Page 528
An.1991
They arrive at the Cape of Good Hope
This was wisely contrived of the Captain, for he could not have compell'd them in their weak condition, neither would fair words alone, with- out some hopes of a reward, have engag'd them to so much extraordinary work ; for the Ship, Sail, and Rigging were much out of repair. For my part, I was too weak to enter my self in that lift, for else our common safety, which I plainly saw lay at stake, would have prompted me to do more than any such reward would do. In a short time after this, it pleased God to favour us with a fine Wind, which being improved to the best advan- tage by the incessant labour of these new lifted men, brought us in a short time to the Cape.
The night before we entered the Harbour,which was about the beginning of April, being near the Land, we fired a Gun every hour, to give notice that we were in distress. The next day, a Dutch Captain came aboard in his Boat, who seeing us so weak as not to be able to trim our Sails to turn into the Harbour, though we did tolerably well at Sea, before the Wind, and being requested by our Captain to assist him, sent ashore for a hundred lusty men, who immediately came aboard, and brought our Ship in to an anchor. They also un- bent our Sails, and did every thing for us that they were required to do, for which Captain Heath gra- tified them to the full.
These men had better stomachs than we, and eat freely of such food as the Ship afforded : and they having the freedom of our Ship, to go to and fro between Decks, made prize of what they could lay their hands on, especially salt Beef, which our men, for want of stomachs in the Voyage, had hung up, 6, 8, or 10 pieces in a place. This was conveyed away before we knew it, or thought of it : besides, in the night, there was a Bale of Muz- lins broke open, and a great deal conveyed away ; but