17? TRAVELS IN 
have a choice of their own. In his letter to Mr. Dundas, 
dated October 1797? he observes, " The power and influence 
" of Holland appear to me so irretrievable, that it is inipos- 
" sible she can ever again hold an independent possession of 
" the Cape. Indeed, before the war, she was neither rich 
" enough to maintain its establishments, nor strong enough 
" to govern its people, and, I believe, had it not been for our 
" conquest of the country, it would soon have attempted to 
" become independent. As Holland is hkelj to be in future 
" less powerful at home, and consequently less respectable 
*' abroad, and as the Cape would be a burthen to her, not 
" easy to bear, it would not be against her interest to leave it 
" in our hands, for in such case she might derive, without any 
" expence, all the advantages of its original intention, which 
** was that of a place of refreshment for her commerce to 
" the eastward ; and there are other circumstances which, 
" were she now in a situation dispassionately to consider, I 
" have reason to imagine, would lead her to adopt this sen- 
*' timent. The French (who, to speak of them in the lan- 
" guage of truth and experience, and not in the jargon of 
*' pretended Cosmopolites, are, and ever must be, our natural 
" enemies) can only wish to have the Cape either in their 
" own hands, or in those of a weak power, that they may use 
" it as an instrument towards our destruction ; as a channel 
" for pouring through it an irresistible deluge upon our 
" Indian possessions to the southward of the Guadavery. Of 
" this I am so perfectly convinced, that if it shall be found 
** impracticable for us to retain the sovereignty of the Cape, 
" and the French are to become the masters of it, either 
fer mit per allwri, then we must totally alter our present 
