We Passed The
Tropic Of Capricorn On The 24th July, The Wind N.E. By N. Our Course
E.S.
E. On account of our having been so long near the line, by reason of
leaving England too late in
The season by six or seven weeks, many of
our men fell sick; for which reason the general sent written orders to
the captain of each ship, either to make Saldanha bay or St Helena for
refreshment.
The 1st August we were in 30 deg. S. at which time we got the wind at S.W.
to our great comfort, for by this time many of our men were sick of the
scurvy; insomuch, that in all our ships, except the admiral, they were
hardly able to manage the sails. This wind held fair till we were within
250 leagues of the Cape of Good Hope, and then came clean contrary at E.
continuing so for fifteen or sixteen days, to the great discomfort of
our men; for now the few that had continued sound began also to fall
sick, so that in some of the ships the merchants had to take their turn
at the helm, and to go into the tops to hand the top-sails along with
the common mariners. But God, shewing us mercy in our distress, sent us
again a fair wind, so that we got to Saldanha bay on the 9th September,
when the general, before the other ships bore in and came to anchor,
sent his boats to help the other ships. The state of the other three
ships was such that they were hardly able to let go their anchors. The
general went on board them all with a number of men, and hoisted out
their boats for them, which they were not able to do of themselves.
The reason of the men in the admiral being in such better health than in
the other three ships was this: He brought with him to sea several
bottles of lemon juice, of which he gave to each man, as long as it
would last, three spoonfuls every morning fasting, not suffering them to
eat any thing afterwards till noon. This juice worketh much the better
if the person keeps a spare diet, wholly refraining from salt meat;
which salt meat, and being long at sea, are the only causes of breeding
this disease. By this means the general cured many of his men and
preserved the rest; so that, though his ship had double the number of
men of any of the rest, he had not so many sick, nor did he lose so many
men, as any of the rest.
After getting all the ships to anchor, and hoisting out their boats, the
general went immediately aland, to seek refreshments for our sick and
weak men. He presently met with some of the natives, to whom he gave
various trifles, as knives, pieces of old iron, and the like; making
signs for them to bring him down sheep and oxen.
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