other a German, a very ſkilful workman in mathematical inſtruments, who had practiſed his trade for nine years in England. The Engliſh, he told us, were going to ſend him to Botany-bay, amongſt a great number of other convicts. He aſſured us, that he had been condemned to be ſent thither for debt. Having ſeized an opportunity of eſcaping from the veſſel where he was confined, he fled for refuge to the mountains in the neighbourhood of the Cape-Town. We had no uſe for the talents of this artiſt in the line of his profeſſion; we therefore firſt employed him as our armourer, and afterwards as a ſmith. The armourer of our ſhip had been left on ſhore at the Cape, on account of ſickneſs.
On the 20th of February we weathered Needle Point, at the diſtance of about 100 toiſes, with winds from S.W. and W.
On the 22d we were in 35° lat. S. long. 20° E. when the ſoundings gave us our depth at 62 fathoms, over a bottom of grey calcareous ſand.
The currents had hitherto ſet to the N.W. but on the 25th they drove us towards S.W. as we were now off the channel of Mozambique, where the current, at this ſeaſon of the year, takes a S.W. direction along the coaſt of Natal, which we had in ſight.
On the 26th the ſurge ran ſo high, that a
windmill,
