SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
347 
District of Stellenbosch and Drakenstein. 
Stellenbofch and Drakenfteln, though one diftrld under the 
jurifdidlon of one Landroft, have di(lin£t Hemraaden or Coun- 
cils. After deducting the fmall diftri£l of the Cape, Stellenbofch 
and Drakenflein include the whole extent of country from 
Cape L'Aguillas, the fouthernmoft point of Africa, to the River 
Kouffie, the northern boundary of the colony ; a line of 380 
miles in length ; and the mean breadth from eaft to weft is about 
150 miles, comprehending an area, after fubtrading that of the 
Cape dlftrid:, equal to fifty-five thoufand fquare miles. Twelve 
hundred families are in pofleffion of this extenfive diftrid:, fo 
that each family, on an average, has forty-fix fquare miles of 
land, a quantity more than five times that which the Dutch 
Government thought to be extenfive enough to keep the fettlers 
afunder, and fufficient to allow the houfes to ftand at more than 
twice the regulated diftance of three miles from each other. The 
greater part, however, of this extenfive furface may be con- 
fidered as of little value, confifting of naked mountains, fandy 
hills, and Karroo plains. But a portion of the remainder com- 
pofes the moft valuable polTefiions of the whole colony ; whe- 
ther they be confidered as to the fertily of the foil, the tempera- 
ture of the climate, or their proximity to the Cape, which, at 
prefent, is the only market in the colony where the farmer has 
an opportunity to difpofe of his produce. The parts of the 
diftrid to which I allude, are thofe divifions beginning at Falfc 
Bay and ftretching along the feet of the great chain of moun- 
Y Y 2 tains, 
