SECOND RESIDENCE AT CAPE TOWN. 87 



The same farce has been acted ever since by almost all my 

 acquaintance, to my very great annoyance and humiliation ; for 

 there is nothing more humiliating than to be presented in a 

 character that you cannot support. Latterly I satisfy myself 

 with just stopping my ears, and letting the foolish creatures 

 gabble as they please, saying to myself, " Pooh ! Who cares ?" 

 Cape politics are stale, dry, and unprofitable. The Caffres 

 are our only disturbers of repose, and without disturbers how 

 can we have politics ? It is true, as you have read, that our 

 government recommended the seat of government to be trans- 

 ferred four or five hundred miles up the country ; but the 

 people at home declined compliance, to the universal satis- 

 faction of every one, save the botanical member of council, 

 who feasted in anticipation of the wondrous treasures of 

 Uitenhage. I believe the only thing Lord (rlenelg has done 

 to please the people here, is this refusal to remove the seat of 

 government. It would be the ruin of Cape Town and of the 

 bulk of the public servants who have property here. But we 

 should then get excellent fresh butter and eggs, things not so 

 plenty at this end of the world, and what would not one 

 sacrifice for them ! By the way, the next time you want cows, 

 come here for them. We can give you a drove for the price 

 you give for one. They sometimes fetch fifteen shillings a 

 head instead of pounds. Yet milk and butter are egregiously dear. 

 The latter never under eighteen pence per pound, and often (as 

 now) three shillings, scarcely even to be had at that price, and of 

 very bad quality. There must be sad mismanagement on the part 

 of farmers. The Dutch farmers generally, are doggedly attached 

 to their old customs — thorough Tories in improvements, and 

 slovenly to boot. Witness Cape wool, which by the last London 

 prices brought three pence or four pence per pound, while its 

 sister, Australia, was up nearly as many shillings. Alas ! that 

 so it should be. Then the cochineal insect, which is so valuable, 

 abounds in profusion around Cape Town. Millions are yearly 

 bom and die, and no one gathers them. Why do I not lift up 

 my voice, as honest old Mause, 1 and testify ? Alas for me, I 

 never had the gift of the gab, nor what is more, the courage to 

 stand forward and dare public talk. My benevolence is purely 

 passive, but let us hope for better things, and that while thy 

 1 Sec " Old Mortality," by Sir W. Scott. 



