178?. Nothing material happened from this to the ifith :■ we kept
/-me\ f handing for St. Helena, with a frefh South Eafterly hreeze and
■ fine weather. This ifland is placed in the charts in ry deg. yy
min. South latitude, and 5 deg. 49 Weft longitude. At half paft
three o’clock in the morning of the 18th, we faw St. Helena, bearing
North Weft about fix leagues diftant: at fix o’clock the
whale-boat was hoifted out, and Mr. White fent on ftiore with
difpatches to the Governor.
On ftanding into the road we had foundihgs from twenty-nine
to nineteen fathoms water, over a muddy bottom.
At eleven o’clock we anchored with the beft bowSr in nineteen
fathom water; the extreme of the ifland bore from North 71
deg. Eaft to South 65 deg. Weft: the church South 6 deg. Weft.
We had the pleafure of finding our confort the King George
here, and every perfon on board in good health. Many of Captain
Portlock’ s people had been ill of the fcurvy, fince they parted from
us; but by a regular ufe of the various antifcorbutics, which he
had on board, their health was pretty well re-eftablilhed before he
-arrived at St. Helena.
In doubling the Cape of Good Hope, Captain Portlock kept
much nearer the land than we had done, and had not fo long a
continuance of bad weather, fo that he arrived here fix days before
us, and having compleated his water, 8ic. he intended to have failed
this morning, but on our arrival he deferred it till the morrow.
Befides the King George, we found here, the Lanfdowne, Captain
tain Storey, the Queen, Captain Douglas, three other Eaft-
India fhips, and a Tufcan veffel.
Our bufinefs at this ifland being principally to fill up our water,
no time was loft in making every neceflary preparation for
that purpofe ; it was no lefs neceflary for us to procure whatever
refrefhments the ifland afforded, but we were given to underftand,
that frefh provifions were dealt out very fparingly, owing to the
number of fhips touching here.
On the 19th, we received three quarters of frefh beef, which-
was all that could pofiibly be fpared u s : to make amends however
for this deficiency, a quantity of rice, potatoes and pumpkins
were purchafed, and diftributed amongft the fhip’s company.
From this to the 23d, the people were bulled in watering, fet-
ting up the rigging and other neceflary employments: fome o f
them were daily lent on fhore to gather water-creffes, cellery, and
mint, which grow here in great plenty.
At five o’clock in the afternoon of the 24th, we unmoored, and
at feven weighed and made fail, ftanding out of the road with a light
Eafterly breeze, and clear weather. At noon on the 25th,
James-Town bore South 40 deg. Eaft, ten leagues diftant. Our.
paffage from St. Helena to this place afforded little variety, except
that about the latitude of 6 deg. North, we fell in with light
variable winds, and clofe fultry rainy weather; our longitude at
the fame time was about 27 deg. Weft. The pilot (who is juft
come on board) informs me that Captain Portlock arrived in the
river about a fortnight ago, all his people in good health. As
I hope very fhortly to have the pleafure of feeing thee, I fhall
con