Page:Early voyages to Terra Australis.djvu/291

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

DAM PI Ell's VOYAGES. 135

of stock-fish, and a quantity of parsnips ; sending them some oatmeal, M-hich they wanted.

From my first setting out from England I did not design to touch at the Cape, and that was one reason why I touch'd at Brazil, that there I might refresh my men, and prepare them for a long run to New Holland. "We had not yet seen the land ; hut about two in the afternoon, we saw the Cape- land bearing east, at above sixteen leagues distance : and Captain Hammond being also bound to double the Cape, we jog'd on together this afternoon and the next day, and had several fair sights of it ; which may be seen [Table iii, No. 6, T, 8.]

To proceed : having still a westerly wind, I jog'd on in company with the A?itelope, till Sunday, June the 4th, at four in the afternoon, when we parted, they steering away for the East Indies, and I keeping an E.S.E. course, the better to make my way for New Holland. For tho' New Holland lies north-easterly from the Cape, yet all ships bound towards that coast, or the streights of Sundy, ought to keep for a while in the same parallel, or in a latitude between 35 and 40, at least a little to the south of the east, that they may continue in a variable winds way ; and not venture too soon to stand so far to the north, as to be within the verge of the trade wind, which will put them by their easterly course. The wind increased upon us ; but we had yet sight of the Antelope, and of the land too, till Tuesday, the sixth of June. And then we saw also by us an in- numerable company of fowls of divers sorts ; so that we look'd about to see if there were not another dead whale, but saw none.

The night before, the sun set in a black cloud, which appeared just like land ; and the clouds above it were gilded of a dark red colour. And on the Tuesday, as the sun drew near the horizon, the clouds were gilded very prettily to the eye, tho' at the same time my mind dreaded