84] 
majesty’s troops of displaying that 
bravery in his service, which I am 
confident they would have shewn, 
had the occasion presented itself ; 
but if the utmost alacrity and cheer- 
fulness, under almost every priva- 
tion, except that of meat, during 
a march of ninety miles, through 
so bargen a country that there exist 
but five houses in the whole line, 
have any merit, I can with truth 
present them to his majesty’s 
troops. 
This march, sir, has never yet, 
I believe, been attempted by any 
body of troops, however small, 
and, permit me to assure you, has 
‘been attended with such uncom- 
mon difficulties, that it never could 
have been accomplished but by 
the display of the qualities T have 
mentioned in the troops, and a 
union of extraordinary exertions in 
all the departments concerned. 
In these, all have equal claim to my 
acknowledgments; but I cannot 
dispense without  particularising 
the intelligence and activity with 
which, regardless of the uncom- 
mon fatigue which attended it, 
Lieutenant M’Nab, of the 98th 
regiment, with about twenty of his 
mounted men, performed the ser- 
vice allotted to him of watching 
the enemy, and preventing any 
communication with them, from 
the first moment of their coming 
into the Bay, till our arrival. 
It is, sir, with very particular 
satisfaction that I have further to 
report that I have received, on this 
occasion, every possible assistance 
from his majesty’s subjects of the 
colony. - 
The burgher senate have dis- 
charged the duty imposed upon 
them with the greatest readiness, im- 
partiality, and activity, whilst their 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1796. 
requisitions and orders on the ine 
habitants for their waggons, cattle, 
and horses, having been complied 
with with a cheerfulness which 
could, I am satisfied, only proceed 
from a conviction of the preference 
to be given to his majesty’s mild 
and paternal government over the 
wild system of anarchy and con- © 
fusion from which they were fure 
nishing the means of being effect. — 
ually defended. 
This will be delivered to you, sir, — 
by my aidede camp captain Baynes, — 
who has been in this country, since 
the first arrival of his majesty’s troops 
under my command, and to whose 
intelligence and active assistance I 
have been, on every occasion, 
highly indebted. I beg leave, sir, 
most humbly to recommend him 
to his majesty’s notice. 
T have the honour to be, 
With the greatest respect, 
Sir, &c. &e. 
J. H. Crate. 
Admiralty Office, Nov. 3, 1796. 
Dispatches, of which the following 
are copies, (brought by captain 
John Aylmer, of his majesty’s 
ship Tremendous) were this day 
received from the hon. vice-ad- 
miral sir George Keith Elphin- 
stone, K. B. 
Monarch, Saldanha Bay 
Sir, Aug. 19, 1796. 
I have the honour to inclose a list 
of a Dutch squadron, under the 
command of rear-admiral Engel 
bertus Lucas, sent hither for the 
reduction of this colony, but which 
were compelled to surrender by 
capitulation, on the 17th instant, 
to the detachment of his majesty’s 
ships under my command, named 
it 
