SOUTHERN AFRICA. 339 
difpatch fuch a force from the Cape. Hence murders and the 
mofl: atrocious crimes were committed with impunity ; and the 
only punifliment was a fentence of outlawry for contempt of 
Court ; a fentence that was attended with little inconvenience 
to the criminal, who ftill continued to maintain his ground in 
fociety, as if no fuch fentence was hanging over him. It de- 
barred him, it is true, from making his ufual vifits to the ca- 
pital, but he found no difficulty in getting his bufmefs done by 
commiffion. Numberlefs inftances of this kind occurred, yet 
the fyftem remained the fame. Perhaps, indeed, it would be 
difficult to fuggeft a better, till a greater degree of population 
fhali compel the inhabitants to dwell in villages, or the limits of 
the colony be contradted into a narrower compafs. 
This extenfive fettlement, whofe dimenfions have been given 
above, is divided into four diftridts, namely, 
1. The diftrict of the Cape. 
2. of Stellenbofch and Drakenftein. 
3. of Zwellendam. 
4. of Graaf Reynet. 
Cape District. 
Of thefe the Cape diftrid is by much the fmalleft, but the 
moft populous. It may be confidered as divided into two parts ^ 
one confifting of the peninfula on which the Town is fituated, 
the other of the flip of land extending from the fhore of Table 
Bay to the mouth of the Berg River in Saint Helena Bay, and 
X X 2 feparated 
