1771- KOUND THE WORLD. 303 



water at the same time; and several large boats or 

 hoys are kept by the Company to carry stores and 

 provisions to and from the shipping in the harbour. 

 The bay is defended by a square fort, situated close 

 to the beach on the east side of the town, and by 

 several outworks and batteries extending along the 

 shore, as well on this side of the town as the other; 

 but they are so situated as to be cannonaded by 

 shipping, and are in a manner defenceless against an 

 enemy of any force by land. The garrison consists 

 of eight hundred regular troops, besides militia of the 

 country, in which is comprehended every man able 

 to bear arms. They have contrivances to alarm the 

 whole country by signals in a very short time, and 

 the militia is then to repair immediately to the town. 



The French at Mauritius are supplied from this 

 place with salted beef, biscuit, flour, and wine: the 

 provisions for which the French contracted this year 

 were 500,000 lb. weight of salt beef, 400,000 lb. of 

 flour, 400,000 lb. of biscuit, and I, '200 leagers of 

 wine. 



On the morning of the 14th, we weighed and stood 

 out of the bay; and at five in the evening anchored 

 under Penquin, or Robin island: we lay here all 

 night, and as I could not sail in the morning for want 

 of wind, I sent a boat to the island for a few trifling 

 articles which we had forgot to take in at the Cape. 

 But as soon as the boat came near the shore, the 

 Dutch hailed her, and warned the people not to land, 

 at their peril, bringing down at the same time six 

 men armed with muskets, who paraded upon the 

 beach. The officer who commanded the boat, not 

 thinking it worth while to risk the lives of the peo- 

 ple on board for the sake of a few cabbages, which 

 were all we wanted, returned to the ship. At first 

 we were at a loss to account for our repulse, but we 

 afterwards recollected, that to this island the Dutch 

 at the Cape banish such criminals as are not thought 

 worthy of death, for a certain number of years, pro- 

 portioned to the offence; and employ them as slaves 



