1771* ROUND THE WORLD. 359 



planted with oaks that are dipt into wall-hedges, 

 except in the centre walk, where they are suffered 

 to grow to their full size, and afford an agreeable 

 shade, which is the more welcome, as, except the 

 plantations by the sides of the two canals, there is 

 not a single tree that would serve even for a shep- 

 herd's bush, within many miles of the town. The 

 greater part of this garden is kitchen-ground ; but 

 two small squares are allotted to botanical plants, 

 which did not appear to be so numerous by one half 

 as they were when Oldenland wrote his catalogue. 

 At the farther end of the garden is a menagerie, 

 in which there are many birds and beasts that are 

 never seen in Europe ; particularly a beast called by 

 the Hottentots Coe doe, which is as large as a horse, 

 and has the fine spiral horns which are sometimes 

 seen in private and public collections of curiosities. 



Of the natives of this country, we could learn but 

 little, except from report ; for there were none of 

 their habitations, where alone they retain their origi- 

 nal customs, within less than four days' journey from 

 the town ; those that we saw at the Cape were all 

 servants to Dutch farmers, whose cattle they take 

 care of, and are employed in other drudgery of the 

 meanest kind. These are in general of a slim make, 

 and rather lean than plump, but remarkably strong, 

 nimble, and active. Their size is nearly the same 

 with that of Europeans, and we saw some that were 

 six feet high ; their eyes are dull and without ex- 

 pression ; their skins are of the colour of soot, but 

 that is in a great measure caused by the dirt, which 

 is so wrought into the grain that it cannot be dis- 

 tinguished from complexion ; for I believe they 

 never wash any part of their bodies. Their hair 

 curls strongly, not like a negroe's, but falls in ring- 

 lets about seven or eight inches long. Their cloth- 

 ing consists of a skin, generally that of a sheep, 

 thrown over their shoulders ; besides which, the 

 men wear a small pouch in the middle of the waist, 

 and the women, a broad leather Hap, both which 



A A 4 



