SOUTHERN AFRICA. 271 
very materially checked the re-exportation of India and China 
goods from England to our own iflands in the Atlantic. 
It is obvious, then, that the Americans, by trading direct to 
India and China, can afford to underfell the Englifh Weft India 
merchants in our ov/n iflands, notwithftanding the drawbacks 
allowed on export from Leadenhall-ftreet ; and, confequently, 
that they may find their advantage in being allowed to difpofe 
of the whole or part of their cargoes at the Cape of Good Hope ; 
to the prejudice of the Britifh Eaft India Company and the en- 
couragement of Englifli fmugglers, of which, indeed, the direc- 
tors were not without their apprehenfions, even whilft the Cape 
remained in our hands as a dependency of the crown. 
And if the Americans can contrive to make this a beneficial 
commerce, under all the difadvantages of working up a capital 
to trade with in the courfe of a long protraded voyage, how 
much more fo will fhips, under neutral flags and Englifli ca- 
pitals, carry on a lucrative trade to and from the fouthern em- 
porium of Africa ; more injurious, in proportion as they are 
more adive, than the fhips adually employed by foreign 
merchants? 
Here, then, is another cogent reafon that, one might fuppofe, 
would have had fome influence on the minds of the diredors, 
and have operated fo far, at leaft, as to have compelled them to 
flate to Government the danger to their concerns of relinquilh- 
ing the Cape ; whereas the indifference they thought fit to af- 
I fume, 
