
goodness. p
As I interidód to wait»for a more fcouveriien-teséason« -to-make
our passage to Nqw1- Holland1, I föft 'tfis^&èason-rii'o^d^b’om
Table Bay to Simooms Bay^Moidihlg» fo.y thisHbèan^ the violent
W. winds, and’ hedvy sea which' tolls into ‘th e fórinei from
thëilstfjof May till the middle of# September. ' Fromöhé è©n-
struction-ö^tthe Lady Nelsony Und jf§n||little depth of waiter she
drew,' >(not exceeding foürtfeest .When the keeM weremp$?%e
.could havfe code with Safety in Table ’Bayj some vessels« art
thi&itime did. | .Vessefsl likebrirs ’woüld .feefhig.Hlyrsei’VKeabïe» at
-the? Gape;} -either when the Ni W. wind blows* -as already obt
iSérvgsb;;or- when E. winds prevail and- have.a- similar: effect
on the bays.which open to the eastward.1 The construction- of
th e shells admits-of the vessels | being laid ron-gb'orevfipr' éven
hauled up oh it, advantages! which must be obvious to fevéïy
éne who has-witnessed a, gale @f wind inthisvquaftot- M
My orders being to remain a t‘th é Gape till the summer sea#oh
commer&tody1 a considerable stay for atoiréumnavigator, I th'eré-
,fee|4embraeed every opportunity o# gratifying myiC^itoMty^ith
•ipspieptt^to the state of the. Colony.- Had I ^§en' possessed- of
the accounts.given by those who- have published them, I might
havle; availed myself of their obsèrvations ; but- thatmot being
-the, case, the candid,reader willexeusé me,-> if his wishes-^are nét
so fully answered by the particulars which l öceurred to me*» or
-from the iriformation of soine friends Iféujad thein. -oi
G)n entering Table Bay- evëry ^wya gp^isj attracted by-, the
majestic .appearance of the-Table Hill,' v^h^se -hearifisi often hid
amongst the cloUds. Many writers h&ve^givein -variQ^measqrer
ments. of this mountain| ' jthe tollowingrihdweveri I trus twill be
found correct. Duringmiyfestoy ’ ae to I- hadr’the good
fortune ito procure them.' .;
G Height