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SOUTHERN AFRICA. 179 
The point of view, in which the importance of the Gape 
next prefents itfelf to our confideration, is its local pofition, as 
being favourable for diftributing troops to any part of the globe, 
and efpecially to our fettlements in the eaft, with facility and 
difpatch ; which is by no means the leaft among the advantages 
it polTefles as a military ftation. For however important to a 
depot of troops the benefits may be that refult from a healthy 
climate, and cheapnefs of fubfiftence, their value would be 
materially diminiflied by great diftance from, or difficulty 
of conveyance to, fuch places where their fervices may be 
wanted. 
The longer the voyage the lefs effedive will the troops be 
on their arrival, and delay is dangerous even to a proverb. 
Perhaps it is not faying too much, that we are indebted to the 
Cape for the conqueft of Myfore and the overthrow of Tippoo ; 
not merely from the reinforcements fent from thence to join the 
Indian army, though they eminently contributed to the con- 
queft of Seringapatam, but from the vigilance of Lord Ma- 
cartney in deteding the tranfadtions of the Sultaun's agents at 
the Ifle of France, of which, at that time, they were ignorant in 
India, and the adtive meafures he took to communicate fpeedy 
intelligence thereof to the Governor-General of Bengal. " I re- 
** ceived," the Marquis of Wellefley obferves, in his difpatch to 
the Court of Diredors, " on the 18th of June 1798, a regular 
** authentication of the proclamation (of the Governor of the 
Ifle of France) in a letter from his Excellency the Earl of 
Macartney, dated the 28th of March.'* And he- aded, on 
A A 2 this 
