SOUTHERN AFRICA. 135 
be led to conclude that a friendly port muft always be held as a 
valuable acquifition to all who are concerned in fuch affairs ; 
and more efpecially to the Eaft India Company, whofe concerns 
are of fuch vaft magnitude. The number of fhips that meet 
with ftrefs of weather, and fuffer from the tremendous ftorms 
that are frequent in the winter feafon, on L'Aguillas bank, 
mull always ftamp a value on the Capcj and make its ports and 
bays particularly defirable on the homeward-bound voyage. 
That inftances of diftrefs do happen, and not unfrequently, 
in fituatlons where the only hope of fafety can be placed on the 
Cape, or in fome of its bays, might be proved in a number of 
cafes that happened while it remained in the hands of Great 
Britain j but I will content myfelf with mentioning one fingle 
inftance. The Countefs of Sutherland Indiaman experienced a 
moft violent gale of wind between Madagafcar and the coaft of 
Africa, in which, after lofmg all her mafts, fhe became a wreck 
at the mercy of the winds and waves for feveral days; and, at 
length, was momentarily expeded to fmk, when, on the wea- 
ther clearing up, they defcried the land of Africa to the fouth- 
ward of the fpot where the Grofvenor was loft ; and being now 
in the ftream of the current, they contrived to fetch into Kromrae 
River's Bay, a fmall Cove in Camtoos, or Saint Francis, or Con- 
tent Bay, for it has a variety of names. 
Having here procured a fupply of water and other refrefh- 
ments, and rigged up a kind of jury mafts, fhe endeavoured to 
proceed to Simon's Bay for the purpofe of undergoing a more 
thorough repah- j but, unfortunately, fhe met with a fecond gale 
H H 2 of 
