12 
TRAVELS IN 
mountains, the Nieuvvveldt. The whole trad of country to 
the northward of the Cape is much more fandy, barren, and 
thinly inhabited, than to the eaftward, in which diredion it 
increafes in beauty and fertihty with the dlftance. 
Such is the general outhne of the territory that is compre- 
hended under the name of the Cape of Good Hope. It is 
divided into four diftrids, over each of which is placed a civil 
magiftrate called a Landrqft^ who, with fix Hemraaden^ or a 
council of country burghers, is veiled with powers to regulate 
the police of his diftrld, fuperintend the affairs of govern- 
ment, adjuft litigations, and determine petty caufes. Their 
decifions, however, are fubjed to an appeal to the Court of 
Jufticein Cape Town. The four diflrids are ; that of the Cape ; 
of Stellenbofch and Drakenfteen ; of Zwellendam ; and of 
Graaff Reynet ; and they were fuccelTively colonized in the 
order here mentioned. 
The Cape diftrid is chiefly compofed of that mountainous 
peninfula whofe fouthern extremity was firft called by Portu- 
gueze navigators Caho dos Tormentos, or, Cape of Storms, on 
account of the very tempeftuous weathei: often and long expe- 
rienced by them in their attempts to double it, which, when 
effeded, they changed to that of Cape of Good Hope. The 
Table Mountain, flanked by the Devil's Hill on the eaft, and the 
Lion's Head on the wefl:, forms the northern extremity of the 
fame peninfula. The length from north to fouth is about 36, 
and breadth 8, miles. It is compofed, properly fpeaking, of 
one mountain, broken indeed into feveral maflTes more or lefs 
conneded 
