The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1891-11-27

In q valley between two mountains
one high, fat, and Of pure rock, its stupen.
dous front overhanging the town, the
other lower and rounder, its cliff worn
away everywhere but on one mighty
head-the town with its fat rooted
houses and long, straight street lies on a
bay as blue and delicately curved as that
Of Naples. Hero it was that the wonder
ing Hottentots on the shore saw the first
sails creep across the blue waters of then
bay. Here it was that Jan Anthony van
Riebeek, the servant Of the Dutch East
India Company. landed in 1858 with his
dependents, and built the first small
town, and made the first gardens. We
still walk under the oak trees they
planted; the fort which they built in
those early days may still be seen on the
seashore; the small block houses still
standing on the spurs Of the mountain
were used in those days as lookout towers
against the incursions of enemies.
Here the Dutch East India COMPANY
imported slaves often from Madagascar,
English slave ships sometimes bringing
them; the reason for the importation of
slaves being, says the old chronicles, that
native Hottentots would not labor for
their masters as imported slaves would.
Here Peter Koiben tells us that about the
year l712 he saw a slave burned TO death.
They are. he says, speaking Of the slaves.
"most detestahle and wicked wretches, y
and tits now and then most difficult
matter to keep them in order" This
slave had tried to burn down his masters
house, and was tied to an upright post by
q chain which allowed him to make one
turn about it. "Then.n says Peter Kol-
ben, was kindled fire round about him
just beyond the stretch Of the chain; the
flames rose high, the heat was vehement,
he ran for some time to and again about
the post, but gave but one cry. Being
half roasted he sank down, and said
Speaking in Portuguese, oh, God, my
Father and then expired"
These things have passed away now.
For 10 miles along the foot of the mount.
aims stretch the suburbs Of Cape Town,
villa and garden and pine and oak
avenue mingling themselves in endless
succession. Here man might dream
away his life. buried among roses and
plumbago blossoms.
Perhaps the finest view in the world Is
that from the top Of the Kloof behind
Cape Town. To your right is Table
Mountain, the sublimest mass in the
world. its gigantic crags of unbroken
rock towering up into the blue; below
are the pine woods and the town, with its
white, fiat houses, and beyond the blue
curved bay, the mountains Of Hottentot's
Holland, with canopy Of clouds ap-
pearing and receding again into the blue.
II you turn. behind yoa il the blue South
Atlantic, as far as the eye can reach, and
the terrible serrated fronts Of the Twelve
Apostles stand facing IL, front beyond
front, the sea breaking in little blue bays
ct their feet.
The population Of the Western Prov.
ince ID partly English and partly Boer or
Dutch -Hugnenot, the descendants Of the
Dutch East Ind Company's servants and
settlers. and Of q large number Of French
iuguenots. who arrived In the colony
about 1887. driven from France by
the revocation Of the Edict Of Nantes.
and who, winnowed BY the unerring fiail
OF religious persecution. form, perhaps,
Tho finest element that has ever at once
been added to the population Of South
Africa. The laboring classes are here. as
elsewhere. dark, and here largely half
caste, being the DESCENDANTS Of the FIRST
Dutch residents and their slaves, or more
rarely Of blended Dutch and Hottentos
blood. In Cape Town itsslf are found
also Malays, Cinnamon, Hindus. and the
representative Of ell European peoples.
-FVsmiyhty Review.