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TRAVELS IN 
queftion was immediately flarted and difcufled among perfons 
entrufted with the management of the firft political and com- 
mercial interefts of the empire, under what tenure it fhould be 
held. Whether the Cape ought to be confidered as a foreign 
dependency of the crown, and fubjedl to the fame regulations 
as all the other colonies are ; or, annexed to the pofTeffions un- 
der the adminiftration of the Eaft India Company ? Thofe who 
held the latter opinion quoted the charter granted by Queen 
Elizabeth, by which the Company are allowed the privilege of 
a free and fole trade into the countries of Afia, Africa, and 
America, or any of them beyond the Cape of Buona Efperanza, 
to the Streights of Magellan. Thofe, who were inclined to 
think that the charters of the Eaft India Company gave them 
no claim to the Cape, brought forward the charter they received 
from Charles the Second, in which no mention whatever is mado 
of Africa. 
While thefe queftions were in agitation, two general plans 
floated in the mind of Mr. Dundas (now Lord Melville) ; botk 
of which were fo conceived as to combine the interefts of ther 
public with thofe of the Eaft India Company. One of thefe 
plans fuppofed the Cape to be a foreign dependency of the 
crown, and included fuch provifions and regulations as were 
compatible with the interefts and the chartered privileges of the 
Eaft India Company : the other invefted the territorial pofleflion 
in the Eaft India Company, but propofed fuch regulations as 
were calculated to promote the general commercial profperity 
of the Britifh empire. And, in the mean time, until one or 
other of thefe plans fliould be adopted, the fettlement was to 
be 
