From the ift Odt. 1797 to the 30th Sept. 1798,
they were - - R .d. 322,512 7 5
ift ditto 1798 to ditto 1799 - 360,312 o o
1 ft ditto 179910 ditto 1800 - 369,596 o o
ift ditto 1800 to ditto 1801 - 45°>7 I 3 2 4
And it is here not unworthy of notice, that from the moment
of the preliminaries of peace being known they fell, the laft
year’s produce, being only
From iftO d . 1801 to 30th Sept 1802 - 389>901 6 o
And in the following year, as far of it as was expired, they
were ftill lefs productive.
In this ftate of progreffive improvement, under the Britiih
Government, without a fingle additional tax being laid, but on
the contrary, fome taken off, and others modified, arrears of
land-rent remitted and again accumulating, I think, without
any danger of exaggeration, we might reckon upon a net annual
revenue of- half a million rix dollars, or one hundred thoufand
mounds currency: The annual average expenditure, including
falaries and contingencies of departments, with theneceffary repairs
of public works and buildings, were, und'er theadmini-
ftrations of Lord Macartney and Lieutenant-General Dundas, at
the moft about 300,000 rix dollars or 60,000 /. Suppofe theft
the contingencies and extraordinaries of the army to be 30,000 /.
the whole fum required would be 90,000 /. or 450,000 rix
dollars, the exadt amount of the colonial revenue at the clofe of
the year 1801.
The
The point of view, in which the importance of the Cape
next prefents itfelf to our confideration, is its local pofition, as
being favourable for diftributing troops to any part of the globe,
and efpecially to our fettlements in the eaft, with facility and
difpatch ; which is by no means the leaft among the advantages
it poffeffes as a military ftation. For however important to a
dépôt of troops the benefits may be that refult from a healthy
climate, and cheapnefs of fubfiftence, their value would be
materially diminifhed by great diftance from, or difficulty
of conveyance to, fuch places where their fervices may be
wanted.
The longer the voyage the lefs effedtive will the troops be
on their arrival, and delay is dangerous even to a proverb.
Perhaps it is not faying too much, that we are indebted to the
Cape for the conqueft of Myfore and the overthrow of Tippoo ;
not merely from the reinforcements fent from thence to join the
Indian army, though they'eminently contributed to the con-
queft of Seringapatam, but from the vigilance of Lord Macartney
in detedting the tranfadtions - of the Sultaun’s agents at
the Ifte of France, of which, at that time, they were ignorant in
India, and the adtive meafures he took to communicate fpeedy
intelligence thereof to the Governor-General of Bengal. “ I re-
“ ceived,” the Marquis of Wellelley obferves, in his difpatch to
the Court of Diredfcors, “ on the 18th of June 1798, a regular
“ authentication of the proclamation (of the Governor of the
Ifle of France) in a letter from his Excellency the Earl of
“ Macartney, dated the 28th of March.” And he adted, on
A A 2 this