On the 17th, made the land of the Cape of Good Hope, and on the 19th anchored in Table Bay, where we found Commodore Sir Edward Hughes, with his majesty's ships Salisbury and Sea-horse. I saluted the commodore with, thirteen guns; and, soon after, the garrison with the same number; the former returned the salute, as usual, with two guns less, and the latter with an equal number.
On the 24th, Sir Edward Hughes sailed with the Salisbury and Sea-horse, for the East Indies; but I remained refitting the ship and refreshing the people till the 16th of April, when I sailed for England, and on the 14th of July anchored at Spithead.
_Transactions at the Cape of Good Hope; with an Account of some Discoveries made by the French; and the Arrival of the Ship at St Helena._
I now resume my own Journal, which Captain Furneaux's interesting narrative, in the preceding section, had obliged me to suspend.
The day after my arrival at the Cape of Good Hope, I went on shore, and waited on the Governor, Baron Plettenberg, and other principal officers, who received, and, treated us, with the greatest politeness, contributing all in their power to make it agreeable. And, as there are few people more obliging to strangers than the Dutch in general, at this place, and refreshments of all kinds are no where to be got in such abundance, we enjoyed some real repose, after the fatigues of a long voyage.
The good treatment which strangers meet with at the Cape of Good Hope, and the necessity of breathing a little fresh air, has introduced a custom, not common any where else (at least I have no where seen it so strictly observed), which is, for all the officers, who can be spared out of the ship, to reside on shore. We followed this custom. Myself, the two Mr Forsters, and Mr Sparrman, took up our abode with Mr Brandt, a gentleman well known to the English, by his obliging readiness to serve them. My first care, after my arrival, was to procure fresh-baked bread, fresh meat, greens, and wine, for those who remained on board; and being provided, every day during our stay, with these articles, they were soon restored to their usual strength. We had only three men on board whom it was thought necessary to send on shore for the recovery of their health; and for these I procured quarters, at the rate of thirty stivers, or half-a-crown, per day, for which they were provided with victuals, drink, and lodging.