Europe: the general price, which indeed never varies, is two-pence a pound. It is tolerable meat, but not so fat as ours in England. Pork is scarce and dear, of that therefore a larger proportion might be taken out. Bread, which varies in price, is of the rusk kind, very good but rather brown. Spirit is arrack from Batavia, the price of which, after having paid the duties of import and export, is 60 rixdollars (£12 sterling) a legger of 150 gallons. Wine is in great plenty and very cheap, and while I was there[1] they began to distil a kind of brandy, which, however, at that time was as dear as arrack, and much inferior to it both in strength and goodness.
Should a ship upon this expedition be obliged to go into False Bay, into which the Dutch remove on the 12th of May, most of these articles might be got there at a small advance occasioned by the carriage, which is very cheap, and if anything were wanted it might be bought from Cape Town either by Dutch scouts, of which there are several belonging to the company in the harbour, or by waggons over-land, as the road is good and much frequented at that season of the year.
31st March. Our route being settled in the manner above mentioned, we this morning weighed, and sailed with a fair breeze of wind, inclined to fall in with Van Diemen's Land, as near as possible at the place where Tasman left it.
2nd April. Our malt having turned out so indifferent that the surgeon made little use of it, a method was thought of some weeks ago to bring it into use, which was, to make as strong a wort with it as possible, and in this boil the wheat, which is served to the people for breakfast: it made a mess far from unpleasant, which the people soon grew very fond of. I myself who have for many months constantly breakfasted upon the same wheat as the people, either received, or thought I received, great benefit from the use of
- ↑ This paragraph, if not the whole of this discussion, has evidently been introduced (by Banks himself) after having visited the Cape.
