SOUTHERN AFRICA. srj^ 
©n the Mauritius ftation for fome time before the elofe of the 
war. 
It is to be hoped, but by no means certain, that France, with- 
out the lofs of an incalculable number of men, a lofs, indeed, ta 
which flie would pay little regard, will never be able to make 
any impreffion on India but by the affiftance of a fleet ; 
and it will be our own fault if we allow them any fuch fleet in 
the Eaftern Seas ; for if the Cape fhould be in our poflieflSon, fhe 
will find it utterly impracticable to afl'emble, much more to vic- 
tual, any fuch fleet. The want of a fuitable place to refrefh at 
muft render every attempt to cope with us in thofe feas abortive. 
So well were they aware, in the late war, of the futility of any 
expedition from the Ifles of France and Bourbon, without the 
afliftance of the Cape of Good Hope, that they preferred the 
fatal experiment of colonizing Egypt, in the hope, perhaps, of 
proceeding at fome future time by the Red Sea to India. They 
knew that, even if they had fucceeded in getting out to thefe 
iflands a fuflScient number of Ihips and troops, yet without the 
fupplies which they have ufually on fuch occafions drawn 
from the Cape, any fuch expedition muft necelTarily here have 
ended. 
By our holding the Cape, the trade of every other nation to 
India and China may be confidered as entirely at the mercy of 
England, an advantage, however, of which (he is under no 
neceflity of availing herfelf. During the northern confederacy, 
feveral Danes came in to refrefh, although they knew they would 
be taken, or at leaft detained. With refped to the AmericanSj. 
whog. 
