SOUTHERN AFRICA. iii 
English acres, and the greater part is employed in vineyards^ 
and garden grounds. Their corn they usually purchase for 
money or in exchange for wine. Their sheep also, for family 
use, they must purchase, though many of them hold loan 
farms on the other s^i Je of the mountains. The produce of 
their farms, however, is s jiiicient for keeping as many milk 
cows as are necessary for the family ; and they have abun- 
dance of poultry. The season for bringing their wine to 
market is from September to the new vintage in March, but 
generally in the four concluding months of the year, after 
which their draught oxen are sent away either to their own 
farms or others in the country till they are again wanted. 
The deep sandy roads over the Cape isthmus require fourteen 
or sixteen oxen to draw two leggers of wine, whose weight is 
not 2| tons. 
The tax upon their produce is confined to that part of it 
which is brought to the Cape market, and is at the rate of 
three rix dollars for every legger of wine, and the same sum 
for every legger of brandy that passes the barrier. All that 
is consumed at home, or sold in the country, is free of duty. 
Neither are they subject to any parochial taxes or assess- 
ments, except a small capitation tax towards the repair of 
the streets and avenues leading to the town, and the Lio?i 
and Tyger money for the exigencies of the district. They are 
equally exempt, with tlie people of the town, from church 
and poor rates ; the former being liberally provided for by 
Government, and the other description of people not being 
known in the country districts. The wine farmers take their 
pleasure to Cape Town, or make frequent excursions into the 
