The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-12-06 00:00:00

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

The area of our Cape colony is 104,921 square miles
The total population is 267,096, classified as 102,156
whites, 129,167 coloured. 10,584 aliens, and 25,1149
" various Malays and heathens." In 1856 there were
33,638 persons engaged in agriculture, 1,490 in manu-
factures, and 8,937 in eounnerce. There were in 1857
186 schools, and nearly 20,000 scholars. The revenue cif
the Cape colony (1857) was £491,525, and the expen-
diture £460,676 ; of the latter £9,511 is appropriated
to the aborigines, £32,505 to the Caffre and frontier
police, £24,0110 to a "colonial agent in England" (not
named), £91,666 to convicts, E 9,913 to the Anglo-
German Legion, and £344 only to immigration. In
1857, 1.132 vessels 01352,112 tons entered, and 1,085 of
362.890 tons cleared out. The imports (exclusive of
specie) were £2,537,192, and the exports £1,!4,406;
£246,396 of specie was imported, and £39,690 re-ex-
ported. Of course England has the lion's share of the
Import and export trade. That carried on by other
countries is too insignifioent to be noticed in detail; the
largest figures under each head (imports and exports)
being respectively £152,136 (Brazil) end £182,270 (the
United States). £418.096 of cotton goods were imported
In 1857, besides £264,948 of millinery and haberdashery,
£183,251 of hardware and cutler, £132,899 of coffee,
£132,357 of apparel and" slops," £127,459 of raw sugar,
and £155,674 of woollen goods. The exports included
£106.52.5 of copper ore, £118.823 of ox and cow hides,
£42,949 worth of horses (1,125 in number), £51,924 of
skies, £63,104 of sheep, k 155,011 of wines (991,316
gallons), and £1,161,084 of sheep's wool (17,779,1501 b.
which is thus seen to be the staple of the export trade.
As it is now the fashion in seine circles of society to
drink "South African" wines in preference to the
genuine "port" and "sherry" of Portugal and Spain,
it may he interesting to inform the public that England
takes 890,000 out of the whole 946,316 gallons of wine
exported • the wine is called "ordinary ;" Si. Helena
took 77,88 gallon.; other colonies, 22,144 gallon. ;
Holland. 15,491 gallons; Hamburg, 18,366 gallons;
Brasil, 9,800 gallons ; andother foreign countries. 1.936.
The produce of the colony in 1856 was 8,224,9621 b. of
wool, 664,2531 b. of tallow, 622,491 skins, 291,0421 b. of
soap, and 119,9891 b of butter. Living at the Cape is
cheap, both positively and comparatively with reference
to the other African colonies. In 18.57 good wheaten
bread was only 3fd. per lb.; mutton and beef, 4.1. and
34d.; pork, 616. • tea, 4s. 11d. ; coffee 111 d. ; suer,
013. ; rice, 4.1. ; tobacco, Is. lfd. per lb. ; ordinary wine,
4s. 21(1. per gallon ; brandy, 6s. B.ld. per gallon; and
milk, 3fd. per bottle. As usual in hot climates, butter
is dear-la. 71.1. for fresh, and ls. 3fd. for salt; and
chemse is rather a luxury than otherwise, seeing that it
coats Is. 7d. per lb. Saddle horses were worth £lB,
and draught hones £18; oxen. £5 9s. 94.; mules. £18;
asses, £26 14.. 2d.; cows, £5; sheep, 12s. 6d. and
Os. 6d.; and swine, 271. 76. Europeans could earn as
domestic servant. Ils. 96. per month, and females
Dis. per month, with board and lodging. Trades
realised from 6s. to 94. per day, without food ;
fsrm overseers, head shepherds, ko., could earn
1.2 13s. 24. per month, with board, ke. ; farm servants,
cattle-herds, and shepherds, £1 4a, 4.1. per month; and
day lalourers (with food), '2ll. 3d. per day. The average
monthly rent of a labourer's cot9ige and garden was
£1 ss. 86,