SOUTHERN AFRICA. 379 
1. Loan lands. 
2. Gratuity lands, 
3. ^it rents. 
4. Freeholds. 
I. The moft ancient tenure is that of Loan lands. Thefe 
were grants, made to the original fettlers, of certain portions 
of land to be held on yearly leafes, on condition of paying to 
Government an annual rent of twenty-four rix dollars. Every 
farm was to confift of the fame quantity, and be fubje£t to the 
fame rent, without any regard being paid to the quality of the 
land. And though the leafe was made out for one year only, 
yet the payment of the rent was confidered as a renewal ; fo 
that the tenure amounted, in fa^, to a leafe held in perpetuity. 
And the buildings ered:ed on it, together with the vineyards 
and fruit groves planted, called the upjlals^ were faleable like 
any other property, and the leafe continued to the purchafer. 
When application was intended to be made for the grant of 
a leafehold farm, the perfon applying ftuck down a ftake at the 
place where the houfe was meant to be ere£led. The overfeer 
of the divifion was then called to examine that it did not en- 
!croach on the neighbouring farms, ,that is to fay, that no part 
cf any of the furrounding farms were within half an hour's 
walk of the ftake ; or, in other words, that a radius of about 
a mile and half, with the flake as a centre, fwept a circle which 
did not interfe£t any part of the adjoining farms. Tn fuch cafq 
the overfeer certified that the loan farm applied for was tenable, 
otherwlfe not. And as it generally happened that the fite of 
3 c 2 the 
