I have already had occafion to notice the injudicious and
flovenly manner that is generally praitifed at the Cape in
die making of wine, and in the management of the vineyard.
I can now venture to fpeak pofitively as to the fait, that wine
o f a quality equal* if not fuperior, to the Rheniih, may be produced
in the Cape of Good Hope. Mr. Pringle, his Majefty’s
Commiflary-General, and agent for the Honourable Eaft India
Company, purchafed a fmall farm on which was a vineyard that,
for many years, had been totally negleited. By way erf making
the experiment, he caufed it to be dreffed and- properly pruned,
and, depending upon the directions laid down in the Encyclopedic
des Conrraiffances Humaines, and Valmont de Bomare’s
Di&ionary, rather than upon the knowledge cif the Cape boors,
he fucceedcd, much beyond his moft fanguine expectations, iff
obtaininga, clear pleafant wine, free from any extraneous tafte;,
and approaching fo near to Hock, that very good judges might
have-miftaken the one for the other.. The chief precautions,
taken by him were,, to feparate the ripe from the: unripe fruit,,
the found, from the decayed, and, to remove them from the
ftalk, which none of the wine farmers- of the Cape take the
pains to do: he, kept the mull in open veffels, until it had
undergone, the laft degree of vinous fermentation, and then
drew it off into dofe. veffels, where it remained-without molefta-
tion.for twelvemonths. In like manner, there can be no-
doubt, the different,wines of Europe might all be made here
by- proper treatment; for, I again repeat what I have before
obferved, that in no. part of the world are better grapes produced
than at the Cape. Vines grow here on any foil, and
require but very little attention. Many thoufand acres of
ground,
ground, now totally negleâed, might be planted with vineyards
within light of the Table Mountain.
Our march along, the Lange Kloof was delightfully pleafant.
The road was- extremely good, the country -cheerful, being
moftly covered with grafs or (hrubby plants, exhibiting from a
diftance a continuance of verdant lawns, which are not frequent
in this colony, by much the greater portion of the furface
being either extenfive waftes of karroo almoft without a veffige
of vegetation, or naked ranges o f mountains. Here too there
was a fufficiency of water to admit of farm-houfes being placed
at the regulated diftance of three miles. The Hoping Tides qf
the valley were covered with a great variety of fplendid heaths,
in the height of their bloffom, of the ftirub called gnidia, of the
ihowy and everlafting Xeranthemum, and a profufion of other
plants that the eye of a botanift would have feafted upon with
avidity. But the nature of our expedition would only admit of
a glance in paffing.
Having proceeded along the Kloof to that part which is nearly
oppofite to Plettenberg’s Bay, we found it neceffary to halt a
few days in order to refreih the horfes. In the mean time I
crofted the mountains, agreeably to my inftruitions, and afleinbled
the wood-cutters in the vicinity o f the bay, to enter into a
contrait with them for a fupply of timber for the public fervice
at the Cape. Independent of the wants of the government, it
was coniidered advifeable, at this juncture, to furniih thefe people
with employment, in order to keep them at home; for
fuch is the nature of an African boor, that, having nothing par-
s von. n. i- ticular