430 BATAVIA TO CAPE OF GOOD HOPE CH. xvm 



3rd April. Theodosio 1 ... a seaman, died very suddenly; 

 he had enjoyed an uninterrupted state of good health during 

 all our times of sickness. 



*Ith. Of the four French vessels which we found in this 

 harbour, three have now sailed, and the fourth is ready for 

 sea, two were 64-gun ships, the third a large snow, and the 

 fourth a frigate. All these came from the Isle de France 2 

 for provisions, of which they carry away hence a prodigious 

 quantity, and consequently must have many mouths to feed. 

 It is probable they meditate some stroke from this island at 

 our East India settlements in the beginning of a future war, 

 which, however, our Indian people are not at all alarmed at, 

 trusting entirely to the vast armies which they constantly 

 keep up, the support of which in Bengal alone costs 

 840,000 a year. 



Mr. De Bougainville, pleased with the beauty of the ladies 

 of Otahite, gave that island the name of Cypre. On his 

 return home he touched at Isle de France, where the person 

 who went out with him in the character of natural historian 

 was left, and still remains. Otourrou, the Indian, whom he 

 brought from thence, was known on board his ship by the 

 name of Tootavu, a plain corruption of Bougainville, with 

 whom it may be supposed he meant to change names 

 according to his custom. This man is now at Isle de 

 France, from whence a large ship is very soon to sail and 

 carry him back to his own country, where she is to make a 

 settlement. In doing this she must necessarily follow the 

 track of Abel Jansen Tasrnan, and consequently, if she does 

 not discover Cook's Straits, which in all probability she will 

 do, must make several discoveries on the coast of New 

 Zealand. Thus much the French who were here made no 

 secret of. How necessary then will it be for us to publish 

 an account of our voyage as soon as possible after our 

 arrival, if we mean that our own country shall have the honour 



1 This is clearly Jeh. Dozey, A.B., who is stated, in the "Introduction " to 

 Wharton's Cook (p. liii.), to have died on April 7, 1771, but his death is not 

 alluded to in Cook's Journal. 



2 The more usual name now is Mauritius. 



