On the 9th of January we crossed the three hundred and sixtieth degree of east longitude.  Our weather now was much too moderate; for it was not till the 15th of January that we saw the coast of Africa.  Some necessary precautions were taken by the king’s ship on coming in with it; and, finding every thing as we wished, on the next day we completed our long voyage of sixteen weeks from Port Jackson by anchoring safely in Table Bay.

Here, almost the whole of our ship’s company having been pressed, or voluntarily entered into the king’s service, and with difficulty getting some necessary repairs done to the ship, we were compelled most reluctantly to remain for eight weeks.  The place was very unhealthy, and lodging and every article of comfort extravagantly high.

A few days before we sailed, the ship Ganges, commanded by Mr. Patrickson, arrived with convicts from Cork.  She sailed from Ireland with another ship, the Britannia, having on board a similar cargo; but the master, intending to touch at Rio de Janeiro, had parted company with the Ganges off Palma.  We learned by the Ganges, that two storeships, the Sylph and Prince of Wales, had sailed in June last for New South Wales.  Much as Governor Hunter wanted labourers, the provisions would be more welcome to him than the Irish convicts, who had hitherto always created more trouble than any other.

Before we sailed we had the satisfaction of seeing seventy head of very fine young Cape cattle purchased by Mr. Palmer, the commissary for the colony, to be sent thither in the Reliance and Supply; the latter of which ships sailed with her proportion a few days before we left Table Bay.  These ships would return well stored with useful articles for the settlement, and comforts for every officer in it.

We left the Cape on the 16th of March, and arrived at the pleasant island of St Helena on the 26th of the same month.  Here we remained till the 17th of April, having waited some time for a convoy, and sailed at last without any, in company with the ship Brothers, a South-Sea whaler, who was returning loaded.

During our stay at St Helena we made several excursions into the interior part of the island.  A visit from the French was daily expected; but we saw with pleasure preparations made for their reception that caused every one to treat the probability of their coming as an event more to be wished for than dreaded.  From the hospitality of Governor Brooke and his family, and the pleasant society of this place, we felt a regret at leaving the island, which nothing but the prospect of soon reaching our own happy shores alleviated.

Every one now was anxious for the successful termination of the passage before us.  On the 27th of April we crossed the equator in the longitude of 19 degrees 02 minutes W. On the 4th of May we spoke the ship Elizabeth, (an American,) Isaac Stone master.  They had only been twenty-eight days from Dover, and gave us the first intelligence we received of the victory obtained by our fleet under Earl St. Vincent over that of the Spaniards.