SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
til 
tclligent officer who has been on duty at the Cape, not only 
among the Englifh, but alfo among the French, Dutch, and 
German officers now ferving there. 
Near the narrowed part of the peninfula, on the weftern 
fhore, are two contiguous bays called Hout or Wood Bay, and 
Chapman's Bay ; the latter communicating, by a defile of the 
mountains, about 2700 yards in length, with Vis or Fifh Bay 
clofe to Simon's Bay j and the former, by another defile, with 
the great road leading from Cape Town to Simon's Bay. There 
appears to be no inftance on record of any fhip going into 
Chapman's Bay, it being completely expofed to all the prevailing 
winds that blow ai the Cape, and, in confequence, feldom free 
from a heavy fwell of the fea. Were it, indeed, ever fo fecure 
and convenient for landing troops, all the advantages it holds 
out would be obtained by a landing at Simon's Bay. This is 
not the cafe, were an enemy to effed: a landing at Hout Bay to 
the northward of it ; as, from this place, they would be enabled 
to make their approach to the lines, leaving Muifenberg, which, 
on a former occafion, I have called the Thermopylae of the Cape 
peninfula, in their rear. 
Hout Bay affi^rds fafe and convenient anchorage for eight or 
ten (hips ; and has a rivulet of frefh water falling into it from 
the back part of Table Mountain ; but the getting out of the 
bay is fuppofed to be very difficult and precarious, on account 
of the eddy winds from the furrounding mountains when they 
are moderate in the Offing, or from the fouth-eafterly winds 
fttting into the entrance ; as well as from the conftant wefterly 
E E 2 fwell 
