177^' THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 125 



other assistance to the captain to expedite his supply 

 of provisions and water, having given him an order 

 to receive on board as much of both articles as he 

 could conveniently stow. I now found that the ba- 

 kers had failed in baking the bread I had ordered for 

 the Discovery. They pretended a want of flour ; 

 but the truth was, they were doubtful of her coming, 

 and did not care to begin till they saw her at anchor 

 in the bay. 



I have before made mention of our getting our 

 cattle on shore. The bull and two cows, with their 

 calves, were sent to graze along with some other 

 cattle ; but I was advised to keep our sheep, sixteen 

 in number, close to our tents, where they were 

 penned up every night. During the night preceding 

 the 14th, some dogs having got in amongst them, 

 forced them out of the pen, killing four, and dis- 

 persing the rest. Six of them were recovered the 

 next day ; but the two rams, and two of the finest 

 ewes in the whole flock, were amongst those missing. 

 Baron Plettenberg being now in the country, I ap- 

 plied to the lieutenant-governor, Mr. Hemmy, and 

 to the fiscal. Both these gentlemen promised to 

 use their endeavours for the recovery of the lost 

 sheep. The Dutch, we know, boast that the police 

 at the Cape is so carefully executed, that it is hardly 

 possible for a slave, with all his cunning and know- 

 ledge of the country, to effectuate his escape. Yet 

 my sheep evaded all the vigilance of the fiscal's 

 officers and people. However, after much trouble 

 and expence, by employing some of the meanest and 

 lowest scoundrels in the place (who, to use the phrase 

 of the person who recommended this method to me, 

 would, for a ducatoon, cut their master's throat, burn 

 the house over his head, and bury him and the whole 

 family in the ashes), I recovered them all but the 

 two ewes. Of these I never could hear the least 

 tidings : and I gave over all inquiry after them, 

 when I was told, that since I had got the two rams, 



