carried us round Trinidad; then exchanged it for a north-west
wind, which, with the exception of one day's squall from the
south-east, carried us straight into Table Bay. On the night of
the 14th we were told to prepare to see the Table Mountain.
Next morning (_N.B._, we had not seen land before since leaving
England), at dawn, the welcome word land' was heard; and there
stood this magnificent hill, with all its attendant
mountain-range down to the farthest point of South Africa, full
in view, with a clear blue ghost-like outline; and that night
we cast anchor within the Bay. Next morning early we landed,
under escort of Dr. Stewart, M----'s brother, and you may
imagine the meeting. We took up our quarters at a most
comfortable lodging-house (Miss Robe's), and I proceeded,
without loss of time, to unship the instruments. This was no
trifling operation, as they filled (with the rest of our
luggage) fifteen large boats; and, owing to the difficulty of
getting them up from the hold of the ship, required several
days to complete the landing. During the whole time (and indeed
up to this moment) not a single south-east gale, the summer
torment of this harbour, has occurred. This is a thing almost
unheard of here, and has indeed been most fortunate, since
otherwise it is not at all unlikely that some of the boats,
laden as they were to the water's edge, might have been lost,
and the whole business crippled.

[Footnote 1: Herschel married a Miss Stewart in February 1826.]

"For the last two or three days we have been looking at houses,
and have all but agreed for one--a most beautiful place within
four or five miles out of town, called 'The Grove.' In point of