448 CAPE OF GOOD HOPE TO ENGLAND CH. xix 



All kind of labour is here performed by man, indeed he 

 is the only animal that works, except a few saddle-horses ; 

 nor has he the least assistance of art to enable him to 

 perform his task. Supposing the roads to be too steep and 

 narrow for carts, an objection which lies against only one part 

 of the island, yet the simple contrivance of wheel-barrows 

 would doubtless be far preferable to carrying burthens upon 

 the head, and even that expedient is never tried. Their 

 slaves indeed are very numerous ; they have them from most 

 parts of the world, but they appeared to me a miserable 

 race, almost worn out with the severity of the punishments, 

 of which they frequently complained. I am sorry to say 

 that it appeared to me that far more frequent and more 

 wanton cruelties were exercised by my countrymen over 

 these unfortunate people than ever their neighbours the 

 Dutch, famed for inhumanity, are guilty of. One rule, how- 

 ever, they strictly observe, which is never to punish when 

 ships are there. 



Nature has blessed this island with very few productions 

 either useful for the support, or conducive to the luxury, of 

 mankind. Partridges and doves are the only animals, except 

 possibly rats and mice ; the latter, however, more probably 

 brought here by ships. Among vegetables, purslain, celery, 

 water -cresses, wild mint, and tobacco are now common 

 among the rocks ; though I doubt much whether they were 

 so before people came here, as none, except the last, are 

 found in parallel latitudes. 



The first, indeed, is found on Ascension, and in many 

 parts equally unlikely to have originally produced it, but 

 that is accounted for by the ancient custom of the Portuguese, 

 who, finding this herb particularly beneficial in complaints 

 contracted in long voyages, made a point of sowing it 

 wherever they went ashore, a custom from whence all 

 nations have since reaped no small benefit. Amongst its 

 native products, however, ebony 1 must be reckoned, though 

 the trees that produce it are now nearly extinct, and no one 

 remembers the time when they were at all plentiful. Yet 



1 Melhania, melanoxylon, Br. , now quite extinct. 



