barrier, and which, of courfe, includes the confumption of the
town, of the army, and navy, as well as the exportation in four
fucceffive years.
Years. ' Leggera of
Wine.
Leggers of
Brandy.
1799 6 9 5 3 Ì - 5 9 8 Ì
1800 J i 99t 472i
1801 5 4 6 3 I 320Ì
1802 273t
In four years 211 6 4 9 Ì 1665Ì
Of the above quantity have been exported from 400 to 800
leggers of wine, and from 30 to 100 of brandy, annually, be-
fide the Canftaritia; the reft has been confumed in the town.
So that the whole export value of wines, including the Con-
ftantia, and the brandy, may amount, one year with another,
to about 30,000 rix dollars, or 10,000/. currency.
The gradual reduction of the quantity brought up to town-,
as appears in the table, is no proof of the diminution of the
quantity manufactured, but fhews rather that the wine farmer,
by being in a condition to increafe his ftock of cafks, is enabled
to keep his wine at home, and not obliged, as he ufually was,
to deliver it to the wine merchants in the Cape at their own
price. This circumftance has contributed not a little to the
melioration of the colonial wines.
W o o l .
'W o o l .
This article is likely to become a fource of colonial revenue,
which, till o f late years, was never thought of; and certainly
never turned to any account, before the Deputy Paymafter’s bills
on his Majefty’s Paymafters-General became fo fcarce, and bore
fuch high premiums, that the private merchant was glad to make
his remittances in any kind of merchandize rather than paper.
The wool of the common broad-tailed iheep of the Cape is little
better than hair, and is confidered of no value whatfoever; but
there is a mixed breed in the colony, of Spanifh and Engliih,
introduced by the late colonel Gordon, the wool of which is
extremely beautiful, and feems to improve by every crofs. A
family of the name of Van Reenen has paid fome attention to
this fubjeCt, and by procuring European iheep, from time to'
time, out of Ihips that called for refreihments, has fucceeded in
improving their ftock beyond their expectations.
No trouble whatfoever is bellowed upon the iheep ; they neither
walh nor falve them; nor, till they were inftru&ed by the
Engliih agriculturift, did they know how to Ihear them. Yet,
the wool taken off in this rough condition has fold, as I have
been informed, in the London market at 3 j-. to 3 s. 6 d. the
pound. By a proper degree of attention being paid to the
iheep, and by obviating any degeneracy in the breed from a
crofs with the common Cape iheep, this article bids fair to be-
come, in the courfe of a few years, one of the moft valuable
and productive exports that the fettlement is capable of furnilhing.