146 
TRxWELS IN 
at the growth of manhood, had alfo then- meetings to decide. 
upon the fate of the free and independent burghers, when the- 
happy days of their own emancipation fliould arrive, which^ 
from the converfations of their mafters on the bleffings of li- 
berty and equality, and the unahenable rights of man, they were : 
willing to fuppofe, could not be very diftant. 
In this ftate of things the Britlfh fleet appeared before the bay.. 
The governor called an extraordinary council to deUberate upon^ 
the fteps to be taken in this critical juncture. Some were in- 
clined to throw the fettlement under the protedion of the Bri- 
tifh flag, but the governor and the greater number influenced,, 
and perhaps intimidated, by the citizens, liftened to the abfurd- 
propofals of refilling the Englifh force, and, if fuccefsful, as 
they doubted not they would be, of fetting up immediately a 
free and independent republic of their own. They talked of 
the thoufands and ten thoufands of courageous boors, who, on 
the fignal of alarm being given, would flock to the Batavian 
ftandard J fo ignorant were they of the nature and the number 
of their valiant countrymen. The burgher cavalry^ a militia 
of country boors, who were then in the vicinity of the town, 
were immediately called out, and a few hundreds reludantly 
obeyed the fummons. The conduct and the cowardice of this 
undifciplined rabble, whofe martial fpirit had hitherto been tried 
only in their expeditions againfl the native Hottentots, might 
eafily have been forefeen. A few fhot from the America, maa 
of war, fl:riking the rocks of Muifenberg, foon cleared that im- 
portant pafs, and caufcd the regular troops to retreat to Wyn- 
berg, a tongue of land projeding from the eaft fide of the Ta- 
ble 
