214 CAPTAIN COOK'S VOYAGES 



most candid and best account of things I was able. I have not 

 natural, nor acquired abilities for writing. I have been, I may 

 say, constantly at sea from my youth ; and have dragged myself 

 (with the assistance of a few good friends) through all the stations 

 belonging to a seaman, from apprentice boy to a commander. 

 After such a candid confession, I shall hope to be excused from 

 all the blunders that will appear in this journal. 



(Signed) " JAMES COOK." 



" Cape of Good Hope, March 22, 1774." 



Records of the Admiralty, Whitehall, Captain Cook's Journal, 

 H.M, Discovery Sloop " Resolution." 



At daybreak in the morning of the 15th of May they saw 

 the island of St. Helena, at the distance of fourteen leagues ; 

 and at midnight anchored in the road before the town. 



Governor Skettowe, and the principal gentlemen of the 

 island, received and treated the Captain, during his stay, 

 with the greatest politeness, by showing him every kind 

 of civility in their power. 



During their stay here, they finished some necessary 

 repairs of the ship, which they had not time to do at the 

 Cape. They also filled their empty water-casks ; and the 

 crew were served with fresh beef, purchased at five pence 

 per pound. Their beef was found to be exceedingly good, 

 and the only refreshment they had worth mentioning. 



On the 21st of May the Captain took leave of the governor, 

 and repaired on board. Upon leaving the shore, he was 

 saluted with thirteen guns, which he returned. 



In the morning of the 28th, they made the island of 

 Ascension ; and the same evening anchored in Cross Bay. 

 They remained here till the evening of the 31st, and not- 

 withstanding they had several parties out every night, they 

 got but twenty-four turtles, it being rather too late in the 

 season. However, as they weighed between four and five 

 hundred pounds each, they were pretty well off. 



The island of Ascension is about nine miles in length, 

 in the direction of N.W. and S.E., and six in breadth. It 

 presents a surface composed of barren hills and valleys, 

 on the most of which not a shrub or plant was then to 

 be seen for several miles, but stones and ashes in plenty, 

 an indubitable sign that the isle, at some remote time, had 

 been destroyed by a volcano, which has thrown up vast 

 heaps of stones, and even hills. A high mountain at the 

 S.E. end of the isle, seemed to be left in its original .state, 

 and to have escaped the general destruction. Its soil 

 was described as a kind of white marl, which yet retained 

 its vegetative qualities, and produced a kind of purslain, 

 spurge, and one or two grasses. On these the goats 



