SOUTHERN AFRICA. 75 
five thickets, among which the greateft number of the trees, 
pecuHar to Southern Africa, are to be found, and fome of them 
of a very confiderable fize. 
The circumftance of there being plenty of timber at Pletten- 
berg's Bay, and abundance of unoccupied land of a good foil, 
well watered, and fit for any cultivation, had induced a wealthy 
merchant of Holland, on the reftoration of the colony to its an- 
cient pofTeflbrs, to obtain permiffion for carrying into effect a 
plan that would, no dou,bt, have proved highly beneficial to the 
fettlement at large in a variety of ways. He had obtained a 
grant from the government of the whole diftrid: of Pletfenberg's 
Bay, on condition of paying a certain annual rent. This dif- 
tn£t he meant to divide into one hundred parcels, upon which 
were to be placed one hundred induftrious families from Europe, 
Dutch or German, to be fent over with ftock, utenfils, imple- 
ments of hufbandry, and every other article that was requifite 
to carry on the ufeful trades, and to till the ground. None of 
them was to be allowed a fmgle flave j but it was recommended 
to encourage the Hottentots to every kind of ufeful labour. 
The war, however, I imagine, has, for the prefent, fufpended 
the execution of this laudable plan, which, there is every rea- 
fon to fuppofe, would have fucceeded to the height of the wifhes 
of him who projeded it. 
The obfervations with regard to the winds, and the fwell of the 
lea fetting into Plettenberg's Bay, will equally apply to this and to 
Moffel Bay, the pofition of both being fimilar. It fcarcely feems 
capable, by any expence, of being rendered fecure even for fmall 
L 2 . craft, 
