416 RAMBLES OF A NATUEALIST. [Oh. XXIV. 



wheels of the conveyance are washed up to the axles by the 

 advancing waves. Where, however, a legitimate road exists, 

 it runs through numerous fishing stations, and beside cot- 

 tages and gardens betokening a well-populated country. 

 One suggestive circumstance I remarked in passing the 

 head of the bay, viz. the frequency with which the fences 

 were formed of, or replaced by, the ribs and other bones of 

 whales, proving how commonly these animals .were washed 

 up on the beach by the southerly winds. 



Farther on, the numerous villas, with plantations and 

 gardens, indicate the proximity to Cape Town, the higher 

 classes of which almost universally live at a distance from 

 town, the convenience of a railway from Cape Town to 

 Wynberg favouring this practice. This, in fact, may be 

 regarded as the principal suburb of the capital, although 

 situated at a distance of seven or eight miles from it. It 

 seems a pity that the railway is not further extended to 

 Simon's Town ; but there appears to be no chance of such 

 an extension, for the colony is unfortunately not at present 

 in so flourishing a condition as to be able to lay out so large 

 a sum of money. Indeed, owing to the much superior 

 anchorage of Simon's Bay, it may be anticipated that many 

 ships now anchoring in Table Bay would prefer the former, 

 if cargo could be readily transported across to Cape Town, 

 so that the construction of a railway would possibly tend to 

 injure the latter place. 



Cape Town is handsomely built : the streets wide and 

 the shops good. Perhaps the finest public building is the 

 South African Museum, superintended by Mr. E. L. Layard. 

 I did not observe much in it of special interest, except some 

 flint implements, . which Mr. Layard pointed out to me as 

 having been recently found in the colony, and which have 



