FROM GUAHON TO ST. HELENA. 279 



Island and Cape Verde, and leads into Table Bay. 

 The sun had already set, and we had not yet 

 readied the channel : I resolved to pass it, notwith- 

 standing the dark, which was not easy for me, as 

 I had never been here before ; we, however, suc- 

 ceeded, and cast anchor in Table Bay at one 

 o'clock in the morning. Misled by several fires on 

 the shore, I had not indeed reached the place 

 where ships usually anchor ; but I thought myself 

 very fortunate to have arrived here, as immedi- 

 ately sucii a violent storm arose that we were ob- 

 liged to throw out another anchor, and to lower 

 the top-mast, with the yard, to the deck. 



The 31st. It was not till day-break that we 

 perceived that we had not anchored before Cape 

 Town, but in the eastern part of the bay, distant 

 three miles from t}ie town, where nineteen ships 

 were lying at anchor. I found it remarkable that 

 we had still to contend against the storm from the 

 south, while the ships at anchor before the town 

 had a calm, and farther up even a breeze from the 

 north, consequently quite in an opposite direction: 

 the difference in the winds is caused by the Table 

 Mountain. A pilot now came on board, we weighed 

 anchor, and we had scarcely gone a mile to the 

 west when the storm ceased, and a northerly wind 

 carried us to the town, where we cast anchor 

 among the other ships. I immediately went on 

 shore to pay my respects to the Governor, Lord 



T 1 



