GAPE OF GOOD HOPE. 
41 
I was favoured with a sight of the letter from the Court of Directors, 
in which thev gave directions for the Lord Eldon and Minerva 
to keep company, and assigned for a reason, " that they would 
probably take on board bullion to a considerable amount at St. 
Helena." As I never heard that we had done this, I instantly went 
to Captain Wehden, and was confirmed in my idea; it seemed 
therefore to me., that all objections to our separation were removed. 
I spoke again to the Admiral, who fully concurred with me; but 
said, that it depended only on Mr. Pringle : to him therefore I went, 
and used every argument in my power to persuade him to direct 
us to separate. At length he agreed, that if the two Captains would 
write to him, stating that they had no bullion on board, and that 
they wished to proceed singly, he would give it as his opinion, that 
it was for the good of the service, that they should do so. This was 
accordingly done, and we are quit of the Lord Eldon, which will 
probably make a difference of a fortnight in the time of our arrival 
at Calcutta. 
November 5. — Captain Weltden called in the morning, and said, 
that he was instantly going on board. Mr. Salt and I accompanied him, 
and at five, with a brisk gale, we quitted the Cape of Good Hope. 
Impressed, as I strongly am, with a conviction of its importance, 
as a settlement, to Great Britain, it was with great regret that 1 had 
seen, during my short stay at the Cape, the preparation to deliver 
it back to the Dutch. I have observed with astonishment, the 
systematic plan of the East India Directors to depreciate the value 
of this settlement ; and to the credit which Ministers gave to their 
assertions, I, in a great degree, attribute the facility with which it was 
abandoned at the peace. I sincerely hope that a dear-bought expe- 
