the houfe was determined by fome fpring or water-courfe, the
ftake was fo placed that the circumference of the circle de-
fcribed left a fpace between the new, and fome adjoining, farm
of one, two, or more miles in diameter. This intermediate
ipace, if lefs than three miles in diameter, was confidered as
not tenable, and, confequently, if any perfon (willing to pay
the eftablilhed rent for a fmaller quantity of land than Government
allowed) applied for fuch intermediate piece of ground, his
application was fure to be rejeded. Whether the Government
had any defign of difperfing the people by fuch an abfurd fyf-
tem, under the idea of keeping them more eafily in fubjedion,
I can’t pretend to fay, but it thought proper to encourage the
continuance of the fyftem, which is in full force to this moment.
The dilputes about thefe flakes or baakens, as they call them,
are endlefs; and partly through accident, but frequently by de-
fign, the flakes are fo placed that, on an average throughout
the whole colony, the farms are at twice the diftance, and confequently
contain four times the quantity of land allowed by
Government.
The number of thefe loan farms regiftered in the office of
the receiver of the land revenue, on doling the books in 1798,
were,
In the the diftrid of the Cape - n o
— — Stellenbofch and Drakenftein - 689
Carried forward 799
Brought forward
In Zwellendam -
—— Graaf Reynet £
Total
Suppofmg each farm to confift only of the ufual allowance,
or a fquare of three miles the fide, the quantity of land in all the
loan farms will amount to 10,552,320 acres j and the annual reqt
they produce is about 44,000 rix-dollars, which is at the rate
of about eight-tenths of a farthing an acre. Yet, moderate as
thefe rents are, the Dutch Government could not prevent their
running in arrears, the amount of which, at the capture, was
upwards of 200,000 rix dollars. From the payment of this
arrear they were excufed by the Britiih Government. Yet
neverthelefs, they pay the fmall rent referved lb unwillingly
and irregularly, that new arrears are every day accruing.
2. Gratuity lands are fuch as were originally granted in loan,
but, on petition of the holders, in confequence of fome fuppofed
fervices done to Government, have been converted into a fort
of cuftomary copyhold liable to a certain rent, which, like the
Ioan-lands, is continued at, 24 rix dollars a-year. Such eftates
except a few in Zwellendam, are at no great diftance from the
Cape, and, in general, are in a better ftate of cultivation than
the. loan farms. Their number, as regiftered in the Land Revenue
Office, are,
799
54 *
49 2
1832
In