s6o TRAVELS IN 
fide of a quay ; and it terminates to the northward in a fine 
fmooth fandy beach, where boats may always land with fafety. 
The pofition of Marcus Ifland, in the entrance, a folid block of 
granite, is peculiarly happy for protecting the bay, to which a 
battery ere6:ed upon it and mounted with heavy cannon would 
be fully competent. The different points alfo jutting into the 
bay are well calculated to provide for its defence. 
The fituation of Saldanha Bay is much more convenient than 
that of the peninfula for receiving the fupplies afforded by the 
country. The deep fandy ifthmus, whofe heavy roads have 
been the deftrudion of multitudes of cattle, would be entirely 
avoided ; and its diftance from the corn diftrids, which is the 
moft material article of confumption, is much lefs than that 
of the Cape. Its fituation, with regard to all the northern 
parts of the colony, is much more convenient than Cape 
Town ; and equally fo for thofe who inhabit the diftant dif- 
trid of Graaf Reynet, and who ufually pafs over the Roode 
Sand Kloof 
It may be afked, then, how it has happened, at the firft 
foundation of the fettlement, that the preference was given to 
Table Bay, which polfelfes not a fingle convenience for {hip- 
ping ; and is, at the beft, no better than an open and dangerous 
road ? The anfwer has already been given in the laft chap- 
ter, where it was obferved, that the clear and copious ftream of 
water rufhing out of the Table Mountain, had determined the 
fite of the Town. Unfortunately, no fuch ftream of water falls 
into 
