could not fail to prove extremely fatiguing to us, who had for ſeveral days paſt enjoyed but a very few hours ſleep. One of the ſervants belonging to the Eſperance, Emard Serpoy, who had wiſhed to accompany us, as he was paſſionately fond of ſhooting, was ſo overtaken with drowſineſs about midnight, that we were obliged to let him ſleep for half an hour upon the road, before he was able to proceed any farther with us.
I was ſorry to learn, at my return from Franche Hoek, that we were to loſe three of our travelling companions, namely, the aſtronomer Bertrand, the naturaliſt Blavier, and the painter Ely, who had requeſted the Commander to leave them on ſhore, as their health did not allow them to accompany us farther on our expedition. Bertrand having aſcended the Table mountain a few days before, in order to make ſome barometrical obſervations, had fallen in ſuch a manner as to be very ſeverely hurt. I was informed at my return to France, that he was not ſo fortunate as to ſee his country once more, having died at the Cape, a ſhort time after our departure.
As all the houſes in the Cape Town are built with flat roofs, it preſents a very agreeable view. The fortifications on the ſide facing the ſea had been rendered ſtronger, a few years ago, by additional ramparts.
