The Sun.
London, England, 1804-11-08 00:00:00

THE CAPE OF COOL) nom.

•
THE Direants of the F,:st InSia hive
thought *pit to give a, Rally to the Charges eon.
tained in the Resolutions of the Mcrchants,.respett.:-.
ing the captUre Of the Althea. How far their ex,
planation may have- beerti,atisftE.tory to_the Parties
. concerned we do not pretend to say, but we have
• just cast our eyes over a Charge preferred against .
them, which, in our opinion; is of a much more
terious natures and for which, if well founded, they
are deserving of the most severe censure. The
Charge we allude-to; fapfseprs in the Seaond VoluMe
of Barrow's Travels in .outhera' Africa, where
they are accused of bring the almoSt immediate
cause that the Cape of
.Good Hope was given up to
the Enemy, from whence, not only the late Captaratr
have been owing, but many others-may be expe(ted
to follow. et It is very certain," observes this
Writer, " that the Dire tors of the 'East India
Company did not only assume an affetled indiffer.
ence with regard to this Settlement, but endeavOur.
ed to discourage the detention of it in the strongest
term§ they possibly could hive thought of, by shew.
ing. and proving to the world, as they imagined
they tad done, that the piasession of the Cape was
of no use whosoever to their Commerce; or their
loncerns its India."
Mr. tkitioiv then shews the impossibility of this

conduEt, demonstrating in what manner the Cape is '
essentially connected with their' interests, both as
Trading ilodY, and as the Sovereigns of an im-
mcnse TettitOry ; and its remarkable ennugh,.. lie
should point out, that the salvation of a very lya:'
.juable
.Ship, the Couuttss of Sittherlaude. was 'en-
,direly owing to the Cape of Good, Hype hei.ng
• 7s)tir possession ; which Ship, the very: next voyage,
•-• ititer..the Cape had hien* surrendered but a few
~A..-1)1.06110, was captured and carried, into the Isle of
'Freriee. Mr. Bmtkow observes, that the Cargo
of this Ship alone wls equivalent to the mairite-
Atrabli4 of Garrison of•thet44 for a t welvemonth.
t et rhia'Settletnent wis surrendered on the *plea of
he value, el the Countess of Sutherland
300,0001., and
..or 'she it/thea at
'403t0001. ; these, with the Admiral, Aplin• and
the Prizes taken 'by at least to a
141Yrillion Sterlingl a sum exceeding. the whole
01,,the ,Fosses :we sustained in the Eastern Seas by
. th.el,lliteriiy "during ihe .wilnle seven years we kept
,Wise stint tat the Cape, *vr'Sich is, in,.fati, , the key
to the Indian Ocean. The 'French are sufficiently
aware of the facility 'with which they can now pe.
lleirAie This Ocean of Wealth, .Which is already
,a.warmink c;f War 'and Privateers. Att.
-,srices have been received at Lloyd's, that three
-..;„very strong
..Ptivatcers have sailed thither
~from
,Rourileitux. . These, with the. Sittladrons of !Artois
and .HART.INCK, canniii fail to do. !is prodigious
.;mischiel, it it be only in picking tip the straggling
Cittritry and Extra Ships, to which., as appear by
fkaA4sAlr'3 AnsWcr, the East India Company do
":11(WcOosidet themselves bound to give ConVoy and
rf,:teftion.
Vv e wish, sincerely, that Mr. BAItRow may prove
n false •Prophet but there are some predietions in
Lott that we arc extremely apprehensive will
but too Soon ice ‘erified," and which ‘delierve the
most 3erious attention of the East India Cornpany,
Whose interests are, in -fact, so intitnkely Conneded
with tlinie of the PubliC, that we should hope., and
are willing to believe, oolittle jealousy or' piqUe
(~und to bias any of those meastires in which
the National Welfare is concerned.

1~ I'~Y