The Washington bee., 1891-09-26
Cane Town.

In valley between two mountains
one high, fat, and Of pure rock, its stupen
dous front overhsnging the town, the
other lower and rounder, its cliff worr
away everywhere but on one mighty
head-the town with its fiat rooted
houses and long, straight street lies on
bay as blue and delicaeely curved as that
of Naples. Here it was that the wonder.
ing Hottentots on the shore saw the first
sails creep across the blue waters of theiI
bay. Here it was that Jan Anthony var
Riebeek, the servant of the Dutch East
India Company. landed in 1853 with hii
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 tn,
seashore; the small block houses still
standing on the spurs of the mountaiE
were used in those days as lookout tower
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, thai
native Hottentots would not labor foy
their masters as imported slaves would.
Here Peter Kolben tells us that about the
year 1712 he saw a slave burned to death.
They are, he says, speaking of the slaves,
most detestable and wicked wEstchss. >
and "'tis now and then q most difficult
matter to keep them in order" ThiI
slave had tried to burn down his master,
house, and was tied to an upright post by
a chain which allowed him to make ons
turn about it. Then, 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 cal
avenue mingling themselves in endles,
succession. Here q man might dream
away his life, buried among roses and
plumbago blossoms.
Perhaps the finest view in the world In
that from the top Of the Kloof behind
Cape Town. To your right is Tabl,
Mountain, the sublimest mass in the
world, It's gigantic crags of unbrokeu
rock towering up into the blue: below
are the pine woods and the town, with ia
white, Nat houses, and beyond the blus
curved bay, the mountains of Hottentot',
'hoiland, with a canopy Of clouds aD-
Pearlng and receding again into the blue,
II you turn, behind you is the blue South
Atlantic, "a far as the eye can reach. and
tne terrible serrated fronts Of the Twelve
Apostles stand facing it, front bevond
front, the sea breaking in little blue bay,
at their feet.
The population Of the Western Prov.
lnce Is partly English and partly Boer or
Dutch -Huguenot, the descendant. of Tn.
Dutch East linda Company's servants and
settlers, and Of large number of French
Huguenots, who arrived in the COLONY
about 1887, driven from France by
the revocation Of the Edict Of Nantes
and who, winnowed by the unerrinr fail
OF religious persecution, form, perhaps
tne nnest element that has ever at oncs
Deen added to the population of South
AFRICA The laboring classes are here AZ
elsewhere, dark, and here largely half
caste, being the descendants of the f,rst
Outcn residents and their slaves, or more
rarely OF blended Dutch and Hottento,
O,oOo. In Cape Town itself are found
AlSo AAlays, Cinnamon, Hindus, and the
sePresentatives Of all European peoples,
-Fortaighty Review.