AND GENERAL VIEW OF THE COLONY. 
73 
congresation, the established church of the Dutch government, and 
which is also used by the English for the performance of their 
service ; the other was built by the Lutherans, the number of whom 
is very considerable. Besides these, there is a good-sized meeting- 
house, which is open to preachers of various denominations. The 
Malays have also a house dedicated to the Mahometan form of wor- 
ship, with a regular priest established and supported by themselves. 
This latter building is nothing more than a private dwelling-house, 
converted to that use. 
The Government-house is situated in the town, surrounded by 
plantations, in a garden consisting of several acres of ground laid out 
in avenues crossing each other at right angles, and thickly shaded by 
oaks. This garden is an exceedingly pleasant promenade during the 
heat of the day, and is always open to the public. The Stadhuis, or 
Burgher Senate-house, is a large, handsome building, appropriated to 
the transacting of public business of a civic nature. It stands in the 
middle of the town, on one side of the square called Groente Plein, in 
which a daily market for vegetables is held. There is, on the north- 
ern side of the town, another square, called Boere Plein (Farmer's 
Square), where the farmers used to assemble with their waggons, to 
dispose of their commodities ; but since my arrival in the colony, 
another boor-market has been established at the southern entrance 
to the town, and a market-house erected, at which every waggon, 
bringing a load of country produce, is obliged to halt, while proper 
officers take an account of every article they may have for sale, and, 
having ascertained the quantities of each, register them in books kept 
for that purpose. Here they are generally met by purchasers ; if not, 
they proceed into the town. 
The Castle is a large pentagonal fortress on the south-eastern, 
or inland side of the town, close to the water's edge. It commands 
the jutty, or landing-place, and part of Table Bay, and completely 
controls the only road between the town and country. On the north- 
western side of the castle is the Parade, a large oblong plain, sur- 
rounded by a walk shaded by pinasters and stone-pines, and enclosed 
by a wall and moat. Near the parade are the Barracks for the cavalry, 
L 
