SOUTHERN AFRICA. 29 
of strong ardent spirit, to eat his meals, and to take his nap 
after dinner. UnwilHng to work, and unable to think ; with 
a mind disengaged from every sort of care and reflexion, in- 
dulging to excess in the gratification of every sensual appetite, 
the African peasant grows to an unweildy size, and is carried 
oif the stage by the first inflammatory disease that attacks 
him. 
How different is the lot of the laboring poor of England, 
who for six days in the week are doomed to toil for twelve 
hours in every day, in order to gain a morsel of bread for their 
family, and the luxury of a little animal food for the seventh 
day 1 
The cultivators of the ground, who inhabit the nearer dis- 
tricts to the' town, though something better than the breeders 
of cattle, live but in a very uncomfortable manner in the midst 
of profusion. They have little or no society with each other, 
and every one seems to live solely for himself. Though re- 
moved from each other to the distance of several miles, and 
enjoying the benefit of many thousand acres of land under the 
rate of a farthing an acre, it is yet a singular fact, that scarcely 
any two neighbours are found to be on good terms with each 
other, but are embroiled perpetually in quarrels and disputes 
about the extent of their farms, or the privilege of a spring or 
a water-course. One great cause of their endless disputes is 
the absurd manner of estimating distance by time. The quan- 
tity of land in a government farm, according to the established 
custom of the colony, must be one hour's walk across it. If 
one farmer is supposed to have put down his haaJceii, or stake^. 
