202 TRAVELS IN 
voyage. And few of these are unwilling to engage as trans« 
ports. 
It appears from the books of the Custom-house, and the re- 
turns of the Captain of the port, that there sailed from the 
Cape 
In 1799 - 103 ships 
1800 - 109 ditto 
1801 - 130 ditto 
1802 - 131 ditto 
being, in four years, 473 ships, 
besides the men of war and coasting vessels. Of these 82 
were Americans, 66 Danes, 24 Portugueze, 15 from Ham- 
burgh, and 6 Swedes, 4 from Prussia and Bremen, and the 
rest English. 
The Americans, for some years past, have been establishing 
a very considerable carrying trade from the eastward on the 
ruins of the Dutch commerce, and have acquired no small 
portion of the India and China commerce. The ships of this 
nation have always found it convenient to touch at the Cape, 
partly for the sake of refreshing their crews, but with a view, 
at the same time, of disposing of the whole or any part of 
their cargo to advantage. This cargo is generally lumber, or 
it is composed of what they quaintly term iiotiojis, from the 
great variety and assortment of goods which they take a fancy, 
or notion, may succeed. In payment of such a cargo they are 
glad to get bills on India for hard money, which they carry 
to China to purchase teas, nankeens, and porcelain. From 
