448 CAPE OF GOOD HOPE TO ENGLAND — cu. 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* 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 Methania melanoxylon, Br., now quite extinct. 
