>7'p cept the Conftantia, which is made genuine only at one
. vineyard, about ten miles diftant from the town. There is
another vineyard near it, where wine is made that is called
-by the fame name, but it is greatly inferior.
The common method in which ftrangers live here, is to
lodge and board with fame of the inhabitants, many of
whofe houfes are always open for their reception : the rates
' are from five ihillings to two fhillmgs a day, for which all
necefiaries are found. Coaches may be hired at four and
twentyfhfllings a day, and horfes at fix Ihillings ; but the
country affords very little temptation to ufe them. There
are no public entertainments; and thofe that are private, to
which ftrangers of the rank of Gentlemen are always admitted,
were fufpended while we were there by the breaking
out of the meafles.
At the farther end of the High-ftreet, the Company have
a garden, which is about two thirds of an Englifh mile long;
the whole is divided by walks that interfedt each other at
right angles, and are planted with oaks that are dipt into
wall hedges, except in the center walk, where they are fuf-
fiered to grow to their full fize, and afford an agreeable
fhade, which is the more, welcome, as, except the plantations
by the fides of the two canals, there is, not a fingle tree
that would ferve even for a fhepherd’s bufh, within many
miles of the town. The greater part of this garden is kitchen
ground ; but two fmall fquares are allotted to botanical
plants, which did not appear to be fo numerous by one
half as they were when Oldenland wrote his catalogue. At
the farther end of the garden is a menagerie, in which there
are many birds and beads that are never feen in Europe;
particularly a beaft called by the Hottentots Coe Doe, which
is as large as a horfe, and has the fine fpiral horns which
7 are
are fometimes feen in private and public collections of curi-
•ofities.
Of the natives of this country, we could learn but little
except from report; for there were none o f their habitations,
where alone they retain their original cuftoms, within lefs
than four days journey from the town; thofe that we faw
at the Cape were all fervants to Dutch farmers, whofe cattle
they take care of, and afe employed in other drudgery o f
the meaneft kind. ■ Thefe are in general of a Him make, and
rather lean than plump, but remarkably ftrong, nimble, and
adtive. Their fize is nearly the fame with that of Europeans,
and we faw fome that were fix feet high; their eyes are dull
and without expreflion: their fkins are of the colour of foot,
but that is, in a great meafure caufed by the dirt, which is fo
wiought into the grain that it cannot be diftinguifhed from
complexion; for I believe they never wafli any part of their
bodies. Their hair curls flrongly, not like a negroe’s, but
falls in ringlets about feven or eight inches long. Their
clothing confifls of a fldn, generally that of a fheep, thrown
over their fhoulders; befides which, the men wear a fmall
pouch in the middle of the waift, and the women, a broad
leather flap, both which hang from a girdle or belt that is
adorned with beads and fmall pieces of copper. Both men
and women wear necklaces, and fometimes bracelets, of
beads; and the women wear rings of hard leather round
their ancles, to defend them from the thorns, with which
their country every where abounds : fome of them have a
fandal, made of wctod or bark ; but the greater part of them
are unfhod.
To a European, their language appears to be fcarcely articulate;
befides which it- is diftinguifhed by a very remarkable
Angularity. At very frequent intervals, while they are
, V ol. III. 3 C fpeaking,