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berg's Bay, he finds confiderable opportunities for botanical research, and alfo for zoology. Meanwhile the rebellious boors having been completely fubdued, the delinquents were tried, but treated with great lenity. The farther the travellers advanced from the feat of Government the more they found the Dutch boors oppreffive and cruel to the wretched natives. Even the higher ranks of Dutch, who chiefly refide in Cape Town, are extremely brutal and groís in their manners and converfation.

"Grown (fays our author) into affluence by the general prosperity that followed the conqueft of the fettlement, ferjeants, and corporals, and trumpeters, are now men of the first confequence, keep their flaves, and hories, and carriages, and wallow in all the luxuries that the colony affords. though they afpire to the rank of gentlemen, they cannot difguife the cloven foot."

But,

These remarks our author illuftrates by very ftriking inftances. Vulgar as many of thefe Dutchmen are they are extremely tenacious of rank, and many difputes arife between their ladies about prece dency. There is little of domeftic affection among the Colonists, and children are trained to cruelty and oppreflion. The Hottentots are capable of strong attachments, and very grateful to Europeans by whom they are well treated. They highly regarded the Britons, and the chief boon they prayed from them was protection from Dutchmen. The Kaffers are more manly and energetic than the Hottentots, and were not near so paffive to Dutch oppreffion. The Kaffers are free, and are not yet included in the Slave Trade. They are particularly fond of dogs, and the country is almost overrun with these animals, but, fortunately, madness is unknown among them. As our travelleis advanced into Caffraria they found their fituation somewhat alarming, and it was not judged expedient to penetrate into the thickets with which that country abounds. Our author returned to the Cape, on the 8th of June, after an absence of three months. Many of the inhabitants of the Cape became reconciled to the British government, and the Colonists were very far from rejoicing when they found it was to be returned nominally to Holland, but really to be given up to France.

Chapter third confiders the importance of the Cape of Good Hope as a military station. Britain had regarded the capture of this fettlement as a very important acquifition. Mr. Dundas, in devifing meafures for the adminiftration of the new poffeffion, propofed to combine the interests of the public with the interefts of the Eaft India Company, and with that double view recommended Lord Macartney as Governor. Mr. Dundas regarded this fettlement as a poffeffion of the very highest importance to the British territories in India, and, therefore, thought it ought never to be relinquished. The Earl of Ma cartney was of the fame opinion. As a military ftation the Cape has the following advantages. In time of war fhips are navigated in a great measure by Lafcars, who cannot bear the fatigues of a long voy

age

age fo well as English feamen; when they have no refting place they are feized with infectious diftempers, that communicate to the troops which fo many fhips carry out in time of war. The Cape ferves as a half way houfe, refreshes thefe mariners, prevents difeafes among them, and through them to the foldiers. Regiments have very frequently arrived at the Cape in a fickly state, and have, in a few weeks, been completely recovered by the climate and provifions: but it is not only beneficial in reftoring to health troops paffing to India; it ferves as a wholesome and commodious station for forces that may be fent either to the East or Weft Indies. It is peculiarly favourable for performing the exercifes that train recruits to be foldiers. The middle temperature between heat and cold, enables the learner to undergo the fatigues of drilling with a facility which would be impracticable in tropical latitudes. It is, moreover, an excellent hospital for invalids from India. Soldiers may be fubfifted for a comparatively small expence at the Cape: this our author evinces by very accurate calculations.

The fourth chapter views the importance of the Cape as a naval ftation. The obfervations on this fubject are introduced by a fhort sketch of the benefits of commerce, especially to Britain. Naval places of call are of lefs confequence, our author admits, to British feamen than to any other navigators, who do not fail fo quickly, and have not fuch provifions to maintain them in health during a long voyage. Nevertheless the Cape is of high importance as a naval ftation. Even to English failors it is often requifite to have a port where they may both refresh and refit. But in other points of view it is ftill more important. In time of war it commands the entrance into the Indian Seas; and can intercept both the commercial and war fhips of the enemy. A finall fquadron ftationed there would watch the feas, and besides would prevent the enemy from refreshing at the fame centrical place. It would give us the command of the whole trade of India and China. Our author follows this reafoning by local details on the beft places for maritime ftations in that vicinity.

Chapter fifth confiders the importance of the Cape in a commercial view, and as a depot for the Southern Whale Fishery. Our author opens this chapter with an account of the defigns of the Dutch in taking poffeffion of the Cape.

"The original intention of the United Provinces, in forming a fettlement at the Cape of Good Hope was, that of its being a place of refrefliment for the hipping of their Eaft India Company, beyond which they thought it not prudent to extend its ufe till very lately; after they had per ceived the advantages it poffeffed as a military depot for forming and preparing their troops, which were intended to ferve in their Indian fettle

ments."

They permitted foreign fhips to refit and refresh at the Cape, but as they poffeffed a monopoly of fupplying fuch fhips with provifion sthey exacted double prices. The great object of the Dutch fettled there

NO. LXXII. VOL. XVIII.

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was private gain, and their Eaft India Company confidering it merely as a station, took no effectual means to render it a flourishing fettlement; and under the Dutch its opulence was very inconfiderable. The Dutch Eaft India Company were jealous of establishing a power at the Cape which in the state of their ftrength might throw off dependence on Holland, and even overawe the Dutch fettlements in India. For all these reasons the Dutch were very far from rendering, or attempting to render, the Cape fo productive a poffeffion as it could be made in more powerful hands. Their policy refpecting this station, if not injudicious, was unavoidably narrow.

Our author proceeds to confider the policy of declaring the Cape a free port, which he thinks,

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Though profitable to fpeculators and the inferior nations of Europe trading to the East, must infallibly have proved ruinous to the concerns of the English United Company of Merchants trading to the Eaft Indies. The fales of Lea:lenhall-ftreet would fuffer beyond calculation, were fuch a meafure to be adopted by the Dutch; and of all nations the English would be the last to benefit by it; whilft the Danes, Swedes, Spaniards, and Portugueze, would find their advantage in purchafing cargoes of India and China goods at the Cape of Good Hope, at a moderate advance, and without duties, in preference of applying to the London market, where they are liable to duties or puzzled with drawbacks; or rather than prosecute the long and expenfive voyage through the Eastern feas."

The Americans would profit very confiderably by the freedom of that port. At prefent, with very fmall fhips and proportionate capitals, they find their accounts in the India and China trade, exclusive of that part which employs them in carrying home the private property of individuals who have acquired fortunes in India. With the returns of their lumber cargo, which they could always difpofe of at the Cape, if a free port, and the produce of their South Sea Fishery, they would be able to purchase a cargo of China goods. It is obvious, that the Americans trading directly to India and China, can afford to underfell, from their imported cargoes, the English West India merchants in our own iflands, notwithstanding the drawbacks allowed on exports from Leadenhall-ftreet. Much more might they underfell them if allowed to enjoy the additional benefits of the Cape trade. These are all arguments against fuffering the Cape to be opened as a free port. Mr. Barrow next enquires

"To what extent the Cape of Good Hope might have been rendered advantageous to the interefts of the British empire, as an emporium of Eastern produce? As furnishing articles of export for confumption in Eu rope and the Weft Indies? As taking, in exchange for colonial produce, articles of British growth and manufa&ture.”

The grand objection against making the Cape an emporium between Europe and the Eaft Indies, and between the West Indies, America, and Afia, is the diminution of the profits of the Eaft India Company, and confequently of the public revenue. In answer to this objection

our

our author obferves, that, according to the account of the Directors themselves, the Company is fully competent to the supply of the East India and China markets in commodities of British growth or manufacture, at fo cheap a rate as to p eclude European competitors. The Americans only can underfell them in the India and China markets. From this fact it follows that the Eift India Company, if the Cape were in poffeffion of Britain, could eafily fupply that emporium with the produce and manufactures of Great Britain, at fo cheap a rate as to underfell any other nation. The Americans, excluded from an extensive market at the Cape, would not find their account in trading to India and China. Other foreign nations trading to the Cape might there be accommodated with British goods and manufactures, and the returns from India and China. A very extenfive trade might be opened from the Cape for both British and Eaftern commodities, with Brazil, and other parts of South America; which, whether belonging to Portugal or Spain, are at prefent very fcantily fupplied. During the fhort time that the English held the Cape the traffic with South America was great, and rapidly increasing.

"Were therefore the Cape to become a commercial depot in the hands of the East India Company, (fays the author) the confumption, in Spanish and Portuguese America, of Eaftern produce, would increase to a very great extent, for all which they would pay in fpecie; and as the Company feel the greatest want of fpecie for their China trade, and still more for the neceflary ufes of their Indian empire, the fupply of hard money they would thus obtain, would confiderably leffen, if not entirely put an end to, the difficulties under which they now labour on that account."

If the emporium were thus well fupplied by British and India goods, the clandeftine trade carried on under neutral colours would be deftroyed, because the traders could not afford to fell at fuch a low price as the Company; and the Company, from their ability to underfell all competitors, would thus procure the monopoly of the India trade. Our author illuftrates this general remark by particular details.

He afterwards proceeds to confider the advantages of the Cape as furnishing exports and receiving imports. The articles of that country which might be advantageously exported to India and China, Europe, America, and the Weft Indies, are chiefly grain and pulfe, wine and brandy, wool, hides and fkins, whale oil and bone, dried fruits, falt provifions, foap and candles, aloes, ivory, tobacco. The wheat produced at the Cape is equal to any in the world, and is fold at a very reasonable price. The greater number of feafons are fruitful, and yield a furplus, which is laid up against feafons of scarcity. Barley is alfo a very productive crop. Pulle may be fupplied to any amount. Wine and brandy are the ftaple commodities of the Cape. Hitherto the cultivation of the vine bears no proportion to the excellence of the grape; but by British industry and skill it might be rendered a moft productive article, that could be fupplied to the Eaft and West Indies, and alfo to Britain, in fuch quantities as very greatly to diminish

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diminish our expenditure for European wines. The beft wine at the C.pe is that which refembles Madeira, and equals it in ftrength and flavour. Another fpecics refembles old hock. We do not, however, find any beverage that bears any likeness, of tafte or colour, to either port or claret; but grapes of that kind might, perhaps, be raised in the fame climate and feil which affords other wines of fuch an exquifite flavour. In the poffeffion of the English, wool became a very vaJuable article at the Cape, and might be rendered much more imporThe other articles enumerated as propofed exports appear allo abundant, and in British hands might be rendered much more pro. ductive. The ground on which Mr. Barrow forms his reafoning concerning probable exports, is the exportation of the four years during which England both held and cultivated the colony. He next confiders the imports from England, and from India and China, and fubjoins detailed accounts.

tant.

Our author, laftly, views the advantages that might refult to England by establishing at the Cape a kind of central depot for the Southern Whale Fishery. In introducing this topic he repeats various obfervations which, however common, muft always be important: that the ftrength and fecurity of the British empire chiefly depend on navigation; that the fea is the great fource of her wealth and power; that our navy is the great bulwark of the empire; that fisheries are most important nurseries for feamen. He confiders fisheries in a different point of view; as furnishing materials for food and accommodation. The home fifhery fupplying the markets with food, and the whale fishery furnishing our warehouses with oil, are of the firft commercial importance as well as naval. We have attended, Mr. Barrow thinks, too little to our fisheries, and fuffered foreign powers to engrofs a great portion of that fource of riches and ftrength. Within the last twenty years fifheries, both for food and other accommodations, have occupied a much greater fhare of legiflative attention; nevertheless the principles of that fpecies of induftry have not been completely understood. The Southern Whale Fishery neceffarily requires a very confiderable advance of capital before any returns of profit. By the poffeffion of the Cape the charges of outfit would, in our author's opinion, be very much diminished. Inftead of carrying out provifions to fupply the whole voyage, the crews would have an opportunity of acquiring ftores at the Cape, at a more reasonable expence, and if this ftation were made a central depot for the Southern Whale Fishery, it might be the means of throwing into British hands the monopoly of fpermaceti oil. At prefent, when at war with the French and Dutch, our whalers have no port from Europe to the South Sea, wherein to refit or refresh, except in the Portuguese fettle ents, and thither, in the prefent ftate of politics, admiffion is very precarious, but the poffeffion of the Cape would entirely remove this inconvenience. Thence we might employ fmall fhips as well as great.

" Suck

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