Mr. Villet in Long street has a very great collection of animals living and dead: the living ones are at his garden at Green Point. He is also a nursery seedsman and florist: prepares birds, skins, insects, &c. There are many other “collectors of curiosities.” The enormous prices paid by the English generally, put all the traders on the frontier upon the “qui vive;” and the shell-collectors at Table and Simon’s bay, &c., find a ready sale and high prices for paper-nautilus, beautiful limpits in great variety, as well as scaly chitons, &c.
Dr. Smith has in his possession a stuffed Hottentot woman, formerly a well-known notoriously bad character in Cape Town; she was skinned in a very complete manner, excepting the head, hands and feet, the fleshy part being taken away, and then preserved and stuffed and placed in a standing position; it is almost the first attempt ever made: the features are the same as when living: she was about thirty years of age, of middle height, and well made, having close set and small tufted twists of hair; apparently no bridge to the nose, thin lips, with the extraordinary projection behind, which is common to her nation. The Hottentots are unquestionably a distinct race, from the rest of mankind, with the peculiarities well known.
There is a race-course at Green point; the horses have a high celebrity for swiftness, strength and beauty. It has been found that the racehorses imported from England cannot compete with them. It is probable they never fully recover from the fatigues of a tedious voyage.
The oil which is preferred, is taken from the top of the tail of the cape sheep; it burns without smoke or smell. The acorns are preserved in fresh water, and the cattle fed on them as well as grass.
There are regular mails to twenty-five different towns. The rate of postage for a single letter, is from twopence to thirteen pence sterling.
There are stationed within the colony three regiments of soldiers, the seventy-second Highlanders, the ninety-fifth and seventy-fifth regiments; the two first named are at Cape Town and vicinity, the seventy-second being stationed in various parts of the colony. I will only say they are in the finest order possible, and the officers of the royal artillery and royal engineers, are gentlemen that would honour any situation in which they might be placed.
Robbin island is low land, raised but a few feet above the level of the sea, and can only be seen at a short distance, lying parallel with the main and devoid of trees. It seems on the first view to be a part of the continent; it is the Botany bay of the cape, and has a small garrison; there is a good anchorage on the southeastern side, and a safe passage between it and the continent.
EXPEDITION TO AFRICA.