This book is the first of a pair of studies of the world's two great capes, the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Horn, which between them have dominated the development of maritime trade over the last four centuries and become places of legend not only for seamen . Starting with the earliest recorded exploration of the waters round southern Africa in the quest for a sea route to India, the book attempts to trace the history of the Cape run, the merchant shipping that pioneered and established it, and the longer Cape route, round the Cape to India, China, Australia and New Zealand. The author has a particular knowledge of Cape waters from his days as a merchant seaman and from the period when he was sailing Suhali back by stages from Bombay to England before entering her in the Golden Globe race and becoming the first non-stop single-handed round the world sailor in 1968-9.