The operation of thrashing is commonly performed in the open air, within an enclosed circle, about twenty yards in diameter, surrounded by a stone, or mud wall, about four feet high: the floor is made of clay and lime, rammed very hard. The sheaves being scattered within the circle, the farmer’s horses are turned in, and driven about by a slave, who, being provided with a whip, stands in the centre, and chases the cattle about; while two, or more, of his associates in bondage, stir the sheaves with forked sticks, in order that every part may be equally trodden by the galloping steeds. The winnowing is done in the same area; the horses being sent into another circle, to repeat their labors, while several men, first removing the straw, sweep the thrashings towards the windward side, and there toss it up, that the wind, which is commonly rather forcible, may blow the chaff to the lee side, while the corn falls nearly centrical; of course, as the latter goes with little further preparation to the mill, the flour may be supposed to contain no small portion of grit. The quantity of grain bruised, and left in the straw, must be considerable.
Few ships remain long enough to allow of passengers proceeding to the interior; where, however, they would find much to admire. At some of the farms they may be well accommodated, with the great advantage of finding their purses far less burthensome on their return! The famous vineyards of Stellenbosch are well worth seeing, as is the Salt Lake, which annually dries, leaving a bed of muriate of soda many miles in diameter, and of unknown depth! Surely, in parts accounted sterile, such a depôt of manure ought not to be overlooked. The hot baths, situate in a most romantic valley about forty miles from the Cape, demand the traveller’s attention. Whether he may proceed on horseback, (as I should recommend,) or in a waggon, a gun will be useful; both on account of the prodigious quantity of game, of every description, and as a defence against the numerous wild beasts which infest all the woody country beyond Hottentot Holland.
I have been induced to enter upon the foregoing details regarding the Cape, from the consideration of its being intimately attached to our Asiatic possessions; and because so large a portion of those who visit them, touch there; either in going to, or when returning from, India. The political importance of a point so advantageously situated, and having such an expanse of territory annexed, may, perhaps, at some convenient moment, become a subject for future discussion: in the mean while, as connected with the Cape, I shall treat of St. Helena.
This island is most singularly situated, being in the 16th degree of south latitude, and separated from the two continents of Africa and America by immense seas, in every part unfathomable: from the former it is about 1200 miles distant; from the latter about 1800. According to an analytic description, published in 1805, it appears tolerably certain, that Saint Helena owes its elevation above the sea to some great convulsion of nature; probably to, an earthquake: for it does not, like its neighbour Ascension, shew much remains of volcanic matter, neither does there appear any cavity at all resembling a crater. On the contrary, the whole island is composed of immense strata of rock, chiefly basaltic, which, from the variety of directions they assume, some declining one way, some another, while a few assume nearly a perpendicular tendency, may be supposed to have been disrupted, and ejected from the great sub-marine mass, by some tremendous earthquake. It would be difficult to form the least idea of the period when that event took place; nor, indeed, can it be altogether certified that this island was not coœval with the creation; since which it may have undergone various changes, from volcanic operations within the deep: the appearance of cinders without lava, and the regular intermixture of clay, especially of puzolana, with the rock, by such a gradual intercourse as to leave it undetermined where the one begins, and the other ceases, may be considered a lusus naturæ, and certainly tends to involve the origin of this now valuable island still more among the arcana of nature.
Situated in the heart of the trade winds, and covering so small a space, the whole island giving a girth of less than twenty-eight miles, it is not to be expected that much rain should fall upon it: such is the incertitude regarding a supply of water, that for three years in succession scarce a shower fell! This severe drought proved fatal to a very large quantity of cattle, which had, during the course of many preceding seasons, been raised by the industrious efforts of the inhabitants. Such were the chagrin, and the disappointment, felt on the occasion, that few have, since that period, turned their attention to the rearing of live stock in any quantity.
Water would never be wanting, if proper means were taken for its preservation; as almost every valley has a copious spring, the produce of which might be retained in tanks lined with the clay every where abounding. These tanks should be situated as near as possible to the spring heads; being dug in the form of a cone resting on its base, so as to leave but little surface for evaporation. By this means they might be kept in a continual state of overflow, from the upper tank or cone, to others below the level of its surface, at such distances as should be judged proper. The source of the spring supplying the stream that flows through James’s Valley, whence the shipping receive their water, cannot be less than six hundred feet above the level of the sea; therefore, admitting that a succession of tanks were to be made at such places as might be best suited to the retention of water, and to the supply of cattle, &c. it follows, that any quantity, beyond the actual consumption, might be upheld for times of scarcity.
It cannot fail to astonish my readers, that no means whatever have been taken to prevent even the stream above alluded to from being lost, when they are informed that it is computed, indeed, has been known to supply no less than two thousand tons in three days; and could have furnished a much greater quantity, had it been practicable to bring more boats, at the same moment, near enough to the wharf-cocks, to have the hoses laid into their respective casks. I have heard, that a computation of the spring was made, whence it was shewn to be equal to that conduit which supplies Liverpool. Now, the whole population of St. Helena are supposed to be rather under, than over, 3000; which, compared with Liverpool, at once displays the possibility of guarding against drought; though the lands should be stocked to their utmost with cattle. This, of itself, is sufficient reason for the adoption of some plan for preventing the escape of the surplus fluid; which ought to be retained as high up as possible; but when we consider, that, under such an improvement, agriculture would thrive in situations now deemed untenable by any farmer, merely from a want of water, there ought to be no hesitation in resorting to the proper means for securing a due supply throughout the island.
We should, at the same time, advert to the regular operations of nature, which ever conform to the changes produced, either by time or by art. The naturalist well knows, that in all well wooded islands, however distant from continents, the dews are remarkably heavy, and encourage vegetation to its utmost luxuriance: if, then, the soil could again be covered with arborage, (for, when first discovered, about three hundred years ago, the very summits of the hills were amply clothed with trees, of which some were peculiar to the island,) it is obvious, that, even without the aid of irrigation, an abundance of perpetual pasturage might be found. In that case, every acre might have its inhabitant; whereas, at this day, computing the whole area to measure, according to a very accurate survey, about 30,300 acres, and the population to be 3000; it should seem evident, that, although there is not more than one inhabitant to every ten acres, at least four-fifths of their provision are drawn from other countries.
The author of the ‘Description of St. Helena,’ quotes some anecdotes which shew the narrow views of those persons who have never quitted the island. In one instance, ‘a top-mast, or other spar, is reserved as a great acquisition, to be sold at an immense profit to some vessel in distress:’ in another, the author states his having been asked, ‘if the arrival of the India fleet did not make London very gay!’
In these, we certainly recognise the language of insulated ignorance; but when the author makes a jest of that exclamation of a native, who, in walking with him over a spot luxuriantly verdant, declared, that ‘if the whole island were like that part, it would be the richest spot in the world;’ the joke does not fit. I am well aware of the hyperbole of such an enthusiastic expression; but, from what appeared at the Government House, where, under the fostering care of Colonel Brooke, the late governor, wonderful improvements had been affected, especially in the culture of exotics; and having witnessed the great perfection to which vegetables had been raised, on a farm in the occupation of the late Major Edward Smyth, of the artillery; as well as the plantations upheld, under most inauspicious circumstances, by the late Deputy Governor Lieutenant-Colonel Robson: I feel no hesitation in avowing an opinion, that the now dreary, bleak, uncouth summits of St. Helena, might become both ornamental and useful; while the lower parts should teem with corn, wine, and oil.