Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/138

128 by giving a jut tatement of the facts; but it eemed it was his interet to diguie them: for it is an unheard-of thing for that nation to make an attempt upon veels ecorted by a hip carrying the flag of ours.

Another Englih veel, La Couronne, which arrived the day after the frigate had come to anchor, oberved the ame conduct.

I ought to remark, that our Commander having ent an officer on board each of thee veels, to comply with a cutomary piece of etiquette, the Englih Captains were not polite enough to return the compliment.

I had already provided myelf with pecimens of mot of the curious plants that were to be found in the neighbourhood of the Cape Town; and could not expect to encreae my collection, without making an excurion into ome of the more ditant parts of the country. I had for everal days entertained a wih to viit the chain of mountains, called by the Dutch Franche-Hoek, ituated at a much greater ditance eatward of the town than their appearance might lead one to uppoe them. Their apect gave me reaon to hope that I hould find them abounding with vegetable productions.

9. The gardener to our expedition made one of the party. We had hired a Hottentot to