SOUTHERN AFRICA. 31, 
the capital of flaves imported was augmented nearly to the 
amount of 180,000/. 
It appears, then, that fiye-fixths of the trade of the Cape of 
Good Hope has been occafioned by the confumption of the gar- 
rifon and the navy. And, confequently, that unlefs a very 
confiderable gaiTifon be conftantly ftaiioned there, or fome other 
channel be opened for the export of their produce, the colonifts, 
by having increafed their capitals in the days of profperity, and 
efpecially of flaves, which is a confuming capital, will rapidly 
fink into a ftate of poverty much greater than they were at the 
capture of the colony. The prefent garrifon are only about one- 
third of the garrifon and navy kept there by Great Britain j 
and they will, moft affuredly, notconfume one- fifth of the quan- 
tity of colonial produce and imports ; fo that fome new vent 
muft be dlfcovered for the remaining four-fifths, or the colony 
will be impoverifhed. What then muft be the condition of this 
place if the garrifon, fmall as it is, fliould be fupported at the 
expence of the inhabitants ? It muft, obvioufly, very fpeedily 
confume itfelf, and the majority of the inhabitants v^-ill be re- 
duced to the neceffity of clothing themfelves with fheep-flvins. 
It is, therefore, the intereft of the colonifts that the Cape iliould 
remain in the hands of the Englifti ; the truth of which, indeed, 
they felt and loudly expreffed, before the Dutch flag had been 
flying two months. A total ftagnation to all trade immediately 
followed the furrender of the place. The merchant of the town 
v/as clogged with a heavy capital of foreign goods, for which 
there was no vent ; and the farmer had little demands for liis 
produce. Every one was defirous to fell, and, of courfe, there 
v/ere 
