A Short Description of the Cape of Good Hope.
I Shall not trouble the Reader with what has been writ by others concerning this noted Place: And since I had neither Time, Health, nor Permission to ramble the Country, I can relate no Adventures that we had with Bears, Tygers or Hottentots; but what I shall say is from my own Observation.
A Description of the Cape of Good Hope.
The Dutch have here a well built small Town, containing about two hundred and fifty Houses, with a Church, and several fine Gardens and small Vineyards near it. There are divers Villages in the Country, from 10 to 30 Miles distance, and scattering Plantations near a hundred Miles from the Cape; so that from the whole they are supposed to be capable of raising 3000 well armed Horse and Foot at a short warning. The Climate being in about 35 S. Lat. is excellent and healthful, and the Soil very fruitful. They have many pleasant Seats in the Neighbourhood, with Gardens, Vineyards, and Plantations of young Oaks, and other Trees raised by themselves; there being no large Timber nearer than 50 Miles off the Cape. I was inform’d that these Farms and Plantations bring in their East India Company a considerable Sum per Annum, besides Maintenance for the Garrison. They let the Land so cheap, for Encouragement of Planters, and it produces such a large Increase of Corn, Wine and Cattle, that it enables the People to pay a great Excise for their Commodities, which are also continually exported for the Dutch Settlements in India, and spent in recruiting their Fleets that stop here; so that in a few Years they hope this Place will be so considerable, as to afford them Recruits on any Occasion for their Garrisons in India; and if they be pressed by a War there, they may always lodge such a Number of Men at this noble Settlement, which they esteem a second Fatherland, as may arrive at India in so good a Condition, that no European Power can be so capable of holding the India Trade as themselves. This makes me think it to have been a great Omission in our East India Company to quit this Settlement for St. Hellena, which is no way comparable to it, nor able to answer the same End. Amongst other Advantages, the Dutch have here a noble Hospital, furnished with Physicians and Surgeons as regularly as any in Europe; and this Hospital is capable of entertaining 6 or 700 sick Men at one time; so that as soon as the Dutch Ships arrive here, their distemper’d Men are put ashore, and they are supplied with fresh Men in their stead. They have all sorts of Naval Stores here, with proper Officers to attend on all Occasions, which is a mighty Addition to their Strength, and enables them to preserve their India Trade. An Express comes hither annually from Holland by a small Ship, to meet their homeward bound E. India Fleet, which is generally from 17 to 20 great Ships. The Express brings a private Order to the Commander in chief, who is appointed by the Government in India; so that none knows where they are to meet their Convoy in the North Seas, but himself; and he gives it sealed up to each Ship, to be open’d in a proper Latitude near home. By this Method their Fleets have for many Years escaped the Enemy, and arrived safe in Holland. Their Form of Government, their Industry and Neatness abroad, is justly to be admired, and worthy to be imitated. I saw nothing I could blame, unless it be their Severity, for which no doubt they have very good reason, tho’ it seemed harsh to me, who was born with English Liberty. They have an Island call’d Robin, which lies at the Entrance of the Cape Bay, about 3 Leagues from the Town, where they confine Mutineers, or other heinous Offenders, to hard Labour during Life, by Sentence of the Fiscal.
The Dutch generally send a Ship every Year from hence to Madagascar for Slaves, to supply their Plantations; for the Hotentots, who are very numerous, and love their Liberty and Ease so much, that they cannot be brought to work, even tho they should starve.
I spoke with an English and an Irish-man, who had been several Years with the Madagascar Pirates, but were now pardoned, and allowed to settle here: They told me, that those miserable Wretches, who had made such a Noise in the World, were now dwindled to between 60 or 70, most of them very poor and despicable, even to the Natives, among whom they had married. They added, that they had no Embarkations, but one Ship, and a Sloop that lay sunk; so that those Pirates are so inconsiderable, that they scarce deserve to be mentioned; yet if Care be not taken after a Peace to clear that Island of them, and hinder others from joining them, it may be a Temptation for loose stragling Fellows to resort thither, and make it once more a troublesome Nest of Free-booters.[154]
The Dutch have seldom less than 500 Soldiers in the Cape Castle, which is very large, built with Stone, and has 70 Guns well mounted on its Ramparts, with convenient Dwellings for the Officers and Soldiers; but it lies too deep in the Bay to protect the Ships in the Road; therefore they talk of erecting a Battery on the Starboard sandy Point, as you enter the Bay. The Road is so much exposed to the sea, that in the Winter Months, when the Wind blows strong from thence, it is unsafe Riding, and Ships are very often lost here; so that whoever comes hither in that Season, ought to be well provided with Cables and Anchors to ride out a Storm: But in the Summer it seldom blows from the Sea; yet scarce a Day passes without very strong Flaws at S. E. which come down from the Table Mountains that lie over the Fort, so violently, that Boats cannot go to or from the Ships, but in the Morning and Evening, when it is generally very moderate and calm.
The Dutch have found out a noble hot Spring of Water above 100 Miles up in the Country, which is of excellent virtue against all Distempers contracted in India; so that few have been carried thither, tho’ in a desperate Condition, but they have recover’d to admiration by drinking and bathing in that Water.
This Place having been so frequently describ’d by others, I shall only add, that I found the Character of the Hotentots to be very true, and that they scarce deserve to be reckon’d of the Human Kind, they are such ill look’d stinking nasty People: Their Apparel is the Skins of Beasts, their chief Ornament is to be very greasy and black, so that they besmear themselves with stinking Oil, or Tallow and Soot, and the Women twist the Guts of Beasts or Thongs of Hides round their Legs, which resembles a Tobacco-roll. Here’s plenty of all sorts of Beasts and Fowl, wild and tame; and in short, there’s nothing wanting at the Cape of Good Hope, for a good Subsistence; nor is there any Place more commodious for a Retirement to such as would be out of the Noise of the World, than the adjacent Country in possession of the Dutch.