THIRD VOYAGE 225 



on shore, to graze near our encampment. Before I returned 

 on board, I ordered soft bread, fresh meat, and greens 

 to be provided every day for the ship's company. 



" Nothing remarkable happened till the evening of the 

 31st, when it began to blow excessively hard at south-east, 

 and continued for three days ; during which time there was 

 no communication between the ship and the shore. The 

 Resolution was the only ship in the bay that rode out the 

 gale without dragging her anchors. We felt its effects as 

 sensibly on shore. Our tents and observatory were torn to 

 pieces, and our astronomical quadrant narrowly escaped ir- 

 reparable damage. On the 3rd of November the storm 

 ceased. 



" The Discovery, having been detained some days at 

 Plymouth, did not arrive here till the 10th. Captain Clerke 

 informed me that he had sailed from Plymouth on the 1st 

 of August, and should have been with us here a week sooner, 

 if the late gale of wind had not blown him off the coast. 

 Upon the whole, he was seven days longer in his passage 

 from England than we had been. He had the misfortune to 

 lose one of his marines, by falling overboard ; but there had 

 been no other mortality amongst his people, and they now 

 arrived well and healthy. 



" While the ships were getting ready, some of our officers 

 made an excursion into the neighbouring country. Mr. 

 Anderson, my surgeon, who was one of the party, gave me 

 the following relation of their proceedings : 



' On the 16th, in the forenoon, I set out in a waggon, 

 with five more, to take a view of some part of the country. 

 We crossed the large plain that lies to the eastward of the 

 town, which is entirely a white sand, like that commonly 

 found on beaches, and produces only heath, and other 

 small plants of various sorts. At five in the afternoon we 

 passed a large farm-house, with some corn-fields and vine- 

 yards, situated beyond the plain, near the foot of some low 

 hills, where the soil becomes worth cultivating. Between 

 six and seven we arrived at Stellenbosh, the colony next to 

 that of the Cape for its importance. 



' The village does not consist of more than thirty houses, 

 and stands at the foot of the range of lofty mountains, above 

 twenty miles to the eastward of the.Cape Town. The houses 

 are neat ; and, with the advantage of a rivulet which runs 

 near, and the shelter of some large oaks, planted 

 at its first settling, forms a rural prospect in this desert 

 country. There are some vineyards and orchards, which, 

 from their thriving appearance, indicate an excellent soil ; 

 though, perhaps, they owe much to climate, as the air has 

 an uncommon serenity. 



68 H 



