Vaillant’j- Work— Manner in which the Chart prefixed to the prefent Work was
confiruEled. — Difag reement between the Chart and the 'Text explained.— Tefiimony
of General Vandeleur.— Mifreprefentations o f the Cape accounted fo r. - General
Nature and Appearance o f the Country «— Improvements fuggefied. — Change in the
national Char a Her of the Dutch in their Colonies— their helplefs Condition in Batavia.—
Indufiry and ABivity o f the Chine/e there— their Numbers— would prove
a valuable Acquifition to the.Cape— real Importance o f this Colony to England.—
Conclufton.
T h e very flattering reception which a former volume of
{ketches experienced from an indulgent public, was fufBcient
encouragement for the Author to refume his pen, though it
might not be confidered as an adequate motive, without new
pretcnfions, to obtrude himfelf a fecond time on public notice.
The pretenfions then, which I now claim, confift chiefly in
being allowed to finiih an incomplete work: to add a volume,
in continuation of the former, which I am encouraged to hope
will be confidered no lefs interefting, from the importance of
the matter, than the other was from its novelty. The natural
hiftory of a country little known; the general defcription of its
furface and appearance; the manners, cuftoms, and ftate of
fociety, of the feveral clafles of inhabitantsr furniih a vaft fund
of ufeful and agreeable information ; but they do not conftitute
a whole.— A number of other fubjeds mull be difcufled and
defcribed before our knowledge of that country can be faid to
be complete. Among thefe are not the leaft important the
local advantages it may command in a political, military, and
commercial point of view, either with refped to itfelf, or in its
relations with other countries ; its refources, and their application
; its revenues, jurifprudence, population, and a variety of
other points which, when attentively taken, form a topographical
and ftatiftical account, from whence both the ftatefman
and the philofopher may be inftruded and amufed.
This latter part is a talk which, in all human probability, I
ihould never have undertaken, had I not found, on my return
to England, that a great variety of opinions were fluduating
with regard to the importance of thè Cape of Good Hope to
the interefts of the Britiih Empire, but more immediately fo to
thofe of the Eaft-India Company, which compofes fo very dii—
tinguiihed a part of it. Moft of thefe opinions were, obvioufly,
grounded on a very limited view of the fubjed ; or on an impeded
knowledge of the country. For, without arrogating to
myfelf any fuperior information beyond what local knowledge,
acquired by frequent travel, and my public fituation, enabled me
to colled, I may be allowed to obferve, that few feem to underhand
in what refpeds the Cape is, or is not, an important objed
to the different powers of Europe. In the former volume all
political difcuflions were ftudioufly avoided, not only becaufe
they might at that time, for many reafons, have been thought
unfeafonable or indifcreet, but becaufe I then conceived there
was but one opinion with regard to the real value of the
Cape of Good Hope, if confidered Only in the fingle view
of its being a barrier and a point of fecurity to our Indian
fettlements.
Since, however, it has unfortunately been found expedient
to relinquiili the pofleffion of it, in confideration of fomething
that, no doubt, appeared to be of equal moment, fuch caution
will now be no longer necdflary ; and I Ihall therefore, in the