remittances. The following rough ftatement will ferve to explain
this matter:
The army, independent of the clothing and
ftores, &c. fent from home and money re-
mitted by the officers, could not expend
lefs, in European and Indian goods, and
in colonial produce, than 180,000 /. per
annum, which in four years is — £ . 720,000 o o
The navy expenditure might, perhaps,
amount to half that fum — 360,000 O O
The re-exportation of Indyi prize goods, and
of European goods to the Weft India
iflands, the coaft of Brazil, and Mozambique,
in four years, about — 170,000 o . o
Surplus c o lo n ia l p r o d u c e e x p o r t e d as a b o v e 6 0 , 1 8 5 o o
Making in the whole £• 1,310,185 o o
Value of the imports as above 1,195,507 3 6
Balance in favour of the colony and the
m e r c h a n t s r e f id in g th e r e — £• 1 1 4 , 6 7 7 *6 6
Befides this balance, which may be comfidered as the joint
profit of the colonifts and Engliih merchants on that part of
colonial produce and imported goods, which have been difpofed
of, the (hops and warehoufes at the evacuation of the colony
were fo full, that it was calculated there were then European
and Indian articles fufficient for three years’ eonfumption, and
the
the capital of flaves imported was augmented nearly to the
amount of 180,000/,
It appears, then, that five-fixths of the trade of the Cape of
Good Hope has been occafioned by the eonfumption of the gar-
rifon and the navy. And, confequently, that unlefs a very
confiderable garrifon be conftantly ftationed there, or fome other
channel be opened for the export of their produce, the colonifts,
by having increafed their capitals in the days of profperity, and
efpecially of flaves, which is a confuming capital, will rapidly
fink into a ftate of poverty much greater than they were at the
capture of the colony. The prefent garrifon are only about one-
third of the garrifon and navy kept there by Great Britain;
and they will, moft affuredly, not confume one-fifth of the quantity
of colonial produce and imports; fo that fome new vent
rouft be difcovered for the remaining four-fifths, or the colony
will be impoveriihed. What then muft be the condition of this
place if the garrifon, froall as k is, ihould be fupported at the
expeace of the inhabitants ? It muft, obvioufly, very ipeedily
confume kfelf, and the majority of the inhabitants will he reduced
to the neceffity of clothing themfelves with iheep-fkins.
It is, therefore, the intereft of the colonifts that the Cape ihould
remain in the hands of the Engliihj the truth of which, indeed,
they felt and loudly exprefied,. before the Dutch flag had been
flying two months. A total ftagnation to ah trade immediately
followed the furrender of the place. The merchant of the town
was clogged with a heavy capkal of foreign goods, for which,
there was no vent; and the farmer had little demands for his
produce. Every one was defaous to fell,, and, of. courfe, there
wera