38 cook's SECOND VOYAGE NOV. 



Three or four days after us, two Dutch Indiamen 

 arrived here from Holland, after a passage of be- 

 tween four and five months, in which one lost, by 

 the scurvy and other putrid diseases, 150 men ; and 

 the other 41. They sent, on their arrival, great 

 numbers to the hospital in very dreadful circum- 

 stances. It is remarkable, that one of these ships 

 touched at Port Pray a, and left it a month before 

 we arrived there ; and yet we got here three days 

 before her. The Dutch at the Cape, having found 

 their hospital too small for the reception of their 

 sick, were going to build a new one at the east part 

 of the town ; the foundation of which was laid with 

 great ceremony while we were there. 



By the healthy condition of the crews of both 

 ships at our arrival, I thought to have made my stay 

 at the Cape very short. But, as the bread we wanted 

 was unbaked, and the spirit, which I found scarce, to 

 be collected from different parts out of the country, 

 it was the 18th of November before we had got every 

 thing on board, and the 22d before we could put to 

 sea. During this stay the crews of both ships were 

 served every day with fresh beef or mutton, new 

 baked bread, and as much greens as they could eat. 

 The ships were caulked and painted ; and, in every 

 respect, put in as good a condition as when they left 

 England. Some alterations in the officers took place 

 in the Adventure. Mr. Shank, the first lieutenant, 

 having been in an ill state of health ever since we 

 sailed from Plymouth, and not finding himself re- 

 cover here, desired my leave to quit, in order to 

 return home for the re-establishment of his health. 

 As his request appeared to be well-founded, I granted 

 him leave accordingly, and appointed Mr. Kemp 

 first lieutenant in his room ; and Mr. Burney, one of 

 my midshipmen, second, in the room of Mr. Kemp. 



Mr. Forster, whose whole time was taken up in 

 the pursuit of Natural History and Botany, met with 

 a Swedish gentleman, one Mr. Sparman, who under- 



4 



