112 VOYAGE IN SEARCH 



inftrumcnts, and who had, for nine years, exer- 

 cited his trade in England. The Englifh, he told 

 us, were carrying him to Botany Bay, with a great 

 number of other perfons, tranfported under the 

 denomination olcotrc'ifis. He afTured us that he 

 was banifhed thither for debt. After having feized 

 an opportunity of efcaping from the fhip in 

 which he was confined, he had taken refuge in 

 the mountains in the vicinity of Cape Town. 

 He there paflfed the day in a cavern, and in the 

 evening he went into the town in order to pur- 

 chafe wherewithal to fubfift, waiting for the de- 

 parture of the other perfons under fentence of 

 tranfportation. The talents of this artift could 

 not be employed on board ; we could make no- 

 thing of him but an armourer, and afterwards a 

 fmith. The armourer belonging to the fhip had 

 been put on fhore at the Cape, on account of 

 illnefs. 



On the 20th of February, with winds from 

 the fouth -weft and fouth, we weathered Cape 

 Aiguilas at the diftance of about two kilometers. 



On the 2 2d we were in latitude 35 fouth, 

 and longitude 20 eaft, when we founded in 

 fixty-two fathoms water, over a bottom of gray- 

 ilh calcareous fand. 



The currents had till now carried us to the 

 north-weft ; but on the 25th they drifted us to the 

 fouth-wefr, for we were abrcafl of the Straits of 



Mozam- 



