446 CAPE OF GOOD HOPE TO ENGLAND cu. 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 
