Page:A voyage round the world, in His Britannic Majesty's sloop, Resolution, commanded by Capt. James Cook, during the years 1772, 3, 4, and 5 (IA b30413849 0001).pdf/110

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pearance than in his time: but he still remains the best author that can be consulted on the subject, and as such we will venture to refer our readers to him.

We have had an occasion to observe several facts alledged in Kolben, and we likewise find them mentioned in Lieutenant Cook's voyage. See Hawkesworth's compilation Vol. III. p. 789, &c. The Abbé de la Caille, an astronomer, in the account of his voyage, which was published soon after his death, has endeavoured to ruin the credit of Kolben's book, without giving us any thing better in its stead. We should not have ventured to mention so superficial a performance, as that of the Abbé, were it not necessary to vindicate from his aspersions, the character of Kolben, as a faithful and accurate observer. The Abbé lived with a family at the Cape, who were of a party directly opposite to that which had supported Kolben. He daily heard invectives against him, and never failed to write them down, in order to give himself importance at the expence of the other.

Nul n'aura d'esprit Hors nous et nos amis.

The extremity of Africa towards the south is a mass of high mountains, of which the outermost are black, craggy, and barren, consisting of a coarse granite, which contains no heterogeneous parts, such as petrified shells, &c. nor