Almost every day, while between the tropics, we saw various kinds of fish, in greater abundance than elsewhere.  As the whale, or mighty Leviathan, whom God hath created to take his pastime in the seas; Dolphins also, and Albicores, with Bonitoes, flying-fishes, and many others.  Some whales were of an exceeding greatness, which, in calm weather, would often rise and shew themselves above the water, appearing like vast rocks; and, while rising, they would spout up a great quantity of water into the air, with much noise, which fell down again around them like heavy rain.  The dolphin is called, from the swiftness of its motion, the arrow of the sea.  This fish differs from many others, in having teeth on the top of its tongue.  It is pleasing to the eye, the smell, and the taste, having a changeable colour, finned like a roach, covered with very small scales, giving out a delightful scent above all other fishes, and is in taste as good as any.  These dolphins are very apt to follow our ships, not, so far as I think, from any love they bear for men, as some authors write, but to feed upon what may be thrown overboard.  Whence it comes to pass that they often become food to us; for, when they swim close by the ships, they are struck by a broad instrument full of barbed points, called a harping-iron, to which a rope is fastened, by which to pull the instrument and the fish on board.  This beautiful dolphin may be taken as an emblem of a race of men, who, under sweet countenances, carry sharp tongues.  The bonitoes and albicores are much like our mackerels in colour, shape, and taste, but grow to a very large size.  The flying-fishes live the most unhappy lives of all others, as they are persecuted in the water by the dolphins, bonitoes, and albicores, and when they endeavour to escape from their enemies in the water, by rising up in flight, they are assailed by ravenous fowls in the air, somewhat like our kites, which hover over the water in waiting for their appearance in the other element.  These flying-fishes are like men who profess two trades and thrive in neither.

Early in the morning of the 12th June, we espied our long-wished-for harbour, the bay of Saldanha, [Table-bay] about twelve leagues short from the Cape of Good Hope, into which we came happily to anchor that same forenoon.  We here found one of the Company’s ships, the Lion, commanded by Captain Newport, come from Surat, and homeward-bound for England.  We made ourselves merry with each other on this happy meeting; and having a fair gale, the Lion sailed on the night of the 14th.  We found here water in abundance, but little refreshments for our sick men, except fresh fish, as the natives brought us nothing.  We remained in this harbour till the 28th, on which day we departed, the Swan steering her course for Bantam.  The 29th we doubled the Cape of Good Hope, in the lat. of 35 deg.  S. Off this cape there continually sets a most violent current to the westwards, whence it happens, when it is met by a strong contrary wind, their impetuous opposition occasions so rough a sea that some ships have been swallowed up, and many more endangered among these mountainous waves.  Few ships pass this way without encountering a storm.