nearly, indeed, that I fuppofe they fcarcely deviate twenty
leagues from the fame track. If then a fquadron of the enemy’s
fhips from the Otpe ihould-cruize to windward of this ifland,
and within fight of it, our India fleet muft necefiarily fall into
their hands. And on this cruizing ground, where the wind is
fixed and fteady, the water fmeoth, and the weather always fine,
the enemy’s veffels may remain for any length of time.
The enormous expence, and, indeed, the impracticability, of
affording effective convoys to our Indian trade, under fuch unfavourable
circumftances, muft be obvious to every one. The
expence of one effective convoy to be ftationed off Saint Helena,
as long as the Cape remains in the poffeflion of the French, to'
lay nothing of the ferious inconvenience of detaching fhips of
war from more important ftations, would be much more than
fufScient to maintain the whole eftablifhment of the Cape for a
twelvemonth; and, in all probability, more "than the profits
might amount to of the cargoes fo convoyed. Saint Helena,
befi4es, is not adequate to furniih any fupplies for fuch a convoy.
With the greateft exertions a few refrefhments are -railed
for the ufe of the ifland, and the furplus is difpofed of at a molt
extravagant rate for the ufe of the fhips of the Eaft India Company.
They have few horned cattle, and not one of thefe can
there be killed without the confent of the Governor. Yet this
is the only place we now have left where a convoy can be affem-
bled. How incalculable then were the advantages of poffefling
a middle point between India and Europe, where every neceffary
refrefhment might be had in the greateft abundance; and which,
jnftead of being a 'point of danger and annoyance as it now
3 isr
is, was the bulwark of fecurity to our Indian trade and nof-
feflions.
Thofe who may feel inclined to confole themfelves for the
lofsof the Cape, by refleding that nothing of ferious moment
happened to our Indian fleets and poffeflions during the American
war, ihould. recoiled the great change of circumftances
that has taken place fince that event. Holland, at that time,
though an impoverilhed and declining nation, was independent
on France, and Had her own poffeflions in India to proted ;
and France, though equally then, as- now, zealous to accomplifh
the ruin of our wealth and power inTndia, which fhe had long
in vain endeavoured to emulate, had but juft the means of givl -
ing a feeble protedion to her territorial poffeflions in that quar--
m i Armies were not raifed, nor fleets equipped, with that
facility under the monarchy, as under republican tyranny, or
confular defpotifm. Mr. Delacroix took great pains to imp’refs
on the mind of Lord Malmefbury rhe aeceflkm of ftrength that
France had acquired by her republican form of government.
“ Nous ne fommes plus dans la decrepitude de la France mo-
“ narchique, mars dans tcarte la force d’une republiq-ue ado-
“ lefcento”
France having trow no fuch poffeflions' in India to proted
her grand objed will be, in cooperation with the Dutch, to
endeavour to hold in their hands, by rendering it impregnable,
the barrier o f all India. When this is once' efleded, Ote
will find little difficulty in affembling, at her own iffands- of
Wffi. « • ’ k k F ra n c e