the sake of
a few cabbages, which were all we wanted, returned to the ship. At first
we were at a loss to account for our repulse, but we afterwards
recollected, that to this island the Dutch at the Cape banish such
criminals as are not thought worthy of death, for a certain number of
years, proportioned to the offence, and employ them as slaves in digging
lime-stone, which, though scarce upon the continent, is in plenty here;
and that a Danish ship, which by sickness had lost great part of her
crew, and had been refused assistance at the Cape, came down to this
island, and sending her boat ashore, secured the guard, and took on
board as many of the criminals as she thought proper to navigate her
home: We concluded therefore that the Dutch, to prevent the rescue of
their criminals in time to come, had given order to their people here to
suffer no boat of any foreign nation to come ashore.

On the 25th, at three o'clock in the afternoon, we weighed, with a light
breeze at S.E., and put to sea. About an hour afterwards, we lost our
master, Mr Robert Mollineux, a young man of good parts, but unhappily
given up to intemperance, which brought on disorders that put an end to
his life.

We proceeded in our voyage homeward without any remarkable incident; and
in the morning of the 29th we crossed our first meridian, having
circumnavigated the globe in the direction from east to west, and
consequently lost a day, for which we made an allowance at Batavia.

At day-break on the first of May, we saw the island of Saint Helena; and
at noon we anchored in the road before James's fort.

We staid here till the 4th, to refresh, and Mr Banks improved the time
in making the complete circuit of the island, and visiting the most
remarkable places upon it. At one o'clock in the afternoon of the 4th of
May, we weighed and stood out of the road, in company with the Portland
man-of-war, and twelve sail of Indiamen.

We continued to sail in company with the fleet, till the 10th in the
morning, when, perceiving that we sailed much heavier than any other
ship, and thinking it for that reason probable that the Portland would
get home before us, I made the signal to speak with her, upon which
Captain Elliot himself came on board, and I delivered to him a letter
to the Admiralty, with a box, containing the common logbooks of the
ship, and the journals of some of the officers. We continued in company,
however, till the 23d in the morning, and th