Cape Good Hope 1652-1702

17 Albrecht Herport

(See also item 9.) Sailed from Batavia on October 6, 1667 in Wapen van Hoorn, with Constantia, Alfen: Iversen (item 16) was in the same fleet. Cocos Islands. Mauritius.

On the 13th [December] we saw land in the early morning, and recognised it as the Capo Falso. That same day at noon it began to blow hard, so that we again ran out to sea, and afterwards must heave to there, and let outselves drift at the mercy of GOD. This storm lasted for nine full days, whereby one of our ships, Constantia, was driven away from us. After this the wind changed to our advantage, so that we could again set sail.

On the 22nd we again sighted land, this being again the Capo Falso, wherefore we returned out to sea again, and next day sighted the Capo de Bona Sperança, and could also recognise the Lion and Table Mountains.

On December 24th, being Christmas Eve, we arrived safely in the harbour, and anchored there, where the ship Constantia rejoined us [dr 24/12 has them as outside the bay]. That same evening we had a strong offshore wind which came from the mountains, so that we must lower our yard and topmast [read ‘yards and topmasts’], and the ship must lie to two anchors.

After this we went ashore, and refreshed ourselves with all sorts of fresh foods,

[p. 107]

and filled our casks with fresh water, and also made ready all the guns on the ships [news of the peace arrived on 5/2/68 only, dr].... A small whale or Nord-Caper was caught then also, and afterwards we amused ourselves with fishing; and there is so much fish there that on one line in four casts we took so much that we could hardly bring it into our shallop*.

On January 24th [dr], after we had lain there four weeks, we again set sail, and with some salutes sailed out of the harbour of the Capo de bona Sperança....

Ascension for turtles and fish. Sargasso: ‘the Grosch-Sea, which extends for 100 miles*, and through which we must travel for eight days. This weed is a sort of grass on which grow little berries like pepper.’ News of peace with England. Course North-East for the Shetlands: ‘We were surprised to see no land ... after some time we sighted land to our left, and did not know what land it could be ... but our navigators assumed that it must be Iceland’ - they were actually off the Davis Strait, which says little for Dutch navigation. Northabout* through the Shetland Islands. Amsterdam.