278 



CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. 



[1828. 



lish navigators who have endeavoured to sight this island of Saxen- 

 burgh, I am of opinion that such an island does not exist. Clouds, ex- 

 actly like land in appearance, will sometimes remain stationary at the 

 horizon in this part of the ocean, for a great length of time, and are 

 easily mistaken for distant islands. The natural conclusion is, that 

 those gentlemen who have reported to have seen the island of Saxen- 

 burgh must have been deceived by one of those stationary clouds 

 which are common in this parallel. ' 



Sept. 4th. — We continued our easterly course, with strong winds 

 from west-north-west to south-south-east, and occasional foul weather, 

 until we made the African coast, in lat. 33° 18' south, and on this 

 morning, which was Thursday, at 6, A. M., we anchored in Saldanha 

 Bay, in four fathoms of water, mud and clay bottom, entirely land- 

 locked, and sheltered from all winds. 



CHAPTER III. 



The Cape of Good Hope — A Brief History and Description of the Colony — Sal- 

 danha Bay — St. Helen's Bay — Berg or Mountain River — The Vale of Draken- 

 stein — Oliphant or Elephant River — Koussie River — Cape Voltas — Volcanic 

 Productions — Projected Speculation — The Gariep or Orange River — Angras 

 Juntas Bay — Whale Bay — Possession Island — Elizabeth Bay — A Peep at the 

 Interior — Angra Pequena, or Santa Cruz — Ichaboe Island — Mercury Island — 

 Intercourse with the Natives — Bird Island — Sandwich Harbour — Walwich Bay. 



The southern extremity of Africa, since it became the seat of a 

 European colony, has formed an interesting subject for the investiga- 

 tion of travellers. It has been visited, and explored, and described, by 

 many of the most inquisitive and scientific geographers of the age ; 

 and yet, with the exception of Cape Town and its vicinity, this country 

 appears to be very imperfectly known. Very little additional informa- 

 tion, however, can be expected from an humble individual like me, " who 

 am not meet to be called" a geographer, and who merely resorts to 

 foreign regions in the " beaten way" of business, — having an eye more 

 to the interests of my employers than to the physical aspect or moral 

 condition of the countries I visit. I shall, therefore, merely remind the 

 reader of such prominent historical facts as will enable him to accom- 

 pany me along the coast, from the Cape to the twenty-second degree 

 of south latitude, without being compelled to exclaim, in the language 

 of Jerry Hawthorn, " I'm at fault — can't follow." 



The southern promontory of Africa, commonly called the Cape of 

 Good Hope, is a- peninsula, nearly ten leagues in length, composed of 

 a vast mass of mountains and rocky land, between the latitudes of 33° 

 53° and 34° 22' S. It was discovered by Bartholomew Diaz, an emi- 

 nent Portuguese navigator, in 1487, who named it Cabo TormentosOy 

 or the Stormy Cape, on account of the boisterous weather, the shat- 

 tered state of his ships, and the mutinous disposition of his crew, — all 

 of which difficulties combined, compelled him to return to Portugal 



