to the breed, and not to the climate, has been ihewn by the introduction
of fome Spaniih iheep a few years ago, the wool of
which is fuppofed to have improved by their continuance in
Africa : fpecimens of it fent to the London market are faid to
have fetched an unufual high price. Were one of Bakewell’s
rams introduced into the Sneuwberg, there can be little doubt
that an excellent breed would be the confequence.
The higher parts of the Sneuwberg are not better calculated
for iheep than the plains are for horned cattle. The butter
made here is fuppofed to be preferable to any other in the
colony, and of courfe is much fought after in the Cape, where
it is brought in confiderable quantity, falted and put up in
caiks. They reckon that on a moderately good farm fifty
cows will produce a hundred pounds of butter a-week, befides
bringing up the calves, which are always fuffered to run with
their mothers. The draught oxen are large, flout, and generally
in good condition ; and their horfes, though fmall, go
through a great deal of hard fervice. In many parts they are
very fubjedl to the common difeafe o f the country, which
proves fatal to great numbers. This difeafe, however, is
entirely local. At one farm they were never known to have
it, whilft at another, not more than fix miles from it, they cannot
fcarcely keep a horfe alive ; a convincing proof of its being
oecafioned by certain plants whofe leaves, or flowers, or fruits,
poffefs a deleterious quality. The Bosjefmans are well aware
of the time when the diftemper rages, and are then particularly
bold and troublefome, knowing it to be impoffible for the
farmers to purfue them.
Such
Such are the advantages and the calamities of which the
people of Sneuwberg are alternately.fufceptible. Senfible o f the
former, they bear the latter with much patience, and oppofe
them with fortitude. They are a people that, in great mea-
fure, feem to be apart from all the others. Not more different
is the nature of the country than the temper and difpofition of
its inhabitants from thofe of the lower divifions of the diftrift.
They are a peaceable, obliging, and orderly people ; a brave
and hardy race of men. The conftant danger to which their
perfons and their property are expofed will lefs admit a life of
idlenefs and ina&ivity; and it is not in the men alone that
their dangerous fituation has called forth the active powers,
but the women alfo evidently poffefs more animation, and lead
a lefs fedentary and liftlefs life, than thofe o f the lower divifions.
Inftances of great female fortitude have here occafion-
ally been ihewn. The wife of one of our party having received
intelligence, in the abfence of her huiband, that the Bof-
jefmans had carried off a troop o f their iheep, inftantly mounted
her horfe, took a mufquet in her hand, and, accompanied by a
fingle Hottentot, engaged the plunderers for fome time, put
them to flight, and recovered every iheep.
With infinitely more drawbacks on the produce of their in-
duftry than any of their countrymen experience, the anarchy
that prevailed in Graaff Reynet produced no fort of difturb-
anee among the people of Sneuwberg. They lent a material
afliftance indeed to promote the meafures of government. The
only grievance of which I ever heard them complain, and
which appears to be a real inconvenience to all who inhabit
k K 2 the