oldest Captain, in order to appoint him Commodore of the Fleet,
ready to Sail for Holland. The Ships was drawn up in 2 Lines, between
which the General past to the new Commodore's Ship, which lay the
farthest out. Each ship as he passed and repassed gave him 3 Cheers, and
as soon as he was on board, and the Dutch Flag Hoisted at the Main
Topmast Head, the other Commodore Saluted him with 21 Guns, and
immediately after Struck his Broad Pendant, which was again hoisted as
soon as the General left the other Ship; he was then Saluted with 17 Guns
by the new made Commodore, who now hoisted a Common Pendant. This
Ceremony of appointing a Commodore over the Grand Fleet, as they call it,
we were told is Yearly perform'd. I went out in my Boat on purpose to see
it, accompanied by Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander, because we were told it
was one of the Grandest sights Batavia afforded; that may be too, and yet
it did not recompense us for our trouble. I thought that the whole was
but ill conducted, and the Fleet appear'd to be very badly mann'd. This
fleet consists of 10 or 12 stout Ships; not only these, but all or most
of their other Ships are pierced for 50 Guns, but have only their upper
Tier mounted, and these are more by half than they have men to fight.

Thursday, 25th. In the evening I sent the Admiralty Packet on board the
Kronenburg, Captain Fredrick Kelger, Commodore, who, together with
another Ship, sails immediately for the Cape, where she waits for the
remainder of the Fleet.*

(* The following letter to the Secretary of the Admiralty (now in Public
Record Office) was also dispatched:--

"To Philip Stephens, Esq.

"Sir,

"Please to acquaint my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty that I left
Rio de Janeiro the 8th of December, 1768, and on the 16th of January
following arrived in Success Bay in Straits La Maire, where we recruited
our Wood and Water; on the 21st of the same month we quitted Straits La
Maire, and arrived at George's Island on the 13th of April. In our
Passage to this Island I made a far more Westerly Track than any Ship had
ever done before; yet it was attended with no discovery until we arrived
within the Tropick, where we discovered several Islands. We met with as
Friendly a reception by the Natives of George's Island as I could wish,
and I took care to secure ourselves in such a manner as to put it out of
the power of the whole Island to drive us off. Some days preceeding the
3rd of June I sent Lie