Chap. I, 
Commodore R o g g e w e i n. 
P9 
which had been wrecked there a little before. They had 
no fooner Sight of the Cape, than they difcovered in the 
Road abundance of Englijh and French , as well as Dutch , 
Ships, fome of which were outward, feme homeward- 
bound. Ships enter this Bay on the South-eaft, and pafs 
out of it to the North-weft. A little before you reach its 
Entrance, appears a fmall Ifland, which is called the Ifland 
of Seles, where the Company have always a Guard polled, 
compofed of a Serjeant, and a fmall Number of Men : 
They are employed here in drawing of Whale-oil, and 
raking Oyfter-fhells, to make Lime. Into this Ifland Ma- 
lefactors are generally banifhed from the Cape, and, in- 
deed, from moft Parts of the Indies ; where* beikles the 
Punifhment of being thus feparated from their Friends, 
they are put to the hardeft Labour, according to the Dutch 
Maxim, That the worft kind of Work is bed done by 
the Idle. As loon as the Serjeant faw what Number of 
Ships the Fleet confided of, he hoifted a Flag, and fired 
as many Pieces ol Cannon as there were Ships, to give No- 
tice to the Commander of the Cape. 
The Bay is very fine and large, having an oval Form, and 
entering two or three Leagues within-land, fo that it may 
be in the Whole about nine Leagues in Circuit, and is cer- 
tainly capable of holding one hundred large Ships very 
commodioufiy •, yet it mud be allowed, that the An- 
chorage is not every-where alike good •, and, near the 
Shore, there is fome Danger. The Middle of this Bay is 
commanded by a very ftrong Fort, which is a regular Pen- 
tagon, each of its Baftions mounted with twenty Pieces of 
heavy Cannon. The Fort, and the Town, are both 
fituated on the Edge of a Plain, about three Leagues in 
Extent, lying at the Bottom of three very high Moun- 
tains ; the firft ol thefe is called the Lion Mountain , becaule 
ir has a great Refemblance to a Lion couching upon his 
Belly •, the next is the Fable Mountain , which is much 
higher, and very like a Table, fo that in a clear Day it 
may be feen twenty Leagues off ; the third is called the 
Devils Mountain , and is not fo remarkable as either of the 
former. The Houfes of which this Town is compofed 
are very neat and agreeable, but not above two Stories 
high, becaufe of the furious South-eaft Winds that fome- 
times blow here. 
The Eafi India Company, about 1650. bought from 
the Hottentots a certain Diftrid of their Country, which 
they took care lhould be immediately planted, and well 
inhabited, for the Conveniency of their Ships outward and 
homeward-bound. The People who dwell at the Cape, 
and on the Coaft, are for the moft part Chriftians, and are 
lfiled Africans ; thofe who inhabit the Country farther 
within-land are called Peafants. They are all of them 
either Europeans , or delcended from Europeans. There 
are fome of them who are fettled three hundred Leagues 
from the Coaft ; notwithstanding which, they are all 
obliged, once a Year, to appear at a Place called Stellenbech, 
where the Droffard, or Magiftrate of the Country, refides. 
Txhe Defign of this is, that they may pafs in Review; for 
the Peafants, as well as the Townfmen, are formed into 
Companies, commanded bv proper Officers. After the 
Review is over, they return to their refpe&ive Dwellings, 
and generally carry home with them fuch Tools as they 
have occafion for in their Country-work. Thefe People 
cultivate their Ground, and fow Rye, Barley, Beans, &c. 
They likewife plant Vines, which produce very fine Grapes, 
of which they make excellent Wine. There are fome of 
thefe Peafants that are in very happy Circumftances, having, 
befides large and well cultivated Plantations, great Quan- 
tities ol Sheep and Cattle. Amongft other Colonies, there 
is one at the Diftance of eight Leagues from the Town, 
which is mtirely compofed of French Refugees, who have 
there a large. Tradl of Country, very well cultivated ; 
the Place where they live is called Drachonflein , and they 
are allowed Churches and Minifters of their own Country. 
Part of the Inhabitants of the Town are in the Service of 
the Company, and the reft are free Burgefles. They have 
their proper Magiftrates, who decide Caufes of fmall Con- 
fequence, and regulate any little Difputes that happen 
.amongft them ; but, as to Matters of any Importance, they 
are canied before the Governor, and his Council, who 
detei mine them finally, and without Appeal. It is pretty 
Numb. 21. 
much the fame thing in the flat Country, where the Drof- 
fard terminates all Things of fmall Cofifequence ; but, 
whenever there happens any thing of Importance, it is 
always carried before the Governor, and his Council, by 
whom it is finally determined ; and all their Sentences, in 
civil and criminal Affairs, are executed without Delay. 
As for the military Eftablilhment, it is exactly on the fame 
Foot here as at Batavia ; that is to fay, the Officer, who 
commands in Chief, has the Rank and Pay of a Major *, 
but he does the Duty, in all refpedts, of a Major-General,, 
The Officers under him are Captains, Lieutenants, and 
Enfigns, who take care to keep their Companies always 
complete, and perfectly well difeiplined, fo that, in cafe of 
an Attack, they can draw together at leaft five thoufmd 
Men, well armed, and as good as any regular Troops, 
every Peafant knowing whither to repair, in order to range 
himfelf under his proper Standard. 
It is not eafy to delcribe the Adroitnefs with which thefe 
Peafants handle their Fire-arms. It is, indeed, an Exercife 
in which, from their very Infancy, they are conflantly em- 
ploved; and it is almoft incredible, with what Boldnefs 
they attack the fierceft Beafts. There are many of them 
who will not fhoot a Lion fleeping, becaufe that, fay they, 
ihews neither Skill nor Courage : When therefore they find 
a Lion afteep, they firft throw Stones, and wake him, 
never offering to fire, dil he is upon his Feet. There hap- 
pened, as our Author tells us, a very fingular Accident, 
upon fuch an Occafion, a little before his Arrival ; which 
fell out thus : Two Peafants went to hunt together ; one of 
them faw a Lion, which he fired at, but miffed him ; the 
Lion immediately flew upon the Man, who, that lie might 
be more at Liberty to defend himfelf, threw his Gun away ; 
tne other Peafant, hearing the Report, made all the Haile 
he could to the Place, where he found his Countryman and 
the Lion clofe engaged : The poor Bellow, in the Zeal 
of his Heart, catched up the Gun, and, with half a dozen 
found Blows on the Lion’s Head, laid him dead upon the 
Spot ; the other Peafant, turning his Head, and feeing his 
Gun broke to- pieces, began to complain very loudly ; asked 
his Companion, why he did not flay till he was called ; and 
talked cf making him pay for his Gun, infilling upon it, 
that he could have killed the Lion without any Plelp. 
T his, fays our Author, is an Inftance of the Intrepidity of 
thefe People with regard to wild Beafts; and, no doubt, a 
notable Inftance it is, if our Author was but fure of his 
Fabl. It was formerly, continues he, looked upon as a 
Wonder, if a Man killed a Lion ; but now the thing is 
lo common, that they make no more of killing a Lion, 
than we do of fhooting a Hare. 
The Country round about the Town is full of Vine- 
yards and Gardens ; the Company have two, which are, 
perhaps, the fineft in the World; the one lies at the Di- 
ftance of two hundred Paces from the Fort, between the 
Town and Fable Mountain. It is about 1400 Paces in 
Length, and 235 in Breadth; a fine Rivulet from the 
Mountain runs through the midft of it. It is divided into 
Quarters, and they cultivate there, with the utrnoft Succefs, 
the Bruits and Flowers of all the four Parts of the World. 
The other Garden is at the Diftance of two Leagues, in 
that which is called the New Country , and is likewife kept 
in the bell Order that can be by the Slaves of the Com- 
pany, of which there are feldom lefs than five hundred. 
The Country hereabouts is mountainous and ftony, but 
the Valleys are very agreeable, and exceedingly fertile. 
The Climate is the beft in the World ; for Cold and Heat 
are never felt here in any intolerable Degree, and the People 
live to great Ages without Difeafes, which are never 
known, but when produced by Intemperance of fome 
kind or ether: The very Mountains, befides contributing to 
the Wholfomenefs of the Place, are fuppofed to be full of 
Gold, and other valuable Metals : Some Affays have been 
made, but as yet no Mines have been difcovered in fuch a 
Situation as would permit the Working of them to Ad- 
vantage. 
The late Mr. van Steel, who was Governor of the Cape, 
travelled the Country, and examined it with great Care and 
Attention. He caufed Gardens to be laid out, and Plea- 
fure-houfes to be built, in feveral Places ; but the Peafants, 
who were employed in building, and cultivating thefe Gar- 
4 & dens. 
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