Travel Diaries and Journals

at from 10 to 15 miles distance. I was walking on the poop with the Captain about 10 oclock when some lights we had seen on shore, & which we thought were fires, assumed the appearence of a light house. the Capt. at the moment thought we had found Table Bay, & immediately brought the ship to. it however turned out to be that we were just off Hants Bay, & that the lights we had seen were only fires kindled by the Kaffirs. They burned until 4 oclock in the morning.

April 2nd 1858 We made sail again at (11 struck through) 6 oclock this morning with a light breeze, & Kept on along the coast as we went on. We came in sight of the Devils Peak, Lions Rump & Head & at 12 oclock we Saw the Ships lying in the Bay.

[Pencil drawing of hills seen from on board the Belgravia]

from near Hants Bay

2 Continuation Cape

Structure of lights seen Hants Bay the right extremity the from the Belgravia 15 miles at Cape of Good Hope sea supposed to be at the entrance of

Bay.The latter 24 hours we sailed close along the land & had a fine view of the Country of the Kaffirs. Numerous fires were burning in different parts of the heights & towards night on the 1st. of April the Capt. & I were walking on the poop when what appeared to be a light house appeared on the starboard bow. The Capt. on the first thoughtwe had passes Table Bay & immediately hove the ship to. No sooner was this done however than we discovered it was merely a fire the Kaffirs had kindled on the side of the hill & which very much resembled a lighthouse. We lay there all night just off a place called Hants Bay & at daylight on the 2nd. of April we made our way for Table Bay with a fine light breeze & came to Anchor at 2oclock. the first thing we did on coming at anchor was to get into a boat Lt. Dadson R.A. & I &