Along the lower terrace, which is washed by the Indian Ocean, the heat is greatest; and though scarcely even in the height of the hot season to be called “tropical,” outside of which the colony lies, yet it is sufficient to allow of the growth of cotton, sugar, coffee, indigo, arrowroot, pine-apples, bananas, and the cocoa-nut, and oil palms (as soon as introduced), over an area of three thousand square miles. In addition to which, the coast line being washed by the gulf stream, the moist warm temperature from which, aided by the saline breezes from the ocean, render a belt of this coast line, extending from high water mark to five or ten miles inland, peculiarly adapted for the growth of the sea-island cotton, whose long fleecy staple is the produce of similar physical advantages. This fact alone will show the value of the lower or sea-coast terrace of the Colony of Natal; upwards of 1000 square miles of which are capable of producing the most highly prized of the cottons of America, without the accompanying drawback of an unhealthy climate for the European constitution.
In this region, where vegetation is luxuriant, there is much woodland and park-like scenery, which gradually disappears as one proceeds inland, while the temperature is diminished, and the air becomes clear and bracing.
The second terrace of the colony is almost bare of trees; but well adapted for grazing purposes. It affords abundant crops of hay, oat fodder, mealies, or Indian corn and barley.
The third terrace contains plenty of forest timber of considerable size and of very superior quality, both for the wants of the colony and for ship-building purposes.
The fourth terrace is well adapted for growing wheat and all European productions.
Throughout the length and breadth of the colony it is well watered, there being a stream every four or five miles of its extent. These streams are never dried up, excepting some few of them in the winter season, when the temperature, even along the coast, is delightfully cool and pleasant. During this season, which lasts for four or five months, more inland there is hoar frost upon the ground, and sometimes snow upon the wooded highlands; while on the Quathlamba Mountains it may be seen for a week or ten days together.
Products of Natal—
Cotton. The seed named the “petit gulf prolific,” is said to be the most successful yet tried at Natal. One pound weight of this seed, which costs ten shillings, is sufficient to plant an acre of ground. September, October, and November are the months for planting it. The yield of one acre, having 6,000 plants on it, averaged two and a half pounds of seed cotton per plant, which, when reduced by the cotton cleaning gin, gave one pound and one quarter of clean cotton per plant; at sixpence per pound this would give the enormous return of 187l. 10s. sterling per acre. There are, at the lowest computation, 640,000 acres, on the lower or coast line terrace of the colony, which will produce cotton of this quality, so that our Liverpool merchants may look forward to a supply of no less than 4,800,000,000 lbs. of cotton from one of the smallest and latest acquired of our colonies. Surely a colony, whose capability for producing one of the great staples of our manufactures is thus shown to be almost unlimited, deserves the most encouraging attention of our statesmen both in a commercial and anti-slavery light.
Wool. This article may be produced as well as in the Cape of Good Hope, although for some time it was believed that the grass, being too rank and abundant, either killed the sheep or filled the wool with seeds and weeds. As cultivation increases, the annoying insects, which did much destruction to the sheep and cattle by living upon and impoverishing them, are rapidly disappearing. Some parts of the colony, where horses and cattle would not thrive, are now well known as breeding districts, and the colonists have commenced exporting both cattle and horses, to some considerable extent, to the island of Mauritius.