446 CAPE OF GOOD HOPE TO ENGLAND CH. xix 



The town, very small, and, with the exception of a few 

 houses, ill-built, stands just by the seaside. The church, 

 which was originally a very poor building, is now almost 

 in ruins, and the market-house is advancing by quick steps 

 to the same situation. 



The white inhabitants are almost to a man English, who, 

 as they are not allowed to have any trade or commerce of 

 their own, live entirely by supplying refreshments to such 

 ships as touch at the place. To their shame be it spoken, 

 they appear to have a supply of refreshments by no means 

 equal to the extent and fertility of their soil, as well as the 

 fortunate situation that their island seems to promise, situated 

 as it is between temperate and warm latitudes. Their soil 

 might produce most, if not all, the vegetables of Europe, 

 together with the fruits of the Indies, yet both are almost 

 totally neglected. Cabbages, indeed, and garden stuff in 

 general, are very good, but so far from being in sufficient plenty 

 to supply the ships that touch here, a scanty allowance only of 

 them are to be got, chiefly by favour from the greater people, 

 who totally monopolise every article produced in the island, 

 excepting only beef and mutton, which the Company keep in 

 their own hands. Although there is a market-house in the 

 town, nothing is sold publicly, nor could either of the three 

 King's ships that were there get greens for their tables, 

 except only Captain Elliot, the commanding officer, who was 

 furnished by order of the Governor out of his own garden. 



Here are plantains, peaches, lemons, apples, and guavas, 

 but, I believe, scarcely any other fruit. But while their 

 pastures lie, as they really do, as much neglected as their 

 gardens, there can be little hopes of amendment. In short, 

 the custom of the Indiamen's captains, who always make 

 very handsome presents to the families where they are 

 entertained, besides paying extravagant prices for the few 

 refreshments they get, seems to have inspired the people with 

 laziness. Were refreshments cheap they would probably on 

 the whole receive not much more money for them in the 

 year, and the presents would be the same, so, at least, they 

 seem to think. In short, the contrast between the Cape of 



