to think; with a mind difengaged from every fort of cafe and
reflexion, indulging to excefs in the gratification of every fen-
fual appetite, the African peafant grows to an unweildy fize,
and is carried off the ftage by the firft inflammatory difeafe
that attacks him.
How different is the lot o f the laboring poor of England,
who for fix days in the week are doomed to toil for twelve
hours in every day, in order to gain a morfel of bread for their
family, and the luxury of a little animal food for the feventh
d a y !
The cultivators of the ground, who inhabit the nearer dif-
trids to the town, though fomething better than the breeders
of cattle, live but in a very uncomfortable manner in the midft
o f profufion. They have little or no fociety with each other,
and every one feems to live folely for himfelf. Though removed
from each other to the diftance of feveral miles, and
enjoying the benefit of many thoufand acres of land under the
rate o f a farthing an acre, it is yet a Angular fad, that fcarcely
any two neighbours are found to be on good terms with each
other, but are embroiled perpetually in quarrels and difputes
about the extent o f their farms, or the privilege o f a fpring or
a water-courfe. One great caufe of their endlefs difputes is the
abfurd manner of eftimating diftance by time. The quantity
o f land in a government farm, according to the eftabliihed cuf-
tom o f the colony, muft be one hour’s walk acrofs it. I f one
farmer is fuppofed to have put down his baaken, or ftake, or
land-mark, a little too near to that of his neighbour, the Feldwagt
•wagt-meejter, or peace-officer of the divifion, is called in, by
the latter, to pace the diftance, for which he gets three dollars.
I f the Feldwagt-meefter Ihould happen to regulate his pace to
the fatisfailion of both parties, the affair is fettled ; but as this
is not always the cafe, the next ftep is for the difcontented
party to apply for a commiffion, confifting o f the Landroft,
two members of the Council, the Secretary of the diftri£t, and
a Meffenger. Thefe gentlemen ihare fifteen dollars a-day as
long as they are out upon the commiffion to determine how
far a man ought to walk in an hour.
The dangerous and difficult roads in every part o f the
colony, but particularly the kloefs or paffes of the mountains,
and the ftill more perilous fords of the rivers, fliew how very
little fenfe is entertained by the peafantry of public benefits or
public conveniences. Each gets over a difficulty as well as he
can, and no more is thought about it till it again occurs. An
inftance appeared of this in crofting the Breede river oppofite
to Brandt Valley, which is done by means o f a fmall flat-bottomed
tub, about fix feet by three. In this machine foot paff-
engers hawl themfelves over by a rope fixed to two polls, one
on each fide of the river. When a horfe is to crofs, the faddle
is taken off, the rider gets into the tub, and drags the animal
after him. But when a waggon is to be tranfported, it muft
firft be unladen, and the baggage carried over in the veffel:
the carriage is then made fail by one end to this floating machine,
and the other is buoyed up by a calk, and in this manner
it is dragged over. Thus is half a day confumed in palling
a fmall river o f thirty or forty yards at the moft in width,
when