SOUTHERN AFRICA. 155 
" meafures as will fhut them out of India entirely, and render 
" the poneffion of the Cape and of the Ifles of France and Bour- 
" bon of as little ufe to them as poffible." 
Whatever might have been the feelings of the Dutch with 
regard to the Cape, under the old government, I am authorized 
to fay that Holland never did expert, and fcarcely wlfhed for, 
the Teftoration of this colony at a peace ; well knowing that 
they would be allov.^ed from the Eiiglifli to enjoy the advantages 
of refrefhing and provifioning their fhips, without the expence 
of keeping it. They would have been glad even to have de- 
clared it a free port ^ under any flag except their own. But the 
only power that Holland polTelTed, in framing the treaty of 
peace, was a mere name ; and all the territories that were nomi- 
nally reftored to the Batavian Republic were virtually given 
up to France. 
I have ftated thus much with regard to the opinions that have 
hitherto been held of the importance of the Cape of Good Hope 
to the Britifh trade and fettlements in India, at a time when we 
were made to feel the inconvenience of its being in the poiTef- 
fion of an enemy, or even of a neutral power, becaufe a very 
fenfible change of opinion appeal's to have taken place fi"om the 
very moment it hecame a dependency on the Britifli crown, 
For it is very certain that the directors of the Eaft India Com- 
pany did not only affume an afFe<9;ed indifference, with regard 
to this fettlement, but endeavoured to difcourage the retention 
of it in the ftrongeft terms they poffibly could have thought of, 
by fhewing and proving to the world, as they imagined they 
X 2 had 
