Cape Good Hope 1652-1702

80 John Dorrill

(See also item 86.) Transcribed from xerographs of his log (MR 104) kept in Charles the Second, from England November 24, 1695 for Ceylon etc. All his dates are of course Old Style*.

Friday 18th [September] ... we saw very high land over the false Cape which through the Clouds did very much resemble the Table land. Cape Bona Esperanca then made like 2 small islands....

Saturday 19th ... Varia [Declination*] Wr. 12^o:50′: - ″....

Sunday 20th ... at noon the SWt part of Cape Bona Esperanca bore NNEt Distant about 4 lea. & Cape falso Et½No Distt. 10 lea....

Munday 21st [dr 1/10] ... at 4 in the afternoon we anchored in Saldinia Bay... we found Capt Hide [ship Dorrill] who gott in Saturday last [dr 29/9].

Tuesday 22d: This morning I sent my Chyrurgeon & Purser to the Governour to

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acquaint him of our comeing & also to request the liberty of refreshment for our people, which he hath granted ... In the afternoon I went with my Barge* towards the Shoare, but it blowing so very hard off the Table land & our people being so very weake we could not gett ashoare: In the Evening struck our Yards & topmasts.

Wednesday 23d ... we halled out our Small Bower anchor* & unbent our Sayles & fetcht off 9 Punchions water with Capt. Hides Longboat* & gott off some Sheep & green Herbs for our men. In the afternoon I went on Shoare to the Governour who is very kind in his Expressions [dr 3/10]; we have now about 35 men so dangerous ill that we dare not remove them out of the Ship, having in all about 100 people that have gott the Scurvy, not only with the Symptoms of it, but are Swelled in their Ioynts so that they cannot go into a Top....

Thursday 24th ... heeled & scrubbed both sides of the Ship ... we are bringing up some of our people upon Deck to ayre them gradually, for they no sooner come into the open ayre but they faint.

Friday 25th ... we have blackt most of our Yards and Masts and tarred our Sheathing* to the waters edge ... itt being a very warm Day, we gott up at least 50 of our sick men upon Deck....

Saturday 26th ... we have this Day made a general rummage [restowing] between Decks; & gott up as many of our sick people as could be brought up.... [No entry for 27th.]

Munday 28th. This morning being very faire weather & a warm day, we made a small tent on Shoare upon Green point & sent 45 of our scorbutick people on Shoare with all their Cloaths & bedding & some men with them & had all their Cloaths washed; & in the Evening brought them off againe; we have 28 more that we could not remove, being so very weake....

Tuesday 29th ... fetcht off a boat load water....

Wednesday 30th ... fetcht off 2 Boat loads of water....

Thursday pmo [October: dr 11/10]. Last night anchored without us about 12 a Clock the Mary, formerly Capt. Tho: Oyles Comdr: since him Capt. Vultures both deceased, & now Capt. Hayes that went out 2d: Mate: Itt blowing fresh all the morn: off the Table land they could not gett in; I sent my Boate on board, they came from Madras the 14th of February, but loseing their passage [i.e. the favourable Monsoon*] & the men mutineing, they bore away the 11th of June for Mauritius; but mist it & put for St: Augustin's Bay on the Isle of St: Lawrence [S.W. Madagascar] & from thence Departed the 6th of September...

Fryday 2d ... this Day our Carpenter having finished the Fore yard we gott him across & rigged him [sic].

Saturday 3d ... gott up our Topmast & fetcht off a boat load of water for the Mary.

Sunday 4th [dr 14/10] ... In the afternoon came in the Sceptre [Item 82], Sampson [item 83] & Chambers friggatt* [item 81], having buryed about 30 men each ship. So soon as they appeared I sent both my Boats out with about 30 men, who were very wellcome to them, having all their people except some few Officers down with the Scurvy.

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Munday 5th ... In the morng. I called a Consultation [Council*] of the Comdrs. concerning the Mary, who gave me from under their hands that it was expedient to fetch on board the head of the Mutineers, which accordingly I have done & keep them till come to farther resolutions [dr 19/10, one hung]....

Tuesday 6th ... the ship which was yesterday seen ... is come to anchor between the Island & Maine, but I believe in much Distress for we have seen him fire several guns [Vosmaar, dr 17/10]: the Dutch have sent out 2 Sloops [shallops*] & a boate [longboat*] with men to her Assistance ... Capt. Earle [item 83] tells me he hath buryed 16 Saylors & 10 Souldiers, Capt. Pheny [item 82] 23 Saylors & 13 Souldiers & Capt. South [item 81] 11 Saylors & 17 Souldiers inall 90 men.

Wednesday 7th ... the Ship between the Island & the Main is a Dutch Ship, it came out from Zeland the [blank: April 26] & hath buryed 95 men & hath about 120 men sick with the Scurvy not above 12 men on board in health.

Thursday 8th ... gott up our Topmast & made an end of tarring our Rigging.

Fryday 9th ... gott up our Yards, but at 3 afternoon it blowing hard at SSEt we struck our Yards & Topmasts againe....

Saturday 10th ... Captn. Earle sent to me to borrow some men to moare his ship, not being strong enough with his own people; having broke his Small Bower Cable & lett go his Sheet anchor* in the Night: I sent him 16 hands ...

Sunday 11th ... I this Day lent Capt. Earle 16 men to gett up his Sheet anchor.

Munday 12th ... we have fetcht off 2 boat loads water, & in this morng: gott up our Yards & topmast; the Dutch Ship ... came in this Day [Vosmaar, dr 22/10].

Tuesday 13th ... in the afternoon came in a Dutch Ship from Europe in 9½ Months [Berkel, dr 23/10].

Wednesday 14th ... In the afternoon I went on board the Mary & gott her unmoar'd to sayle wtth the first [favourable] wind.

Thursday 15th ... the Mary sayled for St. Hellena [dr 24/10].

Fryday 16th: Fair weather....

Saturday 17th: About 12 a Clock last Night it blew very hard ... we struck our Yards and Topmasts; about ½ an hour past 12 at Night our Small Bower parted in the middle of the Cable, we veered out a Cable* & a halfe upon our best Bower; about 5 the morng: it fell Calme ... we gott on Board our Small Bower & about 1 a Clock the afternoon we weighed our best Bower to see if he were Cleare, but the wind ... blowing fresh, we drove out neare ½ a mile & let fall our best Bower againe & carryd out a Kedge anchor* & Hawser to steddy the ship. This day sayled hence a Dutch ship a Pinck* & a Hoy* that are gone to discouer Hollandia Nova [dr 27/10, respectively Geelvink, Nyptang, Weseltje].

Tuesday 20th: Since the 17th: we have had faire weather ... Munday morng: we gott up our Yards & Topmasts & bent all our Sayles ... & lent some men to Capt. Earle & South to fitt their Riggin & fetch water.

Wednesday 21st ... Sent our Longboate* ashoare for water but could not fill any

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the Pipes being broke.

Thursday 22d ... we gott off a boate water....

Fryday 23d. In the morning about 10 Clock it began to blow fresh ... struck yards and Topmasts ... In the afternoon came in a Small Ship from Cadiz in 4 months named the Rebeckah [dr 2/11] Capt. Gutter Comdr. a private Ship or Interloper* going to trade to the Etward of the Cape.

Saturday 24th ... gott off a boat load of water & all our Sheep & green trade ... at 4 the afternoon it begun to blow ... which by 7 was so violent that we struck our Yards & Topmasts which we had gott up in the Morning ... In the Evening went out a Dutch Brigantine* [Amy, dr 3/11] to Saldinia Bay so called by the Dutch which lays about 18 lea: to the No: of the Cape; to carry water & fresh provisions to a Dutch Ship that is arrived there from Holland having very few men well [Huys te Duynen].

Sunday 25th ... all this Day it hath blown hard ...

Munday 26th ... we gott up our Yards & Topmasts & hove short upon our best Bower: I went my Selfe on board the Scepter & Chambers friggatt*, & helpt them gett up their Yards & Topmastes; & took from on board the Sampson 6 men of ours, that had been there assisting them for some time, & putt them on board the Chambers friggatt & about 1 a Clock afternoon weighed as did the Dorrill and Scepter, but the Chambers friggatt did not weigh till 6 Clock it blowing very hard at SbEt, we gott in all our Boates & made sayle out between Penguin Island & Green point [dr 5/11]....