Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/151

] is known, that the political views of this people generally act in ubordination to the deire of gain, which governs them, and is often in contradiction with their interets as a nation.

It was then expected that commiaries were to be ent from Europe, in order to put affairs upon a better footing: but uch commiaries have been ent everal times, and the affairs till remained in their former condition.

We laid in a ufficient tock of proviions at the Cape to upply the place of what we had already conumed. It would have been well if as much of our European tock as was bad in its quality had been changed for better. The contractors had deceived us in the quality of the wine which we bought of them. We had paid them double the ordinary price, that we might have it of the bet quality, and uch as would keep for a long time. Part of it, however, was already poiled before we reached the Cape. When we arrived there, it was a matter of the utmot importance to have it changed, and the more o, as we knew we could not do it in the ubequent part of our voyage. We might there have had our choice between the wine of the country and Bourdeaux wine, as a veel at anchor in the road had a cargo of the latter on board. Why it was neglected, I am at a los to compre-