r DEDICATION. 
ed of an tmproduftive mafs of earth ihzt 
could not be brought to any profitable 
€:»Aivation. This is certainly a miftake ; 
but whatever doubts might have been enter- 
tained refpecting the climate and natural fer- 
tility of this portion of the earth, until the 
year 16525 when the Dutch feized on the 
Cape^ they can have no w^eight at prefent, 
as Vv^e now have fufficient information to 
govern our opinion refpecdng thofe points. 
Within the laft thirty years, feveral intellir 
gent and enterprizing men have penetrated 
the interior more than 400 miles from the 
moil advanced colony belonging to the 
Cape, and their opinions are perfectly in 
unifbn with mine. Dr. Sparman^ Colonel 
Gordon^ Major Fatterfojiy and Monfieur ValUanty 
vilited the countries inhabited by the wan- 
dering HoUentals^ the Anteniqua country from 
the mountains to the fea, the Gonoquais^ the 
Caffrees^ the Namaquois^ and a variety of 
other parts inhabited by people generally 
denominated Savages, and the opinion of 
thefe gentlemen refpefting the natural pro- 
ductions of the earth, the clim.ate, and the 
iiTunenfe advantages that might be derived 
irom colonizing thefe parts, merit indeed a 
very ferious confideration. Monfteur Valliaiit^ 
whofe enthufiafm for the improvement of 
natural hiftory led/him into Africa, fpeak^ 
ing of the countries through which he tra=- 
veiled on his way into Caffiraria, gives the 
following defcription of them, and accom- 
