The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1879-10-29

Especial Correspondence of the Gn1etts-l

In continuation of the subject of my last letter,
now give short description of Cape Town and the
surrounding country, for distance inland and
along the shore.
On leaving the steamer which conveyed me from
England, I bad to hire vehicle known as shan
som cab J" clumsy and iueonvenient conveyance,
although the only kind of cab used here. convey
myself and baggage from the Albert dock to the
principal part of the city, distance of nearly two
miles. On reaching the dock gate, my cab was
dered to stop by the Custom House officials and my
baggage ordered to be conveyed into the searching
room. Before this latter order executed how
ever had talk With the principal Oficial who,
my remarking the great trouble in having my
trunks unpaeked said, that ''if knew how to pro-
ceed in the matter, there was no occasion for any
bother;" knowing wink from this gentleman ae-
cOmpanied by remark regarding the dryness of the
day, and the refreshing qualities of beer. gave a
clue to the mode of procedure usually adopted in this
part of the world. / handed this official As .00)
and my trunks passed the gate without search
further trouble. On emerging into the street road
leading to the centre of Cape Town, my first impress
sion of the people was, that one half Of them
London madmen, and the other half London thieves;
they were nearly all young men, jumping with
excitement for which there was apparent cause
Everything visible was in the London style. speech
manner, dress, Streets houses and conveyances, and
1 afterwards ascertained. the internal arrange
ments of the houses. such beds, cookery, drink
ables, &C., were all of cid Engish origin.
In due time my ''cabby'' set down at a hotel.
which be said was of the best in Cape Town; it
large and oommodious structure. and judging
from the ontsida annarentlv had haap ~ap
resented. The proprietor of my hotel was genuine
cockney and "drinkist." and two Of his daughters
who kept his bar, drank and swore like troopers
both father and daughters. however. thoroughly
conversant with hotel keeping as known in Cape
Town. The price of board aud lodging I found to
be f3.3s per week and deduction for meals not
taken. On examination of the and arrange
ments, found them convenient, richly furnished
and well ventilated there no mosquito eur
tains but such luxury is not known at South Airi
hotels. although mosquitoes of large size abound
in ell seasons.
1t was the day after my arrival before 1 made
myself acquainted with the stopping places of my
late fellow passengers, whom found distributed in
several hotels throughout the city, and ascertaped
b, comparison, that my hotel accommodation was
superior to most that / saw. The nationality of hotel
proprietors is chiefly English; but there are also
French and German hotels. of u lower class in which
bOarders may reside more cheaply.
The places of interest II visitor in Cape Town
are mostly in sta of commencement and are little
cared for by the residents; but US it is the Capital
and chief town of South Africa look for institu.
tOns akin to those found in Capitals of Europe and
America. With population Of fifty thousand of all
races, aud propped up with helps from the British
treasury, it is disappointment to ind the public
pluces of interest poor, badly kept and badly flied
will now endeavor to describe the several public in
in 1aaef ~,
of the trouble, in us brief a manner as can Ad-
derry street being the Broadway of Cape Town con-
tains many of the chief buildings and institutions
Commencing then at the bottom of this street. near
the margin of Table Bay, proceed upwards until
we reach the Railway Station or terminus for all
railways to the interior have their ernini here and
their is no other railway station in the city. This
building, although small SCALE is in imitation of
structures for similar in London, and in plan is
not unlike the one at Kings Gross Although COM
paratively SMALL it is equal to the prospective traffic
for many vars to come Throughout all South Hf.
rca only 500 miles of railway have been constructed
and these have cost $4,000, ,000 stg.. for which tie
colonies of South Africa still indebted to British
capitalists. The traffic all the lines is compara-
lively small, aud do pay even working expenses
On the upper side of the Railway Station and
bounding 1t on the side, is the Military Parade
Ground, which covers considerable area and is
funged by double of trees. At one end of this
parade and facing Adderley street. stands the Com
mercial Exchange and Reading Room a long one
dwarfed into insgnihcance by the Railway Station
adjoining. Higher up the game side of Adderley
street, is the imposing old form of the Dutch Re-
formed Church, with its Flemish spire glitrering in
the sunshine while the stretches long
line of twO-story buildings, containing most of the
leading merchants Offices hanks and stores of the
city. AT the top Of Adderley street. and at the en-
trance to Adderley Avenue, situate the Museum
and Library, both in building of modern archi-
lecture the admission to which is free to the public
on certain days of the week but bribe to the at.
tendant, of few shillings, will open the doors TO
visitors on any day; AMI this was the case on the
occasion of my visit The collection is not wholly of
South African production; many of the specimens
are American aud Asatic, while the collection of AZ
rcan found is very scanty indeed, and the specimens
are neither so fine nor SO large iu many museums
of Europe, and the United States. Rocks gems,
shells, and native weapons form the rest of the
COLLECTIONS the whole being held in one room of so
by aO feet Visitors not admitted the Library
and as South Africans not 4 reading people this
will matter very little. 1t is probable that books of
reference, for the Government officials, are all that
this library contains. Higher up this avenne and
adjoining the Museum, the Botanical Gardens
IA acres in extent and, for garden of the kind has
few attractions the plants notabelled With their
names &c, and are placed in some kind Of unknown
order throughout the grounds. These gardens are
chiefly used as promenade, and, as such, are we'll
patronzed; there being entire immunity from
dust During my visit, there at work on
the grounds, and weeds were by no means uncom.
mon. The site however is good and the number of
curious African plants it contains, indicates a past
activity which, bad it continued, would have ade
this public resort very interesting. A herbarium
closed to the public is within the grounds.
At the top of Adderley is public park or
wood, called the Government Gardens" planted
with English Oaks, which its chief attraction
these being the only deciduOus trees seen in the
country, and bringing to mind the scenery of the
Northern Hemisphere. Near these grounds, with an
entrance from Grave street, stands the Government
House the official residence of the Governor General
heavy irregular building very much like hotel in
English country town. Not far from this is a fat
fronted quadrangular structure, of large sze con-
tanning all the Offices of the civil government This
building is far inferior to the Government Buildings
of Honolulu in appearance. and not much larger in
size. The military headquarters in the Castle an
old-fashioned fort the margin of Table Bay,
and about half a mile from the military barracks
The Town House, Courts of Justice and other public
buildings, so for architecture is copcernede are
very plain buildings indeed aud require no comment
The Market House is eommodous enough but the
supply Of produce very scanty and is brought 10
market by Maays, who know how to charge for it,
The apples and pears, that saw, were hard, dry
stringy fruits, and the vegetables very poor. Grapes
not now in season, but they are said to be the
only fruit worth eating in Cape Colony. 1 did not
observe any Chinamen in the market; all are Ma
lays.
With the exception Of the Railway Station, and
the Museum, all public buildings have fat roofs and
of the old Dutch style of architecture. The city
has n Uafer supnY throup oh nines and tha ra.o-..:-