and appearance of the young men and the young women, in
the fame family, is inconceivably great. The former are
clumfy in their ihape, aukward in their carriage, and of an un-
fociable difpofition ; whilft the latter are generally o f a fmall
delicate form, below the middle fize, of eafy and unaffeCted
manners, well dreffed, and fond of focial intercourfe, an indulgence
in which they are feldom reftrained by their parents, and
which they as feldom turn to abufe. They are here indeed
lefs dependant on, and lefs fubject to, the caprice o f parents
than elfewhere. Primogeniture entitles to no advantages 5 but
all the children, male and female, ihare alike in the family property.
No parent can difinherit a child without affigning, on
proof, one at leaft of the fourteen reafons enumerated in the
Juftinian Code. By the law of the colony, a community o f all
property, both real and perfonal, is fuppofed to take place on
the marriage of two perfons, unlefs the contrary fhould be particularly
provided againft by folemn contraCl made before marriage.
Where no fuch contraCt exifts, the children, on the
death o f either parent, are entitled to that half o f the joint property
which was fuppofed to belong to the deceafed, and which
cannot be withheld on application after they are come o f age.
It is but juftice to the young females of the Cape to remark,
that many of them have profited much more than could be
expected from the limited means of education that the place
affords. In the better families, moil of them are taught mufic
and fome have acquired a tolerable degree o f execution. Many
underftand the French language, and fome have made great
proficiency in the Engliih. They are expert at the needle, at
all
all kinds of lace, knotting, and tambour work, and in general
make up their own dreffes, following the prevailing faihions of
England brought from time to time by the female paffengers
bound to India, from whom they may be faid to
t( Catch the manners living as they rife.”
Neither are the other fex, while boys, deficient in vivacity or
talent; but for want of the means of a proper education, to
open their minds and excite in them a defire of knowledge,
they foon degenerate into the common routine o f eating, fmok-
ing, and fleeping. Few of the male inhabitants affociate with
the Engliih, except fuch as hold employments under the government.
This backwardnefs may be owing in part to the different
habits o f the two nations, and partly, perhaps, to the reluctance
that a vanquiihed people mud always feel in mixing with
their conquerors. No real caufe, however, of complaint or dif-r
affeCtion could poifibly be alleged againft the Engliih government
at the Cape. No new taxes have been impofed fince the
conqueft ; but, on the contrary, fome of the old ones have
been diminiihed, and others modified. The demand and value
of every production o f the colony have very confiderably in-
creafed, while the articles of import have fallen, in their prices.
More than 200,000 rixdollais of arrears in rent of land have
been remitted to the inhabitants by the Britiih government, as
well as 180,000 rixdollars of dubious debts. They have pre-
ferved their laws and their religion, both of which continue to
be adminiftered by their own people. They enjoy as great a
ihare o f rational liberty as men, bound to each other, and to
h 2 ttie