137 
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 
It was about the third or fourth day- 
after we entered the colonies fhat I heard 
of the Cape being in possession of the Bri- 
tish. This information determined me to 
observe what effect the conquest of that 
settlement by the English had upon the 
colonists. I constantly introduced the sub- 
ject wherever I came, and I found that 
notwithstanding they all execrated the 
Dutch government for their oppressive 
conduct towards them, and wished for new 
settlers on the oriental and western coasts, 
still they were not unanimous in their opi- 
nions respecting the English. Some were 
violent in their observations on this subject, 
and declared, that if the governor had sent 
them word of an enemy being on the coast, 
they would have mustered eight thousand 
strong, and marched directly to the Cape. 
Others seemed perfectly satisfied with the 
change, and hoped the British nation would 
not conclude a peace without having these 
countries ceded to the crown of England. 
Upon the whole, I conceived that a ma- 
jority of the colonists were still in favour 
