240 SOCIAL CONDITION OF AFRICA. 



appointed. The severe droughts, and periodical imindations 

 to which it is subject, have been found to render the raising 

 of grain of every kind very precarious, and obliged the co- 

 lonists to have recourse to pasturage ; while the lots are too 

 small to render the latter mode of industry sufficiently pro- 

 ductive. They consist, according to Mr. Thompson, of only 

 100 acres, which are not capable of supporting above twelve 

 oxen and cows. The Dutch settlers usually held 6000 

 acres, for which they paid merely the expenses of measur- 

 ing and survey, amounting to between 300 and 600 dollars, 

 with a quit-rent of from thirty to fifty. To obtain this 

 quantity of land, the British settlers must carry out fifty- 

 nine sen'ants (who it is true have their passage paid by 

 government), depositing 10/. for each ; which, with their 

 support for three years, would exceed six times the value 

 of the property. In 1825, after three unfavourable har\'ests, 

 the distress of the colony became extreme, and a subscrip- 

 tion of not less than 3000/. was raised in Cape Town for 

 their relief. A number then left the settlement ; after 

 which, the condition of those who remained gradually im- 

 proved, and is now^ becoming comfortable. Mr. Thompson, 

 however, recommends to emigrants who possess any capital 

 to purchase land from the Dutch boors in the vicinity of the 

 Cape; manyofwhom,possessinglotsofnearly 100,000 acres, 

 ■would willingly dispose of part of their grants for money. 



To make head against the irruption of the CaflTres, a body 

 of military are stationed at the eastern boundary of the co- 

 lony, who, in conjunction with the Albany settlers, have 

 formed Graham's Town, the inhabitants of which amount 

 to about 3000. Mr. Rose, who was lately there, describes 

 it as " a large, ugly, ill-built, straggling place, containing a 

 strange mixture of lounging officers, idle tradesmen, drunken 

 soldiers, and still more drunken settlers." Its situation is 

 romantic, being a deep hollow surrounded by high green 

 hills, separated by glens overhung by steep and wooded 

 precipices. These glens form the roads, which branch off 

 like rays from a centre, and through them are seen labour- 

 ing heavy wagons, drawn by oxen, frequently coming from 

 very remote districts. They bring not only provisions and 

 necessaries, but the rude products of the surrounding re- 

 gions, — skins of the lion and leopard, horns of the buffalo^ 



