SOUTHERN AFRICA. 275 
And, laftly, to confider the important advantages that might 
be derived from it, as a central depot for the Southern Whale 
Fifhery. 
It is a point of too intricate and nice a nature for me to de- 
cide, how far it might be advifeable for Great Britain to efta- 
blifh at the Gape an entrepot for Indian produce, in the hands, 
and under the diredion, of the Eaft India Company, and fhall, 
therefore, content myfelf with barely fuggefting fome of 
the probable confequences that might refult from fuch a 
meafure. 
The grand objedion againft making the Cape an emporium 
between Europe and the Eaft Indies, and between the Weft 
Indies, America, and Afia, is the prejudice it wouLd neceffarily 
occafion to the fales of Leadenhall-ftreet, and the confequent 
diminution of his Majefty's cuftoms ; for, though the Eaft India 
Company might be made refponfible to the crown for the du- 
ties on the amount of its fales at the Cape, yet the intention of 
the emporium would entirely be defeated, if the duties demanded 
there fo far enhanced the value of the Indian commodities, as 
to make it equally eligible for foreign {hipping to proceed to 
India, or to refort to the London market. And if thefe duties 
were reduced, it would obvioufly be attended with a lofs to the 
revenues of the crown ; unlefs, indeed, the augmentation of 
the fales, in confequence of the meafure, fhould be found to be 
adequate to the redudion of the duties. 
N N 2 
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