434 CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. 



The estates of Constantia lie east of the Table Mountain, on False 

 Bay, and from their peculiar situation are adequately watered by the 

 mists condensed by that lofty mountain. The soil of these estates is 

 far from being rich, but is rather a light and in some places a gravelly 

 soil The graperies lie for the most part on the slope to the southeast, 

 while some are situated on the low lands, which are carefully ditched 

 to preserve them dry. They are divided into fields of some four or 

 five acres each; the grape-vines are planted in rows four feet apart, 

 they are never permitted to grow higher than three feet, and the whole 

 is kept free from grass and weeds. In the spring, the vines are pruned; 

 the grapes come to maturity in April ; while they are growing, all 

 unnecessary leaves and sprouts are removed, to give free access to the 

 sun and air, and full advantage of the growth of the parent stock. 



The grapes are allowed to remain on the vines until almost con- 

 verted into raisins: they are then carefully examined, and all the 

 decayed and bruised ones removed, before being gathered. The same 

 process is used for expressing the grape here as at Madeira ; but they 

 have in some places advanced a step, and use the screw-press. The 

 buildings for the storage of the wines are of one story, and arranged 

 into three apartments; two of these are appropriated to the manufac- 

 ture of the wine, and the third to that which is kept ripening for sale. 

 The wines are of four kinds, Pontac, Frontignac, and the white and 

 red Constantia. These are named in the order of their celebrity and 

 price, which is usually a fixed one: the wine here is sold by the nam 

 and half aam, equivalent to a barrel and half barrel; the cost for the 

 last quantity is one hundred dollars for the first kind, eighty-five for 

 the second, seventy-five for the third, and sixty for the fourth. To 

 L. V. Renen, Esq., the proprietor of the High Constantia, we are in- 

 debted for many attentions. The grounds of Constantia were orna- 

 mented with some plaster statues of Hottentots and Caffres, which 

 were said to represent the true type of these natives, but we had no 

 opportunity of judging.* 



I paid a visit to the Cape observatory, famous from the labours of 

 Sir John Herschell, on the southern constellations. It is now in charge 

 of T. Maclear, Esq., who was at the time of our visit absent, being 

 engaged in the measurement of an arc of the meridian. His assistant 

 Mr. Smyth, and Lieutenant Wilmot, of the magnetic observatory, 

 showed us the instruments. Lieutenant Wilmot has four non-com- 

 missioned artillery officers for his assistants. The day of our visit 



* Just previous to our departure, we were informed that some true Hottentots were in the 

 town jail ; the last place one would have thought of looking for them. The intelligence 

 came too late to make use of it. 



