348 An Historical Account of the Formation, fyc. 



came on in great numbers, with loud and terrible roarings, as 

 if to destroy every thing. But the height of the walls proved 

 an insurmountable difficulty. And he thought the English 

 were as little to be dreaded as the lions ; believing himself so 

 well protected by his Fort, that unless attacked by a force 

 many times superior to his own, he had nothing to fear, if he 

 could only prevent the landing of cannon on the land side. 

 And for this purpose he proposed to erect with all expedition, 

 a redoubt near the mouth of the Salt River. 



Nothing further worthy of notice occurred this month, 

 except that some Brazilian pumpkin, and water and other 

 melon seeds, received by a late arrival from Pernambuco, 

 came up well, although sown only the week before. 



February. — The commencement of the following month 

 offered nothing extraordinary. But on the 9th, whilst walk- 

 ing behind the Table Mountain, Van Riebeck saw for the 

 first time an astonishing quantity of locusts, which he describes 

 as "similar to flakes of snow, driven so closely through the 

 air that it was almost dark, and the eartli could hardly be 

 seen;" and he feared if this destructive vermin were to reach 

 his gardens near the Fort, every thing would be consumed ; 

 as the grass had been destroyed at the place where be then 

 was. 



Meanwhile many of his labourers again became ill ; and 

 towards the middle of the month the number of sick already 

 amounted to 40. His lands and gardens were, as he had 

 feared, visited by the locusts, which did considerable damage 

 to his fruits and vegetables. His cattle trade, however, 

 prospered; but thefts, both by his own people and the Hot- 

 tentots, were more frequent ; and he found it necessary to 

 arm his herdsmen with pistols to resist cattle-stealers, and to 

 frighten them, — " They being much afraid of fire-arms."* 

 A Council was held on the 21st, but of no particular interest. 

 March. — On the first day of this month he was informed 

 that five or six persons had conspired to seize the Galiot, 

 and to desert in her; at the head of this plot were the former 

 runaways: but he prevented the execution of it; — and by 

 great good fortune, in the evening of this anxious day, 5 ships 

 were seen from the Lion's Head ; for which he returned thanks 

 to the Almighty, as on that day, also, the last ration of bread 

 had been distributed amongst his people. 



On the following day, one of the ships, having the Vice- 

 Admiral Zunius on board, arrived in the Bay; and a few days 

 later all the others. Van Riebeck welcomed their Admiral, 

 Mr. Demmer, and was visited by him and his suite on the 7th, 

 when they inspected his work. And the Admiral having 



* He probably alludes here to the natives in particular. 



