VISIT TO SOUTH AFRICA. 9 
asleep, and floating' close to the ship. The jolly-boat was im- 
mediately lowered down, and the captain and two sailors set off 
with all speed after her, but by some mismanagement missed their 
snatch, and she escaped. 
I read to-day a well-written characteristic of count Zinzendorf 
in manuscript. The author, Mr. Loretz, sent me this piece about 
twenty-five years ago, together with Miller's life of that nobleman, 
which, but for its tiresome digressions, I should have read with 
pleasure. He wished me to furnish an English translation; but 
the want of leisure, and a consciousness of my inability to do 
justice to the subject, induced me to decline it. I should, however, 
think myself highly favoured, at a proper time, and in a satisfac- 
tory manner, to contribute to rescue the memory of so great and 
excellent a man as count Zinzendorf from that unmerited oblo- 
quy, which has been cast upon him by base and wicked enemies, 
and too often repeated by persons misguided or misinformed. 
The apologies made for various expressions in his writings, which 
appear eccentric, or even incorrect, seem to have satisfied most 
objectors on the continent, but in England have not as yet been 
much attended to. 
20th. Certain rocks, marked in our charts as lying to the north 
of Porto Santo, and called the eight stones, were to-day an ob- 
ject of some anxiety to the captain ; and though tlieir existence 
is not fully proved, he kept a sharp look out for them by night 
and day. Our dead reckoning was by this time so much at va- 
riance with the chronometer, that by the captain's account, there 
was a hundred, and by the mate's, no less than a hundred and forty 
miles difference between them. 
On the 21st, the island of Madeira appearing far to the west- 
ward, established the truth of the chronometer's reckoning, to the 
great satisfaction of the captain. We moved on but slowly, with 
light breezes. The time, however, passed pleasantly, as I was 
continually employed in reading, writing, or agreeable and inte- 
resting conversation with my fellow passengers. This evening I 
c 
