APR. 1771 CLIMATE PROVISIONS 435 



here are blessed, abundantly prove that the climate in 

 general is very friendly to the human constitution. 



Diseases brought here from Europe are said to be almost 

 immediately cured, but those of the Indies not so easily, 

 which latter we ourselves experienced: our sick recovering 

 very little for the first fortnight, and after that very slowly, 

 so that after a month's stay several of them were far from 

 recruited. 



The industry of the Dutch, so well known, and so 

 constantly exerted in all foreign settlements, has supplied 

 this place with a profusion of all kinds of European 

 provisions. Wheat and barley are as good here as in 

 Europe; hops, however, will not grow, so that they cannot 

 make beer, even tolerably. Cattle are in great plenty, 

 and beef is very fair ; sheep likewise are in great 

 plenty. Both these the native Hottentots had before the 

 Dutch settled the place, so that they differ a little in ap- 

 pearance from those of other places : the oxen are lighter, 

 more neatly made, and have vast spreading horns ; the sheep, 

 instead of wool, are covered with a kind of substance 

 between hair and wool. Their tails also are very large : I have 

 seen some which could not weigh less than ten or twelve 

 pounds, and was told that they are often much larger. Of 

 the milk of their cows they make very good butter, but 

 cheese they know not how to make in any degree of perfec- 

 tion. Besides these they have goats in plenty, which, how- 

 ever, they never eat ; and hogs, but these are less plentiful. 

 Poultry, as fowls, ducks, geese, etc., are in tolerable plenty. 

 They have also wild game, as hares exactly like ours in 

 Europe, partridges of two kinds, quails, antelopes of many 

 kinds, and bustards, in general very well flavoured, but rather 

 drier than those of the same kinds in Europe. 



As their fields produce European wheat and barley, so 

 their gardens produce the same kinds of vegetables as we 

 have in Europe. Cabbages, turnips, potatoes, asparagus, 

 broccoli, etc., are all plentiful and excellent of their kind. 

 Their fruits are also the same, apples, pears, oranges, peaches, 

 apricots, figs, etc. Of Indian fruits, they have plantains, 



