NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY TO THE MOUTH OF THE KNYZNA.
“The result of all the information obtained respecting the Knyzna, and
the report of its being admirably adapted as a shipping place for the
timber required for the use of the dock yard, as well as for cargoes to
send to England, induced me to form the resolution of visiting it, for
the purpose of ascertaining how far it might be made to realize the idea
which I had formed of its being made useful on a large scale, not only
to the naval department but to the colony. It was not until the month of
November, 1817, that I was enabled to fulfil my intentions.
“On the 24th of that month I left Sans Souci, the residence of my
talented and well informed friend, Colonel Warre,[22] the Deputy Quarter
Master General, accompanied by him and Colonel Graham, the Commandant of
Simon’s Town. This officer had long commanded the Hottentot or Kaffer
corps, on the eastern frontier, by whom, and by all the inhabitants
of every part of the colony where he was known, he was universally
respected and beloved, as a gallant soldier and a most amiable man.
His knowledge of the colony was perhaps greater than that of any other
individual who had held military employment in it; and his knowledge
of the character of the Dutch colonists and Hottentots, as well as his
judgment in his intercourse with them was such, that a more valuable or
more agreeable companion could not have been selected. His skill in field
sports especially rendered him the idol of the Hottentots, who looked up
to him as something more than mortal.
“For our convenience in travelling, the governor lent us one of the
colonial wagons, admirably qualified by its strength, and as much
lightness as such a vehicle is susceptible of possessing, for the
purpose. In this we carried our baggage, and were enabled to take shelter
from the weather, either from rain or heat. We had also our saddle horses
and servants, and were supplied with such articles as we were not likely
to find in the interior of the colony. Little however was needful, for
we were assured of meeting with the most unbounded hospitality, wherever
we might stop; nor were we disappointed in any one instance that I can
recollect; and the only recompense that would ever be accepted, almost by
the very poorest families, was the game that might have been killed by my
two companions in the course of the day’s journey.
“We passed the first night in the hospitable and comfortable mansion of
Mr. Lawrence Cloett, at Sandvliet; whose estate was daily increasing in
value from the improvements he was making. His breed of horses bids fair
to be very valuable to the colony, and was very numerous. He spared no
pains or expence in procuring thorough-bred stallions, and the colts were
in consequence in great demand.
“Mr. Cloett also paid great attention to his vineyards, from which
he made annually 1000 leaguers of wine upon an average. Limestone is
another very profitable production of this estate, which is sent in large
quantities to Cape town; as well as many loads of hay. This hay is made
from oats sown for the purpose, and cut in time to prevent the grain from
being easily separated from the stem. It is mown while green, and treated
in the same manner as grass in England. This is considered to be the very
best forage that can be given to horses; such at least was the opinion of
Lord Charles Somerset, who would be considered as good authority on such
a subject.
“Mr. Cloett, aware of the object of my journey as regarding the timber of
the colony, directed my notice to the durability of the different kinds
of wood according to the season in which it was cut. Comparing the timber
felled in midwinter, when the sap was down, with that which had been
promiscuously cut at all seasons, he had found that the former lasted for
many years, the other being of a very short duration. This information
was of great importance, as the yellow wood is almost universally
employed for house carpenters’ work where deal is used in Europe, but we
had found it would not bear exposure to wet or damp.
“On the 25th, at 8 o’clock, our party left Sandvliet, and crossing the
Erste river, the horse of Colonel Warre got into one of the quicksands,
which are very frequent on all the beaches along this coast; but he was
soon extricated, and we found a fine hard sand, on which we galloped
to Gordon’s Bay. This little bay, which is completely sheltered from
the prevailing south-east wind, the only wind to be much dreaded in
False bay, lies immediately under Hottentots Holland Kloof; and offers
to the resident, means of transporting the corn and produce of the
eastern districts to Simon’s bay. But the Dutch always appear to have
had a decided aversion to a coasting trade; and when I was endeavouring
to persuade a farmer (and one of a description that might be called
educated) of the great advantage of having a schooner of seventy tons,
which would take seventy loads of corn to the Cape Town market; while, if
carried by land, it would be the work of 980 oxen, 140 slaves, with 70
wagons; he replied, ‘True, Commissioner, but then you see, mine fader and
mine grandfader always send his corn mid de bullock vagen; and why not
I?’ This argument is rarely to be got over.
“Were a mole carried out in Gordon’s bay, it would be attended with
immense advantages, not only to the Naval and Victuallers’ Establishments
in Simon’s bay, but to Cape Town also; to which wagons drawn by fourteen
and often by sixteen oxen, laden with only one ton of farm produce, are
dragged, through a deep sand for at least thirty miles, out of the whole
distance, which is forty. The coasting vessels would then be in perfect
security with all winds, and only leave the port when there was a moral
certainty of a quick passage. A moderate S.E. wind, the prevailing wind
nine months out of twelve, would carry them to Simon’s bay in less than
six hours, and in twelve or fourteen to Table bay. No coaster should be
employed in False bay of a greater burthen than 100 tons, as a light
draught of water would enable them to get close in shore for loading and
unloading, not only in Gordon’s, but in Simon’s bay and Table bay.
“The road over the western extremity of the great branch of the
Swartberg, or mountains which run parallel with the south-east coast,
which is called Hottentots Hollands Kloof, commences at Gordon’s bay,
and was at this time so steep and rugged, as to be attended with much
difficulty, especially to the heavy wagons of the country. Our party
however having their saddle horses with them, found great enjoyment in
ascending it, as in the frequent halts which it was necessary to make,
they had a most splendid view of the Cape Flat, as the level or the
isthmus is called, which stretches between the Table mountain and those
of the Blueberg.
“From the summit of Hottentots Holland Kloof the view towards the north
and the west is sublime and magnificent beyond description, and can
scarcely be surpassed. The Table mountain, which forms a striking feature
on the western side of the isthmus, appears from the height on which the
spectator stands, diminished to a small island; whilst the Cape Flat,
as the isthmus is called, which connects it with the range of mountains
skirting the eastern side of it, is dotted with farms and vineyards,
especially near the Table mountain, where the two Constantias, Newlands
Wynburg, and Rendelins look like clusters of ornamental cottages; and
even the tracts of bare white sand, which are interspersed amidst the
colouring of every hue, from that of the dark cypress to the brightest
green of spring, produced by the innumerable shrubs which clothe the
plain and the sides of the mountains, become features of extraordinary
beauty, lighting up the landscape with the most forcible touches.
“The view on the S.E. side of this range of mountains is far less
interesting. A wide extent of barren and broken ground, offering to
the eye a fatiguing monotony without any grand or striking features as
in Scotland or Wales; and wanting the little pan of cultivated land
occasionally seen in the vallies bordering the silver stream.
“We at last surmounted this pass, which could only be effected by putting
oxen to the wagon, which being trained to the task, and by nature more
patient than the horse, slowly but certainly get up the mountain with
the heaviest load. Where one span, or team, is found insufficient, it
is frequently the case that two are put on, and as many as thirty-two
oxen may be seen crawling up the mountain, at a distance resembling an
immense caterpillar. The road from Hottentots Holland to the Palmut river
is broken and irregular. The river which we had now to ford was but of
little depth. The greater part of the summer it is nearly dry, but in the
winter it is frequently impassable from the violence and depth of the
torrents. This circumstance occasions great impediments in travelling
through the colony; a delay of many days is frequently experienced,
and even whole families, who have left their homes for the purpose of
going to a Church only a few miles distant, have been detained many
days on the banks of one of these torrents, without the possibility of
getting across: at the same time no house being near, they have been
under the necessity of making their bivouac, in and under the wagon; the
boor furnishing them with provisions by means of his gun, from which he
is seldom separated, and which is his never failing companion in his
journies.
“A most remarkable circumstance grew out of this uncertainty, as to
passing the rivers, while I was a resident in the colony. Some farmers,
residing within a few miles of Stellenbosch, were in the habit of going
thither to church on the Sunday, and having to pass a river on the way,
were frequently detained in the manner above mentioned. In consequence
of this inconvenience, they determined to purchase a piece of land, on
which they might, as they could collect the means, build a church for
their own immediate neighbourhood; accordingly they collected amongst
themselves 23,000 guilders—at that time about £330 sterling—and bought
a considerable piece of ground with it. Having apportioned as much of
this as they judged necessary for the church, the parsonage house, glebe,
&c., &c., they divided the remainder into lots, for dwelling houses and
gardens, and put them up to auction with a view of getting back some of
the purchase money. Extraordinary as it may appear, it is nevertheless a
fact, that the remnant of a piece of land, the whole of which had been
purchased for 23,000 guilders, thus divided into small lots, fetched
by auction the enormous sum of 163,000 guilders. It was of course the
vicinity of the intended church, and the prospect of a town rising round
it, which gave this immense increase of value to the land; and what
encouragement does this hold out, even to worldly speculators, as to
the expediency of building churches. We have heard it stated that the
million sterling, which some years since, was appropriated by parliament
for building churches, has brought in an immense interest in the shape
of taxes of various descriptions levied upon the houses which have been
built, and the population which has been collected round them; and if to
these are added the produce of the excise, the gain must be very great—no
money whatever, perhaps, ever brought in so large a return as this did.
“But the circumstance becomes deeply interesting in a much higher point
of view. It shews the earnest desire even of the Cape Boor for religious
instruction—and ‘that the fields are indeed white unto harvest while the
labourers are few.’
“The Palmut river was not at this time very deep, but the water came up
nearly to the bottom of the wagon. The dogs which accompanied the party
had in consequence a very narrow escape from being drowned. In order to
prevent their feet from being cut by the rough roads, and to keep them
fresh against the time when their services might be called for, they
were generally put in baskets in which their beds were made, and hung
under the wagon, but so close to the bottom of it, as to prevent their
jumping out. Upon this occasion they had been forgotten, and on passing
through the river there was barely space between the surface of the
water and the bottom of the wagon, to enable them to keep their noses out
of it. Three inches more and they must have been lost. Towards evening
the windings of the Palmut River, and the fine outline of the Swartberg
mountains—the one contrasted with the deep shade thrown over the land,
and the others with the bright blue sky, formed a magnificent picture.
“We passed the night at the house of a Dutch farmer, named Uric, where we
were most comfortably accommodated. He was a very industrious man, and
although a cripple from rheumatism, and only assisted by two slaves, had
succeeded in the course of two years in building a house, in planting a
large vineyard, and providing for his children and grand-children.
“On the 26th, having procured oxen for the purpose, we began to ascend
the great Hac-hoek (or the great high corner) the road passing over a
range of mountains diverging from the great chain of the Swartberg, and
running towards the sea near Cape Lagullos. The view from the summit of
this pass was highly picturesque. On the left, the grand chain of the
Swartberg which runs along the coast from False Cape to Algoa bay was
seen receding and losing itself in a vivid blue distance. At the foot
of the Hac-hoek, on the eastern side, runs the Both Riviere, which in
the summer like almost all the smaller Cape rivers, is little more than
the bed of a winter torrent. Here we found again a labourious settler,
living on a farm on the left bank of this river, in which but a very
few years before he had considered himself with his large family as in
a state of independence. He had built a mill just below his house, and
by a lateral cut he had brought the water to turn it. This had cost
him infinite labour to effect, but it answered admirably. His garden,
containing abundance of fruit trees, and about two thousand vines, was
contiguous to the mill, and was watered by the stream that turned it.
But the river increased in the course of one night to a fearful torrent,
which destroyed his garden and vineyard, ruined his mill, and covered the
soil near his house with such a deluge of sand and rocks as to render it
almost unfit for future cultivation. The worthy man was for some time in
a state of despair, declared himself ruined, and saw nothing before him
but a miserable old age. He however exerted himself with renewed energy,
selected another spot for a mill and garden on the opposite side of the
river, and his efforts have been crowned with success: only a very few
years had elapsed when we saw him, with his mill restored and in use, and
an extensive garden with a vineyard of twenty thousand vines. We found
him in the full enjoyment of his well merited prosperity, an example of
patience and industry to all his neighbours.
“After passing the Both Riviere the country lost its precipitous
character, but was intersected by deep ravines extending from the base of
the mountains to the sea on the S.E. coast, the hills sloping gradually
into them, their sides abounding in verdure, but with few trees. The
vallies were in general well supplied with water, and consequently
fertile, better calculated for vines than corn, although the latter grows
in abundance where there is moisture.
“We arrived in the middle of the day at Caledon, a town which may be
supposed by its name to have had its origin under the British Government.
It is situated in the Brandt valley, and near the hot baths. It was
founded in 1810, and had at this period a very imposing appearance, with
its church, town house, and magistrates’ houses; the other dwellings have
also a pretty appearance, being white-washed and neatly painted. There is
but little taste displayed in point of architecture, in which the Dutch
taste is not only prevalent but exclusive.
“We here were most hospitably received and entertained by the chief
magistrate, Mr. Frawenfeller, and passed a day with him in viewing the
baths, the hospital, and the leper establishment. This hideous disease
of leprosy is held perhaps in greater horror by the Dutch than by other
nations, who are careful to keep those affected by it as separate as
possible from the population; in which they are undoubtedly right,
provided the afflicted are not made to suffer from these restrictions,
which, from the information obtained here, was not suspected to be the
case.
“From Caledon I proceeded with my friends to Bavian’s Kloof, as we were
very desirous of seeing the Moravian establishment in that neighbourhood,
called by them Genadendahl, or the vale of grace. The road on leaving
Caledon, and until near Bavian’s Kloof, was very bad, winding round
the sides of the mountain. The country had much of the same undulating
appearance as that between the Hac-hoek and Caledon, but on approaching
Bavian’s Kloof it became level and good. The morning had been wet,
but clearing up as we approached the Moravian settlement, we saw it
to great advantage. The Swartberg mountains, elevated, bleak, and
bare, formed the back ground of the view, and appeared to overhang
Genadendahl. The road ran between two moderately elevated hills on each
hand, with a fertile and well cultivated valley between them, and led
winding through extensive corn grounds, and large tracts of heath to the
Moravian establishment. These corn grounds are in general the property
of the Hottentots, who have sought refuge among the Moravians from the
persecution of the boors, and many of them evince great proofs of skill
and industry; others again shew that their owners had not entirely
conquered that aversion to labour, which is so strikingly manifested by
that people. The first view of Bavian’s Kloof and the vallies surrounding
the missionary establishment is very striking, and reminded us forcibly
of those affecting descriptions of the pastor and his flock in the wild
and mountainous parts of Scotland, to which the Presbyterians had been
driven in that country, in the days of persecution. The church, a modest
but spacious building, with its roof of thatch, rose to a considerable
height amidst the cottages of the Hottentots, which surrounded it in
every direction, and in every variety of form and grade of civilization.
They appeared to have sought and to have obtained protection under the
shadow of the house of God, and the valley appeared to be at once the
vale of grace, and the vale of peace. It was truly delightful to observe
the gradual, but in many instances the very high degree of improvement,
which had taken place in the habits of this most interesting race, and
the reverence, and gratitude, and love many of them shewed towards their
kind and single-hearted protectors.
“The establishment was originally founded in 1733, by the Moravian
Smyth, but in consequence of the hostility of the Dutch colonists it was
broken up in 1742. A pear tree planted by Mr. Smyth during the period,
now remained in the garden, as a monument of the first existence of
the retreat. It was re-established in 1792; but during the government
of Sir James Craddock, a conspiracy was formed by the Boors to murder
the Moravians, and to seize upon the defenceless Hottentots. Timely
information having however been sent to the Governor, due precaution was
taken, and the conspirators dispersed.[23] Since that time the inmates
have been suffered to remain in peace, although hated by the neighbouring
Boors, as they prevent their exercising upon the Hottentots, the fraud
and oppression which these people formerly suffered from them.
“The church, although a heavy unsightly building, with its very deep
thatched roof and sharp gables, becomes deeply interesting, when filled
with its attentive congregation. It is not possible to conceive more
genuine and artless devotion than that which is manifested externally
by the Hottentots; and we are justified in the hope, that a very large
portion of them are deeply impressed with the blessed truths, which they
hear from their truly pious instructors. We cannot guess the heart,
but if consistency of character, and a life evidently formed on true
Christian principles will entitle people to be considered as genuine
followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, that title may safely be conferred
upon them. They themselves will never claim it, but they pursue the
peaceful tenor of their way, through good report, and through evil
report, having apparently only one object in view, which is the faithful
fulfilment of their duty to their God, and to their fellow creatures. And
what but the divine blessing upon their sincere and humble endeavours
to promote the happiness of their fellow creature, could give that
power, authority, and stability to their society, which they evidently
possess? Neither having, nor wishing for the means of coercion, their
influence over their flock is founded on love; and the fear of that
love being withdrawn, is the only but effectual restraint by which the
Hottentot is kept from infringing the rules of the society. It would be
impossible on a hasty visit to form a just estimate of these most useful
missionaries. We passed some days with them, and were delighted with
their truly consistent method of civilizing the Hottentots. It seemed
to be their object to make them feel that they were not only rational
but immortal beings; and to guide them not only to improve the blessings
which God had bestowed upon them for their advantage in this world, but
also to use these blessings in such a manner as might prepare them for
the everlasting happiness of heaven. In this system, the first use that
man is taught to make of his reasoning powers is to learn that he is a
sinner, as helpless with regard to the renovation of his soul from the
state of corruption, into which for the first time he was made sensible
that he had fallen, as he was in the state of savage nature, in which
he had hitherto lived, to obtain the comforts and advantages possessed
by the more enlightened European. In this way religion and civilization
went hand in hand, and it was very remarkable that on observing a
particularly neat cottage, and a well kept garden, it was almost always
found to belong to the most advanced Christian; and this may in a great
measure be accounted for by the unwearied patience observed by the
Moravians over their charge. They are so far from being precipitate in
making the Hottentots nominal Christians by the external rite of baptism,
that it is possible they err on the other hand, and exact too much.
If this be an error however, it is one on the safe side. But a long
series of good conduct, an evident reformation from old habits, and a
considerable acquirement of knowledge of the New Testament are considered
indispensable before they can be baptized; and a much greater advance in
Christianity is required before they can be admitted to the sacrament of
the Lord’s Supper.
“In conversing with Mr. Lestner, the chief of the Missionary
establishment, upon this subject, I learnt that even the qualifications
last mentioned of an exemplary life of piety were not all that was
expected from the candidate for the sacrament; but that he must,
notwithstanding the most spotless character, be exposed to the lot—his
name being put to into one vase, and when drawn out, a paper was drawn
out of another vase, containing either an affirmative or a negative. I
put a case to Mr. Lestner, in which I supposed the candidate to have been
educated under his own eye, and personally known to him; to have been
from infancy most exemplary, as a child to his parents, as a servant to
his master, as a companion to those around him, and, I asked, would he
still be subjected to the lot? The answer was, ‘Most certainly,’ and the
precedent of Matthias was given as a reason. It consequently happened
that in some instances several negatives followed each other, but at
length the affirmative came, and the candidate became a communicant.
Whatever opinion may be formed of the apparently unnecessary strictness,
it produced the very best effects in many instances; and could not well
be abused, as the testimony of good character was necessary before the
experiment of the lot could be tried, and there were therefore very few
instances of unworthy members being admitted.
“The assistance and countenance the Hottentots received from the
Missionaries depended much upon the grade the latter had taken as
constituting the Christian, and this will readily account for the
superior appearance of their dwellings.
“The service in the church was short, and very impressive, consisting of
prayers, exhortations, hymns, and a sermon; and the greatest attention
was observable in the congregation. Some manifested a most ardent
devotion; and many undoubtedly felt it. The singing of the female
Hottentots was delightful, and added powerfully to the effect produced by
this view of the worship of God in the wilderness.
“The same gradation of improvement was observed in the dress of the
Hottentots as was apparent in their dwellings. In the rows nearest
the reading desk the females were clad in European manufactures, and
displayed great neatness and cleanliness; some indeed went further, and
had added what might be termed finery; but this was much discouraged by
the Moravian ladies, who, while employing them in the beautiful work so
well known and appreciated in Europe, taught them to consider that it
should form no part of their own attire.
“On the middle benches there were mingled with an approach to the costume
of the white inhabitant some remains of the sheep’s skin covering of
their early state, and less of cleanliness might be remarked; and on
those most remote, the genuine Hottentot was seen in the habiliments of
his early days.
“On the first arrival of the Hottentot at the establishment, he is
provided with a piece of ground, his only claim being the recommendation
of one of his countrymen; and on this spot he is left to act at perfect
liberty, without either direction or restraint. He is required, as the
only tenure by which he holds the property, to attend the church at
stated periods, and to receive religious instruction. The Missionaries
are too wise to expect that these people should instantaneously throw
off their habits of indolence; they are generally certain that these
will disappear, as well as the sheep’s skin and the kraal, with the
moral darkness which the light of the gospel will dispel; and leave them
to experience gradually the change of disposition and habits which is
likely to result from the change in the mode of life. Their education
is powerfully advanced and accelerated by observation, which with all
savages is very acute. Man is an imitative animal, and easily induced
to follow that which he sees in the conduct of those whom he is led to
respect or love. Here every effort is made to give the mind a right bias;
and there is no doubt that the fervent humble prayer, which is daily
offered up for them by these single hearted Moravians, is accepted, and
brings down many a blessing upon the early convert, who as yet is only
capable of seeing the source of his progress in second causes. Habits
of industry thus acquired are likely to become fixed and progressive,
and are associated with all the instruction they receive, as effects
proceeding from one first cause, and that cause Christianity.
“There is service in the church every evening, at which above 200 attend,
but on the sabbath nearly 1200 assemble. The whole number under the care
of Moravians at this time was rather more than 1300. On Mondays and
Fridays they were instructed in singing. The catechism was the course of
instruction for the adults. A school room had been built for the daily
instruction of the children. The girls are received into this school in
the morning, and the boys in the evening; they are educated upon Dr.
Bell’s system, and many have made very considerable progress, reading the
Bible in Dutch with great fluency.
“The Missionaries are naturally very anxious that the children thus
educated should settle amongst them, and see them go away with great
reluctance. They however seldom migrate, but marry at an early age, and
settle under the immediate protection of their kind friends. We visited
several of the cottages, which would have been admired for their neatness
and cleanliness in any part of England.
“The Moravians receive all Hottentots from whatever part of the colony
they may come, but admit with some jealousy such as have been long
inhabitants of Cape Town; and this for a very obvious reason, as they
have but too probably acquired habits of intemperance and profligacy,
from which these were perhaps free in their savage state.
“The Boors make great complaints against the Moravians for encouraging
the Hottentots in their disinclination to work, and in the preference
they give to remaining in wretchedness and want in the neighbourhood of
Genadendahl, to what they consider more useful labour upon the farms of
the colony. The charge of indolence made against the Hottentots while in
the service of the Boor may be admitted to a certain degree; but this
must in a great measure be attributed to the treatment they receive from
the Boor—where they are invariably overworked, wretchedly clad, and
cruelly punished for the slightest offence, and even for no offence at
all. This is a fearful weight in the scale, when the only counterpoise
is a sufficiency of food. The wages rarely exceeded five rix dollars
a month, and this payment was often withheld on the plea of a debt,
for clothes, tobacco, or spirituous liquors; by which means from utter
inability to pay what is demanded, the poor Hottentot became to all
intents and purposes a slave for life; but even should he by the utmost
exertion and frugality, succeed in getting rid of this debt, he might be
involved in others, being accused of having lost an ox by carelessness,
or by breaking a wagon by an accident over which he could have no
control. Conviction soon followed accusation at the field Cornet’s
tribunal, and unless rescued by remonstrances from influential persons,
there was little hope of their ever obtaining freedom. Dr. Philip by
his arduous exertions, at length broke the neck of this most odious
system of tyranny, and succeeded in placing the Hottentot in a situation
nearer to that of the white colonist. But among the Boors of the Cape
there are many who have dealt very differently with the Hottentot; who
have been just and humane towards them, and who in consequence have
had occasion to speak of them in a very different manner. Instead of
denouncing the whole race as indolent, dishonest, and treacherous,
they have found them active, industrious, faithful, and attached in an
extraordinary degree, not only to the master and his family, but to his
interest, which they hazarded their lives in defence of; as has been
frequently evinced by the conduct of these people in defending their
master’s property or cattle from wild beasts, or from Kaffer invaders.
In truth perhaps there is no description of person who has evinced more
ardent gratitude and self-devotion than the Hottentot has done when under
kind treatment; there was also one trait of character in itself most
honourable, which was so frequently manifested as to place them very high
in moral eminence, and that was their determined adherence to truth.
Colonel Graham, our companion on this occasion, assured me, that during
the whole time he commanded the Hottentot corps, which was some years,
he remembered very few instances in which these people had recourse to
falsehood; and that even in cases, when the offence from having been
often repeated, must necessarily meet with punishment, it was confessed
by the culprit with the same frankness as though it had been the first
offence, and the confession pleaded in the hope of forgiveness. It is
painful to think how much of this native morality of character has been
lost, by communication with civilized Europeans.
“I confidently believe, that were the Hottentot always treated with
kindness and paid his just due, his labour would far exceed the work
assigned him, and that he would be, when uncorrupted by bad example, a
most valuable and attached servant. Of this there are many instances, not
only in the memory, but in the actual experience of respectable persons
at the Cape.
“The Hottentots are in general remarkably intelligent, and are very quick
sighted in discovering the track or footsteps of wild animals; they will
even trace the steps of man over wild and extensive heaths, so covered
with a stunted vegetation as to leave no apparent traces. Their vision is
also particularly correct and clear. These last mentioned faculties seem
to be possessed in a high degree by all savages, a circumstance easily
accounted for by the supposition that their faculties are sharpened by
the necessity of exerting them to the utmost, in the absence of those
aids, which invention in civilized states has rendered so universal, and
so indispensable.
“A Hottentot delights in the chase, a pursuit he was born to; and he is
admirably adapted to it from his almost intuitive knowledge of the haunts
and habits of wild animals, to whom he is a most formidable enemy.
“We have already adverted to the corps formed entirely of Hottentots,
and in justice to them we should give the opinion formed of these people
by General Sir James Craig, by whom they were embodied. It has already
been given in the excellent and accurate work of Mr. now Sir John Barrow,
but it should, whenever the Hottentot character is brought before the
public, be referred to. ‘Never were people more contented, or more
grateful, for the treatment they now receive. We have upwards of three
hundred, who have been with us nearly nine months. It is therefore with
the opportunity of knowing them well that I venture to pronounce them an
intelligent race of men. All who bear arms exercise well, and understand
immediately and perfectly whatever they are taught to perform. Many of
them speak English tolerably well. We were told that so great was their
propensity to drunkenness, we should never be able to reduce them to
order or discipline; and that the habit of roving was so rooted in their
disposition, we must expect the whole corps would desert the moment they
had received their clothing. With respect to the first, I do not find
they are more given to the vice of drinking than our own people; and as
to their pretended propensity to roving, that charge is fully confuted
by the circumstance of only one man having left us, since I first
adopted the measure of assembling them, and he was urged to this step by
having lost his firelock. Of all the qualities that can be ascribed to a
Hottentot, it will be little expected that I should expatiate upon their
cleanliness, and yet it is certain, that at this moment our Hottentot
parade would not suffer in comparison with that of some of our regular
regiments. The clothing perhaps may have suffered more than it ought to
have done, in the time since it was issued to them, from their ignorance
of the means of preserving it; but those articles which are capable of
being kept clean by washing, together with their arms and accoutrements,
which they have been taught to keep bright, are always in good order.
They are now likewise cleanly in their persons; the practice of smearing
themselves with grease being entirely left off. I have frequently seen
them washing themselves in a rivulet when they could have in view no
other object but cleanliness.’[24]
“The Missionaries having received many who had belonged to the corps, are
very rigid in prohibiting the use of fire arms amongst the people, lest
they should be led away from the habits of industry they are anxious to
bring them to, by their pursuit of game.
“Besides the schools there are two workshops in which the young
Hottentots learn the useful craft of the blacksmith, and the carpenter.
The work done here is highly creditable to them, and were there a great
demand for their labour, they would soon equal the European artificers.
Chairs, tables, bureaus, and other cabinet work, as well as cutlery of
every common description is the produce of these workshops. They also
build excellent wagons, and are accounted capital wheelwrights. The
smith’s house (a Hottentot) was in remarkable good order. They have
also among them many respectable masons and thatchers. Their houses
produce a very picturesque effect, as seen under the mountains, neatly
white-washed. The white-wash is made by pouring boiling water upon bran,
and then letting it run off upon lime.
“A very considerable business is carried on by the Missionaries, in the
produce of their handicrafts, by trafficking with the interior. All
implements for farm purposes are supplied by them of a good quality,
and moderate prices; and the Boors of Graaf Reynet deal largely in the
purchase of these articles in exchange for cattle.
“The produce of the girl’s workroom is too well known and estimated in
Europe to require any account of it; but the neat, cleanly, and cheerful
appearance of the young female Hottentots assembled is very striking to
the strangers who visit the establishment, and offers a very convincing
proof of the success of the Moravians in this most benevolent undertaking.
“The Hottentots express themselves surprisingly well upon the subject of
religion, and are evidently capable of much serious reflection; this the
Missionaries confirmed by quoting many instances.
“The holy sacrament is administered every month; there were generally
about 400 communicants, and an individual examination takes place
previously to their receiving it. The females are all dressed in white
when they approach the holy table. If any of the Hottentots are known to
have quarrelled, they are not permitted to communicate until they are
reconciled to each other; or rather they are enjoined to stay away, which
in general produces the same effect.
“It is not to be expected that these people should be without their share
of vices, which are so common among all communities of their fellow
creatures, and amongst others that of drunkenness has been especially
charged against them, but perhaps unjustly; for what Sir James Craig
says of them as a military corps, may be urged in their favour in every
other situation of life in which they are found, that they are not more
given to drinking than Europeans. They are in addition surrounded by
temptations, as the Boors in the neighbourhood are always pressing upon
them wine and brandy of a most wretched description, in payment for
any service they may render them; or if by sale, at a very low price.
The Hottentots have also a great temptation from the abundance of a
plant called the Daka, or wild hemp, which they smoke, and which has as
intoxicating an effect as ardent spirits, and may even be considered as
having more deleterious effects.
“The Moravians are not only anxious to avoid the exercise of any coercion
or restraint over these Hottentots, but to remove all suspicion from
the minds of the Boors that the establishment derives any interest or
advantage from their labour. For this reason, they are particularly
careful never to employ them, without coming to an immediate settlement,
as soon as the work is performed; and they make it a rule, never to
accept any presents from them, however disposed from gratitude these
people might be to offer them.
“A stream winds its way through the valley in which the settlement is
situated, and the Hottentots having built their houses on the higher part
of the ground allotted them, carried their gardens to the banks with
the view of facilitating the watering of them; but two years before our
visit, a torrent from the neighbouring mountains swept away the greater
part of the gardens, and their labours have since been confined to the
more elevated parts of these grounds.
“The Missionaries have tried the cultivation of flax in Genadendahl, but
without success. They were in hopes to have produced the material for an
useful employment to the Hottentots, and there is no good reason assigned
for the failure. As the Commissioner I was so convinced of the advantage
which might be derived to the Naval department from the growth of hemp,
that I twice imported seed from England in the hope of establishing
its culture; but in both instances the seed never germinated, which I
attributed to the vital principle having been destroyed in the heated
hold of the vessel in which it was brought out; and before I could make a
third effort, the establishment was broken up. It is very probable that
further endeavours may have been subsequently made, and it is to be hoped
that they have been more fortunate.
“On the 29th of November we continued our journey to the Moful Bay, the
road lay through a country wild and broken, but highly picturesque; the
Swartberg and Hottentots Kloof on the left, and the valleys interspersed
with numerous patches of fertile corn ground. We had to cross the river
Sender End (without end) twice in the course of the day, but this is
attended with no difficulty in the summer season. In the winter it is
generally a furious torrent, and opportunities must be diligently sought,
and readily made use of for getting over it. This river Sender End
terminates among the sand-hills, through which it discharges itself into
the sea.
“We arrived at six in the evening at the beautiful farm of Mr. —— in
the Soctindals valley, and we were most hospitably received by that
gentleman, who is highly respected throughout every part of the colony.
He has brought up a large family, and his children are now settled round
him, not only in comfort, but in opulence, promising him a happy old age.
His house, which was originally a hospital, is still called Sicken Huis,
and stands on the right bank of the Sender End river.
“It is generally observed that hospitality is the virtue most
practised in the earliest stage of society, and that it declines as
the conveniences of life multiply, and accommodations are provided for
travellers on the road, by persons who look to them as the means of
acquiring property. This is undoubtedly true, but it appears in the
colony to have out-lived its term, and to continue to flourish where the
absolute necessity for it has passed away; for such are the arrangements
made for travelling by means of tents and beds fitted to wagons, and the
custom of making a bivouac on the open heath, that no person undertakes a
journey without the means of being independent in the course of it; and
should there be an invincible repugnance to passing the night without the
shelter of a roof, and a sure defence against wild beasts, there are farm
houses of an inferior description, where admittance might be obtained on
the payment of a small sum. It is true there are not many of them, for
the principle of hospitality descends to the lowest class of farmers.
Arrangements however may be made of this description, so as to prevent
the necessity of intruding upon the domestic privacy of respectable
families. Notwithstanding this, the master of the house near which
respectable travellers should find themselves, expects that they would
unhesitatingly come to him; and on their doing so, evinces the utmost
readiness to accommodate them. Every effort is made by the whole family
to shew that their hospitality comes from the heart; and the traveller,
his servants, and his horses, are liberally provided for. No matter at
what hour he arrives, a sumptuous, or at least an abundant repast is
prepared for him, with the best of everything the house affords, and
the best bed-room for his accommodation. At whatever hour the traveller
proposes to continue his journey, he is sure to find his horses and his
breakfast ready for him, with warm demonstrations of friendship and
invitations to come again, should he return by the same road. This was
the reception and hospitality that we met with, not only from Mr. ——,
but in almost every part of the country; not always upon the scale of
comfort which we experienced here, but with the warmest welcome according
to the means possessed of offering it.
“On the 29th we continued our route, and as the day’s journey was to be
a very long one, Mr. —— kindly supplied us with a span of oxen to take
the wagon as far as the Zout kraal, by which our horses were greatly
spared. We arrived about two o’clock on the banks of the Salt lake, and
dined on its banks. The water in this lake is too salt for use; and that
which we procured from an adjacent farm was so brackish as to be scarcely
drinkable; but this quality in water is by no means objectionable to
those who are accustomed to it; on the contrary, persons visiting Cape
Town from these districts have been known to put salt to the water to
render it palatable before they could drink it.
“We traversed extensive plains this day, and saw abundance of game,
consisting of stein bocks, riebocks, partridges, pavus, koar hens, &c.
the two last a species of the bustard, and very good eating, resembling
the Turkey in size, but of a fine wild flavour. We arrived in the evening
at the extensive farm of Mr. Odendals, a most respectable and hospitable
gentleman, whose estate lies on the western side of the Potteberg, a
minor range of hills diverging from the Swartberg, and terminating near
the S.E. coast.
“We were here received with the utmost hospitality, and every provision
made for our comfort, not only for the night, but for the day and night
following, as the day of our arrival was Saturday. We were delighted
with the manner in which the family passed the sabbath, no church being
within many miles of them. Mr. Odendals read the service to his household
in the great hall, which appeared to be the constant practice. He had
five children who bid fair to be a comfort to him.
“The farm was a very extensive and most productive one, and had it been
cultivated to its full extent, would have yielded a very large supply
of grain for the colonial market; but the want of vent for the produce
prevented this being done. The distance from the farm to Cape Town
required four days to perform it, and a wagon with two men, or a man and
a boy, with sixteen oxen, could only take one load of corn, which taking
the average prices of grain whilst I was residing at the Cape, may be
taken at about sixty rix dollars, or £6 sterling, by far too small a sum
to remunerate the farmer for his seed, his labour, the rent of his land,
and the absence of his people, oxen and wagon nine days, independent of
the probable loss of one or more oxen on the road, and the wear and tear
of the wagon. It is true they brought back from Cape Town the articles of
European produce required for the consumption of the family, but this was
to a very small amount.
“What renders this want of a market more surprising is, that on the
other side of the Potteberg, at a distance of only a few hours from this
farm, was a river, with a safe port at its entrance, into which vessels
of from 70 to 100 tons might enter with safety, and receive cargoes of
grain, or other rural produce, lying in perfect security during the
whole of the summer, and within two days’ sail of Simon’s Bay or Table
Bay. Had a coasting trade existed, and a magazine been erected at the
mouth of the Bride River, this district might have furnished a very
large supply of grain; and had similar measures been adopted in other
parts of the colony where the same advantages existed, not only would
this valuable possession of Great Britain have abounded with corn for
its own consumption, but it might have had a valuable article of export
even to the mother country. It is to be hoped that British enterprize may
before this time have laid the foundation of a very extensive coasting
trade, which shall at once be the means of bringing into cultivation much
valuable land now entirely neglected; whilst it supplies the interior
of the colony with every article of European manufacture, of which it
stands in need, at a moderate price. It may not be amiss to give here,
by anticipation, a calculation which I made some weeks afterwards at
George, when conversing with the leading inhabitants upon the subject of
a coasting trade as indispensable to the prosperity of this new town.
“A merchant of George is supposed to order a ton of goods, either
Manchester, or Birmingham, or Sheffield, (as it may be) from England, for
the purpose of supplying the wants of his neighbourhood. These goods are
accordingly shipped to his consignment in London, and arrive at the Cape
in the course of ten or twelve weeks afterwards, paying a freight to the
Cape of £l 10s. per ton. These goods have now to be carried by land to
the town of George, a distance of scarcely two hundred miles from Cape
Town, and for the freight for this distance, not less than the sum of £9
sterling must be paid, and enormous as this sum must appear, it cannot be
done for less, as the following calculation will shew.
“To bring one ton of goods from Cape Town to George would require one
man, one boy, one wagon, and sixteen oxen, and the freight charged by the
farmer, is five rix dollars per cwt., or one hundred rix dollars for the
ton.
“A whole month is required for the journey, including the days of
departure and arrival, and one day loading the wagon, in Cape Town, at
little more than three rix dollars per day.
“But under the supposition that he might carry a load of the produce of
his farm, say corn to Cape Town, the highest price of which in the market
would be one hundred rix dollars, he could only estimate the freight at
ten rix dollars at the utmost, making one hundred and ten rix dollars for
freight going and returning.
“The least which can be set off against this profit would be—
R. d.
The wages of the man and boy during the month 20 0 0
The repairs of the wagon after the journey 20 0 0
The loss of one ox—but this is a very low average, as
they frequently lose many 30 0 0
-------
70 0 0
Leaving a balance to the farmer, without any mention
being made for the loss of the labour of his oxen on
the farm 30 0 0
-------
100 0 0
or about 2s. sterling per day.
“Mr. Odendals assured me that he could afford to deliver 7000 muids of
grain to a vessel at the mouth of the Bride River, at thirty rix dollars
per load under the current price in Cape Town; and that were the means
of exportation furnished to him by the river, the quantity of grain
might be increased to a very great amount. Here would be a freight for a
schooner, a small vessel of seventy tons, of £210 sterling, to be divided
as profit between the merchant and the owner of the vessel, for a voyage
that might be performed in a week, but which upon a fair average of
winter and summer, might be certainly done eight times in the year; but
in all probability twice that number of voyages might be performed. In
addition to this freight, another sum might be added for that of European
manufactures carried back, in exchange for the corn, and nearly equal in
amount to the former. Iron, cutlery of all sorts, agricultural tools,
brandy, tea, coffee, sugar, &c. &c. are in great demand in the interior,
and having to pay the heavy land carriage already mentioned, reach the
inland consumer at an enormous price.
“Mr. Odendals appeared to be very happy in his family, and much respected
and beloved by his slaves. A very pleasing practice was observed in his
house, which was, that of all the servants, slaves as well as others,
coming in, in succession in the morning, to wish their master a good day.
This was considered as a family muster.
“The garden here would probably have been very productive, had it been
more sheltered from the S.E. winds, which might easily have been done,
many shrubs such as the Rhinoceros bush, and many Proteas, braving its
violence; under the lee of which the stunted oak, such as many of the
vineyards in the Cape district are sheltered by, might be made to grow.
The water is generally brackish through the extensive plains at the
foot of the Potteberg; a quality for which it is not disrelished by the
inhabitants, however objectionable to strangers. A beautiful specimen of
the wild Jessamine was seen here, armed with thorns as sharp as those of
the Mimosa.
“The roads in the neighbourhood are generally good, that from Sickenhuis
to this place was excellent, running over level ironstone; and but for
the ravines by which it was so frequently intercepted, might have been
travelled upon at as great a rate as the best roads in England; and being
formed on a hard surface, never wanted repair, in fact the only labour
required in making them was to clear away the heath.
“On Monday, Dec. 1st, it rained too hard during the early part of the day
for our party to begin their journey; but in the afternoon the weather
clearing, our kind host insisted upon driving us in his wagon to Cape
Lagullos. The road lay over a very extensive plain, capable of being
made very productive in corn. In the neighbourhood of the Recty Lake the
ground is so frequently flooded, that it produces only a rank coarse
grass. There are many pools in the course of the Kleine River, called
by the inhabitants “Sea cow holes,” from the resemblance to the haunts
of these animals in the eastern parts of the colony, and probably from
their having been found here in the earlier part of the settlement;
tradition being very common here of the country having been infested with
all descriptions of wild animals, and particularly lions and buffalos,
which are now rarely seen to the westward of the Gauritz River.
“From the Recty Lake a quantity of salt is collected every year, as
much as 3000 muids. The plain formerly afforded excellent pasturage for
horses, but the grass having become coarse, and rank, the value of the
property has much diminished. The Boors on the small farms which are
dispersed about this extensive tract of land, are of an athletic make,
but of most indolent habits, as is evident from the wretched appearance
of their farms and all around them. Their chief occupation is hunting,
and here, and here only, their energies seem to be aroused; but the
neglect of their farms has already been accounted for, in the want of a
market for their produce. A little corn is sufficient for the consumption
of their families, and as they have abundance of sheep, and plenty of
game at hand, they want but little besides clothing and brandy, which
they procure from Cape Town in exchange for what they send thither.
“On the evening of this day we reached Recty, a small horse farm,
situated on the eastern side of a Lake, about seven miles from Cape
Lagullos, a wretched hovel in a most dilapidated state, and bearing
evident marks of the absence of its master. From the failure of the grass
already alluded to, but few horses are used here. We passed the night
with as much comfort as the means offered us would admit of; but to
travellers of cheerful disposition, good health and appetite, with wagons
so provided, as to set scarcity at defiance, we did not suffer much;
there was during the night a severe storm of thunder and lightning.
“On the following day we set out for Cape Lagullos, but found the Boor
who conducted us, entirely mistaken as to the point they called the
Cape; upon reaching it, another was seen bearing S.W. by W. from it,
consequently further to the southward; and having got to this point,
another appeared, at the distance of five or six miles, bearing W.S.W.,
which was probably the real Cape. The wrecks of many vessels were lying
on the part of the shore we visited, which had been lost in the course
of the preceding thirty years. One of the ships lost here a few years
before, had a cargo of slaves, who having gained their liberty, marched
up the country in a body, but they were too dangerous at liberty, and
too useful in bondage, to be allowed to enjoy their freedom any length
of time. An old woman then living in the house now occupied by Mr.
Odendal’s, took great credit to herself, for having defended it against
these invaders, and for being the cause of their being finally secured.
“At four p.m. on the 2nd, we continued our journey, crossing the Carse
River, on our way to Morkels, a farm on the River, called a horse farm:
there is another near it, but both evincing at this period a want of
capital. Morkels is a valuable property, a good dwelling house, spacious
out-buildings, capacious stables and barns, but in a ruinous state for
want of repair, the water here is excessively brackish, so much so, as
to be scarcely drinkable to an European.
“We met here at dinner with young Schwartz, the person who first
discovered the wreck of the unfortunate Arniston, a large East Indiaman,
which was lost upon Cape Lagullos in June, 1815. He gave us a very
interesting and most affecting account of the awful scene, which came
suddenly before him as he rode down to the beach. The shore was covered
with wreck of every description, masts, sails, timber, and planks, hove
high upon the beach, which was strewed with dead bodies. The fatal event
had taken place some days, as he learnt from the survivors. Six men whom
he found in a small cavern on the coast, impressed with the idea that the
ship had passed the Cape of Good Hope, and that she had been wrecked to
the westward of it, had walked along the beach for two days, expecting
every moment to see the Table Mountain, but at the end of that time were
stopped by the Bride River, which convinced them of their error, and
they had to retrace their steps to the wreck, which they reached at the
end of the fourth day, worn out with fatigue and hunger, having only
subsisted upon the shell fish they found on the coast. Their first object
was to bury as many of their dead as they could, during the two days
previously to their being discovered by Mr. Schwartz; they pointed out to
him particularly the spot in which they had laid the _four children_ of
Colonel Giels, of the 72nd Regiment, who had been sent home as passengers
in the Arniston, under the care of Lord and Lady Molesworth, who also
perished in her. These poor fellows had evidently taken a very deep
interest in the fate of these children, as it was the only grave which
they distinctly marked. They had of course procured some salt provisions
from the wreck, which had been washed ashore, but every thing else was
spoiled by the salt water. They were also enabled to clothe themselves
from the raiment of their unfortunate shipmates. They were afterwards
most hospitably and kindly treated by the farmer, and having been sent to
the nearest Magistrate, gave the deposition of which the following is a
copy, and which was forwarded to the Commissioner of His Majesty’s Dock
Yard, a few days afterwards.
“‘A narrative from the surviving crew, relating to the loss of
the Arniston, Transport, wrecked near Cape Lagullos, on the
evening of the 30th of May, 1815.
“‘Charles Stewart Scott, late carpenter’s mate of the
Arniston, Transport, and others, assert to the best of their
knowledge, that she sailed from Point de Galle on or about
the 4th of April, under convoy of H.M.S. Africaine, and the
Victor Brig, with six Indiamen. About the 26th of May parted
company from the convoy, owing to stress of weather, having
blown away most of her sails; other sails were then bent, but
the weather continued very squally, with a heavy sea. On the
29th, about seven a.m. the land was discovered right ahead,
bearing about N. by W. a long distance off, the wind then
S.S.E. about half-past four p.m. still blowing very strong,
hauled to the wind on the larboard tack, under a close reefed
maintopsail, and stood on till half-past two a.m. on the 30th;
then supposing the land seen was near Table bay, the hands
were turned up, bore up steering N.W. and set the foresail,
intending to run for St. Helena; continued on till 10 a.m.
when the land was again discovered nearly ahead, turned the
hands up, and hauled the ship close to the wind on the larboard
tack, still blowing very hard, made all sail, having topsails
and courses set, stood on till near noon, when breakers were
discovered on the lee-bow, wore ship and hauled to the wind
on the other tack; stood on till 2 p.m. then wore, and hauled
to the wind on the larboard tack, continuing on till near 4
o’clock, when breakers were seen, called Lagullos Reef, which
we could not weather on either tack, being completely embayed;
clewed up the sails and cut away three anchors, the two bower
cables parted shortly after, when Lieutenant Brice, agent for
transports, recommended the captain to cut the sheet cable,
and run the ship on shore, as the only chance of saving the
people’s lives. The cable was then cut, and the ship put before
the wind, in about eight minutes after she struck forward,
the ship heeling to windward; cut away the guns in order to
heel her the other way, but which could not be effected, and
she soon began to break up. About eight o’clock the masts
went, and the ship in a very short time was quite in pieces;
many people were drowned below in consequence of her heeling
to windward, and others clung to the wreck, endeavouring to
reach the shore about half a mile distant. Out of the whole
crew, consisting of near 350 persons, only six men reached the
shore with great difficulty upon planks, being much bruised
by the wreck and surf, which was very high. At daylight the
next morning the stern post was the only part of the ship to
be seen, the beach was covered with wreck, stores, &c. and a
number of dead bodies, which were buried by the survivors.
Amongst these were Lord and Lady Molesworth, the agent, the
captain, and some children. On the next day, the 1st of June,
considering ourselves to the westward of Cape Point, it was
agreed to coast the beach to the eastward, which we continued
to do for four days and a half, subsisting on shell fish from
off the rocks, but fearing we had taken a wrong direction, we
returned to the wreck, and accomplished it in three days and a
half, where we remained six days subsisting chiefly on a cask
of oatmeal, which had been driven on shore; by drying it in
the sun, we experienced great relief. The pinnace having been
driven on shore bilged, we proposed to repair it in the best
manner circumstances would allow, and coast along shore. At
that time, the 14th of June, being at work on the boat, we were
fortunately discovered by a farmer’s son, John Schwartz, who
was out shooting, and humanely carried by him to his father’s
house, where we remained with every comfort he could afford us
for a week, and then set off for Cape town, where we arrived on
Monday evening, the 26th of June.
“‘Before we left the country we were informed that three
hundred and thirty-one bodies thrown on shore, had been
interred near the beach.
“‘Signed,
“‘CHARLES STEWART SCOTT, and party.’
“This declaration was made before me this day at Cape Town,
the 27th day of June, 1815, of which this is a copy.
“J. MERES,
“Lieutenant R.N. Resident Agent for Transports.”
_A List of Officers and Passengers, as far as can be collected
from the survivors, who perished on board the Arniston
Transport, the 30th of May, 1815._
Lieutenant Brice, R.N. Agent.
Captain George Simpson.
1st Mate, Thomas Hall.
2nd Mate, William Young.
3rd Mate, William Gibbs.
4th Mate, —— Robinson.
Doctor, —— Gunter.
Boatswain, John Barrett.
Carpenter, John Finley.
Gunner, Thomas Gowan.
SURVIVORS.
Charles Stewart Scott, (Captain’s Mate).
Philip Shea,
Wm. Drummond,
Wm. Fish,
Thos. Mansfield,
John Lewis, Seamen.
PASSENGERS.
Lord and Lady Molesworth, with a boy aged 7 years old under
their care.
Four children—boys belonging to an officer of the 73 Regt.
at Columbo.
Captain Stoddart, (Royal Scots).
Mrs. James, with two children, belonging to Point de Galle.
Mrs. Taylor, Officer’s Widow.
Miss Twisleton, daughter of the Clergyman at Columbo.
Mr. Gordon, Commissary, and son, about five years old.
Lieutenant Callender, 19th Regiment.
Invalids from the 19th, 22nd, 56th, 69th, 84th, and Royal
Scots Regiments; and near 100 seamen from the different men
of war in India, with 14 women, including passengers, and
25 children, in the whole about 350 people.
N.B. Captain Whyms of the army died on board six weeks
after leaving Ceylon.
“On the morning of the 3rd December, anxious to visit the spot become
so deeply interesting, from the preceding melancholy history, our party
proceeded to the place, and arrived there at half-past nine, a.m. It was
indeed an awful scene, although much of the horror had been removed by
the burial of the dead. Every object was calculated to throw a deep and
solemn gloom over the mind. The wreck of the ship lay scattered in great
fragments in every direction on the beach, and the remains of the unhappy
sufferers were indicated by pieces of plank and timber, which had been
placed in an upright position over them; 350 bodies had been washed on
shore.
“It may be easier to conceive than to describe the feelings excited in
our minds at the awful scene which here presented itself. The coast and
surrounding country was desolate in the extreme. The day being cloudy,
not a sunbeam gleamed over it; there was little wind, and the surf rolled
sullenly along the shore, with a hollow and lugubrious roar, whilst every
object told the tale of woe. A monument had been raised by the direction
of Colonel Giels over the grave where his children were deposited, by an
artificer sent from Cape Town; its bright white appearance contrasted
with the dark clouds, and the still darker tablet on which the fatal
event was recorded, produced an indescribable effect upon the eye,
unprepared for such an object.
“Having remained some time meditating upon this mournful scene, our party
pursued their journey over a wide sandy plain towards the Hope, an Estate
belonging to Mr. Lawrence Cloete, and appropriated to the breeding of
sheep. In crossing these plains, and far distant from the coast, even
many miles, we observed pieces of the wreck of the Arniston, which had
been evidently dropped from wagons employed in carrying away timber
from the beach, and it did at the moment occur to me, that the notions
respecting the receding of the ocean which has occupied so many pens, and
so many pages, and concerning which so much has been written in reference
to this part of the world in particular, might have been accounted for
by the object before us. Had a strong S.E. wind taken place subsequent
to these remarkable pieces being dropped from the wagons, (they were
shot-racks), they would have been forthwith covered deep in sand; and had
they been found a century afterwards they would have excited the same
suggestion, that the sea had formerly covered this place also.
“From an attentive observation of every part of the coast of this colony,
I am much more inclined to adopt Sir John Barrow’s theory of the sea
gaining, rather than of its receding; and the observations he makes upon
the subject, (vol. i. p. 6,) appear very satisfactory; but I felt at the
same time convinced, that the Cape flat, now an immense sandy plain,
covered with shrubs and heath was, perhaps ever since the commencement of
the Christian era, a channel between the Table mountain, then an Island,
and the main land. Sir John Barrow grounds his opinion upon the effects
produced by the accumulation of sand, during the period of nearly seven
years that he was in the country, of which some very striking instances
will be given in the course of this narrative. But lest the assertion may
appear a startling one, it may be as well even in this place to shew on
what grounds he founded the supposition.
“It is well known that the S.E. winds blow during a great part of the
year, and sometimes with great violence for many days together. A heavy
sea consequently rolls in upon every part of the southern coast, bringing
with it an immense quantity of sand, which may have been forming a ridge
of considerable elevation above high water mark. As the tide recedes,
the sand dries, and is taken up by the wind, and carried in a continued
and dense stream into the interior, where it is deposited among the
shrubs, and soon covers them. A reference to those who have land near the
coast, and even at some miles distant from it, will give a melancholy
confirmation of this fact, and shew that much of their land has been
entirely ruined by the accumulation of sand. During the winter months
when the N.W. winds prevail they are in general accompanied by rain, and
the sand when wet is not liable to be taken up by the wind and carried
back again: and this shews how the sand hills accumulate, and how soon
not only shrubs, but trees may be overwhelmed with sand.
“Our party arrived at the Hope in the afternoon of the 3rd. The house is
small but very commodious, and fitted up with every attention to comfort
and even luxury. It is situated on the eastern bank of an extensive salt
lake, into which the little salt river carries its waters; there is no
visible outlet, but they doubtless pass through the surrounding sands.
“Great quantities of game abound in this neighbourhood, and several
ostriches were seen in the day’s journey, rising from the heath on the
approach of the wagons, and striding towards the interior with most
extraordinary velocity.
“Immense quantities of corn were once grown in this neighbourhood, but
a decided and very reasonable preference was given by our host to sheep
and horses. Of the former he has a very large flock, with a valuable
collection of merinos. It is considered that the wool of the fourth cross
is nearly equal to the Spanish original. It is surprising, considering
the number of hyenas and wolves, with which this part of the colony
abounds, that so little injury is experienced in the sheep-folds, but the
hyena and the wolf seldom attack cattle or sheep in an enclosure, however
simple and defenceless it may be.
“There are no trees near the house, but several beautifully wooded glens
or ravines running down to the lake.
“On the 5th December, at six, a.m. we left the Hope having been
furnished with a span of oxen to ascend the Potteberg, a steep and rugged
road, but one which might with care be greatly improved. From the summit
of the hill we had a splendid view of the Sout valley, and the adjacent
plains, with an extensive line of sea coast, terminating at Cape Lagullos
to the S.W. The country although wild and uncultivated, was picturesque,
and much enlivened, by the profusion and variety of the shrubs and heaths
with which it was covered in all the brilliancy of flower. Many Piebocks
were seen on ascending the Potteberg, and some Partridges. We stopped
in the course of the morning at the house of the field Cornet; it lies
in the descent of the Potteberg, and he is a most respectable man, with
a large family, cultivating an extensive corn farm. He was suffering
severely from a whitloe, which had begun on the finger, but its effects
threatened the loss of his arm. The greatest inconvenience experienced by
the colonists in the interior is the want of surgical assistance; though
they are sufficiently well instructed in medical remedies, to apply them
with tolerable success.
“After some repose at this place, we proceeded on our way to the Bride
River, but having mistaken the road we had a long and very fatiguing
journey, and having reached a part of the river where no means existed
for crossing, we had to retrace our steps nearly half way over a hilly
rugged road, and did not arrive at the ferry at Guillenpuis until
nearly sunset. The country we had passed through this day was of an
extraordinary description. The prospect before us as we left the
Potteberg was that of a gently undulating surface, covered with a great
variety of shrubs and aloes; but as we proceeded we found it frequently
intersected by deep and precipitous ravines, and which could only be
passed by means of very winding roads down the steep slaty sides. The
ascent from these occasioned great labour to the cattle. The Bride
River as seen from the heights on its right bank had a most picturesque
appearance from its windings, making a distance between two places along
its banks of two hours, when a straight road between them, had such
existed, would not have required more than half an hour. Corn might be
grown to an immense amount near this river, as was evident by what was
seen growing on the few spots which were cultivated, but the population
is very scanty, and labour very difficult to procure. It was said that
black cattle would thrive greatly on these plains, but that there was
something in the pasturage generally destructive to sheep, of which
the inhabitants complained of having lost great numbers, and no longer
ventured to keep more than they required for their immediate consumption.
“As it was too late to get the wagons over that evening, which requires
a tedious process, they were unloaded and the baggage taken over in a
small boat, which landed us at a small but commodious farm house on the
opposite bank, where we received a most hospitable welcome; and the
inmates, though very limited in their circumstances, made every effort
to accommodate us, giving up the best part of the house to our use, and
supplying us with fish, fowls, and fresh eggs, for which they positively
refused to receive payment.
“The small boat, not more than twelve feet in length, returned for the
horses, which swam over, having their heads tied up to the gunwale of the
boat, two at each side. It consequently required three trips to get over
the eight wagon and four saddle horses. Much difficulty was experienced,
and time lost in getting them all to take the water. Some of them having
been accustomed to it, took their stations on each side of the boat
at once, whilst others could scarcely be brought to the water’s edge;
but example here, as in most other cases, had at length its influence,
they reached the other side in safety and ease, and were comfortably
accommodated in the farm stables. At daylight in the morning we rose, in
order to see the process of getting the wagon over. The river at this
place might be about one hundred and fifty yards across, and perhaps two
fathoms deep, the depth however was of no consequence. A large empty
leaguer well bunged up, was placed in the wagon, and lashed to the
framework at the bottom, a line was then brought from the opposite shore,
and made fast to it, it was then pushed into the water, and hauled over
to the other side without any difficulty, by two or three men; when a
pair of horses were ready to receive it, and draw it out of the stream.
“The Bride River is navigable from this place to its mouth, for vessels
of thirty or forty tons. The face of the country to the eastward, is wild
and precipitous to a degree surpassing what we have hitherto seen; so
much so as to wear the appearance of having been convulsed by earthquake.
It is at the same time very fertile, even to the summit of the hills,
being covered with corn wherever the cultivator thought proper to sow it.
“The scenery amidst the windings of the Bride River was most strikingly
picturesque; the various tints which the mimosa, the aloe, the milkwood,
and the protea, gave to the landscape, produced a very splendid effect.
“At eleven, on the 8th December, we arrived at Rhinoster Fonteyne, a
grazing and breeding farm (for horses) on the banks of the Bride River,
near its mouth. The view to the westward was superb. We rode down to the
entrance of the river, and found a capacious harbour for small craft,
formed by a spit of sand running out from the eastern shore. The harbour
here formed is very capacious, its breadth securing the vessels which
might be lying there in the winter, against the effect of the torrents
rushing from the mountains. Here a depôt should be made of corn, wine,
flax, linseed, and oil, in readiness to ship for the capital, on board
any vessels which might be sent for the purpose. They might also take on
board large quantities of thorn bark for tanning; the gana, a shrub used
in making soap; tobacco; wool of an excellent quality from the Merino
sheep; the inspissated juice of the aloe, which may be had in large
quantities; and many articles of traffic, not only for home consumption
in the Cape district, but also as articles for exportation, the want of
which was so severely felt, that the exchange for bills upon England,
which were considered at par at 125, rose in the year 1822 to more than
200.
“A constant trade might thus be carried on, and if the resources of the
colony were by such means brought into action, there is little doubt but
the export trade would be very considerable, even in corn.
“Mr. Van Rennen, the owner of this farm, having purchased the famous
English stallion, Euryalus, had greatly improved his breed of horses,
which rose in value, and were generally sold at high prices from 500 to
1000 rix dollars. There were upon the farm 300 cows, and yet neither
butter nor cheese were made, beyond what was required for the use of the
family, and this for want of an outlet. It was stated that 1500 sheep
were shorn annually upon this farm; that the wool was sold in Cape Town
for two rix dollars the pound, and that the fleeces average two pounds
each. Mr. Van Rennen has taken the precaution of enclosing and covering
in a pool, or rather an extensive well in his grazing ground, by which he
ensures a constant supply of water in the hottest seasons. It not only
prevents the rapid evaporation, which would be caused by the heat of
the sun, but also prevents the cattle from wallowing and trampling upon
the borders of the pool. The want of water is the cause of the greatest
suffering in every part of the colony. Great improvidence has been
manifested in the distribution of the different farms by the Government,
and this shews the expediency of being liberal in the remuneration of
talented and upright Surveyors in all new settlements, and in preventing
a monopoly of the streams; from which single cause it frequently happens
that extensive tracts of valuable land may be thrown out of cultivation.
From the steep descent of the beds of the rivers the waters soon run
off; but much might, nevertheless, be done by irrigation and by lateral
cuts. The country however must become much more populous before such
improvements can be looked for.
“On the 8th, we left Rhinoster Fonteyne in Mr. Van Rennen’s wagon,
which he had kindly lent us in order that we might send off our own,
and the saddle horses at a very early hour; and that the horses might
be refreshed before they were required for the remainder of the day’s
journey, which was to be a very long one. We traversed an immense plain
near fifteen miles in breadth, cultivated in patches which produced corn
in abundance, and stretching to a great extent from the sea to the foot
of the Swartberg. The mountains had continued to bound the prospect upon
the left, from the time we had passed Hottentot Holland’s Kloof, and were
seen running on to the north-east, lost in the most remote distance.
The vallies and ravines, were generally dark with the woods springing
up in the dark alluvial soil which was washed down by the wintry rains.
In the course of this day, we arrived at Duivenhock, where the scenery
was truly beautiful; and here we found a most respectable and hospitable
family, in a substantial and commodious cottage, with every thing wearing
the appearance of industry and gradual improvement. After receiving
refreshment here, we proceeded over an open and generally level country
to the Kaffer Kuyl River; we saw abundance of game in crossing it. The
Kaffer Kuyl is a considerable stream running with rapidity from the
mountains towards the sea. Much corn is grown near to its banks, and two
respectable looking farms lie at a small distance from each other. This
river is not capable of being made navigable, having an irregular and
rocky bed, and in the rainy seasons it becomes an impetuous torrent. In
the evening, we arrived at a farm belonging to Mr. La Grange, on the high
road from Cape Town to Mossul Bay; it is situated on a level plateau at
a considerable height above the level of the sea. The country about it
is generally undulating, except in the immediate neighbourhood of the
river, the banks of which are very steep and rugged. The Soetmelks River
runs very near this farm; a great number of horses are bred here and some
cattle.
“Having passed the night with great comfort here, we pursued our journey
towards the Gauritz River, over a beautifully variegated country. The
mimosa of the most lively and refreshing green was strikingly contrasted
with the generally parched and arid appearance of the soil, but this was
also frequently relieved by the brilliancy of patches of flowering shrubs
of the most lively hues, approaching even to gaudiness, if such a term
can be applied to the objects of creation; while the aloes, scattered
over the country in boundless profusion, gave finishing touches to the
landscape, and produced the happiest effect. The whole of the tract we
passed over this day appeared to be fit for cultivation, capable of
producing in abundance all the necessaries of life, and wherever industry
had been employed, it was apparently crowned with success.
“This day, the 9th day of December, was the hottest we had experienced,
the thermometer was at 99 in the interior of the wagon. The wind from the
north felt as though it came from a furnace; not a cloud was to be seen,
except a few of a white and fleecy description, which were gathering
over the summit of the Swartberg; and from their appearance, Colonel
Graham, who had been long an observer of the changes of the weather in
this country, at once predicted a thunder storm; and his conjectures were
accurate, for in less than three hours a most violent storm of wind and
rain, with tremendous thunder and vivid lightning, came on, and lasted
about two hours. We had, providentially, reached the Gauritz River, and
crossed it before the storm came on, and were comfortably sheltered at
the house of Esaias Miers, on the left bank. He was a kind and hospitable
man; and, with his excellent wife, gave every accommodation in their
power to offer. With their assistance, and that of our own cook, we soon
procured an excellent dinner. In about two hours the weather cleared up,
and gave us a delightful evening for pursuing our journey.
“The banks of the Gauritz are extremely precipitate, and scarcely less
than two hundred feet in height; the road, as may be supposed, is very
steep, but with the precaution of locking both the hind wheels of the
wagon, is not dangerous. The difficulty of ascending is very great. The
country people in general travel with two or three wagons in company,
for the purpose of assisting each other in getting over these places,
which to one team of oxen would be insurmountable. This forms one of the
most animating and picturesque scenes imaginable. I have already adverted
to it, but to see the wagons ascending from the bed of Gauritz, up a
broken road which in other countries would be deemed impracticable, with
a long line of, in some instances, thirty-six oxen, through the wildest
scenery imaginable, the shouting of the drivers, the echoes occasioned by
the cracking of their huge whips, and the passengers in every direction
climbing amongst the rocks in pursuit of the nearest way to the summit of
the ridge, altogether produces an effect which is indescribable, and of a
peculiarly animating character.
“We had in this place an additional proof of what industry and
perseverance can perform in overcoming existing difficulties, but
it is certainly ‘taking the bull by the horns.’ A small portion of
labour applied by legislative investments would soon render these
roads practicable for the wagon and its own team, without any of the
detention and risk of loss of oxen, and damage to the vehicle which is
now constantly experienced; and this being the great road to immense
forests in Uitenhage, and to the district of George, it seems the more
extraordinary that some exertion had not long before been made by the
Colonial Government. In many cases we observed that the road might have
been rendered much easier, and consequently safer, and more expeditious,
by a little more detour being made in it; but when even it was at all
possible, the straight line was most inflexibly adhered to. It was
frequently seen that the ruts of wheels were passing over a stone of two
or three feet in height, where a deviation of as many yards would have
avoided it. But it was a road which the grandfather had gone, and was
therefore most dutifully followed by his descendants.
“The Gauritz is frequently in the rainy season a formidable torrent,
and impassable for days together, at which time a most singular and
picturesque scene presents itself, from the groups of wagons and
travellers collected on each bank, forming as it were extensive
encampments, their numerous spans of horses and oxen grazing on the
steep declivities of the bank, where any food can be found for them, or
outspanned on the heights for the purpose of grazing. To these are added
on the left bank very large droves of cattle and flocks of sheep, waiting
for the water to subside, that they may continue their way to the Cape
Town market. The Boors and their Hottentots enjoy these bivouacs much, as
they pass the time of their detention in shooting, and the neighbourhood
is well supplied with game; nor are the females of the party without
their share in the general excitement, as they have the enjoyment of
society from which they are precluded in their solitary farms; and as
their wagons form very commodious tents, they experience but little
more discomfort than in their cots at home, where in many cases the
accommodations are hardly superior. To add to the animation of the scene,
their little fires blazing in all directions, and the column of blue
smoke ascending along the hills, and taking from them the monotony of
feature by giving an appearance of distance to those parts dimly seen,
increases the general effect of the picture.
“The Gauritz is in no part navigable, from the broken and rocky nature
of its bed, and no boats are consequently to be found upon it. Beneath
the cliff on the right bank was a remarkable plateau, enclosed in a bend
of the winding of the banks, quite level, and of considerable extent,
and about twenty feet above the bed of the river. At the first view it
appeared well calculated for the site of a village, but in winter it is
frequently laid under water; and logs of timber and drift wood scattered
over it shewed this to have been recently the case.
“Several wagons laden with timber were met with in the course of this
day, on their way to Cape Town, carrying many large yellow-wood beams for
building, and logs for converting into planks, also fellies for wheels,
and treenails for the repair of ships. It may easily be conceived under
what amazing disadvantages this traffic is carried on between the forest
and the capital, a distance little short of two hundred miles, and the
road lying nearly along the coast. It can be shewn that plank from Norway
and from America may be brought into the market at a rate which competes
with this which is grown in the colony; but the injury is not confined to
the high price of this indispensable commodity. These journeys for the
conveyance of timber depopulate the whole country in the neighbourhood
of the forest. The labourers and the cattle are constantly on the road;
and not unfrequently the farmer and his family seize the opportunity,
in order to have their frolic, leaving the cows, the young stock, and
the crops to the care of an aged female Hottentot, while every other
part of the establishment follows the wagon. Should the scanty portion
of grain which he has sown fail, in consequence of his absence, the
family have a resource; they can live entirely upon mutton, and game, and
tea, and brandy; the two latter articles being never forgotten in the
return cargo. The want of hands in the different farms is an universal
complaint; and is the only cause that can be assigned, why the immense
tracts of fertile land are uncultivated; but the reason is here at once
given. The whole population is employed in taking materials for building
to Cape Town; while a few hundred hands employed in conducting a coasting
trade would effect more completely all that is to be done; and leave the
farmers and the farm servants, undisturbed in their rural occupations;
ensuring to the former a most liberal return of whatever the ground
would produce, while industrious habits would take the place of that
wandering, unsettled, and indolent disposition for which the Cape Boor is
so remarkable.
“The abundance of all the essentials of life which a kind Providence has
showered down on this favoured country, is another great cause of the
little advance its inhabitants make in improvement, which is so obvious
in most parts of the interior. The want of food is unknown amongst them,
either for man or beast; and other wants are easily provided for. Houses
built of clay and thatched with reeds are readily constructed; the wood
work necessary for doors, windows, and rafters, is easily obtained from
the nearest Bosch, as the forest is called; and converted by the roughest
tools in such a way as may answer the purpose. The furniture of many of
the houses is confined to the frames of a bedstead or two, (the sacking
for which is formed of thongs of raw hide) and a large chest serving at
once for a store closet and a table. Clothing is easily made from the
sheep-skin tanned or untanned; and a few loads of wood or aloes carried
to Cape Town market, will procure them brandy and tea, their principal
luxuries, and such European manufactures as they may be tempted to
indulge in, such as printed calicos, and linen. These journies, as we
have shewn, are attended with no other expense or loss than the neglect
of their farms. The covered wagon is their dwelling house, and the
sleeping apartment for the master and mistress; the children and slaves
sleeping under them in dry weather. The journey is divided into schoffs,
or distances, calculated from one grazing place to another, called
“Out-span” places; these are six, eight, or ten hours from each other,
as they happen to be. In the more sandy and arid parts of the colony the
schoffs are regulated by the springs of water. The march is generally
performed by night in summer, in order to avoid the heat of the sun. As
soon as they reach the out-span place, the oxen are unyoked, and turned
out to graze. If they have horses, they are knee haltered, by the halter
being tied to the fore leg, and so short that when the head of the animal
is elevated, his leg is lifted from the ground, and he can only go upon
three legs, which ensures his being caught when wanted. In these wild
parts of the colony there is little fear of the cattle straying, for they
are too much in fear of wild beasts to wander far from protection; and
it was very remarkable that saddle horses, which if turned out near the
Cape, would be very difficult to catch, will, in the interior, when far
from any inhabited place, keep close to the owner, when leading them by
the bridle, or if left to themselves.
“As soon as the horses and oxen are turned out, the domestic arrangements
begin; fires are lighted, sheep or fowls are killed, and cooking proceeds
with great energy. It may be that a buck is brought in, which makes
the feast a sumptuous one, in which all are equally interested. The
driver and leaders of the oxen are no sooner off duty than they betake
themselves to sleep, and only awake for their food, and then sleep
again. After the meal, the Siesta becomes general, and lasts till the
preparation signal is given for resuming the journey, when all again is
bustle; the cattle are yoked, the wagons packed, and the cracking of the
huge whips again announces that they are in motion. Such is nearly the
history of every day, and of the whole journey, until they reach the
immediate vicinity of the capital, when they become restrained by the
usages of more civilized life, a fetter which is severely felt by all,
bipeds as well as quadrupeds. There are few instances of these travellers
being attacked in their night marches by the wild beasts, which infest
so many parts of the interior of the colony. The feline species are in
general as cowardly as ferocious, and are scared by the noise and the
number of the caravans, which of course is not diminished on this account.
“If stationary, in the night the cattle are kept tied to the wagons, and
large fires kept burning round the little encampment. In the preceding
year, while the Governor, Lord Charles Somerset, was on his journey to
the Fish river with his family, having stopped for the night on one of
the extensive plains over which they had to pass, a little Hottentot
boy, the leader of one of the teams, having laid down to sleep at a
little distance from the wagons, was seized by a lion. His screams having
aroused the people who had not yet gone to sleep, the noise they made in
pursuing the animal, induced it to drop its prey, and the child was found
at a few yards distance, very little injured by the jaws of the beast.
“At three p.m. we proceeded on our journey towards Mossel Bay, which I
was very anxious to visit, that I might form my own judgment as to its
fitness as a resort for the coasting trade. The accounts published by the
Dutch authorities of every part of the coast, threw great discouragement
over every prospect of such a trade being ever established; but they were
evidently influenced by consideration of the inexpediency of the coast
being known to foreigners, which would render it necessary to defend many
parts hitherto avoided as dangerous.
“We soon reached the farm of Thunis Meyer, lying in a beautiful, fertile,
and tolerably well cultivated valley. The land was evidently good, and
immense quantities of grain might have been grown here, in the immediate
vicinity of Mossel Bay, where the anchorage might be deemed as safe as
that of Table Bay, and from whence it might be shipped either for the
capital or the foreign market. Between this place and Mossel Bay lies
another extensive farm, belonging to Mr. Muller, also abounding in
grain, and in which a number of horses and black cattle are annually
reared. The farm lies at the eastern extremity of the Kleine Riverberg,
and has a distant view of the sea, near Mossel Bay and the mouth of
the Kayman, or ‘Crocodile’s Gut.’ There are some deep and well wooded
glens and precipitous ravines in the immediate neighbourhood of this
farm, beautifully wild and picturesque. The aloe, the mimosa, with every
description and size of shrubs, and an immense variety of blooming and
curious heaths, and other flowering plants, give a richness and beauty to
the scene of which neither the pen nor the pencil could give any adequate
idea. We remained at Mr Muller’s, and were as usual kindly and hospitably
treated. It was here we remarked the apparently improvident and wasteful
manner in which the Dutch colonial system of farming was carried on. A
thrashing floor is built on the summit of an elevation commanded by the
prevailing S.E. wind, and here the corn is trodden out by the hoofs of
horses driven round the enclosure at a quick pace; after which it is
turned up to the breeze, and the chaff and the straw are carried far
away, being considered of no value here, as it was supposed the cattle
would not feed upon it. This might certainly be true when they had
abundance of green food at command, but could not be the case in the hot
summer months, when the country was parched up in all directions. We had
an opportunity of shewing the error of this system, for when dry feeding
cattle for St. Helena was practised at Simon’s Town, the straw formed a
very principal part of their food.
“On the following morning a thick haze covered the face of the country, a
sure indication that the day would be sultry, and we had every reason to
respect the prediction. We left Mr. Muller’s at eight in the morning of
the 10th December, and traversed an extensive plain, on our way to Mossel
Bay. We at length reached an eminence, from which a most magnificent view
of the bay and eastern coast presented itself. Cape St. Blaize, which
when originally discovered, gave its name to the bay, since altered by
the former to the more familiar one, taken from the immense number of
the shell-fish, to Mossel (or Muscle) Bay lay on our right. The little
village or depôt formed by the Dutch for collecting corn on government
account was immediately below our feet, with the receding range of the
Swartberg mountains, and the indented line of sea coast, terminating the
prospect on the left and in front.