AFRICA. 37 
motions, and it was not till after many pre- 
ambles, in which however I gave myfelf up 
to the moft charming diftraftions, that my - 
hoft began as follows. 
" You muft know," faid he, " that, in this 
" country, to fee and to poffefs are nearly 
" the fame thing. When an inhabitant of 
" the Cape wants to obtain a fpot of ground 
" in the colony, whether for agriculture or 
" for grazing, he traverfes different cantons, to 
" look out for a fituation that may fuit him. 
When he has found it, he fets up what is 
" called a baaken, as much as to fignify to 
" any one who may be looking out with a 
" fimilar purpofe, that the fpot is already 
occupied. Then he returns to the Cape, 
" and applies to the government for a regular 
permiffion and title. This fort of folicita- 
** tion is feldom refufed ; but, as the grants of 
** uncultivated ground made by the company 
** are ufually a league fquare, it happens, 
** fometimes from miftake and fometimes from 
** malice, that the baaken has been fet up upon 
" the ground of a former proprietor ; or that 
" in the circumference granted him, of which 
" the baaken is the centre, fome part of ano- 
ther man's land is included. In this cafe» 
D 3 "to 
