CHAPTER II 



THE SOUTHERN ICE-FIELDS 



As on his previous voyage, Cook called at 

 Funchal, in the Island of Madeira, in order to 

 take on board water, wine, fruit and other pro- 

 visions. But on leaving Funchal, instead of 

 steering for Rio de Janiero, as he had done four 

 years previously, he laid a course for the Cape 

 of Good Hope. Reckoning that he could not 

 carry enough water for so long a voyage, he 

 called at Santiago, one of the Cape Verde 

 Islands, and anchored in the harbour of Praya, 

 where he stayed four days. On September 8th 

 he crossed the Equator, and after an uneventful 

 voyage, the Resolution and Adventure arrived at 

 the Cape of Good Hope on October 30th. 



Cook landed, and, accompanied by Captain 

 Furneaux and the two Forsters, called on Baron 

 de Plattenburg, the Governor of the Cape, who 

 received them very courteously and promised 

 to do everything in his power to procure for 

 them everything that they required. He in- 

 formed them that the captains of two French 

 ships from Mauritius, about eight months be- 

 fore, had discovered land on the meridian of that 



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