43 



gress to or from Capetown, halted at the road-side, and its 

 team of oxen browsing amongst the shrubs. In their inter- 

 course with the capital, the boors are under the necessity of 

 arranging their affairs so as to remain there only a few hours, 

 or, at least, to send off their waggons, the sterility of its imme- 

 diate environs rendering it impossible to find subsistence for 

 their cattle there for a single night. 



" From Brinksfarm, the road winds round the base of the 

 mountain of Stellenbosch, and commands a fine view of the 

 whole Cape Peninsula and the adjacent bays. Several neat 

 plantations are scattered over each side of the road, as far as 

 Hottentot-Holland Kloof. As we rode along, it was not 

 without interest we remarked the country people actively 

 employed in their various occupations ; some collecting the 

 juicy produce of the vineyard ; some cutting down the corn, 

 conveying it home in waggon-loads, piling it up in huge 

 stacks, or guiding the horses, which were trotting over it, to 

 disengage the grain from the straw. To these succeeded 

 another set, who, availing themselves of a favourable breeze, 

 tossed the broken corn up in the air with long wooden forks, 

 to separate the grain from its impurities. This animated 

 scene, on which we dwelt with delight, formed a striking con- 

 trast to the early part of our day's journey. 



" There is an inn at the bottom of the Kloof, where we 

 tarried the whole of the next day, to get some repairs done to 

 our travelling cart. On the morning of the 5th, we pursued 

 our journey ; and, after passing through a turnpike-gate, the 

 only one in the Colony, at which half a Rix-doUar is levied on 

 every waggon, we ascended the Kloof. The pass is rugged and 

 abrupt, but might be made comparatively easy by a moderate 

 share of labour, judiciously exerted : and if the public wel- 

 fare had any influence over those who administer the affairs 

 of the Colony, they would employ a part of the garrison in 

 works of this kind ; instead of letting soldiers out to work in 

 detail, to such individuals as have sufficient interest to pro- 

 cure them for their private use. 



" The South-East wind blew in impetuous gusts as we 

 ascended the Kloof; but from the time we gained the summit 



