SOUTHERN AFRICA. 139 
Some little rejoicing might, however, naturally be fuppofed 
to take place on feeing once again the fame flag hoifted on the 
caftle walls, which they had always been accuftomed to look 
at ; and they would have fhewn themfelves a very worthlefs 
and defpicable people not to have teftified their feelings of joy 
on fuch an occafion. Thefe rejoicings, however, were neither 
general nor tumultuous, nor of long duration ; they were 
chiefly confined within the cafl:le walls. The recollection of the 
miferable condition of the colony at the capture, and the ge- 
neral profperity that had rapidly fucceeded it, feemed forcibly 
to have operated at this moment. From a ftate of poverty, and 
almoft general bankruptcy, they were now grown individually 
rich. Infliead of near half a million fterling, that for the laft feven 
years had annually been expended in the colony by the army, 
the navy, and Englifh fettlers, they now began to confider that 
half of this fum might annually be taken out of their pockets 
for the maintenance of their future garrifon. Little care, in- 
deed, was taken to conceal that fuch was the defign of the 
Batavian government under the prefent exhaufted ftate of its 
finances. 
They faw likewife that the fettlement, though nominally re- 
ftored to the Batavian republic, was aiCtually to become a co- 
lony of France. Of this they had many convincing proofs. 
The commandant of the troops was a Frenchman of Swifs 
extraction, and half of the officers were French. A native 
of the Cape, who had held an employ of confiderable import- 
ance under the old government, happening to be in Holland 
T 2 at 
