2 
Noah’s, Ark rock, on with the extremes 
of the point, south-east and by east, 
Roman, rocks, east one quarter south, 
the easternmost point north-east, and the 
jetty at the dock-yard west three-quar- 
ters south, 
Sunday, 9th. — At half-past twelve, 
a.M., heard the report of a gun, as from 
a ship in distress; burned blue lights and 
fired rockets. Atday-light, saw a ship on 
shore, at the bottom of False Bay, with 
ensign downwards: sent our own and 
the dock-yard boats to her assistance. 
She proved to be the Lady Nugent, 
from Calcutta and Madras, bound to 
Gibraltar and London: our people em- 
ployed endeavouring to get her off. On 
the 15th, sailed the Hope, for England, 
and arrived the Lady Campbell, free 
trader, from Madras, bound to London. 
16th May.— After much toil and diffi- 
culty towed the Lady Nugent to the 
proper anchorage, having with the great- 
est exertions of the officers and men, 
saved her from being totally wrecked, 
it being the middle of the winter, and 
plowing very hard, with heavy squalls, 
the greater part of the time. 
08q. — Sent: officers and ‘parties of 
men, with anchors, cables, &c., to the 
assistance of the Potton, East-India- 
man, which had carried away the flukes 
of her-anchor the preceding night, and 
was nearly driven on shore in the gale. 
“06th. —-The Neptune, Potton’ and 
Lady Campbell, free-traders, sailed for 
England. Ship’s company daily em- 
ployed making good defects in the bull 
and rigging, and preparing for sea. On 
the 28th, H. M.’s ship Arachne arrived 
from England, with despatches for the 
Isle of France and India. 
Simon’s Tewn consists chiefly of a 
single street, running parallel with the 
shore; the houses are neat and -clean, 
and ‘have all the exterior of comfort : 
it affords two good inns, and abundance 
of livery-stables ; immediately behind 
the houses, the hills take their rise, and 
reach a very considerable elevation. 
‘The sides of these mountains are cloth- 
ed with the utmost profusion of rhodo- 
dendrons, dwarf bays and other lovely 
evergreens. The soil is thin and sandy ; 
the rocks ‘are universally horizontal 
strata, and enormons masses of isolated 
granite are every where to be seen. 
he soil in the interior is, I believe, 
deeper and more productive, and the 
climate’ more’ uniform than on the 
coast: yet, | from every information, 
this country does not hold out, yery 
flattering prospects to the emigrant: for. 
Voyage from England,to Australia. 
 lightful flowers, ‘and ‘curious 'b 
| (Aug. I, 
though tothe horticulturist it affords de- 
ous 
roots, yet these are not staple ¢ommo- 
dities; and to the settler, plentiful 
crops of grain are far,moreé ‘tbaiatt 
and these, I am Sorry to Say, :too’ 
quently fail. saath 
=e 
fre 
We were much amused by the Dutch 5 
boor’s waggons ; they are clumsily built, 
and not unfrequently drawn by from. 
eight to twenty oxen, in pairs, in much 
the same manner as four-in-hand is in 
England. One person holds the reins— 
another drives with a whip of enormous 
length and power: the hides of oxen, 
long driven in this way, become per- 
fectly useless; they are so cut up by 
those whips, which, weilded by a dex- 
trous Malay, are, indeed, tremendous 
instruments of punishment. 
The church is a small neat building ; 
the naval hospital is on a very respec- 
table footing, and is kept in excellent 
order. The dock-yard is-on a small 
scale, but is in very good condition, and 
is sufficiently large for all the purposes 
of the station, or for refitting such of 
his Majesty’s ships as may have occa- 
sion to call there. 
The inhabitants of Simon’s Town are 
English and Datch, in pretty nearly 
equal numbers. The Jower orders 
are a heterogeneous mixture of Malays, 
Bengalese, reclaimed Negroes and Afri- 
candas. It must be highly gratifying to 
every one to learn, that a considerable 
number of recaptured slaves have been 
emancipated, and afford another unde- 
niable proof of their capability to're- 
ceive. instruction and improvement. 
Those I saw had comfortable houses ; 
are sober, industrious, quiet people: 
One of them was pointed out to me as 
having realized four hundred, and ano- 
ther three hundred rix-dollars:.. 
On the 19th, we started for Cape 
Town, where we arrived in the evening ; 
the roads to which are tolerably good, 
except for a few miles from*Simon’s 
Town. The approach to the Cape is 
highly pleasant—indeed it might be 
called delightful; the hedge-rows are 
well kept, and fianked by tall elegant 
trees, which refresh by their verdure, 
and the shade they afford. After’ din- 
ner we strolled out to see thetown : but 
being ignorent of the Dutch, eustom of 
retiring early from business, were dis- 
appointed— all was dark. and quiet. 
Next day we got acquainted with some 
~Datch merchants, who shewed ts.much 
politeness and kindness.” They regaled 
us after the manner of Ping at a 
2 vr wit 
