1836.] Hints regarding the Cape of Good Hope. 134 



to consult the boatmen, however, who understand the thing 

 perfectly ; only, if they require you to start, do so, and do not 

 trust to your own judgment as regards weather, or delay 

 landing your family, to wait for your baggage. It is better to 

 pay for two trips than run the risk of delay, or a boat heavy 

 laden. But, before landing, I recommend, for your attentive 

 perusal, the annexed extract from the leading article of the 

 " South African Commercial Advertiser," dated 7th April 

 1833, written in review of part of an article published in the 

 Bengal Hurkaru, and having reference to the particular pas- 

 " The sum annually spent by sage in the margin. I give you 

 11 us Indians (in this agreeable this extract, with a view to 

 " halfway House, is computed exonerate myself from being 

 ? at £. 30,000; one half of which, charged with libelling His Ma~ 

 " it may be fairly assumed, we jesty's lieges of South Africa,, 

 " should not spend, if the honesty and the authority is, I can as- 

 " of the residents were propor* sure you, of the best, at least in 

 " Honed to the liberality of our the estimation of the writer. 

 " dealings" 



" Now, if the case be considered fairly, supposing this 

 " estimate to be correct, we would ask, in what country in 



the world would such liberality promote honesty ? If the 

 " writer can name any town or city in the East or West, where 

 il the misguided stranger is willing to pay two prices, and 

 u where the " Natives," from mere honesty, charge no 

 " more than they could screw out of the most skilful bar- 

 " gain maker among themselves, then we will admit the 

 " charge as a true bill against the Cape. But if no place can 

 " be found where such a quaker-like practice prevails, the 

 te writer must admit that he has laid against the Cape, in 

 t( particular, a charge that holds against human nature uni- 

 " versally. If a buyer throws himself upon the " liberality" 

 " of the seller, and thereby constitutes him for the time 

 " his agent, to cheat him is abominable, but then he owes 

 " the seller, a salary or per centage for his new office, and 

 '! when the ticklish nature of the trust is considered, in which 

 s< conscience and custom are so directly opposed to each 

 ee other, the allowance should be pretty " liberal.* 9 



" Everybody knows, that men when making a money 



