167 



continued with unabated fury six and thirty hours. The sea was 

 dreadful; and the situation of our little bark, elevated on its foam- 

 ing mountains, or plunged into a dark abyss, filled every soul with 

 horror. 



We saw a number of whales and grampuses in those southern 

 latitudes, which we sometimes wished at a greater distance, from 

 an apprehension of mischief from their enormous bulk. " There 

 go the ships, and there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to 

 take his pastime therein." But the sports of these immense ani- 

 mals, emerging and diving, often cause a concussion in the waters 

 which proves fatal to small vessels. 



On the 13th of January, sounding on the great sand-bank at 

 the extremity of Africa, we found ground at ninety fathoms, and 

 soon afterwards saw the land. Unfavourable gales again pre- 

 vented our entering Bay False until the 20th, when a fair wind 

 carried us up that noble bay, and we anchored at noon in a small 

 cove, called Simmons' Harbour, where fifteen ships may lie secure 

 in the most stormy weather; situated on the western side of False- 

 bay it is at all times more commodious than Table-bay, the summer 

 harbour near Cape-town. The two bays are separated by an 

 isthmus, covered with sand and small shells, most probably once 

 under water. The Cape mountains, rocky hills, sandy plains and 

 cultivated tracts on the peninsula, contiguous to Cape-town, form 

 a territory upwards of thirty miles long, and eight broad. 



The Dutch settlement at False-bay then consisted of on]y a 

 few houses, gardens, and store-houses, scattered at the bottom of 

 the mountains which form Simmons' cove; with a pier and crane 

 for the landing of goods, great convenience for watering the ships, 



