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CHAP. it's fuperiority to all other parts of that continent. But it's fituation and climate are not now it's only excellencies, as a port of refreshment; for it abounds with a variety of the best greens and fruits, and, in particular, with fome of the finest grapes and oranges in the world—articles peculiarly proper for feamen after long voyages.

Exports.

Farming.

Tenure of lands.

305. The prodigious expense, and the perfevering attention which this colony coft, during the uncommonly tedious period of it's helpless infancy, began at laft to fhew their effects, in the exportation of a little furplus corn. But, having fince arrived at a state of comparative maturity, the Cape not only fupplies the fhips of all nations, which touch there, with neceffaries and comforts, in abundance, and ať moderate prices; but fupplies all the Dutch, and some foreign, Afiatic fettlements, with great quantities of corn, flour, biscuit, wines of various forts, brandy, butter, cheese, and falted provifions.-No country feeds a greater number of cattle than this, nor is their flesh any where cheaper or better. An ox commonly weighs from 500 to 600lb. A farm may make from 1500 to 3000lb. of butter, annually. Many feed from 1000 to 6 or 8000 fheep, and a few have as far as 15,000, and cattle in proportion.

306. The Dutch East India company feem, for fome time, evidently to have discouraged all new fettlers, by granting no lands in private property, and by prohibiting the farmers from fixing their habitations within a mile of each other; though many parts of the country are so barren, that lefs land than a square mile, (640 English acres) would scarcely make a proper grazing farm. The company are certainly more folicitous, at prefent, to promote their East Indian commerce, than the productions of this flourishing, but ftill improveable, colony: otherwife, not only the cultivation

CHA P.

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tivation, but the manufacture, of feveral valuable articles, might be introduced with advantage. Dr. Sparrman*, who makes this remark, gives several hints for the internal im- C. or Goon provement of the colony; but, being merely local, it is unnecessary to infert them, especially as the company, while they continue to attend almoft exclusively to commerce, are not likely to put them in practice.

"We

Portuguese

307. Still the conduct of the company, or, perhaps more Dutch and properly, of their predeceffors, has been liberality itself, policy conwhen compared with the extortion and oppreffion of the trafted. Cape Verd company of Portugal. (See $234.) were not a little pleafed," fays Forster, "with the contraft between this colony and the Portuguese island of S. Jago. There we had taken notice of a tropical country, with a toterable appearance, and capable of improvement; but utterly neglected by it's lazy and oppreffed inhabitants. Here, onthe contrary, we saw a neat, well built town, all white, Cape town. rifing in the midst of a defert, furrounded by broken maffes of black and dreary mountains; or, in other words, the picture of fuccefsful induftry." The town contains many store-houses of the Dutch East India company, and tolerable fortifications. Here, as in other Dutch towns,

I cannot help tranfcribing from Dr. Forfter's voyage, which lies open before me, his account of my friend and fellow traveller, which I can pronounce to be equally liberal and juft. We were fortunate enough," fays he, " to meet with a man of fcience, Dr. Sparrman, at this place, who, after ftudying under the father of botany, the great Linné, had made a voyage to China, and another to the Cape, in pursuit of knowledge. The idea of gathering the treasures of nature, in countries hitherto unknown to Europe, filled his mind fo entirely, that he immediately engaged to accompany us, on our circumnavigation; in the course of which, I am proud to say, we have found him an enthusiast in his science, well verfed in medical know ledge, and endowed with a heart capable of the warmeft feelings, and worthy of a philofopher." Voyage round the World, Vol. I. p. 67.

B b 2

their

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CHA P. their genius manifefts itself in rows of trees and canals; though experience proves the noxious effects of flagnant water; especially in hot climates, and most fatally at Batavia. The company's flaves are lodged and boarded, in a fpacious house. The large hospital for the East Indiamen, is generally pretty much crowded. For thefe fhips fometimes carry 6, 7 or 800 men, to fupply the regiments in India; and their confined fituation, and short allowance of water and falt provifions, make such havock among them, that it is not very uncommon for an Indiaman, fo freighted, to lofe, between Europe and the Cape, 80 or 100 men, and to fend 2 or 300 to the hospital. It is a lamentable fact, that the Mortality of facility with which the Zeelverkoopers (Soul-mongers) inred by Dutch Veigle these unfortunate people, makes the company's ferSoul-mongers. vants more indifferent than they should be about their pre

men kidnap

No toleration

fervation*. They are plentifully fupplied, however, with an antifcorbutic diet, which, with the air of the place, certainly contributes more to their recovery than their doctors, who drench them all, indifcriminately, with the cheap contents of two or three huge bottles.

308. Toleration, which has been fo beneficial to Holland, at the Cape. is unknown at the Cape and at Batavia. In 1772, even a Lutheran clergyman was not tolerated at the Cape; but the chaplains of Danish and Swedish ships, now and then offici

* I wonder that the Slave-mongers, in their diftrefs for pretexts to justify their traffic, have never mentioned the Dutch Soul-mongers, whofe practice would have afforded them this notable argument.-The Soul-mongers kidnap men in Holland: ergo the flave-mongers may lawfully fteal or carry off men, women and children in Africa, and murder them, if they refift. But this argument will fcarcely fatisfy. those who reason on different principles, and who will never be convinced, that many thousands ought to be actually murdered in Africa, because some hundreds are virtually murdered by the Dutch Zeelverkoopers. See § 20.

ated

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ated there. As in most other European colonies, no attention CHA P. whatever is paid to the religion of the flaves. A few of them, however, who are believers in Mahomet, meet week- C. OF GOOD ly, in the house of a free Mahometan, and read or chaunt fome prayers and chapters of the koran.

309. The governor depends immediately on the Eaft India company, and prefides over a council compofed of the fecond, or deputy governor, the fifcal, the major, the fecretary, the treasurer, the comptrollers of provifions, and liquors, and the book-keeper; each of whom has the charge of a branch of the company's commerce. This council manages the whole civil and military departments. The deputy governor presides over the court of justice, which confifts of fome of the members of the council. But no two relations can vote in either. The governor has a fixed falary, house and furniture, a garden and a table. He receives, besides, 10 dollars for every leagre (108 gallons) of wine, exported to Batavia. The company gives 40 dollars for each leagre, of which the farmer receives bút 24. Of the remainder, the governor is paid two-thirds, faid to be worth 4000 dollars annually, and the other third goes to the deputy, who dire&s the company's whole commerce here.The fiscal is at the head of the police, and fees the penal laws executed. He is alfo appointed by the mother country, to whom alone he is accountable, as a check on the company's officers. The major commands the garrifon.The defignations of the other officers are defcriptive of their departments.

310. The above is the substance of the account of the government of the Cape, given by Forster, whose work was published in 1777. But it would appear that fome change in it has fince taken place; for the author of Das Merkwurdigfte,

printed

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Government and revenue, Forster.

sketched by

CHA P. printed in 1787, fays the government of the Cape is divided X. into the eight following departments-ift. The Great Counor Goon cil for the company's political and commercial business. It

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alfo fometimes reprefents the States General, and corre-
sponds, at all times, with Holland and Batavia.—2. The
Great College of Juftice, a deputation of No. 1. and the
three burgomafters of the Cape town. This court is inde-
pendent on the company; but, from it an appeal lies to the
fimilar fuperior courts in Batavia and Holland.
3. The
leffer College of Juftice, alfo a deputation of No. 1. for decid-
ing finaller matters.-4. The Matrimonial Court, which takes
care that regular marriages are obferved.-5. The Charity.
College, which has the charge of orphans, and the females.
cannot marry, without their confent.-6. The Church Col-
lege, which regulates the concerns of external worship.-7.
The Civil Court. Every colony at the Cape has it's own
Burgher Council, chofen from among the moft respectable
citizens, and changed every second year. This council de-
cides small matters between man and man; and, upon the
whole, is represented as fomewhat fimilar to the corpora-
tions in England.-8. The Military College, which con-
ducts all military affairs, including the militia. Of the re-
venue and expenditure of the Dutch at the Cape, Menzell
gives the following statement:

Guilders

A tax on produce, yielding, communibus annis,..

206,617

Duties on imports from Holland and Batavia............................

206,500.

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