13 
fested a genuine disinterestedness. On 
my describing the beauties of the several 
countries through which we passed, and at 
the same time expressing an astonishment 
at their being unoccupied by Christian 
settlers, I was informed that so desirable 
an event could never take place, so long 
as the Dutch remained in possession of 
the Gape. — *We are,' said these people, 
' although living on the confines of the 
deserts, so barbarously persecuted by our 
rulers, that we are unable to proceed. In 
our neighbourhood, and on our own farms, 
we have the richest lead ore, and so near 
the surface, that we can scrape it up with 
our hands ; and yet were we to melt and 
use a single pound of it, the punishment 
would be transportation to Batavia. On 
our coast, particularly near the bay of 
Algoa, we have the finest timber in the 
world ; and although it could be conveyed 
to the Cape by sea at the most trifling 
charge, yet our government supplies their 
settlements with that valuable commodity 
from Europe, and, as you may suppose, at 
an expense which must be enormous. We 
