177 ROUND THE WORLD. SJ 



Mauritius, about eight months before, had discovered 

 land, in the latitude of 48 south, and in the meri- 

 dian of that island, along which they sailed forty 

 miles, till they came to a bay into which they were 

 about to enter, when they were driven off and sepa- 

 rated in a hard gale of wind, after having lost some 

 of their boats and people, which they had sent to 

 sound the bay. One of the ships, viz. the La For- 

 tune, soon after arrived at the Mauritius, the captain 

 of which was sent home to France with an account 

 of the discovery. The governor also informed me, 

 that in March last two other French ships from the 

 island of Mauritius touched at the Cape in their 

 way to the South Pacific Ocean ; where they were 

 going to make discoveries, under the command of 

 M. Marion. Aotourou, the man M. de Bougainville 

 brought from Otaheite, was to have returned with 

 M. Marion, had he been living. 



After having visited the governor and some other 

 principal persons of the place, we fixed ourselves at 

 Mr. Brandt's, the usual residence of most officers 

 belonging to English ships. This gentleman spares 

 neither trouble nor expence to make his house agree- 

 able to those who favour him with their company, 

 and to accommodate them with every thing they 

 want. With him I concerted measures for supplying 

 the ships with provisions, and all other necessaries 

 they wanted ; which he set about procuring without 

 delay, while the seamen on board were employed in 

 overhauling the rigging ; and the carpenters in caulk- 

 ing the ship's sides and decks, &c. 



Messrs. Wales and Bayleygot all their instruments 

 on shore, in order to make astronomical observations 

 for ascertaining the going of the watches, and other 

 purposes. The result of some of these observations 

 shewed, that Mr. Kendal's watch had answered 

 beyond ail expectation, by pointing out the longitude 

 of this place to within one minute of time to what it 

 was observed by Messrs. Mason and Dixon in 1761= 



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