talked very loud aiid very faft. After purchaling fome few bunches of artificial
fruit, we took our leave, and proceeded to Santa Cruz, cautioufly indeed,
down the hills and rocks which we had afcended in the. morning, and arrived
about fun-fet.
An outward-bound Dutch Eaft-Indiaman had anchored in the road fince the
morning.-
In the evening of this day John Powers, a convift, made his efcape from the
Alexander tranfport, in a fmall boat which by fome accident was fuffered to lie
unattended to alongfide the fhip, with a pair of oars in i t ; he was however retaken
at day-break the next morning, by the activity of the mafter and a party
o f marines belonging to the tranfport, and brought on board the Sirius, whence
he was removed to his own fhip, with directions for his being heavily ironed.
It appeared that he had at firft conceived hopes of being received on board
the Dutch Eaft-India fhip that arrived in the morning ; but, meeting with a
difappointment there, rowed to the fouthern part of the ifland, and concealed
himfelf among the rocks, having firft fet his boat and oars adrift, which fortunately
led to a difcovery of the place he had chofen for his retreat. The Marquis
de Branceforte, on hearing of his efcape, expreffed the greateft readinefs to affift
in his recovery ; and Captain Phillip offered a confiderable reward for the fame
purpofe.
Having completed the provifioning and watering of the fleet, and being again
ready to proceed on our voyage, in the afternoon of Saturday the 9th the fignal
was made from the Sirius for all boats to repair on board $ fhortly after which
fhe unmoored, and that night lay at fingle anchof.
At day-break the following morning the whole fleet got under way.
S E C T I O N II.
Proceed on the Voyage.— Altitude o f the Peak o f Tenerife.— Pafs the IJles of Sal,
Bonavijia, May, ' and St. Iago.— Crofs the Equator.— Progrefs.— Arrive at the
Brazils.— Tranfattioits at Rio de Janeiro— Some Particulars o f that Town—
Sail thence.— Pqffage to the Cape of Good Hope— TranfaEtions there.— Some
Particulars refpeEling the Cape.— Depart fo r New South Wales.
L i G H T airs had, by the noon of Monday the n th , carried the fleet midway
between the iflands of Teneriffe and the Grand Canary, which latter was now very
diftinftly feen. .-This ifland wore the fame mountainous appearance as its oppo-
fite neighbour Teneriffe, from which it feemed to be divided by a fpace of about
eleven leagues. Being the capital of the Canary,Iflands, the chief bilhop had his
refidence there, and evinced in his diocefe the true fpirit of a primitive Chrift-
ianity, by devoting to pious and charitable purpofes the principal part of arevenue
o f ten thoufand pounds per annum.. The chief oflicers of juftice alfo refide in
this ifland, before whom all civil caufes are removed from Teneriffe and the
other Canary Iflands, to be finally decided.
While detained in this fpot, we had a very fine view of the Peak o f Teneriffe,
lifting its venerable and majeftic head, above the neighbouring hills, many o f
which were; alfo of confiderable height, and perhaps rather diminiihed the
grandeur of the Peak itfelf, the altitude of which we underftood was 15,396
feet, only 148 yards fhort of three miles.*
On the 14th, the wind began to blow Heady from the north-eaft ; and on.the
15th, about eleven in the forenoon, we eroded the tropic of Cancer. Our weather
now became hot and clofe, and we rolled along-through a very heavy fea,
the convoy, however, ‘keeping well together.
A t fix o’clock in the morning of the 1 8th, the Supply, then- a-head of the
fleet, made the fignal for feeing land. The weather being very hazy, we had
but an indiftinS view of the Ifle of Sal, one of the Cape.de Verd iflands, bearing.
N. W. by W. -J- W . diftant eight le a g u e san d at one the fame day, we came in
fight of the Ifland of Bonavifta,. bearing S .W . diftant two leagues.
: Captain Phillip, defigning to anchor for a few hours at the Ifland of St. Iago,
to procure water and other refreftunents, if he could get in without any rifle or
difficulty, in the evening fhortened fail, and made the convoy’s fignal to clofe,
the run from thence to that ifland being too great to admit of our reaching it
before dark. The Supply was directed at the fame time to keep a-head with a
light