212 
TRAVELS IN 
fwell and wind prevailing from that quarter In the v^rinter fea- 
fon. Captain Blanket, however, in the year 1784, v^'-hen he 
commanded the Nymph floop of war, ran, out of curiofity, 
into Hout Bay, at which the Dutch were exceedingly jealous 
and angry, none of them having ever feen a fhip there be- 
fore. It is now defended with a battery and a block-houfe. 
As to Simon's Bay, which lies on the eaftern fide of the pe- 
ninfula, in the great bay of Falfe, and is the ufual refort of 
ihipping for five months in the year, it fhould feem the Dutch 
had no Idea of their colony being attacked from that quarter, as 
the ftrong ground at Muifenberg was entirely unoccupied be- 
fore the Britifti expedition appeared in the bay ; and all the 
works and batteries there were conftrudled between the lime 
of its arrival and the day the troops marched to attack it. 
For the defence of the various works upon the Cape penln- 
fula, all of which I have juft enumerated, a garrlfon of five 
thoufand men has been confidered, by all who are acquainted 
with the place, as the very leaft force that would be required ; 
and, confequently, no part of It could, with propriety, be de- 
tached into the interior, without expofing the garrlfon to dan- 
ger. The colony. Indeed, is fo extenfive, having an unproteAed 
coaft of 580 miles from Cape Point to the Kaffer country on the 
eaft, and of 315 miles from Cape Point to the River Kouflie 
on the north, that an army of ten thoufand men would fcarcely 
be fulficient to keep out an enemy, if he were determined to 
effett a landing. A large force, however, landed at any great 
diftance from the Cape, could not pofTibly be fubfifted. At 
'I MolTcl 
