had done, that the poffeflion pf the Cape was of no ufe whatsoever
to their commerce, or their concerns in India. For this,
apparently abfurd purpofe the commanders of all the ihips in
their employ were forbid, in the mod pofitive terms, to touch
at the Cape, either in their outward or their homeward bound
paflage, except fitch, on the return voyage, as were deilined to
Supply the Settlement with Indian goods»
The firength and eonftitution of Engliih Seamen, corroborated
by wholefome Sood, will Support them on a paflage from
India to England, ihortened as it how is by the modern improvements
in the art of navigation, without the neceflity-of
touching at any intermediate port. But this is not the cafe with
regard to the Lafcars, or natives of India, who, in time of war,
conftitute frequently more than two-thirds of the crew. Thefe
poor creatures, whofe chief fuftenanoe is rice, oil, and vegetables,
are ill calculated to Suffer a long privation of their ufual
diet, and ftill lefs to bear the cold of the Southern ocean, especially
in the winter SeaSon. By them the Cape was looked up
to as a half-way houfe, where a flock of freih Supplies was to
be had, and where the delay of a few days had a wonderful
effeit in recruiting their health and Spirits. And the event
{hewed that Such a half-way houfe, to Such people, was indif-
penfibly neceffary ; for the directors were obliged to countermand
their order as far as it regarded thofe ihips that were navigated
by the black natives of India.
Whenever it has happened that government was under the
neceffity of Sending out troops in Hups navigated by Lafcars, a
greater
greater degree of ficknefs and mortality has prevailed than in
{hips entirely manned by Europeans ; and under fuch circum-
ftances' it would be highly criminal to attempt to run from Europe
to India without flopping at fome intermediate port, not
only to procure refrefhments for the troops and Lafcars, butto
clean and fumigate the ihips in order to prevent contagious dif*
eafes. The two Boy regiments, as they are ufually called, the
22d and 34th, which it was neceffary to fend to the Cape as a
reinforcement of the garrifon, after the able and effe&ive men
had been fent away to Madras, who foon after fo materially
ailifted in the conqueft of Seringapatam, arrived in a very Sickly
ftate at the Cape. Yet the fame ihips, after being properly
waihed, Scoured, and fumigated, and the crews completely re-
freihed, carried on other troops to their deftination without the
lofs of a Single man.
How far the conduit of the directors was compatible with
the interefls of the Eaft India Company, who have configned
them to their management, I Shall endeavour to point out in
the courfe of this and the following chapters ; the defign of
which is, by general reafoning, grounded on fails, to appreciate
the advantages that would have refulted to the Britiih nation
in general, and to the Eaft India Company in particular, from
annexing the Cape to thè foreign poffeflions of England ; and
the ferious confequences that may enfue from its being in the
poffeflion of an enemy. Opinions on this fubjeit, it feems,
widely differ ; on which account a fair and impartial ftatement
of fuch circumftances as may tend to elucidate a doubtful
3 point,