SOUTHERN AFRICA. 145 
fence and fecurky for, and in the name of, the Prince of Orange, 
who had furniHied letters dated from London to that effed. 
But the mifgiiided people of the colony, having received only 
imperfect accounts of affairs in Holland, and being led to ex- 
pe6t a French force at the Cape, had already embraced the prin- 
ciples of Jacobinifm, whofe effeds were the more to be dreaded 
on account of the confummate ignorance of the bulk of the fet- 
tlers. Some French emiifaries, thofe afliduous difturbers of the 
human race, who, fnake like, have crept into every fociety and 
corner of the world, poifoning the fprings of peace and good 
order, found little difficulty in urging a people, already fo well 
difpofed, to carry their principles into practice. The few officers 
of the government who were fuppofed to be attached to the 
caufe of the Stadtholder, and friends to the old fyftem, were 
completely fubdued ; and the weaknefs of the governor fa- 
voured the views of the diforderly citizens. They became cla- 
morous to declare themfelves, by fome public adl, a free and 
independent republic ; they prepared to plant tlic tree of liberty, 
and eftablifhed a convention, whofe lirft objed: was to make out 
profcribed lifts of thofe who were either to fuffer death by the 
new-fafhioned mode of the guillotine, which th^y had taken 
care to provide for the purpofe, or to be banifhed out of the 
colony. It is almoft needlefs to ftate that the perfons, fo marked 
out to be the victims of an unruly rabble, were the only wor- 
thy people in the fettlement, and moft of them members of 
government. • 
The flaves, whofe numbers of grown men, as I have before 
obferved, are about five to one of male whites who have arrived 
VOL. 11. u at 
