of the Cape of Good Hope. ISl 



cessive months of the year 1801, tlie amount of pro- 

 perty sold by public auction was 1, 500,000 rix dollars, 

 a sum equal to the whole quantity of paper iiioney iu 

 circulation, which, indeed, may be considered a^ the only 

 money, of late years, that has circulated in the country, hi 

 what mauper, therefore, these articles were to be paid lor is 

 a sort of mystery, which, however, the declining stale of 

 the colony may before this have explained. 



The better sort of people are those who are cmplovcd in 

 the different departments of government, but their salaaes 

 were so small that most of them were petty merchants. 

 Others have estates in the country, and derive a revenue 

 from their produce. Others again are a sort of agents for 

 the country boors, and keep houses to lodge them when 

 they make their annual visit to the town. These are a kind 

 of Jew brokers, who live entirely by defrauding the simple 

 boors, in disposing of their produce and purchasing for 

 them necesjaries in return. A boor in the Cape can do 

 nothing for himself. Unaccustomed to any society but 

 those of his family and his Hottentots, he is the most auk- 

 ward and helpless being on earth when he gels into Cape 

 Town, and neither buys nor sells but through his airent. 

 The emancipated slaves and people of colour arc generally 

 artificers ; many of them support their families by fishing. 

 During the w hole year there is great plenty and variety of 

 fish caught iu Table Bay, and cheap enough for the very 

 poorest to make a daily use of. 



House-rent, fuel, and clothing are all dear; yet, I will 

 be bold to say, there is no town nor city in ail Europe, 

 where the mass of the people are better lodged or better 

 clothed ; and fire is less necessary here than in most parts 

 of Europe, The keep of a horse in Cape Town was never 

 less, under the English government, than 2jl. sterling a 

 year, yet every butcher, baker, petty shopkeeper, and artifi- 

 cer, had his team of four, six, or eight horses, and his eliaise. 

 It is true, his horses were lent out for hire one dav, and 

 drew himself and his family another ; but still it seemed in- 

 explicable hoi,v they contrived to keep up an estabhshment 

 so much beyond tljeir apparent means. Their creditors, I 

 imagine, long before this, will best be able to give a satis- 

 factory explanation, since British money has ceased to cir^ 

 culate among them. 



It is true they are neitticr burthencd with taxes nor assess- 

 ments. Except on public vendues and transfer of immov- 

 able property, government has been remarkably tender in 

 imposing on them burthens, which, however, thcv misiht 



M:< ' \l'vy 



