69 
CHAPTER IV. 
Report reaches Cape Town of the loss of the Ship Jessie.—Proceed to 
the Wreck—Hottentots’ Holland Kloof—Meet a Boor—Obtain 
further Particulars—Three Shipwrecked Mariners— Their account 
of the Wreck, and providential Escape—Reach the Beach— 
Melancholy Scene—Dyer's Island—Meet the Captain of the 
Vessel and one of the Passengers—Return through a wild and 
solitary Country — Moravian Establishment—Thoughts sug- 
gested by the Scene—Kindness manifested by the Moravian 
Brethren — Leprosy House—Hemel and Aarde Mountains — 
Gnadendaal. . 
On Monday evening, the 12th of October, 1829, the 
inhabitants of Cape Town were thrown into a state 
of the greatest consternation and alarm, in conse- 
quence of the distressing intelligence of the loss of 
3 
the ship “ Jessie,’ Captain Winter, which vessel 
had only left Table Bay the Wednesday preceding, 
on her voyage to the Mauritius, intending to touch at 
Algoa Bay on her way. As she was a remarkably 
fine vessel, a number of Cape residents had been 
induced to embark on board of her. ‘These persons 
being intimately known to the inhabitants of Cape 
Town, great anxiety was felt on their account. 
Perhaps no wreck in the vicinity of the Cape ever 
created so great a degree of excitement, which the 
various conflicting reports in constant circulation 
tended to increase. The first authentic intelligence 
which reached the town was that the “ Jessie,” Cap- 
