This fleet consists of 10 or 12 stout Ships; not only these, but all or most of their other Ships are pierced for 50 Guns, but have only their upper Tier mounted, and these are more by half than they have men to fight.
Thursday, 25th.

In the evening I sent the Admiralty Packet on board the Kronenburg, Captain Fredrick Kelger, Commodore, who, together with another Ship, sails immediately for the Cape, where she waits for the remainder of the Fleet.* (* The following letter to the Secretary of the Admiralty (now in Public Record Office) was also dispatched:-- "To Philip Stephens, Esq.
"Sir, "Please to acquaint my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty that I left Rio de Janeiro the 8th of December, 1768, and on the 16th of January following arrived in Success Bay in Straits La Maire, where we recruited our Wood and Water; on the 21st of the same month we quitted Straits La Maire, and arrived at George's Island on the 13th of April.

In our Passage to this Island I made a far more Westerly Track than any Ship had ever done before; yet it was attended with no discovery until we arrived within the Tropick, where we discovered several Islands.

We met with as Friendly a reception by the Natives of George's Island as I could wish, and I took care to secure ourselves in such a manner as to put it out of the power of the whole Island to drive us off.

Some days preceeding the 3rd of June I sent Lieutenant Hicks to the Eastern part of this Island, and Lieutenant Gore to York Island, with others of the Officers (Mr.
Green having furnished them with Instruments), to observe the Transit of Venus, that we may have the better Chance of succeeding should the day prove unfavourable; but in this We were so fortunate that the observations were everywhere attended with every favourable Circumstance.
It was the 13th of July before I was ready to quitt this Island, after which I spent near a month in exploring some other Islands which lay to the Westward, before we steer'd to the Southward.