Page:Twenty years before the mast - Charles Erskine, 1896.djvu/286

 had sprung up between him and our Fiji chief,  Vendovi, whom he was to take in charge on our arrival  in the United States. Nothing could induce poor Vendovi to look at the corpse of his friend. His spirits left him. He had been failing for some time, and sailors’ rations did not agree with him. He had lost his best friend, and no doubt felt it keenly. Mr. Vanderford’s body was committed to the deep with the usual service and honors.

For several days we had delightful weather and strong trades, enabling us to make two hundred and fifty miles  a day nearer our homes.

On the 30th we overtook and spoke the ship Clarendon of Boston, from Canton, bound for New York.

On April 14th we came to anchor in Table Bay, Cape of Good Hope. The Cape was discovered by the Portuguese navigator, Bartholomew Diaz, in 1486, and named by him the "Cape of Storms." When, on his return to Portugal, he made known his discovery, King Henry  gave it another name.



Cape of Good Hope is always hailed by the home-bound sailor with as much delight as Cape Horn is with fear. Here we found much shipping lying quietly at anchor. The view of Cape Town from the ship’s deck