SOUTH AFRICAN 

 QUARTERLY JOURNAL. 



No. IV. JULY -SEPTEMBER, 1830 



An Historical Account of the Formation, Progress, and 

 •present State of the European Colony at the Cape of 

 Good Hope. By the Rev. Mr. M. Borcherds, V.D.M. 

 Minister of the Dutch Reformed Church at Stellenbosch, 

 and Corresponding Member of the South African In- 

 stitution. 



[Continued from p. 269.] 



Chap. III. 



January, 1653. — It is not probable that a man of such 

 foresight and extensive views, as the foregoing chapters shew 

 Van Riebeck to have been, would have seen the first day of 

 the new year without reflecting upon the events of the past. 



In the commencement of last year he was far from this place 

 — in the northern part of the globe ; his voyage was scarcely 

 begun; he had to risk the dangers of the sea, and to surmount 

 many difficulties before he could even see that Promontory where 

 so much was to be done. He was aware of these difficulties, 

 and he knew also, how confined and uncertain were his means 

 to attain the object of his voyage, which was of so great im- 

 portance to his personal happiness, and to the interests of the 

 Company, — his employers. 



It is, moreover, evident, from many instances in which his 

 moral character was called forth, that he was not a man of 

 loose principles, or. devoid of the fear of God; and whatever 

 might have occasionally been the errors of his judgment or 

 temper, true piety may be seen in all his actions. 



We may therefore readily conceive with what thoughts and 

 emotions of mind, he saw the dawn of the first day of this 

 year ; and we read of a ' sermoen' (as he usually called the 

 public worship at that period), which took place on that day, 

 and which, we may naturally conclude, was adapted to the 

 circumstances of the times. He endeavoured, by an act of 

 clemency, to render his first new year's day here, agreeably 

 memorable to the companions of his voyage and fortunes. 

 Moved by many applications in their favour, and upon pro- 



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