March Captain C ook, that he, as well as Sir J oseph B anks and Dr. So l an d e r , prejudiced by the relations of others, confidered the Cape, the firft time they few it, as the moft delightful and fertile place in the world. So that even the barren heaths to the north o f the town, were at the feme time very innocently miftaken for fine fields o f corn. For my part, not to lead my readers into any error concerning this point, the account I here give o f the Cape has not been written without fome confideration. I muft, notwithftanding, previoufiy remind them, that a view of the map inferted at the end of the book, will give the beft and cleared: idea of the pofition of the harbours and creeks of this part o f the world, as well as of the names and fituation o f the different mountains. By this means the following defcription will be the more eafily un- derftood. The town itfelf is the only one in the whole colony, and is properly called the Cape, though this name is often injudicioufly given to the whole fettlement. The above- mentioned town is fituated between the ihore and the north fide of the mountain, which, in confideration o f its apparent equality of furface, has obtained the name o f the Table, According to the meafurement of the Abbé de la Cailles, the ihore o f this bay is 550 toifes above the furface of the fea, and 1344 toifes in length, when taken from Eaft to Weft ; the middlemoft part o f it being fituated South- eaft o f the town, and 2000 toifes from it. Duyvef s-Kop, (the DeviPs-Head,) called by the Eng- liih Charles Mountain, is in a great meafure connected with the Table Mountain, but is full 31 toifes lower, S and and at the feme time is peaked and bare. Leeuwen-Kop, called by the Engliih the Lion's-Head, and likewife the Sugar-Loaf, is a hill more feparated, but lefs elevated, than the former : the fame may be faid of its neighbour, the Leeuwen-Staart, called by the Engliih the Lion's-Rump, and likewife the Lion's-Tail. From one of thefe fignals are given, by the firing of guns for every veflel that comes that way, and appears bound for the harbour. When they approach ftill nearer, a flag is hoifted on this mountain, which ferves for a fignal to the captains o f the Dutch ihips; but nobody but they and the governor o f the Cape know, how the colour o f the flag is to be varied for each refpedtive month. The intention of this regulation is, that a Dutchman who is coming into the harbour, may immediately know, i f the harbour is fallen' into the hands of the enemy, and accordingly take care not to run into it. The above-mentioned hills are in a great meafure bare, and that part of Table Mountain that looks towards the town is pretty fteep. The buihes and trees (if they may be fo called) which here and there grow wild, are ftunted partly by their own nature, and partly by the South-eaft and North-weft winds. Hence they, moft of them, look dried up, with pale blighted leaves, and, upon the whole, have a miferable appearance. Some of them, Iheltered by the cliffs, and at the fame time watered by the rills that run down the fides of the mountain, may perhaps be fome- what more healthy and vigorous; but they are univerfally deficient in that lively verdure which adorns the oaks, vines, myrtles, laurels, lemon-trees, 8cc. planted at the V o l . I. C bottom 1772. March. L 'V 'J
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