THE TWO TOWNS. 
«4 
known species of the "West Indies, flourish here in great 
perfection, — a rather singular fact wlien tlie latitude is 
taken into consideration. As far as iny own experience 
carries me, the nortliern shore of the JMediterranean and 
this, extremity of Africa are the only high latitudes where 
this fruit is cultivated in the open air. 
Simons Town and Cape Town^ — the former situated on 
the east side of the Cape of Good Hope, and the latter 
on its Avest side — are the tAvo settlements of the English 
on this extremity of the continent, and are often con- 
founded. They are, notwithstanding, separated by the 
entire Avidth of the promontory, Avhich is there some 
twenty miles wide, and are totally difterent; Cape Town 
being the door through Avhieh pass both exports and inn 
l>orts, while Simon sTown is simply a naval station, like 
all otlier naA'al stations, a small tOAAUi has spread itself 
around the Avails of the dock-yard: nothing more. 
Unlike most English ports, Ave found this latter Avithout 
a good beef-markot. The article can be obtained in any 
quantity’, but its poor quality renders that fact almost a 
misfortune. In the Avords of the doctor, “a little of it 
went a great Avay.” We seldom had it on the moss-table, 
therefore, but de\^oted ourselves to the mutton, which 
Avas equally plentitul, cheap, and certainly the best mut- 
ton I ever ate, — that ot even the Valley of Virginia not 
excepted. 
The population of Simou’sToAvn is only several hundred, 
Avho li\’o in some eighty or a luindred neatly-AA'hitcAvaslied 
houses that presented a striking contrast to those Ave had 
lately' left at Porto Praya. Among them I counted four 
churches, fi\'c government buildings, sixteen grog-shops, 
