people fhewed them every mark of cordial friendship, thewing them the houfes of their king and principal people. Few of the houses were open at this time, the inhabitants having taken up their refidence in the rice-grounds, to defend their crops against the birds and monkies, who, without this neceffary caution, would destroy them.

When their curiofity was fatisfied, they hired a large failing-boat for two rupees, value 4s. which conveyed them to the bark, time enough to dine upon one of the fmall dear, weighing only 40lb. which proved to be exceeding good and favory food. In the evening we again went on fhore, to fee how our people went on, who were employed in wooding and watering, when we were told that an axe had been ftolen. Application was immediately made to the king, who, after fome altercation, promised, that the axe fhould be reftored in the morning ; and it was accordingly brought us by a man, who pretended, that the thief, afraid of a discovery, had left it at his house in the night.

On the 13th, having compleated our wood and water, Mr. Banks took leave of his majefty, to whom he had made feveral trifling prefents, and at parting gave him two quires of paper, which he gracioufly accepted. During their converfation, the king enquired why the English did not touch at the island as they had ufed to do. Mr. Banks replied, that the reason was, as he fuppofed, because they found a deficiency of turtle, of which there not being enough to fupply one fhip, many could not be expected; and to fupply this defect, Mr. Banks advised his majefty to breed cattle, buffaloes, and fheep; but he did not feem difpofed to adopt this prudent measure.

On the 14th, we had got on board a good stock of fresh provifions, confifting of turtle, fowl, fish, two fpecies of deer, one about the fize of a fheep, the other not bigger than a rabbet; alfo cocoa-nuts, plantains, limes, and other vegetables. The deer, however,

ferved only for present ufe, for we could feldom keep. one of them alive more then twenty-four hours.

On the 15th we weighed, with a light breeze at N., E. and ftood out to fea. We took our departure from Java Head, which is in lat. 6 deg. 49 min. S. and in long. 253 deg, 12 min. W.

In the month of February we held on our course, and made the best of our way for the Cape of Good Hope; put now the fatal seeds of disease, our people had imbibed at Batavia, began to appear, with the most alarming fymptoms, in dyfenteries and flow fevers, Our fituation in a fhort time was truly deplorable, and the fhip was little better than an hofpital, in which those who did duty, were too few to attend those who were confined to their hammocks. Many of thefe were in the last stage of the deftructive diforder; and almost every night we committed a body to the fea, Mr. Banks was among the number of the fick, and for fome time we despaired of his life. In the courfe of fix weeks we buried Mr. Sporing, a gentleman of Mr. Banks's retinue; Mr. Parker, his natural hiftory painter; Mr. Green the aftronomer, the boatswain, the carpenter and his mate; Mr. Monkhoufe the midshipman; our jolly fail-maker and his affiftant; the cook, the corporal of the marines, two of the carpenter's crew, a midshipman and nine failors; in all 23 perfons, befides 7 at Batavia.

On the 15th of March, we brought the flip to an anchor off the Cape of Good Hope. Capt. Cook repaired immediately to the governor, who cheerfully promised him every refreshment the country afforded, on which a houfe was hired for the fick, and it was a greed they should be lodged and boarded for 2s. each man per day.

At the time the Endeavour lay at the Cape of Good Hope, the Houghton Indiman, failed for England. She had buried near 40 of her crew, and when the left he Cape, had many of her hands in a helpless condi

tion,

tion, occafioned by the fcurvy. other fhips likewife experienced a proportionable lofs by fick nefs; fo that our fufferings were comparatively light, confidering that we had been near three times as long.

We continued at the Cape till the 13th of April in order to recover the fick, procure ftores, and to do fome neceffary work upon the fhip and rigging. When this was finished, we got all the fick on board, several of whom were still in a dangerous ftate; and on the 14th, having taken leave of the governor, we unmoored and got ready to fail.

The hiftory of Caffraria is well known in Europe,' and a description of the Cape of Good Hope has been given by most of our circum-navigators; yet it is prefumed, that an account of this country will be acceptable to most of the fubfcribers to this work, who will meet with fome particulars that have either been wholly omitted, or misreprefented in other narratives.

The Cape of Good Hope, which in the most fouthern part of Africa, was at firft difcovered, A. D. 14939 by Bartholomew Diaz, admiral' of a 'Portuguess fleet, who, on account of the boisterous weather he met with when near it, diftinguished it by the name of Cabodos totos Tormentos, or the Cape of all Plagues; fince which, no place in the univerfe has been more fpoken of. The reason why it has fo much attracted the attention of mariners of all nations, is, their being under the neceffity of frequently calling there for water and other refreshments, and alfo of doubling it in their Voyage to the Eaft-Indies. But John king of Portugal not liking the name which his admiral had beftowed upon it, changed it to that of Cabode Bona Efperanca, the Cape of Good Hope," which appellation it has ever fince retained.

Neither Diaz, nor his fucceffor Vafco de Gama, though they faw the Cape, thought proper to land: but in 1498 the Portuguese admiral, Rio del Infanta, was the first who ventured on fhore; and from his report,

Emanuel

Emanuel, king of Portugal, determined to eftablish & colony; but the Portuguese having taken it into their heads, that the inhabitants of the Cape were Canibals, were too much afraid of being devoured, to obey their Sovereign in making the fettlement he intended: however, fome time after, another body of those timid adventurers made good their landing; under the conduct of Francis d'Almeyda, a viceroy of Brafil, when the Portuguese were fhamefully defeated by the scarce armed, and unwarlike natives. The viceroy and 50 of his men being killed in the engagement, the remainder retired with precipitation to their fhips. The Portuguese determined to be revenged; but not having magnanity enough to fhew a becoming refentment, they contrived a moft inhuman and cowardly expedient.

About two years after, touching at the Cape, they landed with all the appearance of amity, accompanied with ftrong profeffions of friendship, and under this mafk brought with them a large cannon loaded with grape-fhot, The unfufpecting natives, overjoyed by the gift of fo great a treasure, began to drag it away' by the means of two long ropes, which had been perviously fastened to the muzzle. Great numbers laid hold of the ropes, and many others went before by way of triumph, when the treacherous Portuguese firing off the cannon, a prodigious flaughter enfued, as most of the people stood within the range of the shot. Many were killed, feveral wounded; and the few who efcaped, abandoned with the utmost precipitation the fatal prefent.

About the year 1600, the dutch began to touch af the Cape, in their way to and from the Eaft-Indies ; and becoming annually more fenfible of the importance of the place, they effected a fettlement, in 1650, which fince that time had rifen to great power and opulence, and been of effential fervice to that nation. M. Van Ricbeeck, a furgon, in his return from India, obferv

5

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ing

ing the conveniency of the place for a fettlement, and laying before the Dutch Eaft-India Company a plan of its advantages, the scheme was approved, and the projector appointed governor. This adventurer failing with four fhips to the Cape, entered into a negociation with the people, who, in confideration of fifty thousand guilders, or four housand three hundred and feventyfive pounds fterling, agreed to yield up to the Dutch a confiderable tract of the country round the Cape. Van Ricbeeck, in order to fecure his new purchase, immediately erected a strong square fort; laid out a large garden, and planted it with a great variety of the productions from Europe, that he might render the place as commodious and agreeable as poffible.

Having thus fuccefsfully founded a fettlement, the Dutch Company propofed, in order the more effectually to establish it, that every man, who would fettle three years at the Cape, fhould have an inheritance of fixty acres of land, provided, that during that space, he would fo improve his eftate, as to render it fufficient to maintain himself, and contribute fomewhat towards the maintenance of the garrifon; and, at the expiration of the time, he might either keep poffeffion of it, or fell it, and return home. Induced by these propofals, many went to seek their fortunes at the Cape, and were furnished on credit with cattle, grain, plants, utenfils, &c. The planters, however, at length grew weary of their habitations for want of conjugal fociety: therefore the governor of the company, to prevent their leaving the place, provided them with wives from the orphan houfes, and other charitable foundations. In process of time they greatly increased, and fpread themselves farther up the country, and along the coaft, till they occupied all the lands from Sandanna Bay, round the fouthern point of Africa, to Noffel Bay, on the Eaft, and afterwards purchafed Tarra de Natal, in order to extend their limits still farther.

On