mouth of July laft they had received no reinforcements from the
French, and expeâed none from Holland.
But the moft effectual way, perhaps, of diftreffing the gar-
rifon, would be to land detachments at various points not very
diftant from the Cape peninfula; as, for inftance, at Gordon’s
Bay, which may be done at all feafons of the year, but moft
conveniently from September to May. Here, as I before ob-
ferved, immediate poffeffion might be taken -of Hottentot HoU
land’-s’Rlodf, Which ds biit affew miles diftant, andfrom which
a fmall party, with field-pieces or howitzers, would not eafily
be driven out ; at the fame time a fécond detachment, landed at
Saldanha Bay, ¡might take poffeffion -.of Roode Sand Kloof;
thus totally slitting off the poffibility of any .fupplyof rattle
from‘the interior parts of die countty; A third detachment,
landed near Blauwherg, at a Ihort drftancefrom the anchorage
off ¡Roben Ifland, ¡might form a chain of pofts between this hill
and the party in Roode Sand Kloof, and thus cut off the l'up-
pMes' of'grain from ‘ZwardandBeq^ River, JPicquetberg, Rçibecks
Caftlç, and the four-and-twentyorivers, which are the principal
com diftrifts. The time fhould be the months of January and
February, •when the ¡corn o f the new harveft begins -jto he lent
Up to town, whither two-thirds of the quantity-reaped are
ufually brought in the courfe of the hyo iuccecdijng months,
fn January 1-803, the magazines o f .grain ¡were completely.ox-
haufted, whièh will all’o be the cafe in January 1804, the returns
Of the harvéftbeingbarely fufficient for the exigencies d f
thé-y ear.
The
The invading fleet, i f fuperior la force to that on the ftation,
might eafily be fupplied with freih provifions, either at the anchorage
off Rohen Ifland, where they could lie in perfeâ fecu-
rity, or in Saldanha Bay. At fix miles diftanc-e to the north-
Ward of this bay, there is good water at a place called. Witte Klip,
the White Rock, and riot bad, though, perhaps, a little brackifh,
at feveral places on the eaft fliore of the bay ; and 1 have little
doubt that plenty of good water might be procured by digging
wells at the foot of the BlauWberg, or even On Roben Ifland, an
operation which the Dutch hâve neither fkill to conduit, nor in-
duftry to accompliih.
Some, however, are of opinion that the place would beft be
taken by a Coup dc Main, by dalhirig at once into Table Bay in
a fouth-eaft wind, and cutting out all thefhips that may happen
to be at anchor, In doing this, thèy would have to fuftain the
fire of Craig’s tower and battery, Fort de Kndkke, the ièâ lines
and the caille, but thé threë heavy batteries, on the Weft- coaft of
the bay, would pour thèîr fire into their owft fhips. There are
few places, however, where fo great a fire cân be concentrated,
as can be brought to .bear on the anchoring ground Of Table
Bay. The batteriès are mounted with a confidetaMe number
of heavy guns; but, it is true, theÿ are very old y a great part
of them honeycònibed, and the carriages of many completely
demolifhed. The Amfterdam battery has aWb many defeits,
and, in the opinion of fome ria+al officers, would foorr Be filenced
by a fingle ffiip of the line, brought to lie clofe alongfide
of it.
Others