By the 10th of January, the sickness began, in some degree, to abate, but more than half the company were so feeble, that they could scarcely crawl about. On this day, being in latitude 22° 41' S., longitude, by account, 300° 47' W. we saw many tropic birds about the ship.
On the 17th, being in latitude 27° 32' S., longitude 310° 36' W., we saw several albatrosses, and caught some bonettas. The ship was this day ten miles to the southward of her account.
On the 24th, in latitude 33° 40' S., longitude, by account, 328° 17' W., we met with a violent gale, which split the main-top-sail and the main-top-mast-stay-sail all to pieces. The sea broke over the ship in a dreadful manner, the starboard rudder chain was broken, and many of the booms were washed overboard. During the storm we saw several birds and butterflies; and our first attention, after it was subsided, was to dry the bedding of the sick: At the same time, every one on board who could handle a needle was employed in repairing the sails, which were now in a shattered condition.
On the 26th and 27th, being in latitude 34° 16', and becalmed, we had several observations, by which we determined the longitude of the ship to be 323° 30'; and it appeared that we were several degrees to the eastward of our reckoning.
At six in the evening, of the 30th of January, we saw land, and on the 4th of February, we anchored in Table Bay, at the Cape of Good Hope.
Our run from Prince's Island to the Cape was, by our reckoning, 89 degrees longitude, which makes the longitude of the Cape 345° W.; but the longitude of the Cape being, by observation, 342° 4', it appeared that the ship was three degrees to the eastward of her reckoning.
_An Account of our Transactions at the Cape of Good Hope, and of the Return of the Dolphin to England_.
As soon as the ship was at anchor, I sent an officer on shore, with the usual compliments to the governor, who received him with great civility, telling him that we were welcome to all the refreshments and assistance that the Cape afforded, and that he would return our salute with the same number of guns.
We found riding here a Dutch commodore, with sixteen sail of Dutch East Indiamen, a French East India ship, and the Admiral Watson, Captain Griffin, an East India packet-boat, for Bengal. We saluted the governor with thirteen guns, and he returned the same number; the Admiral Watson saluted us with eleven guns, and we returned nine; the French ship afterwards saluted us with nine guns, and we returned seven.