HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
_ of Good Hope had sailed from Eng- 
land in autumn 1805, at the moment 
when hostilities, were breaking out 
onthe continent, and when trom 
the plan of operations concerted 
between the British government and 
its allies, it might have been ex- 
pected, that the whole of our dis- 
posable force would have becn em- 
ployed i in some continental »diver- 
sion ; instead of being directed to 
an object, which howe ever valuable 
and important in itself, should never 
have been perinitted to interfere 
with the deeper and more impor- 
tant game, in which we were éh- 
gaged nearer home. [ut it was the 
consfant error of Mr, Pitt's admi- 
nistration, to be engaged ia the pur- 
suit of two objects at once, and his 
misfortune, and that of his country, 
that, in attempting both, he often 
succeeded in neither, and was sure 
always to fail in the most impor- 
tant. in the present instance, 
though Europe was lost, the Cape 
of Good Hope was taken and re- 
duced under subjection to Great 
Britain. 
The force destined don this con- 
quest consisted of about 5000 land 
troops under sir David Baird, with 
a proportional naval force, com- 
manded by sir Home Popham. 
Having touched at San Salvador for 
refreshments, the expedition sailed 
frem that place on the 26th of 
November, and reached Table Bay 
on the 4th of January, 1806. It 
was theintention of the command- 
ers to have disembarked the troops 
‘without delay ; but when the fleet 
arrived at its anchorage, the evening 
was too far advanced to attempt a 
landing; and next morning the surf 
ranso high, that it was found im- 
practicable to land the troops where 
it was at first intended ; nor could 
233 
any safer or better landing-place be 
discovered, after a close examination 
of the shore from Lospard’s Bay 
to Cape town. In this emergence, 
it was determined to go -northward 
to Saldahna *Bay, about 18 or 20 
leagues distant from Table Bay,and, 
however difficult the march’ from 
thence to Cape town, it was judged 
better to submit to that inconveni- 
ence than to hazard any further de- 
lay in disembarking the troops. In 
consequence of this determination 
brigadier general Beresford was 
sent to Saldahna Bay with the 38th 
regiment and 20th light dragoons, 
the rest of thearmy being next day 
to fellow him 5 but next morning 
the surf was so much abated, that it 
was resolved to land the army at 
Lospard’s Bay, as at first intended. 
The disembarkation was conducted 
with great order under the protec- 
tion of the flect, and though a few 
sharp shooters appeared on the 
heights and somewhat annoyed the 
troops, only two persons were 
wounded by their fire, and the land- 
ing would haye been attended with 
no greater loss than this, but for 
the accident of a boat upsetting, by 
which 35 soldiers were drowned. 
The whole of the army having land- 
ed on this and the following day, 
except the detachment sent to Sal- 
dahna Bay with general Beresford, 
sir David Baird began his march to 
Cape town on the morning of the 
Sth, and having reached the summit 
of the Blue Mountains,he there des 
cried the enemy drawn up in the 
plain and prepared to receive him. 
They were commanded by general 
Janssens, governor of the colony, 
and their force amounted to about’ 
5000 men, chiefly cavalry. Their 
position was good, and was strength- 
ened by 23 pieces of cannon, The 
force 
