The following plants and feeds were procured here and at Rio de Janeiro
A t Rio de J aneiro. . , * .A t the C ap e o f G ood H ope.
iCoffee—-both feed and plant. . The Fig-tree.
Cocoa—in the nut. Bamboo.
Cotton—feed. ' Spanifh Reed.
Banana—-plant. .. . . . . -Sugar-Cane.
Oranges—various forts, feed and plant. Vines of various forts.
Lemon—feed and plant.» v Quin.ee.
Guava—feed. ' Apple.
Tamarind. . . . . p ear>.
Prickly pear—plant, with the cochineal on -Strawberry.
-it. . ,Oak.
Eilgenia, or Pomme 'Rofe—a plant .bearing Myrtle.
• a fruit in lhape like an apple, and having . To thefe muft be added all forts of grain
the flavour and odour of a rofe. RicerWheat, Barley, Indian c,6ni, &c.
Ipecacuana—three forts. « • feed, which were purchafed to fupply w
Jalap. § . . ever might be found damaged of-thefe
During our ftay here, the Ranger packet, Captain Buchanan, arrived after a
-paffage of twelve weeks from Falmouth, bound to Bengal. She failed again
immediately. One officer alone of our fleet was fortunate enough to receive
letters by her from , his connexions in England.
A t the time of our arrival the inhabitants o f this agreeable town had fcarcely
recovered from the confirmation into which they had been thrown by one of
the black people called Malays, with whom the place abounded; and who, taking
©fence at the governor for not returning him to Batavia, (where, it feemed,
he was o f confequence among his own countrymen, and whence he had been
fent to the Cape as a ‘ punifhment for fome offence,), worked himfelf up to
phrenzy by the effect of opium, and, arming himfelf with variety of weapons,
rufhed forth in the dulk of the evening, killing or maiming indifcriminately all
who were fo unfortunate as to be in his route, women alone' excepted. He
ftabbed the centinel at the gate of the Company’s gardens, and placed himfelf at
his poft, waiting fome time in expectation of the governor’s appearance, who
narrowly efcaped the fate intended for him, by its falling on another perfon accidentally
paffing that way. On being purfued, he fled with incredible fwiftnefs
to the Table Mountain at the back of the town, whence this Angle mifcreant,
ftill animated by the effeCt of thé opium, for two days refilled and defied every
force that was fent againft him. The alarm and terror into which the town
was thrown were inconceivable ; for two days none ventured from within their
houfes, either mafters or flaves ; for an order was iffued, (as the moft likely
means of deftroying him, Ihould he appear in the town,) that whatever Malay
' ' was
N ovember.] I N T R O D U C T I O N ; xxlx*
was. feen. in, the ftreets fhoüld be inftantly killed by the'foldicry. ■ On the even-,
ing of the fecond day, however, he was taken alive on the Table Mountain,
having done much injury to thofe who took him, and was immediately configned
to the death he merited, being broken on the wheel, and his head and members
fevered after the; execution, and diftributed in different parts o f the country.
,,:Q f this man, who had killed fourteen of the inhabitants, and defperately
wounded nearly double that number, it was remarked, that in his progrefs his,
fury-fell only on men, women paffing him unhurt; and it was as extraordinary
as, it. was unfortunate, that among thofe whom his rage deftroyed, were fome of
the moft deferring and promifing young, men in the town. This, at Batavia,
was called running a muck, or amocke, and frequently happened there, but was
the firft inftance of the kind known at the Cape. Since that time, every Malay:
or other Have, having bufinefs in the ftreet after a certain hour in the evening,
is obliged to carry a lighted lantern, on pain of being flopped by the centinel.
and kept in cuftody until morning. Murder and villany are ftrongly depifted
on the features of the flaves of that nation; and fueh of them as dared to fpeak-
o f this dreadful cataftrophe clearly appeared to approve the behaviour of their,
countryman.
The government of the Cape we underftood to be veiled in a governor and
council, together with a court of juftice. The council is compofed of the governor,
the fecond or lieutenant-governor, the fifcal, the commanding officer of
the troops for the time being, and four counfellors. With thefe all regulations
for the management of the colony originate ; and from them all orders and decrees
are iffued. The court of. juftice is compofed of the fifcal, the fecond governor,
a /ecretary, and twelve members, fix of whom are from among the
burghers, and fix from among, the Bourgeoifie. The fifcal, feho was the firft
magiftrate, had hitherto been ftyled independent, that is to fay, his decifions
were not fubjefl to the interference o f the governor and council; but we were
informed, that fince the death of the late'fifcal, M. Serrurier, it had been determined
by the States, that the decrees of the fifcal {hould be fubjefl to the revi-
fion of the council. Before this officer were tried all caufes both civil and criminal.
He had a fet of people belonging to him who conftantly patroled the
ftreets armed, to apprehend all vagrant and diiorderly perfons. Every fourteen
days offences were tried. The prifon was adjacent to and had communication
witlvthe court-houfe. The place where all fentences were executed flood to the
left of the landing-place, a ffior't diftance above the fort or caftle. The ground
on which it ftood was raifed by feveral fteps above the road. Within the wails
were to be feen (and feen with horror) fix erodes for breaking criminals, a large
gibbet, a fpiked pole for impalements, wheels, &c. &c. together with a flight
wooden braiding, ereöed for the reception of the mi aiders of juftice upon
execution