asked one of her sailors if his commander was not mad, for he could not
believe that such a small ship as the Lady Nelson could ever accomplish a
voyage of discovery.

The vessels continued to sail in company towards the Cape of Good Hope.

At 5 A.M. on the 7th land was seen from the Lady Nelson, the information
being signalled to her companion. Soon after daylight the Lion's Rump was
perceived south-east by east 1/2 east, distant five leagues. A little
later the ships parted company. Lieutenant Grant had intended to anchor
in Simon's Bay, but having discovered that the Lady Nelson had lost both
her main and after keels during the voyage, he sailed to Table Bay. On
his arrival there Admiral Sir Roger Curtis, who was in command of the
station, gave orders for two new keels to be built immediately, and it is
recorded that so well did Mr. Boswell, the builder's assistant (the
builder himself being absent) perform his task that the new keels
reflected the greatest credit on him.

On the 16th, her repairs being completed, the Lady Nelson sailed for
Simon's Bay and anchored there at 9 A.M. on the following day. Here was
found H.M.S. Porpoise, also bound to New South Wales, which left the bay
for Sydney in advance of the Lady Nelson. During his stay Lieutenant
Grant met a relative, Dr. J. R. Grant, with whom he made several
excursions into the interior of the colony.

While the Lady Nelson was at the Cape of Good Hope a ship named the
Wellesley arrived from England with despatches from the Admiralty. She
had narrowly escaped capture by a French man-of-war which gave chase to
her after she had parted from her convoy, but fortunately she had been
able to beat off the enemy and to effect her escape. The instructions