68 
Voyage of the potomac. 
[December, 
to the year 1795, it remained in the hands of the Dutch, gradually 
improving. In the meantime, the Enghsh possessions in the east 
had greatly increased ; and John Bull had not passed so often 
round the cape without casting a wishful eye oh this thriving 
establishment, which 'he thought might answer so well to refresh 
his vessels at. In 1795, the state of Europe and the fortunes of 
war gave him the power ; and as he is an old gentleman who is 
not remarkable for being' over fastidious in respecting the rights 
of his neighbours, and having just suffered the loss of his best 
transatlantic dependances, he proceeded to take possession of the 
colony of the Cape of Good Hope ; and it has, with the exception 
of a few years (during which the Dutch held it under the treaty 
of Amiens), remained in the hands of the British, much to the dis- 
content of the descendants of the old governor, Pietr Van Roode 
Van Oudtshoo7'n. 
Cape Town itself is beautifully situated on a plain, and is over- 
shadowed by a stupendous rock or mountain.* The streets are 
spacious, and intersect each other at right angles with great ex- 
actness. The houses are mostly of stone, and whitewashed with- 
out, which gives them a neat and cleanly appearance ; there are 
few built over two stories, on account of the winds, which blow 
sometimes excessively strong. The residence of the governor, and 
the public buildings, are suitable to the purposes for which they 
are used, but possess nothing which deserves particular descrip- 
tion. The public square presents a neat appearance, and is kept 
in fine order ; and there are some pleasant promenades in the en- 
"virons, tastefully overshadowed with spreading branches of oak. 
The progress of literature at Cape Town is very promising, 
and the cause of education has numerous and powerful adherents. 
A newspaper, called the South African Commercial Advertiser, 
has been established for several years, and is said to be well sup- 
ported,, notwithstanding all the obstacles thrown in its way by the 
jealousy and cupidity of - the Dutch residents. It has uniformly 
and strenuously advocated the cause of ameliorating the condition 
* The rocks of which this peninsula is composed are few in number and of simple 
structure. They are granite, gneiss, clay-slate, graywacke, quartz-rock, sandstone, 
and dolerite. Of these the most abundant are granite and sai>dstone : the next in 
frequency are graywacke and clay-slate ; and the least frequent are gneiss and dolerite. 
in some places,, the sandstone is traversed by veins of red iron ore. 
