54 
FROM BERMUDAS TO CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. 
trim, park-like scenery on both sides of the line recalls the Dutchman’s passion for trees 
and flowers, urging him to transform what was once a desert into a paradise of pine woods 
and blooming gardens, shady avenues and charming villas. The whole district from Wynberg 
to Mowbray is admirably laid out, sheltered by tall pine trees, and traversed in all directions 
by excellent carriage roads. Now and then, as a gateway is passed, one catches sight of a 
country house in the midst of its tastefully-cultivated grounds, while above the whole scene 
tower the vertical crags of Table Mountain and Devil’s Peak. A small rivulet, which, after 
flowing past the Observatory, finds its way into Table Bay, divides this district from more 
open ground occupied by windmills and farm-houses, and gradually descending into the plain 
of the isthmus. 
Capetown possesses few buildings of architectural pretensions. Its streets, amongst 
CAPETOWN, FROM THE DECK OF H.M.S. (t CHALLENGER,” 
which St. George’s Street is the finest, are regularly laid out at right angles to each other, 
but do not seem to be kept in good order and th e general impression on the stranger is a 
sense of heat and dust. These shortcomings, however, are scarcely noticed amidst the attractions 
of the surrounding scenery. The aspect of the town, as seen from the deck of a ship anchored 
in the bay, is striking in the extreme. On the right hand rises the hill which derives its name 
from a resemblance to the figure of a couching lion ; in front, Table Mountain, whose 
stupendous cliffs meet the eye at every turn ; and to the left, the time-worn crest of Devil’s 
Peak. The ascent of Table Mountain is a task by no means free from danger, and should not 
be undertaken without the assistance of a guide. The pedestrian may suddenly find himself 
surrounded by clouds which constantly gather about the summit, and may experience some 
difficulty in finding his way back. The appearance so familiar to the Capetown people under 
the name of the “table-cloth” is very remarkable. The vapours condensed by the cold 
southerly winds are dissolved as they come in contact with the warmer air on the northern 
side of the mountain, and thus present the curious spectacle of a bank of clouds perpetually 
tumbling in the shape of a misty cascade over the level edge of Table Mountain, and literally 
vanishing into air. 
A favourite promenade and drive of the residents of Capetown is the Kloof Road. This 
crosses the saddle between the Lion’s Head and Table Mountain, and, descending to the sea¬ 
shore on the other side, leads back into the town after making the circuit of the Signal Hill. 
On days of sunshine, which in this happy climate are the rule, not the exception, the 
prospect from the Kloof over Capetown and its blue bay is very fine, while the rocky pyramid 
of Lion s Head on the left is an object not less remarkable. After crossing the ridge, we 
