, particularly one about as big as a
duck, of a very dark brown colour, with a yellowish bill. These birds
became more numerous as we approached the shore, and as soon as we got
into soundings, we saw gannets, which we continued to see as long as we
were upon the bank which stretches off Anguillas to the distance of
forty leagues, and extends along the shore to the eastward, from Cape
False, according to some charts, one hundred and sixty leagues. The real
extent of this bank is not exactly known; it is, however, useful as a
direction to shipping when to haul in, in order to make the land.

While we lay here, the Houghton Indiaman sailed for England, who,
during, her stay in India, lost by sickness between thirty and forty
men; and when she left the Cape, had many in a helpless condition with
the scurvy. Other ships suffered in the same proportion, who had been
little more than twelve months absent from England; our sufferings,
therefore, were comparatively light, considering that we had been absent
near three times as long.

Having lain here to recover the sick, procure stores, and perform
several necessary operations upon the ship and rigging, till the 13th of
April, I then got all the sick on board, several of whom were still in a
dangerous state, and having taken leave of the governor, I unmoored the
nest morning, and got ready to sail.[166]

[Footnote 166: Some remarks concerning the Cape of Good Hope are now
given in the original. They are omitted here, as being only
supplementary to other accounts, and because we shall elsewhere have an
opportunity of drawing the reader's attention very fully to the subject.
The same thing may be said respecting some notices of St Helena,
contained in this section. Whatever is of value in either of these
accounts, will be had recourse to on another occasion.--E.]

On the morning of the 14th we weighed and stood out of the bay; and at
five in the evening anchored under Penquin, or Robin Island: We lay here
all night, and as I could not sail in the morning for want of wind, I
sent a boat to the island for a few trifling articles which we had
forgot to take in at the Cape. But as soon as the boat came near the
shore, the Dutch hailed her, and warned the people not to land, at their
peril, bringing down at the same time six men armed with muskets, who
paraded upon the beach. The officer who commanded the boat not thinking
it worth while to risk the lives of the people on board for