1811. 
WITTEBOOM. 
61 
the Steeiibergen, and through this gap, or Moof, the road descends 
'to Hout Bay. 
Neither of us being acquainted with the proper road to Con- 
stantia, we missed it, and wandered till we came to a very pretty 
farm-house, where, on enquiring our way of two women whom 
we saw at the door, we received an answer in good English. They 
informed us that the place belonged to Mr. Duckett, an English 
agriculturist, who has for many years resided in the colony, and 
whose knowledge of European husbandry has enabled him to manage 
a Cape farm with considerable success : he is one of the small num- 
ber of English colonists who were at this time to be met with in 
the country. This place is called Witteboom, a name which, with 
great propriety, it has received on account of numerous plantations 
of large Witteboom, or Silver trees, which grow about it. The native 
station of this handsome tree, is the sloping ground at the foot of the 
eastern side of Table Mountain ; and at present very large plantations 
occupy the same situation on the northern side, next to the town. 
That this space should be the only part in all the colony where it 
grows wild, can be no subject of wonder to any person who has the 
least knowledge of the character of Cape botany ; since the natural 
places of growth of a multitude of other plants, are circumscribed by 
limits equally contracted. 
The soil between Wynberg and Constantia is a pure white sand, 
covered with heath, and large bushes*, chiefly of the Proteaceous 
tribe, the most abundant of which is the Suikerhosch (Sugar-bush), f 
* On the road between Wi/nherg and 
variety of others equally interesting, are 
Erica sebana 
JRafnia opposita ^ 
Olea Capensis 
Rafnia triflora 
Protea scolymus 
Surriiria Biirmanni 
f Protea mellifera. 
mstantia, the following plants, with a great 
:1 in a wild state : 
Gnaplialiura Mrsutum ? Th. 
Gnaphalhim umhellatum^ Lin. 
Cliffortia ilicifolia 
HeUoplnla linearis 
Polygala ? spinosa, Lin. 
Osmites campliorina 
