»775- and to have the greater part of their timber brought from Batavia, and fome of it dire&ly from Europe; in which latter place, as is well known, it muft be paid for in fpecie; by which means the nation fuffers a great lofs, inafmuch as the colony a&ually has within itfelf at Sitftcamma a thick impervious foreft, from whence the belt kinds of trees, many o f them indeed very rare in Europe, ought to be, and in fail might with eafe, and to the great advantage of the company, be fetched for fale. By a navigation efta- blilhed between the above-mentioned ports, not only would the tranfportation of timber be facilitated, but likewife all other articles produced in the country. The farmers, who, for inftance, might put their corn and butter on board of barges in Krakekamma-bay, would by that means avoid a journey of four hundred uurs over land (including both going and returning) which generally takes them up feve- ral weeks. Every peafant for fuch a journey as this has two or three Hottentots, one to lead the oxen, and either one or two to drive the fpare team;, befides which, hifc wife often goes with him, either for the purpofe .of having her children baptized at the Cape, or elfe for fear of being attacked by the Hottentots in her huiband’s abfence. Thus, taking it at the loweft, and reckoning only three perfons and twenty oxen for thirty days, it itands a great many farmers in ninety days work of themfelves and men, and fix hundred o f their cattle, in order to make one turn with their butter to market, and fo in proportion for fuch as are lefs diftant. Hence it is evident, that many thoufand days work are unneceffarily loft and thrown away every year in leading to the Cape, which, by means of the navigation Vigation I fpeak of, might be much more profitably be- Sep't^5b'cr flowed on the orchards and the vineyards, the corn fields and the paftures. Induftry, trade, and wealth, wbuld in that cafe flow o f themfelves, as it were, into their now de- fert harbours, and convert them into marts, and, perhaps, ftaple towns. Flax is faid not to thrive well in this climate; but hemp, which is cultivated both by the Hottentots and the colonifts merely for the purpofe of repleniihing the pipes of the former with it inftead of tobacco, I have feen fucceed very Well, and in a vigorous ftate; consequently, were there any induftry in this part o f the world, the.people in the country, as well as thofe in the town, might work it up into fheeting, facking, fail-cloth, cordage, and other articles, to their own evident advantage and that of the company ; or, in one word, with a great faving to the whole nation. Manufactories o f every kind might likewife be eftabliih- ed at thefe harbours and other fuitable places : for inftance, for the purpofe of working up the wool of the country, (which is npw quite thrown away,) at leaft into coarfe cloth and Blockings; thefe being at prefent bought at a very dear rate by the company, for the ufe of its flaves and the gar- rifon. The towns-people, indeed, and farmers o f the colony, get the woollen goods they want at a rather cheaper rate from the iliips belonging to foreigners; but likewife by that means, pay in a manner a heavier tax to the foreigner than to the company; which, however, might get a fum equal and even fuperior to this, if it bought up the woof V o l . I. M m of
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