365 TRAVELS IN 
whole of this trad of country is extremely beautiful, a:greeably 
diverfified by hill and dale, and lofty forefts. Within feven 
miles of the bay are large timber trees, and the furface is almofl; 
as level as a bowling-green, over which the feveral roads are 
carried. The peafantry, who inhabit this diftrift, are moftly 
wood-cutters, and they earn a very hard fubfiftence. The great 
diftance from the Cape, being 400 miles of bad road, leaves them 
little profit on a load of timber, when fold at the deareft rate in 
the Cape market, fo little, indeed, that they prefer to difpofe of 
it at the bay for a mere trifle. Plank of thirteen or fourteen 
inches wide, and inch thick, may be purchafed on the fpot at 
the rate of threepence the foot in length. 
The bark of feveral of the creeping plants in the forefts might 
be employed as fubftitutes for hemp. The iron ores near the 
l)afe of the mountains might be worked by clearing the wood, of 
which there is an inexhauftible fupply. The timber is, un- 
doubtedly, fuitable for many purpofes, notwithftanding the 
prejudices that have been entertained againft it very unde- 
fervedly, and very ignorantly, becaufe about one- eighth part 
only of the diiferent kinds have ever undergone a trial, and thefe 
few by no means a decifive one. The climate is trying for the 
beft timber ; and Englifh oak even gives way much fooner here 
than in its native country, by the alternate expofure to wet wea- 
ther, dry winds, and fcorching fun. Where fuch expofure has 
been guarded againft, one of the flighteft Cape woods, the geel 
hout or yellow wood, has been known to ftand a hundred years 
ifvithout fhewing fymptoms of decay. 
The 
