Voyage to the Cape of the New Settlers. 



318 



and tfien broken by (lememlous peals 

 of thunder or the roaring of some wild 

 beast, — the rain fell in torrents, every 

 thiu£r conspired to make our situation 

 most deplorably miserable, and al- 

 tliough several of the waggons upset, 

 fortunately no accident happened. Af- 

 ter crossing this stream Me arrived at 

 onr destined place of location at seven 

 o'clock, tliough it was some time before 

 we could bs persuaded to believe that 

 this was actually considered the most 

 eligible spot for the pui-pose. We were, 

 Lowever, given to understand, that we 

 had better" make the best of a bad bar- 

 gain, and proceed immediately to unload 

 the waggons ; but to give some descrip- 

 tion of it, onr town allotments, which 

 it was found could contain but two 

 acres instead of six, as originally in- 

 tended, were to be measured along the 

 side of a tremendous mountain, com- 

 posed of huge masses of rock and sand- 

 stone, at the bottom of which rises a 

 small stream, the water of which is 

 certainly good, though not in any 

 great abundance ; on the opposite side 

 is a large wood, from wliich we are 

 plentifully supplied with that material. 



It was found that this place would 

 not admit of all being located on the 

 same spot, so that more than one half 

 of the party were to have allotments in 

 another part, which being left to our 

 own choice, was certainly the most pre- 

 ferable alternative of the two. Our 

 head (with whom we had not been for 

 some time on the most amicable terms) 

 with a select party of his own, taking 

 iheir land at about two miles distant, 

 after having bestowed on our town the 

 name of SnlmagHudy^ but this has since 

 been altered to Cuyler Ville in honour 

 of Col. Cuyler, to whom we are under 

 many obligations. 



The waggons being unladen on each 

 individual's allotment, we were left 

 to the pleasures of anticipation, which 

 at this period were certainly not of the 

 most giatifying nature ; nothing was 

 for a time thought of but the best 

 means of returning, and though every 

 obstacle was laid in the way of those 

 who endeavoured so to do, some did 

 succeed ; however, the longer we re- 

 mained in the place the more we be- 

 came reconciled to it, and in the course 

 of a month things began to wear a bet- 

 ter appearance ; as soon as the weather 

 would permit, we most of us began 

 to erect some sort of a shelter against 

 the winter season, which was now fast 

 approaching. We have several modes 

 of building among us, but the most 



IMay 1, 



common, most expeditious, and most 

 serviceable way is, in the first place, to 

 cut about twelve good posts (according 

 to the size you iutendto build) of about 

 eight inches in diameter, and about 

 ten feet long, with two longer ones for 

 the gable ends, these we let into the 

 ground about three feet, and at a con- 

 venient distance from each other; we 

 next procure three longer ones and not 

 quite so thick, for the plates ; the roof 

 is then prepared in the same way as a 

 house iu England would be to thatch, 

 we then procure a sufficient quantity 

 of small sticks of about ly inch in 

 diameter and four feet long, and wattle 

 all round between each two posts, al- 

 ternately one in and the other out ; 

 this done we dig till we come to some 

 good clay, which is by no means scarce, 

 and with this we mix an equal quantity 

 of cow-dung, we then plaster it inside 

 and out several times, and this, with a 

 good thatch of rushes that gi-ow in great 

 abundance, form the houses of most of 

 the settlements; some have endea- 

 voured to build with stone, others with 

 turf, hut no way answers by any means- 

 so well as the way I have described. 

 Few of the settlers are without some 

 sort of a house, and many of them are 

 particularly neat with inclosures, laid 

 out in a very tasty manner. Their cat- 

 tle-krales (pens) for the sake of se- 

 curity, they generally contrive to have 

 pretty near the houses. We are at pre- 

 sent receiving rations from govern- 

 ment, consisting of (per day) l|lb. of 

 mutton or beef, lib. for women, and 

 |lb. for children, with lib. of bread a 

 man, fib. for a woman, and Jib. for a 

 child ; three rations are drawn monthly 

 by the head of the party in live stock, 

 (which is killed as occasion may re- 

 quire,) from a settlement called Ba- 

 tliurst;* this being considered the most 

 centrical spot, was judiciously consi- 

 dered the best calculated to issue them 

 from. 



Hereit is that justice is administered, 

 and all business is transacted connect- 

 ed with the district. Among the ar- 

 ticles that are issued from the govern- 

 ment store for the use of the settlers 

 are ploughs, harrow- tines, spades, forks, 

 pickaxes, mattocks, hoes, rakes, sho- 

 vels, saws, hammers, nails, gimblets, 



♦ Batburst is about seven miles from the 

 mouth on tlie N. E. bank of the Sea Cow 

 River in the midst of the Grot Bos or Great 

 Bush ; it is situated in a most beautiful 

 country, and bids fair to be a place of some 

 importance. 



reap-hooks, 



