CHAPTER XVIII 
BATAVIA TO CAPE OF GOOD HOPE 
DrcEMBER 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 1770. 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.t 
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 Racatta. 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. 
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