THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 483 



Mr. Brandt, the Governor of this place, came to vifu us, j?8o. 

 as foon as we had anchored. This gentleman had con- '- --.-'.._? 

 ceived a great affection for Captain Cook, who had been his 

 conftant gueft, the many times he had vifited the Cape ; and 

 though he had received the news of his melancholy fate 

 fome time before, he was exceedingly affected at the fight 

 of our mips returning without their old Commander. He 

 appeared much furprized to fee our crew in fo flout and 

 healthy a condition, as the Dutch fliip that had left Macao, 

 on our arrival there, and had touched at the Cape fome time 

 before, reported, that we were in a moft wretched flate, 

 having only fourteen hands left on board the Refolution, 

 and feven on board the Difcovery. It is not eafy to conceive 

 the motive thefe people could have had for propagating fo 

 wanton and malicious a falfehood. 



On the 15th, I accompanied Captain Gore to Cape Town ; Saturday 15. 

 and, the next morning, we waited on Baron Plettenberg, Sunday i6m 

 the Governor, by whom we were received with every pof- 

 fible attention and civility. He had alfo conceived a great 

 perfonal affection for Captain Cook, as well as the higheft 

 admiration of his character, and heard the reciral of his 

 misfortune, with many expreffions of unaffected forrow. 

 In one of the principal apartments of the Governor's houfe, 

 he fhewed us two pictures, of Van Trump and De Ruyter, 

 with a vacant fpace left between them, which he faid he 

 meant to fill up with the portrait of Captain Cook ; and, for 

 that purpofe, he requefted our afTiitance when we fhould 

 arrive in England, in purchafing 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 



3 Q^2 orders 



