they do pretty well all the year round) for the lack of
it. Here, too, we spoke with an Englishman and an Irishman, that had
been several years with the famous Madagascar Pirates, but were now
pardoned, and allowed to settle here. They told us that these Miserable
Wretches, who once made such a Noise in the World, dwindled away one by
one, most of them very poor and despicable, even to the Natives, among
whom they had Married. They added, that they had no Embarkations, only
mere Canoes and Rowboats in Madagascar; so that these Pirates (so long a
terrible Bugbear to peaceable Merchantmen) are now become so
inconsiderable as to be scarcely worth mentioning; yet I do think that
if care be not always taken after a Peace to clear all out-of-the-way
Islands of these piratical Vermin, and hinder others from joining them,
it may prove a Temptation for loose scampish Fellows to resort thither,
and make every Creek in the Southern Seas a troublesome nest of
Freebooters.

The Cape having been so frequently described, I shall only add that the
Character of the Hottentots, at which I have hinted, has been found to
be too True, that they scarce deserve to be reckoned of the Human Kind:
they are such a nasty, ill-looking, and worse-smelling people. Their
Apparel is the Skins of Beasts; their chief Ornament is to be very
Greasy and Black; so that they besmear themselves with an abominable
Oil, mixed with Tallow and Soot; and the Women twist the Entrails of
Beasts or Thongs of Hides round their legs, which resemble Rolls of
Tobacco. Here's plenty, however, of all kinds of Flesh and Fowl;
there's nothing wanting at the Cape of Good Hope for a good subsistence;
nor is there any place more Commodious for a Retirement to such as would
be out of the Noise of the World, than the adjacent country in the
possession of the Dutch.

Nothing of note happened till May 1st, only that sometimes we had
Thunder, Lightning, Rain, and Squalls of Wind. On the 7th we made the
Island of Ascension, S. Lat. 8.2. On the 14th at noon we found we had
just crossed the Equator, being the eighth time we had done so in our
course round the World. We had a Dutch Squadron with us, who expected
Convoy Rates, and all manner of Civilities from us, though there was now
Peace, and we wanted nothing from 'em; but 'tis always the way with this
Grasping and Avaricious People. Soon too we observed that the Dutch
ships began to scrape and clean their sides, painting and polishi