12 
TRAVELS IN 
mountains, the Nieuwveldt. The whole trad of country to 
the northward of the Cape is much more fandy, barren, and 
thinly inhabited, than to the eaftward, in which diredion it 
increafes in beauty and fertility with the diftance. 
Such is the general outline of the territory that is compre- 
hended under the name of the Cape of Good Hope. It is 
divided into four diflrids, over each of which is placed a civil 
magiftrate called a Landrojl^ who, with fix Hemraaden^ or a 
council of country burghers, is vefted with powers to regulate 
the police of his diftridt, fuperintend the affairs of govern- 
ment, adjuft litigations, and determine petty caufes. Their 
decifions, however, are fubje£t to an appeal to the Court of 
Jufllcein Cape Town. The four diftrids are ; that of the Cape ; 
of Stellenbofch and Drakenileen ; of Zwellendam ; and of 
Graaff Reynet ; and they were fucceffively colonized in the 
order here mentioned. 
The Cape diftrid is chiefly compofed of that mountainous 
peninfula whofe fouthern extremity was firft called by Portu- 
gueze navigators Caho dos Tormentos^ or. Cape of Storms, on 
account of the very tempeftuous weather often and long expe- 
rienced by them in their attempts to double it, which, when 
effeded, they changed to that of Cape of Good Hope, The 
Table Mountain, flanked by the Devil's Hill on the eafl:, and the 
Lion's Head on the weft, forms the northern extremity of the 
fame peninfula. The length from north to fouth is about 36, 
and breadth 8, miles. It is compofed, properly fpeaking, of 
one mountain, broken indeed into feveral mafl!es more or lefs 
connedcd 
