The Cape and the Kaffirs: A Diary of Five Years' Residence in Kaffirland — John Shaqi
The Cape and the Kaffirs: A Diary of Five Years' Residence in KaffirlandWard, Mrs.
History
The Cape and the Kaffirs: A Diary of Five Years' Residence in Kaffirland
Ward, Mrs.
South Africa -- History -- Frontier Wars, 1811-1878
Of the rivers, much the largest is the Orange River, but from its
remoteness from the settled portions of the country little use has yet
been made of it. The Olifant's, or Elephant River, and the Great Berg
River, fall into the sea on the west coast; the Broad River and the
Knysna on the south coast while the east coast is watered by the Sunday
River, which falls into Algoa Bay; the Great Fish River, the Keiskama,
the Kei, and many smaller streams. In the vicinity of the district of
Natal are found the Umzimkulu, the Umlazi, and many others, of which
even the names are hardly known to Europeans.
The produce of Southern Africa is mainly agricultural. In the districts
in the neighbourhood of Cape Town wine is produced, while the more
remote parts furnish corn and wheat. The chief exports are wine and
wool, with hides, tallow, and salted beef, goat-skins, corn, and butter.
The provisions are sent chiefly to the Mauritius and South America.
The exports of wool are increasing rapidly, those of wine decreasing.
In 1827, only 44,441 pounds of wool were exported: in 1846, 3,000,000
pounds; while the wine had decreased in same period from 740,000 to
185,000 gallons. The white fishery, which was formerly pursued with
success, has now declined, but the amount of shipping belonging to the
Colony has more than doubled in the last ten years.
The Cape Colony is divided into the thirteen districts the Cape,
Stellenbosch, Worcester, and Clanwilliam, in western part; Swellendam,
George, and Uitenhage, in the south; Albany, in the east; and Beaufort,
Graaf Reinet, Colesberg, Cradock, and Somerset, in the interior.
Cape Town, on the southern shore of Table Bay, and about thirty miles to
the north of the Cape of Good Hope, is a well-built place, the streets
laid out in regular lines, and some are shaded by trees. The houses are
mostly of respectable size, and have a kind of terrace before the door.
It is spoken of as having a more English appearance than most colonial
capitals, the whole being extremely clean, and the public edifices
numerous and substantial, including the Government House, the Stadthuis,
or Municipality, several handsome churches, an exchange, and an
observatory. The population Is nearly 30,000. Immediately behind the
town rises the Table Mountain, and to the south is a district in which
are found many elegant villas, surrounded by vineyards and thriving
plantations.
The town next in importance is Graham's Town, in the Albany district.
This is the capital of the eastern district of the Colony. It has a
population of about 7,000, and is 650 miles distant from Cape Town. It
was only founded in the year 1810, by Colonel Graham, but it has many
good buildings, and its merchants and traders are considered as
particularly active and enterprising. Thirty-five miles off, at the
mouth of the Kowie River, is the rising settlement of Port Frances.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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