14 
from tlie '^African" was decidedly for the worse, tlie 
coaster being very small, old, and dirty. Couldn't leave 
tlie dock this afternoon as a heavy sea was running outside ; 
but we got away at daylight the next morning. We had 
lost our sea legs during the week on shore, and had to go 
through the unpleasant operation of regaining them, and 
to get used to the totally different motion of the small 
steamer. Several of our old fellow passengers were on 
board. Eeached Mossel Bay the next day, a small place, 
and only of importance as being one of the few places 
where vessels can lie to discharge cargo along this miserable 
coast. There are no harbours along this coast ; at the 
best an open roadstead, sheltered perhaps a little on one 
side ; and there is always a surf breaking on the beach, 
making it often impossible to land either passengers or 
cargo. The weather now became fine, and sea smooth, 
and leaving this place about two o'clock, we reached Algoa 
Bay, or Port Elizabeth, the following afternoon. Passed 
the still visible wreck of the steamship ^^Pidela," which 
we had half thought of going by to Durban. The captain 
had tried a short cut between the land and the well-known 
Eoman rock, but missed the channel and ran ashore ; 
luckily no lives were lost. 
April ISth. Easter Sunday. Went ashore at Port 
Elizabeth (the sea was a dead calm, so the ladies were 
able to go too) to church, and afterwards to luncheon 
at the hotel. This is the largest town between the Cape 
and Natal, and one of the ports for the diamond fields. 
We found the ^'African" lying here and discharging 
cargo, the ocean steamers generally coming on to this 
port from Cape Town before returning to England. 
Finished discharging cargo on Monday, and off' again 
for East London, which we reached next day, and for 
which we had a large quantity of cargo, it being the 
nearest point to the diamond fields, but oh ! such a 
