1780. THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 437 



Southampton East-Indiamen, waiting for convoy 

 for Europe. The Resolution saluted the fort with 

 eleven guns, and the same number was returned. 



Mr. Brandt, the governor of this place, came to 

 visit us, as soon as we had anchored. This gentle- 

 man had conceived a great affection for Captain 

 Cook, who had been his constant guest, the many 

 times he had visited the Cape ; and though he had 

 received the news of his melancholy fate some time 

 before, he was exceedingly affected at the sight of 

 our ships returning without their old commander. 

 He appeared much surprized to see our crew in so 

 stout and healthy a condition, as the Dutch ship 

 that had left Macao on our arrival there, and had 

 touched at the Cape some time before, reported, 

 that we were in a most wretched state, having only 

 fourteen hands left on board the Resolution, and 

 seven on board the Discovery. It is not easy to 

 conceive the motive these people could have had 

 for propagating so wanton and malicious a falsehood. 



On the 15th, I accompanied Captain Gore to 

 Cape Town ; and the next morning, we waited on 

 Baron Plettenberg, the governor, by whom we were 

 received with every possible attention and civility. 

 He had also conceived a great personal affection for 

 Captain Cook, as well as the highest admiration of 

 his character, and heard the recital of his mis- 

 fortune, with many expressions of unaffected sorrow. 

 In one of the principal apartments of the governor's 

 house, he shewed us two pictures, of Van Tromp 

 and De Ruyter, with a vacant space left between 

 them, which he said he meant to fill up with the 

 portrait of Captain Cook ; and for that purpose, he 

 requested our assistance when we should arrive in 

 England, in purchasing one for him, at any price. 



We were afterward informed by the governor, that 

 all the powers at this time at war with England had 

 given orders to their cruizers to let us pass un- 

 molested. This, as far as related to the French, we 



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