SOUTHERN AFRICA. 153 
by the enormous expence it occafioned, that Mr. Dundas was 
induced, in the conliderations on the treaty between Great Bri- 
tain and Holland, tranlmltted to the BritiOi ambaflador at the 
Hague in 17B7, to propofe to them the ceflions of certain fta- 
tions in India, which were to them of little weight, either in a 
political or commercial point of view. The reafoning employed 
on this occafion was, " That the Gape was invaluable in the 
" hands of a maritime power, being really and truly the key 
" to India, which no hoilile fleet could pafs or re-pafs, as the 
" length of the previous voyage, either from India or Europe, 
*' muft have difabled fuch a fleet, in a certain degree, before it 
could reach the Cape — that it was the interell of Holland 
" itfelf that the Cape and Trincomalee fhould belong to Great 
" Britain ; becaufe Holland muft either be the ally of Britain or 
" of France in India; and becaufe Great Britain only can be 
" an ufeful ally of Holland in the eaft — that the Dutch were not 
" able to proted: their fettlements in that quarter, and Britain 
" fully competent to their protection — that the Cape and Trin- 
*' comale'e were not commercial eftablifliments, and that the 
" maintenance of them was burthenfome and expenfive to the 
" Dutch — but that the force required to protect the Britifh 
" Indian poflTeffions, would render the defence of the Dutch fet- 
" tlements much lefs fo to Britain." 
The Earl of Macartney was not lefs convinced of the po- 
licy, nor lefs perfuaded of the readlnefs of the Dutch, to leave 
the Cape in our hands, provided they were allowed to have a 
choice of their own. In his letter to Mr. Dundas, dated Oc- 
VOL. II. X tober 
