Page:A voyage round the world, in His Britannic Majesty's sloop, Resolution, commanded by Capt. James Cook, during the years 1772, 3, 4, and 5 (IA b30413849 0001).pdf/87

1772.
October.

organized alive, endowed with locomotive power, a quality of shining whenever they please, of illuminating every body with which they come in contact, and of laying aside their luminous appearance at pleasure: all these ideas crouded upon us, and bade us admire the Creator, even in his minutest works. It is the natural fault of young people to think too well of mankind; but I hope I shall not have formed too favourable an opinion of my readers, if I expect that the generality will sympathize with me in these feelings, and that none will be found ignorant or depraved enough to despise them.

 

Turrigeros elephantorum miramur humeros, taurorumque colla et truces in sublime jactus, tigrium rapinas, leonum jubas; quum rerum natura nusquam magis, quam in minimis tota sit. Quapropter quæso, ne nostra legentes, quoniam ex his spernent multa, etiam relata fastidio damnent, quum in contemplatione Naturæ nihil possit videri vacaneum. Plin. Hist. Nat. lib. xi. cap. 2.

 

Friday 30.The next morning, after a very rainy night, we sailed into Table bay. The mountains at the bottom of it, now appeared clear of clouds, and surprised us with their prodigious craggy, steep, and barren appearance. As we advanced farther into the bay, we discovered the town at the foot of the black Table mountain, and soon came to an anchor. After saluting the fort, and receiving the visit of several officers in the service of the Dutch East-India company, we went on shore with captains Cook and Furneaux, being prepared to meet with many new acquisitions to science, on a continent so distant from our own, and situated in an opposite hemisphere.

CHAP.