who, of late, by their carrying-trade alone, have worked thern-
felves into the greateft portion, -next to England, of the India
and China trade, notwithftanding the favourable fituation of
their country to an extended commerce with. India, they would
find it extremely inconvenient to be obliged to relinquiih the
accommodation of refrefliing their crews, and difpofing of part
of their cargoes, at the Cape of Good Hope ; from whence, indeed,
in cafe of any rupture, their trade might, at any time, be
completely checked, a circumftancB which would operate as a
fecurity for the prefervation of amity and a good underftandmg
with that commercial nation. Had we, indeed, been fortunate
enough to have retained this Settlement, there is every reafon to
believe the indulgencies granted to their trade here might have
been an important confideration with them, in the renewal of a
commercial treaty with England,
After what has been ftated with regard to the. healthinefs of
the climate, exemplified in the fmall degree of mortality among
the troops, and in the vigour and liability that their conftitu-
tions acquired, it is fcarcely necelfary to add that the fame
falutary effeds equally prevailed in the navy on this llation.
The mortality, indeed, among the feamen, was ftill lefs, probably
on account o f their being lefs expofed to the fummer
heats, and to their having fewer opportunities of committing
irregularities. T h e r e w a s 'generally .a difference of fix or eight
degrees in the temperature of the bay and the town; When
the thermometer, for inftance, in Cape Town was at 84, it flood
no higher than 76’ on board the flúps in Table Bay.
The
The moderate expence at which a fleet can here be maintained
is, likewife, an advantage not to be overlooked. The
failor may be fubfifled equally cheap with the foldier. It has
been calculated, after making the ufual allowances for wafte,
damage, and intereft of money, on Ihips provifions fent out
from England, to. fay nothing of the premium received on bills
given in exchange for paper currency, that the failor at the
Cape can be furnilhed with his ration of frefh beef or mutton,
bifcuit, and wine, at one-fourth part of the rate which the fame
ration coils the government in fait provifions and bifcuit fent out
from England. A pint of wine, as I have already ftated, cofts
no more than threepence, and might be reduced to half that
price by aboliihing the monopoly; and the Cape brandy, though
at prefent bad, on account of the defective manner of diftilla-
tion, and the improper ingredients employed, may be had at a
much cheaper rate than Weft India rum, and would, in a little
time, under the encouragement of the Britiih Government,
have been made in its quality equally good of its kind.
I am not provided with fufficient documents to give the annual
expenditure of the fquadron that was ftationed at the Cape;
but I am convinced it muft have been much more moderate,
in the articles of freih meat, bifcuit, and wine, than for the
fame number of ihips and men, on any other ftation whatfo-
ever. In the year 1797 the fquadron confumed 1,085,266
pounds of freih meat, and 1,167,995 pounds of bifcuit, or about
3000 pounds of each a day, befides 184,358 pounds of foft
bread, 217,813 pounds of flour, and 1066 buihels of wheat; it
confumed, moreover, 1,226,738 pints of wine, and 244,904
v o l . 11. 11 pints