8 The Penguins and the Seals 



On the 27th of October, as the vessels approached the south- 

 west coast of Africa, whales and seals were encountered, and 

 also ' quoquas.' 



' Quoquas ' is the first example of the eccentric orthography 

 of our author. ' Quoquas ' is, no doubt, his manner of writing 

 * conchas,' that is to say * shells ' ; the /// over the o is absent ; 

 perhaps that is a typographical error ; probably the author 

 wrote or intended to write quoquas. These shells may have 

 been those of nautili. 



On the 8th of November the vessels under the command of 

 Vasco da Gama cast anchor in a wide bay which extended from 

 east to west, and which was sheltered from all winds excepting that 

 which blew from the north-west. It was subsequently estimated 

 that this anchorage was sixty leagues distant from the Angra de 

 Sam Bras ; and as the Angra de Safn Bras was estimated to be 

 sixty leagues distant from the Cape of Good Hope, the sheltered 

 anchorage must have been in proximity to the Cape. 



The voyagers named it the Angra de Santa Elena, and it 

 may have been the bay which is now known as St. Helen's Bay. 

 But it is worthy of note that the G. de Sta. EUena of the 

 Cantino Chart is laid down in a position which corresponds 

 rather with that of Table Bay than with that of St. Helen's 

 Bay. 



The Portuguese came into contact with the inhabitants of 

 the country adjacent to the anchorage. These people had tawny 

 complexions, and carried wooden spears tipped with horn — 

 assagais of a kind — and bows and arrows. They also used 

 foxes' tails attached to short wooden handles. We are not 

 informed for what purposes the foxes' tails were used. Were 

 they used to brush flies away, or were they insignia of authority ? 

 The food of the natives was the flesh of whales, seals, and 



