the 24th, in latitude 33 deg. 40' S., longitude, by account, 328 deg. 17' W.,
we met with a violent gale, which split the main-top-sail and the
main-top-mast-stay-sail all to pieces. The sea broke over the ship in a
dreadful manner, the starboard rudder chain was broken, and many of the
booms were washed overboard. During the storm we saw several birds and
butterflies; and our first attention, after it was subsided, was to dry
the bedding of the sick: At the same time, every one on board who could
handle a needle was employed in repairing the sails, which were now in a
shattered condition.

On the 26th and 27th, being in latitude 34 deg. 16', and becalmed, we had
several observations, by which we determined the longitude of the ship
to be 323 deg. 30'; and it appeared that we were several degrees to the
eastward of our reckoning.

At six in the evening, of the 30th of January, we saw land, and on the
4th of February, we anchored in Table Bay, at the Cape of Good Hope.

Our run from Prince's Island to the Cape was, by our reckoning, 89
degrees longitude, which makes the longitude of the Cape 345 deg. W.; but
the longitude of the Cape being, by observation, 342 deg. 4', it appeared
that the ship was three degrees to the eastward of her reckoning.

SECTION XII.

_An Account of our Transactions at the Cape of Good Hope, and of the
Return of the Dolphin to England_.

As soon as the ship was at anchor, I sent an officer on shore, with the
usual compliments to the governor, who received him with great civility,
telling him that we were welcome to all the refreshments and assistance
that the Cape afforded, and that he would return our salute with the
same number of guns.

We found riding here a Dutch commodore, with sixteen sail of Dutch East
Indiamen, a French East India ship, and the Admiral Watson, Captain
Griffin, an East India packet-boat, for Bengal. We saluted the governor
with thirteen guns, and he returned the same number; the Admiral Watson
saluted us with eleven guns, and we returned nine; the French ship
afterwards saluted us with nine guns, and we returned seven.

Having got off some mutton for the ship's company, with plenty of
greens, I sent the surgeon on shore to hire quarters for the sick, but
he could procure none for less than two shillings a day, and a
stipulation to pay more, if any of them should take the small-pox, which
was then in almost every house, in proportion to the malignity of the