the land in the difference of colour of the water, ariſing from the ſhallowneſs of its bottom.
Some ſeals, of the ſpecies called by Linnæus phoca puſilla, approached very near to our veſſel in queſt of their food amongſt the large maſſes of fucus pyriformis, which floated upon the water. Theſe animals often eſcaped from our ſailors by taking ſeveral ſucceſſive leaps over the water. This they perform by placing their hinder paws together, ſo as to reſemble the broad tail of a fiſh, and act with conſiderable reſiſtance againſt the ſurface of the water, over which they bound like a nimble quadruped over a level plain.
We fell a little to leeward of the mouth of Table Bay, which gave us hopes of coming to anchor in the courſe of the day. It was not, however, the moſt favourable weather for making the land; for the day was very rainy, and the coaſt often concealed by a thick fog from our view.
About ſeven in the evening we were between 7 and 8,000 toiſes from the mountain of Hout Bay, which bore E. 3° 45′ N. The foreland of the Cape bore N.N.E. The Lion's-head E. 3° N. Our ſoundings gave us here the depth of water at ſeventy toiſes over a bottom of coral.
The ſea appeared very phoſphoreſcent throughout the whole night which we ſpent off the coaſt. A great number of luminous ſpecks were obſerv-
able
