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wretched hole for sliips to lie at, the everlasting bar 
preventing their going up the river, and a heavy surf 
always breaking. There was a small sea running, and 
nothing but the life-boat could live, which came off for 
the mails, &c. Sailing vessels are often detained here for 
weeks before they can get an opportunity of discharging 
cargo, and very frequently drive ashore if it comes on to 
blow from seaward; and steamers are obliged to keep 
their steam up ready to go a-head at any moment when 
lying here ; they are only induced to call at all by the 
enormous rates paid for carriage of the cargo, which the 
merchants can afford, as the wagon transport is so much 
shorter to the fields from this point than from Port 
Elizabeth. Next morning, one of the cargo boats came 
off; they are built expressly for this place, very strong, 
and hold about ten tons, and costing about £1000 a-piece. 
They are warped out from shore by the crew by a hawser 
made fast to a buoy in the roadstead, and thence to the 
steamer by another line ; the cargo is all battened down 
when loaded, and the boats are warped back again through 
the surf. Sometimes after loading the wind rises, and the 
boats have to lie out all night, unable to cross the bar, and 
only the scum of the population can be got to work them, 
and at enormous wages. Next day no cargo boat would 
come off, not even the life-boat, so the captain, to our 
delight, as it was not pleasant pitching about at anchor, 
declined to wait, hoping to land his cargo on the return 
journey. Sometimes passengers and goods are carried up 
and down more than once before they can be landed. 
This afternoon, E. was lying on the sofa berth in our 
cabin, and in came a wave at the port-hole, which nearly 
drowned her, and swamped the cabin with a foot or two 
of water, running underneath the partitions, and deluging 
our portmanteaus ; and as all the cabins on the weather 
side, which had their ports open, took in an equal quantity 
