SOUTHERN AFRICA. 169 
The Cape of Good Hope is the only military ftatlon that we 
liave poflefled of late years, where government was enabled to 
make a faving by feeding the foidier. What I mean by this 
i?, where the r?.tion, or fettled proportion of vlduals, could be 
furni filed for a fum of money lefs than that which is flopped 
out of his pay in confideration of it. In other parts of the 
globe, government is a very confiderable lofer by feeding the 
foidier; that is to fay, his ration muft be purchafed for a fum 
of money more than, that v/hlch is deducted from his pay. The 
government confents to this lofs for the accommodation of the 
foidier, who, on moft 'ftations, could not poiTibly fubfift on his 
pay, on account of the dearnefs of provifions. At the Cape 
of Good Hope each ration coft the government fomething lefs 
than fixpence, which was the amount of the floppage dedudted 
in lieu of it. At home, and in different parts abroad, as I have 
been informed, the ration ftands the government in different 
f;ims from tenpence to half-a-crown^ 
At the Cape of Good Hope, fome twenty years ago, two 
pound of butchers' meat cofl; one penny ; at the capture by the 
Englifh the price had advanced to one pound for twopence ; 
yet, notwithftanding the increafed demand, occafioned by the 
addition of five thoufand troops and n^ar three thoufand fea- 
men, frequently more than this number, with all the various 
attempts and combinations that were pradifed (and, on a certain 
occafion in the year 1800, very unwifely countenanced by 
high authority,) to raife the price of this article, the contrail 
for fupplying the garrifon was never higher than at the rate of 
two and five-eights pounds for fixpence. Two pounds of good 
VOL. II. z whol»^ 
