127 
to the cooper than his marrying the 
farmer's daughter, and being settled on 
the spot as an independent colonist. 
On the morning of the seventeenth we 
separated, and I took with me my chief 
and third mates, together with one or two 
more who were solicitous to accompany 
me. The country, as we advanced, in- 
creased in population ; and the farm-houses 
were, in several places, not more than two 
hours' distance from each other. Many 
of them were beautifully situated, and their 
lands produced grain, oranges, figs, and 
lemons in abundance. Their grapes like- 
wise appeared to flourish, and supplied 
them with wine and brandies, which they 
vended chiefly at the Cape. We saw vast 
herds of deer, partridges out of all number, 
and immense tracts of land covered entire- 
ly with aloe-trees. 
The colonists are not sufiiciently ac- 
quainted with the means generally used in 
preparing and analyzing this valuable drug. 
The lamentable consequence is, that whole 
forests of the aloe-tree, which the hand of 
nature so bountifully presents, are suffered 
