can
hence be formed of the success of transporting plants, as in the present
trial they had many disadvantages.

Friday 16.

This morning being sunrise I embarked on board the Vlydte packet
commanded by Captain Peter Couvret, bound for Middleburgh. With me
likewise embarked Mr. John Samwell, clerk, and John Smith, seaman. Those
of our company who stayed behind the governor promised me should follow
in the first ships and be as little divided as possible. At 7 o'clock the
packet weighed and sailed out of the road.

Sunday 18.

On the 18th we spoke the Rambler, an American brig belonging to Boston,
bound to Batavia. After passing the Straits of Sunda we steered to the
north of the Cocos Isles. These islands, Captain Couvret informed me, are
full of coconut trees: there is no anchorage near them but good landing
for boats. Their latitude 12 degrees 0 minutes south. Longitude 96
degrees 5 minutes east.

In the passage to the Cape of Good Hope there occurred nothing worth
remark. I cannot however forbear noticing the Dutch manner of navigating.
They steer by true compass, or rather endeavour so to do, by means of a
small movable central card, which they set to the meridian: and whenever
they discover the variation has altered 2 1/2 degrees since the last
adjustment they again correct the central card. This is steering within a
quarter of a point, without aiming at greater exactness. The officer of
the watch likewise corrects the course for leeway by his own judgment
before it is marked down in the log board. They heave no log: I was told
that the company do not allow it. Their manner of computing their run is
by means of a measured distance of 40 feet along the ship's side: they
take notice of any remarkable patch of froth when it is abreast the
foremost end of the measured distance, and count half seconds till the
mark of froth is abreast the after end. With the number of half seconds
thus obtained they divide the number 48, taking the product for the rate
of sailing in geographical miles in one hour, or the number of Dutch
miles in four hours.

It is not usual to make any allowance to the sun's declination on account
of being on a different meridian from that for which the tables are
calculated: they in general compute with the numbers just as they are
found in the table. From all this it is not difficult to conceive the
reason why the Dutch are frequently above ten degrees out in their
reckoning. Their passages li