We arrived at Comtantia about two o’clock, and having received
a general invitation from Mr. Cloete, the proprietor, we intended to
profit by it this, day, and take a view of the vineyards and cellars;
after which, to have resumed our ramble over the heath, and dined
amongst the bushes. But our intention was partly frustrated; for, the
slaves having carried to him the information of our arrival, he came
out of the house, and in a friendly manner insisted on our entering,
as he was just sitting down to dinner. We therefore took our seat,
and although treated with marked hospitality, were more anxious
soon to leave the table and pursue the objects of our excursion, than
to indulge in the variety of excellent wines which were placed before
us. For my part, I had not the gift of distinguishing the relative
merits of all these sorts. The red Constantin,' as it is called, was of
a very agreeable taste ; but all were excellent.
After this I was shown the cellar, a long building above ground,
and shaded by trees. On each side, a range of large casks, with
two of much larger dimensions, contains the valuable wine which
has caused the name of this place to be so well known in Europe.
We were next conducted to the vineyard, which, however, is managed
in a manner not at all different from the other vineyards in
the colony; the vines are pruned and kept in the form of dwarf
bushes, much resembling currant-bushes; and are planted in rows
about six feet apart. At this time they still remained loaded with
bunches of fine grapes, and the only peculiarity I could observe,
was, that they were allowed to hang on the vine to ripen so long, that
they had begun to shrivel, and the juice was become almost a syrup.
Whatever may be the cause, or whether there be any cause really
Corymbium scabrurn
Othonna crassifolia
Gnaphalium nudifólium
Euclea racemosa
Roy erta glabra
Protea (Leucosjpermum) Conocarpa
Protea meUifera
Ceropegia (Microloma) tenuifolia
Robus pinnatus
Cliffortia strobilifera
Rhus mucronatum, Th.
Cliffortia gramínea
Erica mdiflorq,
existing, it is said, and believed, that wine of the quality of Constantia
wine cannot be made on any other spot in the colony; a most
fortunate circumstance for the proprietor, whose affluence, and that
of his family before him, have probably been derived from it. But
this is not literally a monopoly; for the adjoining vineyard, called
Little Constantia, produces wine scarcely inferior.
Close to the house, stands a beautiful tree of Wilde Kastanje
(Wild Chesnut), the trunk of which was fifteen inches in diameter^
and thirty feet high below the branches. It well merits the generic
name it has received *, and the colonial name is equally applicable,
as, in the appearance of both the flower and the fruit, it very much
resembles a horse-chesnut; but in foliage it is different. This is the
largest, and, perhaps, the only tree within a great distance of Cape
Town. Close to it, I saw a small treO of Gardenia Rothmannia, bearing
a profusion of large and very sweet-scented flowers. These were an
elegant sample of the trees of the Cape forests.
At half-past four we took our leave,* and returned to Wynberg
by the high road leading from Simon’s Town, which brought us out
below the Camp ; and at the flag-staff, which. stands at a short distance
from it, to convey telegraphic signals between Cape Town and
Simon’s Town, we took a road to the right, which led us again over the
wild heath, f Soon after crossing the Liesbeck River, we rejoined
the high road. The nearer we approached the town, the stronger we
found the wind, which, blowing directly behind us, often forced us
to run forward, although we were all exceedingly tired, and much
exhausted. We reached home about , eight o’clock, after a day’s
* Calodendron, or “ beautiful tree.”
f On the sandy heath, or Sand Flats, north of Rondebosch, grow —-
Erica ramentacea
Ericamargaritacea
Eiosma .oppositifolia
Restio tectorum
Staayia radiata
Erica racemosa.
Erica calyoina
Blairia ericdides
Rhinanihus glaber, Th.
Cyperusfascicularis.