SOUTHERN AFRICA. ijr 
of the laft twenty years, with regard to the value of the 
Cape of Good Hope: many have occurred to enhance its im- 
portance. 
That they did confider it of the utraoft confequence, towards 
the end of the American war, their own conduct will fuffi- 
ciently teftify. The moment that a Dutch war was found to be 
inevitable, towards the clofe of the year 1780, Lord North, 
whofe fentiments on this point were in perfe(ft agreement with 
thofe of the directors, loft no time in communicating to the 
feeret committee of the Eaft India Company the information of 
it ; in order, that they might take or fuggeft fuch meafures, 
without delay, as the event might render moft conducive to 
their interefts. The chairman and deputy chairman, who, if I 
miftake not, at that time, were Mr. Devaynes and Mr. Sullivan, 
loft not a moment in confulting with fuch of their officers as 
happened to be then in London, and were fuppofed to be qua- 
lified to give good information. The refult of which was, that 
the firft and only meafure propofed for the advantage of the 
Eaft India Company's concerns was, in the event of a Dutch 
war, that an expedition ftiould inftantly be fent out to take pof- 
feffion of the Cape of Good Hope ; a propofal that met the 
concurrence of the minifter, and of which, the refult was the 
fquadron difpatched under the command of Commodore John- 
fton, who carried under his convoy their outward-bound fleet; 
fought an indeeifive battle with Suffrein in Porta Praya Bay,, 
which enabled the French to reach the Cape of Good Hope, 
and to place it in fuch a ftate of fecurity that the Commodore 
did not think it prudent to make the attack, but contented him- 
feif 
