4o8 
TRAVELS IN 
and afterwards produced a crop of feed. Of this fpecies of grafs 
horfes are extravagantly fond, and it will remain green nearly- 
through the winter. The encouragement of the culture of all 
thefe would be of the greateft importance to the intereft of the 
colony. The Sefamum plant promifes very fair to become ufeful 
in giving a fupply of vegetable oil for the table, an article that 
is at prefent very much wanted in the Gape. Tea, coffee, and 
fugar, might all be cultivated with fuccefs. But that which in 
a commercial point of view is likely hereafter to render the 
colony of the Cape moft valuable to the ftate on which it may 
be dependent, is the facility with which the cultivation of the 
different kinds of hemp for cordage and canvafs, may be carried 
on to an unlimited extent. The Cafjtiabis fat'iva^ or common 
hemp, has been long planted here as a fubftitute for tobacco, but 
the idea was never extended to make it ufeful in any other way. 
It grows to a fort of branching fhrub, lofmg entirely that habit of 
fpringing up in a fmgle ftem as it always appears in Europe ; 
this, however, is entirely owing to its being planted fingly. 
When fown thick on the ground as in Europe, it grows exadtly 
in the fame manner, afcends to about the height of eight feet, and 
gives to all appearance a fibre of equal ftrength and tenacity of 
that where it is ufually cultivated, and it requires very little 
trouble in keeping clean on the ground. The different plants of 
India, that are generally cultivated there for the purpofes of 
hemp, have been found to grow here,- as well in every refpe£t 
as in their native foil. Of thefe the moft common are the 
Rob'ima canfiabina^ giving a durable fibre in the water, and on 
that account ufed in the eafl for fiihing-nets and tackle. The 
Jute of India, Corchorus olitorlus^ thrives very well, as does alfo 
the 
