The voyage then seemed as good as finished; from this time on I knew that all, or nearly all, would be plain sailing.
Here I crossed the dividing-line of weather.

To the north it was clear and settled, while south it was humid and squally, with, often enough, as I have said, a treacherous gale.

From the recent hard weather the _Spray_ ran into a calm under Table Mountain, where she lay quietly till the generous sun rose over the land and drew a breeze in from the sea.
The steam-tug _Alert_, then out looking for ships, came to the _Spray_ off the Lion's Rump, and in lieu of a larger ship towed her into port.
The sea being smooth, she came to anchor in the bay off the city of Cape Town, where she remained a day, simply to rest clear of the bustle of commerce.

The good harbor-master sent his steam-launch to bring the sloop to a berth in dock at once, but I preferred to remain for one day alone, in the quiet of a smooth sea, enjoying the retrospect of the passage of the two great capes.

On the following morning the _Spray_ sailed into the Alfred Dry-docks, where she remained for about three months in the care of the port authorities, while I traveled the country over from Simons Town to Pretoria, being accorded by the colonial government a free railroad pass over all the land.
The trip to Kimberley, Johannesburg, and Pretoria was a pleasant one.
At the last-named place I met Mr.Kruger, the Transvaal president.