SOUTHERNAFRICA. 2^9 
Conftantia, though fold at one-fixth part of the price ; of fuch 
importance is a name. 
This wine fells at the Cape for 70 or 80 rix dollars the half- 
aum^ a cafk which ought to contain 20 gallons ; but the avaricious 
propenfity of the proprietors, increafing with the demands for 
their wine, has led them to fabricate falfe cafks, few of them 
that come to England being found to meafure more than feven- 
teen or eighteen gallons ; many not above fixteen. And if they 
find out that the wine applied for is to be fent abroad, they are 
fure to adulterate it with fome other thin wine. For, according 
to their own returns, the quantity exported and confumed in 
Cape Town, as in the cafe of Madeira wine, greatly exceeds the 
quantity manufadured. 
By a fettlement made between the Dutch CommifTaries Ge- 
neral, in the year 1793, and the owners of the two farms of 
Great and Little Conftantia, the latter were bound to furnifh, 
for the ufe of Government, 30 aums each, every year, at the 
rate of 50 rix dollars the aum ; which was regularly taken, after 
being tafted and fealed up in prefence of perfons appointed for 
that purpofe, by the Englifh Government, to the no little an- 
noyance of the Great Lord of Conftantia, who is the fon and 
fucceflbr to the man of whom Mr. Le Vaillant has drawn a very 
entertaining portrait. The wine was paid for out of the Co- 
lonial Treafury, and the whole of it, under Lord Macartney's 
government, fent home to the Secretary of State, for the dif- 
pofal of his Majefty. 
VOL. II. 
The 
