SOUTHERN AFRICA. 147 
hie Mountain, and about eight miles from Cape Town t the 
Hottentot corps ftill loitered about the rocks, and did fome mif- 
chief, but being fpeedily diflodged, fell back alfo upon 
Wynberg ; but the brave burgher cavalry fcampered away to 
their refpedive homes without once flopping to look behind 
them. 
The Britifh troops, led on by General Sir James Craig, under 
the orders of Sir Alured Clarke, marched to attack the enemy 
on their elevated poll ; and by the affiftance of the failors, hav- 
ing brought his guns and artillery to bear upon them, a few 
fliot caufed them to retreat within their lines. The Englifh 
encamped on the fpot from which they had diflodged the 
enemy ; who, finding it vain longer to oppofe a feeble refiftance, 
fent, in the middle of the night, a flag of truce to propofe a ca- 
pitulation, which was acceded to ; and the next day concluded 
between the two parties. Moft of the members of the govern- 
ment that were well difpofed to the Prince of Orange, and had 
conducted themfelves with propriety, were continued in office ; 
and thus the plans of the Jacobin party were, for the prefent, 
completely defeated. 
When the news of this event firfl: reached England, the ac- 
quifition of fo valuable a fettlement was confidered of the utmoft 
importance to the Britifh empire, and particularly to the Eaft 
India Company, as being a barrier and grand out-work to their 
vaft poffeffions in India. So forcibly was the public imprefled 
with an opinion of the great advantages that might be derived 
to the nation at large from the pofleffion of the Cape, that th^ 
u 2 queftloa 
