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pearance than in his time : but he ftill remains the befit
author that can be confulted on the fubjedt, and as fuch
we will venture to refer our readers to him.
We have had an occafion to obferve feveral fadls al-
ledged in Kolben, and we likewife find them mentioned
in Lieutenant Cook’s voyage. See Hawkefworth’s compilation
Vol. III. p. 789, 8cc. The Abbé de la Caille, an
aftronomer, in the account of his voyage, which was pub-
liihed foon after his death, has endeavoured to ruin the
credit of Kolben’s book, without giving us any thing better
in its ftead. We ihould not have ventured to mention fo
fuperficial a performance, as that of the Abbé, were it not
neceffary to vindicate from his ■ afperfions, the character of
Kolben, as a faithful and accurate obferver. The Abbé
lived with a family at the Cape, who were of a party di-
redtly oppofite to that which had fupported Kolben. He
daily heard inveftives againft him, and never failed to
write them down, in order to give himfelf importance
at the expence of the other,
N u l n'aura cPefprifc
Hors nous et nos amis. Boileau.
The extremity of Africa towards the fouth is a mafs of
high mountains, of which the outermoft are black, craggy,
and barren, confiding of a coarfe granite, which contains
n,o heterogeneous parts, fuch as petrified fliells, &c. nor
any
any volcanic productions. The cultivated fpots which we
faw had a ftiff clay mixed with a little fand and fmall
pieces of ftohe ; but the plantations towards Falfe bay are
almoft entirely on a fandy foil. The colony of Stellen-
bofch is faid to have the moft fertile foil of all at the Cape,
and the different plantations thrive there incomparably better
than any where elfe, particularly the European oaks,
which are faid to have attained a confiderable height and
flouriffung appearance, whilft they do not feem to fucceed
near the town, where the talleft we faw was not above
thirty feet high. The interior mountains are certainly
metallic, and contain iron and copper; fpecimens of ores
o f both kinds were fhewn to us by Hr, Hemmy, and fome
tribes of Hottentots melt both thefe metals; from whence
we may conclude, that the ores they employ muft be rich
and eafy of fufion. Hot fprings are likewife found at
feveral places in the interior country ; and the inhabitants
of the Cape Town refort to one of them at the diftance of
about three days journey, which is famous for curing cutaneous
and other diftempers, and is probably of a fulphu-
reous nature.
The variety of plants in this country is furprifing. In
the little time we ftaid there, we obferved feveral new fpe-
cies growing in the environs of the town, where we fliould
leaft have expedited them. And though the colledtions of
former botanifts from hence are very ample, yet Dr.
Vol. I. ' M Sparkman
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