CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. 423 



houses, and their blossoms and fruit, although within reach of all, are 

 respected. The houses are painted of various colours, without any 

 regard to taste, and are of a clean though antiquated appearance. No 

 two of them are alike, yet their styles are so marked, that the country 

 whence their builders came may be judged with tolerable certainty 

 from each. Badly-painted signs are as numerous as in our own 

 country, and vanes pointing in every direction surmount the gables. 

 The Dutch costume still prevails among the inhabitants, and afforded 

 us much amusement. In the schools the Dutch language is still 

 taught; though in many the English is a branch of education. Con- 

 sidering the number of years that this colony has been under the 

 British dominion, it surprised me to find that a knowledge of the 

 Dutch was much more necessary than that of English, while dealing 

 with the inhabitants. 



There are two hotels in Cape Town, the Royal George and the 

 Victoria, both kept on the English plan. The former we frequented 

 during our short stay, and found it comfortable, although far inferior 

 to what might have been expected from the size of the town. 



The Cape of Good Hope was originally settled by the Dutch in 

 1652; captured by the British in 1795; restored again after the peace 

 of Amiens in 1802; again taken possession of in 1806; and finally 

 ceded to Great Britain in 1815. During its occupation as a Dutch 

 colony, it had twenty-eight governors, and since it has been under 

 British rule it has had eighteen. By this it will be perceived that 

 the changes in its administration have been frequent, and what might 

 naturally be expected to follow, the policy and character of its 

 governors have been vacillating. It has been generally ruled very 

 much after the ideas of those who presided for the time being. The 

 government is nominally vested in the governor, and an executive and 

 legislative council, who are all appointed by the crown, or with its 

 approbation and consent. 



Under this system of government it has been the misfortune of the 

 Cape colony to be placed ; and the advantages it has possessed under 

 some, have been counterbalanced by others, and not unfrequently the 

 salutary regulations made by one, have, without any apparent reason, 

 in the minds of the colonists, been annulled or set aside by others ; 

 which, of course, has tended to foment discord and produce a feeling 

 of opposition to British rule : this has prevented the advancement of 

 the colony, and retarded its usefulness by giving license to crime that 

 otherwise would not have existed. 



Of late years, however, although the government still remains the 

 same, yet they have been more fortunate in the individuals who have 



