SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
The moderate expence at which a fleet can here be mahi- 
tained is, likewife, an advantage not to be overlooked. The 
failor may be fubfifted equally cheap with the foldier. It has 
been calculated, after making the ufual allowances for wafte, 
damage, and interefl: of money, on fhips provifions fent out 
from England, to fay nothing of the premium received on bills 
given in exchange for paper currency, that the failor at the 
Cape can be furnifhed with his ration of frefh beef or mutton, 
bifcuit, and wine, at one-fourth part of the rate which the fame 
ratix)n cofts the government in fait provifions and bifcuit fent out 
from England. A pint of wine, as I have already ftated, cofts 
no more than threepence, and might be reduced to half that 
price by abolifliing the monopoly ; and the Cape brandy, though 
at prefent bad, on account of the defedive manner of diftilla- 
tlon, and the improper ingredients employed, may be had at a 
much cheaper rate than Weft India rum, and v/ould, in a little 
time, under the encouragement of the Britifh Government, 
have been made in its quality equally good of its kind, 
I am not provided with fufficient documents to give the an- 
nual expenditure of the fquadron that was ftationed at the Cape ; 
but I am convinced it muft have been much more moderate, 
in the articles of fre(h meat, bifcuit, and wine, than for the 
fame number of fhips and men, on any other ilation whatfo- 
ever. In the year 1797 the fquadron confumed 1,085,266 
pounds of frefh meat, and 1,167,995 pounds of bifcuit, or about 
3000 pounds of each a day; befides 184,358 pounds of foft 
bread, 217,813 pounds of flour, and 1066 bufhels of wheat ; it 
confumed, moreover, 1,226,738 pints of wine, and 244,904 
VOL. II. I I pints 
