is within the walls of the castle : as is also the Weeskammer, or Chamber for administering the affairs of orphans. The population of the town is estimated at about 6000 whites, inclusive of the military, and twelve thousand slaves.

Between the town and Table Mountain are scattered over the plain a number of neat houses surrounded by plantations and gardens. Of these the largest and nearest to the town is that in which the government house is erected. It is in length near 1000 yards, and contains about forty acres of rich land, divided into almost as many squares by oak hedges. The public walk runs up the middle, is well shaded by an avenue of oak trees, and inclosed on each side by a hedge of cut myrtles. The Dutch of late years had entirely neglected this excellent piece of ground; but the spirit of improvement that has always actuated the minds of the English in all their possessions abroad, will no doubt show itself at this place, and convert the public garden into a place not only ornamental to the town but useful to the country. A part of it, in fact, has already been appropriated, by order of the Earl of Macartney, for the reception of scarce and curious native plants, and for the trial of such Asiatic and European productions as may seem most likely to be cultivated with benefit to the colony.

Among the foreign productions that might be introduced, and in all probability cultivated with success at the Cape of Good Hope, may be reckoned the different varieties of the cotton plant. Many of these have been already tried, and found to succeed extremely well in the light sandy soil that generally prevails in the country. Two species of indigo grow wild in several parts of the colony; and

TRAVELS

INTO THE

INTERIOR OF SOUTHERN AFRICA.

CHAP. I.

A General View of the Colony of The Cape, and a more particular Description of the Promontory called The Cape of Good Hope.

By the capture of the Cape of Good Hope and of Ceylon, the British language is now heard at the southern extremities of the four great continents or quarters of the globe. Three of these have submitted to the power of its arms; and the spirit of commerce and adventurous industry has directed the attention of its enterprising subjects to the fourth, on the small island of Staaten, at the extreme point of South America, where a kind of settlement has been formed for carrying on the southern whalefishery. Of these extreme points the Cape of Good Hope cannot be considered as the least important, either with regard to its geographical situation, as favourable for carrying on a speedy intercourse with every part of the civilized world; or to its intrinsic value, as capable of supplying many articles of general consumption to the mother-country; or as a port solely for the numerous and valuable fleets of the East-India Company to refresh at; to assemble

B

in time of war for convoy; to re-establish the health of their sickly troops, worn down by the debilitating effects of exposure to a warm climate; and to season, in the mild and moderate temperature of Southern Africa, such of those from Europe as may be destined for service in the warmer climate of their Indian settlements.

In the early voyages undertaken by the British merchants trading to the East-Indies, the Cape was always made the general rendezvous and place of refreshment; and it was then considered of such importance, that a formal possession was taken of it by two commanders of the Company's ships in the year 1620, in the name of King James of Great Britain, a period of thirty years antecedent to the establishment of the colony by the United Provinces. The particulars of this transaction are entered at full length on the records of the East-India Company; and, as the reasoning then upon it will more strongly apply at this time, it may not be amiss to insert an extract from them:

James, by the grace of God, king of GreatBritain, France, and Ireland, Defender of the "Faith, &c.-Know all men, by the present pub"lication hereof, that according to our bounden "duties to our Sovereign Lord the King, James, by the grace of God, King of Great-Britain, &c. " and the State;

"We, Andrew Shillinge and Humphrey Fitzher"bert, chief commanders of the two fleets at present "bound for Surat and Bantam, &c. upon a good "consideration, and by a consultation holden on "shore, the first of July 1620, of both fleets, on the "coast of Africa, in the bay of Saldania aforesaid,

"for and in the name of the said high and mighty "Prince James, and for and in the name of the "whole continent near adjoining, so far to be ex"tended as that at present no Christian prince nor potentate have any fort or garrison for plantation "within the limits aforesaid; and our Sovereign "Lord the King to be thereunto entitled Lord or "Prince, or by any other name or title whatsoever "that shall seem best unto his gracious wisdom.

"Dated, proclaimed, executed, and subscribed, "in the Bay of Saldania, the third day of July, 1620.

(Signed)

"HUMPHREY FITZHERBERT, "ANDREW SHILLINGE."

EXTRACT.

Notwithstanding all which, may it please your "worships to be certified, that we whose names are "hereunto subscribed, tending his Majesty's supre66 macy and sovereignty more than our own safetys; "and falling into the consideration of the conve"niency of this bay of Saldania, by us so called, "situate and being in the latitude of 34° or there"about South latitude, for the better prosecution. "of your trade to the East-Indies, upon a full and "general consultation holden on shore by both your "fleets, now bound for Surat and Bantam, the first "day of July, in the year of our Lord 1620, have fully agreed to take possession of the said bay of "Saldania for and in the name of our sovereign "lord the king, James, by the grace of God, &c. " and for and in the name of the whole continent "near adjoining, so far to be extended as that no "Christian prince or potentate have at present any

"fort or garrison for plantation within the limits "aforesaid, as by a deed published, executed and "subscribed in the said bay of Saldania, the third

day of July 1620, herewith sent your worships, "more plainly may appear; which deed was pub"lished with great solemnity before the English and "the Dutch; who seemed likewise much to approve "the same. And in token of possession, taken as

aforesaid, and for a memorial hereafter, we have "placed a heap of stones on a hill lying West"south-west from the road in the said bay, and "call it by the name of King James his Mount. "The main and principle reasons which induced "us to do this without order, were many. First, "at our arrival in the Bay we found nine great

ships of the States ready to set sail for Bantam, who "declared to us plainly that the States did mean to "make a plantation here the next year, and that "they had taken a view of the bay, and made a "road already in the country some thirty or forty "miles, &c. meaning, as we suppose, and it is not "to be doubted, to make us hereafter pay for our "water and anchorage towards defraying their in"tended plantation. Likewise this great country, "if it were well discovered, would be kept in subjection with a few men and little charge, considering how the inhabitants are but naked men and "without a leader or policy. We also thought to "entitle the King's Majesty thereto by this weak "means, than to let it fall for want of prevention, "into the hands of the States, knowing very well "that his Majesty is able to maintain his title by "his word against the States, and by his power "against any other prince or potentate whatsoever; "and better it is that the Dutch, or any other na"tion whatsoever, should be his subjects in this place, than that his subjects should be subject to