CHAPTER XVIII
BATAVIA TO CAPE OF GOOD HOPE
December 25, 1770
Leave Batavia—Cracatoa—Mosquitos on board ship—Prince's Island—Visit the town—Account of Prince's Island—Produce—Religion—Nuts of Cycas circinalis—Town—Houses—Bargaining—Language—Affinity of Malay, Madagascar and South Sea Islands languages—Leave Prince's Island—Sickness on board—Deaths of Mr. Sporing, Mr. Parkinson, Mr. Green, and many others—Coast of Natal—Dangerous position of the ship—Cape of Good Hope—Dr. Solander's illness—French ships—Bougainville's voyage.
25th December 1770. There was not, I believe, a man in the ship but gave his utmost aid to getting up the anchor, so completely tired was every one of the unhealthy air of this place. We had buried here eight people. In general, however, the crew were in rather better health than they had been a fortnight before.[1]
While we were at work a man was missed, and as it was supposed that he did not intend to stay ashore, a boat was sent after him; its return delayed us so long that we entirely lost the sea breeze, and were obliged to come to again a few cables' lengths only from where we lay before.
1st January 1771. Worked all night, and to-day likewise: at night anchored under a high island, called in the draughts Cracatoa and by the Indians Pulo Racatta. I had been unaccountably troubled with mosquitos ever since we
- ↑ At the time of sailing the number of sick on board amounted to forty or more, and the rest were in a weakly condition, having every one been sick except the sailmaker, an old man about seventy or eighty years of age; and what was more extraordinary about this man was his being more or less generally drunk every day.—Wharton's Cook, p. 362.
