I77$* AprjJ. 'w'-oJ the ufual circular, mark in my map. The rivers, or rathe ~ brooks, that lay between ZweUendam and Hex-rivier, were Pufpas-valley, Klip-rmer, Meulemaars-rmier, ~Leetmen*ri- vier, Saaras-rivier, Fink-rivier, Go-ree-rivier, Seuj-rivier, and Nana-rivier. The aloe plant, (vide L in n . Suppl. Plant.) commonly called at the Cape Gore-bofch, has its name from the river Gore juft mentioned: though beiides that fpot, this well- known vegetable, o f which there are many varieties, being o f a fucculent nature, throve extremely well in all the dry carrow and half carrow plains; yet it grew in the greateff abundance in the tract of country lying round about Mufde- bay, Gaurits and Duyvenboeks-riviers; fo that in certain fpots thereabouts, and that chiefly on the declivity of mountains, thefe plants formed groves, (as it were) of fmall palm-trees: as the items which arofe from, and were com- pofed o f the thick fucculent leaves, in confequence of almoft the whole of each leaf, after being dried up and withered towards the bottom, having fallen off, or at leaft having been ftripped off purpofely, (by which means they had moreover acquired a rough, brown, and parched appearance) were, however, for the moft part, ftrait and erect, from eight to thirty feet in height, and about one thick, and were terminated by pale green tufts of freih and healthy leaves. Not only the ufe, but even the real name of this plant, (viz.. aloe) was,, as I have been told by many people, long unknown to the colonifts, and for this reafon had been negledted and held cheap by them. It is true, there had been always in the fervice of the government a number o f Negro flaves, who, at the place of their nativity, (another part of o f the African coaft) had learned the method of preparing, as well as the value of the gum aloe; but bowing as they did, beneath the yoke of flavery, they would rather at any time have feen a dart pierce the hearts of their tyrants, than be inftrumental in procuring them any additional knowledge or wealth of what kind foever; by which, on the one fide, the pride, avarice, and power of their mailers, and on the other fide, their work, as well as the number of flaves employed would be increafed. For this reafon, the ufe o f the aloe was for a long time kept a fecret among the flaves ; who, indeed, made a point o f confcience of not revealing it, till one of them, called G o r e e , difcover- ed it to a colonift of the d e W i t t family. Whether this proceeded from gratitude to his matter for his humane treatment of him, or whether it was done in hopes of being rewarded for it, they could not inform me with any certainty : they only knew, that d e W i t t had, through this difcovery, obtained an exclufive privilege for the delivery of a certain quantity of aloes to the Eaft-India company, and had given up to G o r e e the infpedtion of the whole work. It is likewife after the name, of this flave, that the aloe plant is ftill to this day.in Africa moft commonly, if not folely, called the Goree-bofch. The method in which'gum aloes is prepared in Africa, has> it is true, been defcribed before by profeffor Th un- b e r g , (vide Tranfadlions of the Swediih Phyfiographical Society, Part i. Art. II. page 1 12.) But as my readers may, neverthelefs, probably expect fome information on this fubjeft, I have thought proper to communicate the following particulars concerning this fubjedt. V o l . II. U u p The i776. April. Lx-rO
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