CHAPTER XVIII 



BATAVIA TO CAPE OF GOOD HOPE 

 DECEMBER 25, 1770 



Leave Batavia Cracatoa Mosquitos on board ship Prince's Island 

 Visit the town Account of Prince's Island Produce Religion Nuts 

 of Cycas circinalis Town Houses Bargaining Language Affinity of 

 Malay, Madagascar and South Sea Islands languages Leave Prince's 

 Island Sickness on board Deaths of Mr. Sporing, Mr. Parkinson, Mr. 

 Green, and many others Coast of Natal Dangerous position of the 

 ship Cape of Good Hope Dr. Solander's illness French ships 

 Bougainville's voyage. 



25th December 17*70. There was not, I believe, a man 

 in the ship but gave his utmost aid to getting up the anchor, 

 so completely tired was every one of the unhealthy air of this 

 place. We had buried here eight people. In general, 

 however, the crew were in rather better health than they had 

 been a fortnight before. 1 



While we were at work a man was missed, and as it 

 was supposed that he did not intend to stay ashore, a boat 

 was sent after him ; its return delayed us so long that we 

 entirely lost the sea breeze, and were obliged to come to 

 again a few cables' lengths only from where we lay before. 



1st January 1771. Worked all night, and to-day like- 

 wise : at night anchored under a high island, called in the 

 draughts Cracatoa and by the Indians Pulo Eacatta. I had 

 been unaccountably troubled with mosquitos ever since we 



1 At the time of sailing the number of sick on board amounted to forty or 

 more, and the rest were in a weakly condition, having every one been sick 

 except the sailmaker, an old man about seventy or eighty years of age ; and 

 what was more extraordinary about this man was his being more or less 

 generally drunk every day. Wharton's Cook, p. 362. 



2 E 



