TRAVELS IN 
government for fivepence-lialfpenny in paper currency, the 
real colt was little more than fourpence-haUpenny, 
The amount of bills drawn for the contingent and extraor- 
dinary expences of the army, from the lil of Odober 1795, 
when the colony was taken, to the 28th of July 1802, the- 
time it fhould have been evacuated, as appea-rs from the Deputy: 
Paymafter's books, is 1,045,814/. 14/. \d. upon part of which 
(for part was drawn at par for fpecie) the profit derived to hig 
Majefty's government amounts to the fum of 1 1 5,719 /. 3 s. \d» 
Another fource of profit, which might have been very con^^ 
fiderable, was derived from the importation of fpeeie. The 
fubfiftence of the foldiers, it may be obferved, was always paid 
in hard money, and not in paper currency. The Spanifh dollar 
was iffued in payment to the troops at the rate of five fhillings 
fterling, which I imagine might have been purchafed and fent 
out at four {hillings and fourpence each, making thus a profit 
of more than fifteen per cent, on the pay, as well as on the 
extraordinaries, of the army. The fum that was thus imported, 
amounted to 103,426/. 18 j-. 3<a^. Upon which, fuppofing the 
whole fent out by government, which I underftand was not 
cxadly the cafe, though nearly fo, the profits muft have been 
15,514/. at home, befide&an additional profit of 710/. 13/. "^di 
arifing from a fmall quantity of fpecie bought in the Cape. 
The government alfo fent out about four thoufand pounds of 
copper money, in penny' pieces, which were circulated at two^ 
pence, from which there was confequently another profit de- 
rived of 4000 A 
3 Short])' 
