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A New Collection of Voyages, Discoveries and Travels (v. 2)
A New Collection of Voyages Discoveries and Travels - v. 2 Author:John Knox Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: THE VOYAGE PETER K O L B E N, A. M. TO THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. AS I had earjy felt an ardent defire to travel, the reader may imagine that I was ri... more »lled with a transport of joy, when I was told by my generous patron the Baron van Krofick, privy counfellor to the Jate king of Pruflla, whom I had the honour to ferve in the quality of fecretary, that if I approved of it, he would fend me at his own expence to refide at the Cape of Good Hope: in order to make proper ob- fervations of the appearance of the heavenly bodies on that fouthern extremity of Africa. With the high- eft exprefiions of gratitude I accepted of this employment, and my noble patron having fettled upon me an annual falary, I prepared for my voyage; and, leaving Berlin, fet out for Amfttrdam, where I embarked on board the Union, one of the Dutch Eaft India fhips that then lay in the Texel. On the 8th of January 1705, the Union fet fail with eight more of the company's mips bound for the Eaft Indies ; and on the i3th of March fteerirvg round St. Jago, one of the Cape de Verd iflands, we had a diftinct view of the rocks and mountains, and of the fituation and extent of the city of the fame name. After fajuting the caftle of the harbour of -I BrayaBraya with 15 guns, which was returned, we were vi- Cted by a Portuguefe gentleman, accompanied by.a negro Romifh pneft, who had received an univerfity education at St. Jago, and had been made prieft, the betwr to promote the converfion of his countrymen. They were liberally entertained ; and the father, be- fidc other things, ate at leaft two pounds of Dutch checfc, and drank an aftonifhing quantity of brandy; after which he fung, danced, and performed fb many antic tricks, as convinced us all, that though he appeared a very indifferent prieft, he would make a...« less