Separated from Stellenbofch and Drakenftein, on the eaft, by the
Little Salt River, Deep River, and Moffel Bank River, being
about eighty miles from north to fouth, and twenty-five from
eaft to weft; containing, therefore, about two thoufand fquare
miles. The Gape peninfula is about thirty miles in length and
eight in breadth, or two hundred and forty fquare miles. According
to an account of his ftock, produce, and land under cultivation,
which every man is obliged annually to give in to the
police officers, and which is called the Opgaaff lift, it appears
that, notwithftanding the comparative ihort diftanee of every
part of the Cape diftridt from a market, not one fifteenth part
of the furface is under any kind of tillage.
Cape Town is built with great regularity, the ftreets being
all laid out with a line. The houfes are generally white-waihed,
and the doors and windows painted green ; are moftly two
ftories in height, fiat-roofed, with an ornament in the centre of
the front, or a kindjof pediment; a raifed platform before.the
door with a feat at each end. It confifts. of 1 145 dwelling-
houfes, inhabited by about five thoufand five hundred whites
and people of colour, and ten thoufand blacks. -The firft clafs
is compofed of thofe who fill the feveral departments of Government,
the clergy, the members of the Court of Juftice, and of
the Police. The next are a fort of gentry who, having eftates
in'the country, retail the produce of them through their flaves;
then comes a number of petty dealers, who call themfelves merchants,
and, laftly, the tradefmen, who carry on their feveral
profeffions through their blacks. Many of the people of colour
are fifliermen.
Befides
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 341
Befides the caftle and the forts, the other public buildings are,
a large well-built barrack for 2000 men; a quadrangular building,
with an area in the centre, where the Government flaves
are lodged to the number of four hundred nearly; the Reformed
Church, which is a fpacious and neat ftrufture; the
Lutheran Church; the town-houfe ; the Court of Juftice; and
a theatre.
Towards the northern extremity of the diftrift, in that part
of it which is called Zwartland, there is a fmall church with a
very neat and comfortable parfonage-houfe, garden, vineyard,
and corn-land, but no village near it.
The produce of the Cape peninfula is grapes, with all the
-European and many of the tropical fruits, vegetables of every
defcription, barley for the ufe of horfes, and a fmall quantity of
choice wine. Of the other parts o"f the Cape diftriit, wheat,
barley, pulfe, and wine.
By a regulation of the Dutch Government, every houfeholder
was obliged annually to give in the number of his family, the
amount of his live ftock, and the produce, of his farm. As this
had been done in a loofe and flovenly manner, ahd as the augmentation
of ten thoufand fouls rendered it important to afcer-
tain the means afforded by the colony for their fubfiftence, Lord
Macartney required that, for the future, every man ffiould give
in his ftatement upon oath. When this new regulation was
made, the Opgaaff.\ for that year, had already been taken in the
ufual way. but, on being repeated, the numbers, in fome articles',
were