396 CAPE OF 



fapeof abundance. Strawberries are to be found ripe through- 

 Good out t h c w hole year; but raspberries, though tolerably 

 Hope. g OW ] } are ver y st -arce. The market is always well 

 supplied with vegetables of every description, and the 

 choicest fruits, both green and dry. The sweet lusci- 

 ous wine known in this country by the name of Con- 

 stantia, is made at two vineyards about eight miles 

 from Cape Town, which produce annually from ten to 

 fifteen thousand gallons; wheat, barley, and pulse, are 

 cultivated throughout the district. The plains of 

 the Cape peninsula are variegated with the most ele- 

 <rant and beautiful shrubs and flowers, and furnish an 

 endless field to the researches of the botanist. The 

 bulbous-rooted plants exceed in variety those of any 

 other country ; and, at the conclusion of the rainy 

 season, the verdant carpet of trifolium melilotos, 

 which covers the west shores of Table-bay, is enli- 

 vened with myriads of the large othonna, among 

 which are intermingled the oxalis cernua, hypoxis 

 stellata, ixia, iris, amaryllis, and geraniums of every 

 species, exhibiting the most beautiful variety of fo- 

 liage and colours. Extensive plantations of the pro- 

 tea argentea, or silver tree, the white poplar, and 

 the stone pine, stretch along the foot of the Table 

 Mountain ; and most of the country houses are adorn- 

 ed with avenues of oak. But the timber of these 

 is of small value, being generally shaken and unsound, 

 from its rapid growth, and is seldom used for any 

 other purpose than fuel, which at the Cape is ex- 

 tremely scarce. The fuel, however, which is now 

 chiefly derived from the cultivated woods of Protea 

 argentea, the oak, and the spontaneous productions 

 of the neighbouring country to the Cape Town, is 

 likely soon to become very scarce, if effectual means 

 are not adopted to ensure the plantation of trees for 

 future supplies. 



The colonies of Stellenbosch and DraJcenslein stretch 

 from Cape 1'Aguillns, the most southern point of A- 



Cape of 

 Good 

 Hope. 



Stellen- 

 bosch and 

 Draken- 

 stein. 



frica, to the river Koussie on the north, an extent of 

 380 miles ; its mean breadth from east to west being 

 about 150, and its contents nearly 55,000 square miles. 

 Though the greater part of this immense surface be 

 barren and unprofitable, consisting merely of naked 

 hills and Karroo plains, the subdivisions which lie on 

 the western side of the mountains between False bay 

 and Elephant's River, constitute the most valuable 

 possessions in the colony. The extensive valley of Dra- 

 kenstein is well inhabited, and enjoys a most delight- 

 ful climate, and its soil is capable of every species of 

 agriculture. Very little corn, however, is cultivated 

 here. Grapes, and various kinds of fruit, are the 

 chief productions of this part of the country, being 

 not only the best adapted to the soil and climate, but 

 the most profitable, from the vicinity of the capital ; 

 two-thirds of the wine which is brought to Cape 

 Town is supplied by the vineyards of Drakenstein 

 alone. The divisions of East Zwartland and Twenty- 

 four Rivers are equally productive, and are consider- 

 ed as the granaries of the Cape. Wheat and barley 

 are their principal articles of cultivation ; but the 

 crops depend so much upon the rains, that the pro- 

 fits of the farmer are precarious and uncertain. The 

 country on the other side of the mountains consists 

 chiefly of pasture farms, and the Roggeveldt, or 

 rye-grass country, furnishes the largest and strong- 

 6 



GOOD HOPE. 



est breed of horses in the settlement. The principal 

 villages of this district are, the Drosdy of Stellen- 

 bosch, the residence of the Land-droost, which is 

 about twenty-five miles from the Cape, and consists of 

 nearly seventy houses, most of which are very neatly 

 built, and have out-houses and gardens attached to 

 them ; and the Paarl y or Pearl, (a village so called 

 from a large mass of granite lying in its neighbour- 

 hood, which bears the name of the Pearl,) which lies 

 twenty miles farther north, at the bottom of a hill, and 

 contains about thirty habitations, surrounded with 

 orchards, vineyards, and gardens, forming a street 

 from half a mile to a mile in length. 



Zivellendam comprehends the belt of country lying Zwellem- 

 between the Black Mountains and the sea, and ex- dam. 

 tends from the Breede River on the west, to Cam- 

 toos River on the east. Its length is about Sod 

 miles, and its breadth from north to south 60, inclu- 

 ding an area of 19,200 square miles. The general 

 aspect of this district, exhibits a greater variety of 

 surface, and is more diversified by hill and dale than 

 any other part of the colony. The rmmntains near 

 the sea are clothed with impenetrable forests, and 

 many of the plains abound in the common aloe, 

 which constitutes a considerable article of commerce. 

 The pasture in general is excellent in this district, 

 but it is deemed by the Dutch farmers to be better 

 adapted for horses than for oxen or sheep. The re- 

 venues of the farmer are derived from the sale of 

 horses, timber, grain, butter, soap, and dried fruits. 

 In the division of Autiniquas Land, a little east of 

 Mossel-bay, the Dutch government reserved for it- 

 self about 20,000 acres of the most fertile land, con- 

 sisting of an extensive meadow, which was always 

 covered with the most luxuriant verdure. This is 

 cultivated by an overseer, and is calculated to furnish 

 annually 10,000 muids of corn, besides affording suf- 

 ficient maintenance for 1000 horses, and as many 

 cattle. The village of Zwellendam is composed of 

 about thirty houses, scattered irregularly over a fer- 

 tile valley. It contains the house of the Land-droost, 

 and the only church in the district. 



Graqf Reynet includes the tract of territory ly- GraafRey- 

 ing between the Gamka or Lion river on the west, net - 

 and the Great Fish river on the east ; and is bound- 

 ed on the north by the country of the Bosjesmans, 

 and on the south by the Black Mountains and the 

 sea. Its mean length is 250, and breadth 160 miles, 

 comprehending an area of 40,000 square miles. Lit- 

 tle grain is sown in this district, except what is ne- 

 cessary for the subsistence of the inhabitants, and this 

 is very inconsiderable, as many of the inhabitants live 

 entirely upon animal food. The difficulty of trans- 

 portation to market, and the devastation of the lo- 

 custs, which particularly infest the division of Sneuw- 

 berg, renders it a very unprofitable article of cultiva- 

 tion. Sheep and horned cattle are reared in great 

 perfection, particularly the former, which thrive so 

 well here, that the ewes very frequently produce 

 lambs twice in the year. Perpetual hostilities are car- 

 ried on by the Dutch bocrs who dwell near the 

 boundaries of the colony, with the Caffres and Bos- 

 jesman Hottentots. Graaf Reynet is the only village 

 in this vast district, which bears its name, and even 

 that contains little more than a dozen of small hou- 



