accident of this kind cannot eafily happen : relying upon W rO thefe, people fometimes even drive a little below the fea- ihore, as the fands are there prefled down and even; whereas higher up they are loofe, deep, and heavy. In a large plain, that clofes up the north fide o f Falfe-bay, there is a coniiderable field of fand, through which the road is carried. This the violent rains, that ■ fall in the winter feafon, joined to a higher tide than ufual, are wont fometimes to lay entirely under water; fo that travellers are in danger of getting up to the middle, in holes and pits. Some accidents o f this kind happened the winter I was there. Ships of various nations, Engliih, French, and particularly the Dutch Eaft-Indiamen, anchored this feafon in Simon's-bay. The principal officers and paffengers of this nation lodged chiefly with the refident; fo that at mealtimes, various European diale&s, together with the languages ufed in commerce with the Indians, viz. the Malay, and a very bad kind of Portuguefe, were fpoken all at one time; fo that the confufion was almoft equal to that o f the Tower of Babel. The diifimilitude likewife in manners and behaviour was fometimes equally great. A circumftance that occurred on this occafion, and that appeared to me rather Angular, deferves to be mentioned. When the flrangers of other nations began their defert?, two Dutch captains put on their hats and lighted their pipes. Upon this I afked fome Dutchmen that fat by me, whether this was not looked upon as unufual and impolite ■? I was anfwered, that tobacco Was a more delicious defert^ and had more charms for an old failor, than cakes and 6 ' fweetfweet meats; and that this cuftom is ftill more pradtifed ¿77rij; in other places in the Eaft-Indies. Indeed I obferved at the Cape, that the Dutch commonly wore their hats in the houfe, and that even in company, without its being looked upon as the leaft breach of politenefs. At leaft the cuftom, which is conftantly pradtifed in Europe, of carrying one’s hat under one’s arm, is ftill more unnatural. This moft undeniably abfurd pradtice I never obferved in the Eaft-Indies. We often enjoyed the company of Engliih ladies, fome o f whom even ftaid out our elegant defert of pipes and tobacco. Some o f thefe ladies came from the Eaft-Indies, on their return from Europe, and fome from England. The married ones, to fee their hufbands either at Bombay, Madras, or Bengal; the unmarried ones, to get hufbands. Some of the former had not feen their hufbands for feve- ral years, thefe not having being able to fend for them before, for want o f having acquired money enough to keep houfe in the expeniive manner requifite in this part o f the world. The latter feldona make the voyage in vain, being extremely welcome to fuch o f the fingle men, as have had time to get a tolerable ihare of the treafures of India, but could not perfuade themfelves to wed the dark Indian beauties, (as many however are accuftomed to do) and have not had leifure to go to Europe merely for the purpofe of chufing themfelves wives. It was therefore fuppofed, that fome o f thefe beautiful travellers were actually, in a manner, fent for by commilfion, though not inferted in the invoice. Be
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