winds, ihrivelle'd by the drought, or flubbed by the cattle.
Even in the boggy grounds, where they grow to a fize of which
no idea can be formed from feeing the fame fpecies in England,
they are neither fo elegant in their habit, nor flower fo freely,
as in their cultivated ftate.
Thofe tra&s, however, on which the ihrubby plants are
found, barren as they are, may be confidered among the beft
that the fettlement affords; the mountains generally exhibit
mafles of naked rock; and the Karroo deferts are wide expanded
beds of co'mpait clay tinged with iron, and mixed with
pebbles of quartz and comminuted fand-ftone. A piece of
Karroo earth is not unlike, m appearance, to that of puzzoli,
but entirely different in Its nature,- water which renders the
latter hard, converting the former into a greafy marl. If thefe
elevated plains were bleffed with lhowers, which Hever happen
in the winter feafon, nor indeed in fammer, uniefs by ocea-
fional thunder ftotm's, they would become the moft fertile
trails of land in the Whole fettlement. If, by any accident, a
ftream of water has pafled over'Karroo ground, the productive
quality of the foil, and the luxuriancy of vegetation, are almoft
incredible. Experience, in fuch fituations, has ihewn, that,
without the afliftance o f manure, or the labour of fallowing,
returns of corn have been produced from fixty to eighty fold.
The fcarcity of water, thereafon o f which I ihall endeavour
to explain in the following chapter, is, in faCt, the grand obstacle
to an extended cultivation at the Gape of Good Hope.
'Wherever a ftreamlet occurs, a houfe is fare to be ereded, and,
i were
were it not for fuch rills, fcarcely an efculent vegetable would
be produced in the fummer feafon. The country, however,
is capable of much improvement. Inftead of the groundsbeing
entirely open, and equally expofed to the .winds and the Sun,
trees and hedge-rows might be planted ; tanks or reiervoirs of
water formed ; wells dug; and the running Streams encreafed
by opening their fources, and clearing out their channels.
It is very remarkable that the fame people, who are celebrated
in Europe for their induftry and frugality, ihould become, in
all their colonies, the moft indolent and prodigal of all other
nations. In the fine climate of the Cape they engage in little
or no manual labour. If a common foldier, having ferved out
his time, ihould obtain his difcharge, and, having been brought
up to fome trade or profeflion, ihould commence bufmefs, the
moment he is enabled to purchafe a Have, be ceafes to work.
In Batavia, the Dutch are ftill more indolent; even their flaves
are there fo helplefs, that were it not for the Chinefe the Europeans
muft literally ftarve. Thefe induftrious people exerciie
all manner of trades and handicraft work, cultivate the ground,
fupply the market with vegetables, with butcher’s meat, and
with poultry; raife rice, pepper, cofiee, and fogar, for confomp-
tion and exportation; carry on the whole commerce of the ifland
both internal and coaftways; adt as brokers, fadtors, and interpreters
between the Dutch government and the natives; farm,
and colled!, the taxes and revenues, both for the former -and the
latter; in a word, they poffefs among themfelves the monopoly
of the whole ifland. Yet, ufeful as thefe people are, and indlf-
penfably neceffary to the Dutch in this fettlement, their numbers