DEDICATION. 
fome places has been fuch, as to exceed their 
moft fanguine expeftation. Here the bar- 
barous policy of the Dutch government in- 
terpofecl, and the poor colonifts were dif- 
couraged from rearing this indifpenfable 
commodity ; they were obliged either to 
fend or travel to the Cape for their tobacco, 
as well as moft other articles, v/hich they 
obtained by barter, and at an expence which 
feemed to exceed all bounds of ufurious deal- 
ing. The fugar-cane^ although not native to 
thefe countries, it is fuppofed could not fail 
in the fouthern parts of Africa ; the foil, 
the climate, every thing invite the experi- 
ment. On my confulting thofe people in 
Africa who were acquainted with the growth 
of the fugar-cane in the Weft-Indies, and 
the nature of the lands on which it flouriiii- 
cd moft, I found they were decidedly of 
opinion, that in the fouthern parts of Afri- 
ca this commodity might be reared, and 
brought to as high a degree of perfection as 
in other parts of the globe. They went ftill 
farther, and avowed it alfo as their opinion, 
that not a fpice which grew in Ceylon^ or the 
Dutch colonies in the Eafi^ but would flourifli 
in the fouthern part of Africa. Fruits of al- 
moft every denomination have been reared 
in the colonies ; oranges^ lemoiis^ citrons^ fgs^ 
apples^ pears ^ apricots ^ peaches ^"i^fc. have been 
cultivated in certain ciiftricls, and moft of 
them with every imaginable fuccefs. There 
could be no difiiculty, therefore, in extend- 
