THE VOYAGE O F PETER KOLBEN, A. M. TO THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. A S I had early felt an ardent defire to travel, the reader may imagine that I was filled with a transport of joy, when I was told by my generous patron the Baron van Krofick, privy counsellor to the late king of Pruffia, whom I had the honour to ferve in the quality of fecretary, that if I approved of it, he would send me at his own expence to refide at the Cape of Good Hope: in order to make proper observations of the appearance of the heavenly bodies on that fouthern extremity of Africa. With the higheft expreffions of gratitude I accepted of this employment, and my noble patron having fettled upon me an annual falary, I prepared for my voyage; and, leaving Berlin, fet out for Amfterdam, where I embarked on board the Union, one of the Dutch East India ships that then lay in the Texel. On the 8th of January 1705, the Union fet fail with eight more of the company's fhips bound for the Eaft Indies; and on the 13th of March fteering round St. Jago, one of the Cape de Verd islands, we had a distinct view of the rocks and mountains, and of the fituation and extent of the city of the fame After faluting the caftle of the harbour of name. Braya Braya with 15 guns, which was returned, we were vifited by a Portuguefe gentleman, accompanied by a negro Romith prett, who had received an univerfity education at St. Jago, and had been made priest, the better to promote the converfion of his countrymen. They were liberally entertained; and the father, befide other things, ate at least two pounds of Dutch cheese, and drank an aftonishing quantity of brandy; after which he fung, danced, and performed fo many antic tricks, as convinced us all, that though he ap peared a very indifferent prieft, he would make an excellent harlequin. At parting, the father invited feveral of us to take a dinner with him, and to view what he called his fine library. This invitation was accepted; and two days after we waited on him at his houfe, where he received and entertained us handfomely enough, fhewing us his library, which confitted of a body of the civil law, (for he told us he was a doctor of laws) fome Popish legends, and a few breviaries. On the 18th we paid a visit to the governor of the caftle. He introduced us to his lady, who was with feveral women in her own apartment, and received us with much civility, gave us bread of Turkish wheat, butter and cheese; and we returned the kindness, by making her a prefent of a paper of tobacco, which the and other women immediately smoaked in the presence of us all. While we staid at Braya we had some thoughts of taking a trip to the city of St Jago; but we were perfuaded from this defign. The ways were reprefented as fteep and craggy, and the ground fo hot and parched, from the fcarcity of rain, that the flaves fometimes perifhed in the way with thirft, there being rarely any fuch thing as water, or the leaft kind of refreshment to be found upon the road. In the mean time the fhips wooded, watered, and took in fresh provifions, together with every fort of fruit produced at St. Jago, which were fo incredibly cheap, cheap, that I bought a hundred sweet oranges for half a paper of pins; and, for the other half, five fat fowls. On the 19th of March we failed from the harbour of Braya. After fuffering feveral tempefts of thunder and lightning, on the 9th of April, a large flash, followed by a noife like that of the report of a cannon, ftartled all on board. The captain, who was at breakfast in the cabin, imagining that fomebody had prefumed to discharge one of the great guns, run in a rage to punish fuch rafhnefs, when he found his foremaft fhattered by thunder; but no hurt was done to any on board. When we came to confider the rifk of the powder-room,. in which we had 3000 quintals of that dangerous commodity, every man's heart funk within him; and, I dare fay, felt fome fentations of gratitude to the author of our prefer vation. On the 10th of June we difcovered the Cape of Good Hope, and the next day arrived fafe in the harbour. Being introduced to the governor, that gentleman, on fight of my recommendatory letters, treated me in a very friendly and affable manner, and foon affigned me a commodious abode. Notwithstanding the Cape of Good Hope was dif covered fo early by the Portuguese as the year 1493, not one of them landed till 1498, when the Portuguefe admiral Rio d'Infante went afhore in his voyage to India; and on his return gave fuch an account of the advantages of the place to Emanuel king of Portugal, that it was refolved to form a fettlement there: but this was not carried into execution. At length Francifco d'Almadei, viceroy of Brafil, returning from thence with a fleet for Portugal, took his courfe by the Cape; and cafting anchor there, fent a party on fhore to traffic for cattle; but they were repulfed by the natives, and driven back to their fhips. Upon their landing a fecond time the natives attacked the Portuguese with fuch fury, that 75 of them were laid dead dead on the fhore, among whom was the viceroy; and the rest fled in confufion to their ships. The Portuguese, mortified at this difgrace, vowed revenge; but after fmothering it for two or three years, a fleet for the Indies landed at the Cape; and the Portuguese knowing what a value the natives fet on brafs, landed a large brafs cannon loaded with feveral heavy balls, and to the mouth fastened two long ropes. The Hottentots, tranfported with joy at receiving fo large a piece of their admired metal, laid hold of the two ropes in great numbers, as they were directed, in order to drag it along: thus a great body of them extended in two files all the length of the ropes, full in the range of the fhot, when the cannon being fuddenly discharged, a terrible flaughter was made; and those who efcaped the fhot, fled up into the country in the wildest confternation. After this cowardly exploit, the Portuguese re-embarked at their leifure; and from that day to this it feems that the Hottentots have conftantly dreaded both the fight and touch of fire-arms, It does not appear that any Europeans afterward landed at the Cape till the year 1600; when it began to be visited by the English, French, and Dutch, in their voyages to and from the Eaft Indies. But in 1650, a Dutch fleet anchoring before it, Mr. Van Riebeek, a furgeon on board, obferving that the country was well stocked with cattle, the foil rich, the harbour commodious, and the people tractable, digested his obfervations; and on his return to Holland laid them before the directors of the India company; who, after a grand confultation, refolved to attempt a fettlement at the Cape without lofs of time. Accordingly four fhips were immediately ordered out on that defign, with all the materials, inftruments, artificers, and other hands neceffary for fuch an expedition. The furgeon Van Riebeek was appointed governor and commander in chief of the intended fettle ment, ment, with power to treat with the Hottentots, in what manner he should think fit. With these four fhips Van Riebeek arrived fafe at the Cape, and fo captivated the natives by his address and good humour, and with the presents he brought them of brass toys, beads, tobacco, brandy, &c. that a treaty was inftantly concluded; and he giving the natives toys and commodities to the value of 50,000 guilders, they granted the Dutch full liberty to fettle there, refigned to them a part of the country; and a trade was established with them, on a good and folid foundation. The settlement being firmly established, increased to fuch a degree, that being ftill joined by other fettlers, the Dutch in a few years extended themselves in new colonies along the coaft. They now form four principal fettlements: The firft is at the Cape, where are the grand forts, and the capital city, called also the Cape; in which, and its neighbourhood, are many genteel buildings, with all forts of accommodations: the fecond is the Hellenbogifh; the third, the Drakenston; and the fourth, the Waverish colony. The company have likewife provided for a future increase of people, by purchasing all the tract of land called Terra du Natal, lying between Mosambique and the Cape; for which they paid in toys, commodities, and utenfils, to the value of 30,000 guilders: fo that the province is of great extent. The greatest part of the country about the Cape is full of rocks and mountains, which long after the difcovery, being only viewed at a distance, were confidered as barren: but their fpacious tops are covered with rich meadows, every where enamelled with a variety of flowers of uncommon beauty and fragrance, and abound with delicious fprings, running in many ftreams into the valleys. Thefe mountains are in clear weather feen at fea at the distance of fifteen leagues. On their skirts are interfperfed groves, that afford excellent wood for the joiners and turners. The |