The Cape of Good Hope

he only stop took place at the Cape of Good Hope. This was done for several reasons. First of all, provisions were stocked up, because after such a long journey the food was no longer fresh or even bad. Furthermore mail was collected at this staging post and letters were left there, hidden under a heavy stone with a inscription message for the addressed person. Ships called in at Tafelbaai. A hospital, a repair yard and a fort with a number of warehouses were located at what is now called Cape Town. Kitchen gardens and a water reservoir were laid out to provide the necessary vegetables and water.

The water from the water reservoir in the mountains ran to the quay via a stone groove. The local population, called Hottentots or Bushmen by the Dutch, refused to work the land so the European farmers got permission to settle in South Africa. Slaves were imported from Madagascar to do the hard labour. Officially the stop at the Cape of Good Hope was eight days, but most ships stayed at Tafelbaai 4 weeks to carry out repairs and allow sick crew members to recover. The hospital had 200 beds. The rooms were damp and the windows were barred to prevent the crew members from escaping. Healthy sailors had a great time in the bars.