Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-07-16
AN AFRICAN FAIR.
The Saturday Market On the Grand
Parade at Cape T0wn-A Scene
That Beggars
The Fair at Leipsie and Can Only be
Equaled by That Of the Fair at
Novogored, Russia.

a Odpe 1OWu letter 10 Inc new Ork
World says that if the visitor to the South
African metropolis should chance 10 land
from Table Bay on Saturday morning and
stroll up Adderley street.-The Cheapside or
Broadway OF the town-he would find
spectacle thoroughly novel and thoroughly
typical oil South African urban life. He
cannot fail TO be interested in the Grand
Parade" About midway between the shores
OF Table Bay and the point where Adderley
street terminates in the ancient oak-embow-
cred avenue forming the entrance 10 the
public library and museum and the botanic
gardens the street opens out into an oblong
space of about five acres. The end next Ad-
derley street is partially blocked by long,
white, one-story building with a portico and
pillars OF respectable proportions. This is
the Commercial Exchange, where the largest
reading-room for colonial newspapers is
situated, where the Chamber of Commerce
holds its sittings, where sill the important
public meetings are held, where the mer-
chants repair for Geographic information OF
the N arkets or 10 discuss the political news. 1t
is more to Cape Town than the Change is to
London or all the institutions of Wall street
to New York. On Fridays When the pro-
duce sales are held and thedealers in ostrich
feathers, wool, angora hsii, ivory and dried
fruits gather here, or on Saturdays, when the
"Parade sales" are held, or when the hoist
ing of a flag proclaims the arrival OF the
weekly mail steamer, the exchange becomes
a busy place. Opposite the exchange and
bounding the lower side of the Parade
toward the sea, is tn. Central railway sta
ton, new building of stucco, which is the
first building TO mark a decisive departure
from the architecture of the old Dutch colo
NAL days. A few FIR trees that roar like lions
in the Cape soutbeasters are all that relieve
the internal aspect of the Parade-if we ex-
cept the dozens Of old cannons that lie about,
rusty and disnounted, no longer fit for
service, The castle, where once these guns
did duty in overlooking Table bay, still
stands at the foot of the Parade in the aspect
it wore 4 hundred years ago, with its ravelins,
redoubts, ceurtways, sally ports and moats
and glacis; with its old Dutch sun-dial and
belfry; with its governor house" and Sub
governors house" and its ample parade
yards and shady courts.
At o'clock on the Parade some Malays
and negroes are busy erecting booths around
the exchange and down the Parade. As the
morning wears on dozens of these men arrive
with boxes, bales, bedsteads, paraffine stoves,
kitchen utensils, dry goods, hardware and
every other kind of ware in every kind of
condition. Some carry their loads on their
heads, some on wheelbarrows and others in
The familiar donkey-cart. Smart men are
some of these coolies or porters. Attired in
every sort of habiliment, from the Oriental
gown and turban TO the cast-off uniform of
some soldier of the line or the humber cor
duroy, they speak in English, Dutch or
Kafir. In one hour they have transformed
the Parade from a naked square into vast
bazaar. The long rows of tables are now
piled with mercha ndise of all descriptions,
from the most expensive silks 10 damaged
cottons, from telescopes to hatchets, from
Chicago hams to Morton's jellies and jams
Books on biblical literature plentifully en-
bellish baskets of Cape beer-bottles. There
are rice, wheat, -four, sugar or dates by the
ships cargo. Near by are screeching par
rots, charming-voiced Cape canaries, or
pretty, murmuring rooi-bekkers (red-beaks),
recently captured.
Passing down the grounds one finds herds
of bullocks, or troops of horses, mules and
donkeys. Perhaps in a temporary pen al
one side may be seen pair OF stately
ostriches ogling comically at the strange
sights about and surrounded by groups OF
men and curious boys, who keep at a re-
spectful distance from them. Ansoccasional
tiger, a wildcat, or leopard, brought down
from that underlined locality, the interior"
adds further variety to the live stock.
Dutch bullock-wagons, whose tented tops,
long boxes and ponderous wheels, with cook
ing utensils and water-cask swung between,
bring to mind familiar scenes of African
travel.
anrry SUCH variety OF race |
and color as can be met in no other city |
under the sun. Here is groupof Germans,
there the rough flannel clothed Norwegian |
DR. Swede; here again dark-visaged, straight
haired son OF ST. Helena, beside him one of |
ike complexion and with glossy raven hair,
put whose turban tells that he is an Indian.
gain, you meet turbaned Arab or Chi
,ese, while about you at every turn you see
he olive-faced, classic nosed Malay. The
Malay men are attired in various habili-
nents, including the Mohammedau gown and
urban or the more distinctive blue sack-coat,
vide trousers of bright color and peculiar
oriental reed hat, like the roof OF pagoda.
There are various degrees of concession toward
he modern English style. The women are
dorned in dazzling garments of orange and
reen, white and blue, purple and crimson.
he silk handkerchief of orange or green is
ranged so as TO give the head often a
ueenly look; aud the bright silk cape winds
eatly round naturally slender waist, and
er whole appearance is comely andhcompat-
ole with her peculiar complexion. The
tranger is not apt to be struck with admira-
on of the green or purple dress pulled out
18th pads and starch till it outrivals the
resses of the days of crinoline, nor of the
licking OF the klapparangs or wooden san
ais which are still preferred by many to
lie European boot. Here and there dress
lch as one will meet on a Turkish woman
Ills that the wearer has performed a pill
rimage to Mecca, and an occasional priest
rides by with loose, flowing gown of gay
riental pattern. Some full-voweled utter ]
noes near by announces the presence of a |
.affir, or the Natal Zulu, the Amatopgs, the
the Fingo, the Galeka, the 6
requa, the Damara and the Hottentot,
lch with many degrees OF race mixture. i
le can presume, OF course, every variety of
uropesn race, with an occasional sample ,
the Yankee. Not the least striking figure {
the stupendous, finely proportional Boer, &
18th broad-brimmed felt hat bedecked, per-
APPS, with a waving ostrich plume.
The Parade is now the great fair of the /;
ty. The wealthiest merchants may here +,
seen doing business, as we'll as the small ,
tail dealer. 1t seems incredible that =
here 30 many of all classes and characters
e about with so many articles of tempting
ilue under their inspection there should be 6
} cases OF theft, but thefts from the Parade | l
e almost unknown.
AS 10 o'clock is struck from the three
lief church towers, the gongs of the auc-
oneers give the signal for the sales. The
lotion is continued till /, 2 or even ii
clock. From this time the Parade is C
'andoued TO clubs of youthful cricketers o
I'd football-players or an occasional mill {
ry review. So every Saturday witnesses q
is peculiar open-air fair, which not even
e rousing southeastern as il raves through n
e space with below and racket and dust, O
n prevent, and only the sopping rains of | u
Inc and July can occasionally postpone. q
NEEDLESS.
CHARLES H. CRANDALL.