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Providence Logbook Dec 13-22, 1791

Remarks. In Table Bay. Cape of Good Hope

Remarks in Table Bay Cape of Good Hope

The Supplies I have taken in here are as follow — 2705 lbs of Bread 1254 lbs of Raisins 708 lbs of Sugar 1680 lbs of Krout 8533 lbs of Flour 868 lbs of Rice 458 gallons Brandy 2060½ Gallons of Wine 3800 lbs of Mutton 60 Bushel Calivances 8075 lbs of Biscuit. – Our daily victualling was fresh Mutton Soft Bread & abundance of Greens

From the Surgeons report of three Men, John Smith, Thomas Bailliss and John Jacobs, I was under the necessity to leave them at Sick Quarters —

Remarks at the Cape of Good Hope

During my stay at this place nothing intervened of a material nature, or scarce worth relating.— The Ships were got ready for Sea, with every advantage to pursue my Voyage, and my disease which was now a slow Nervous Fever and a distracted Head Ach, began to wear away. In all probability I might have perfectly reestablished my health had I kept away from the Cape Town where the heat was too great for me; but as my being near the Ship was necessary, I received only a partial relief by a short excursion into the Country to Stellingbosch, a pretty Village about 25 Miles to the Eastward of the Cape Town, so called fronm a Captain Stellen who first planted a Tree there. It is situated on a small plain, watered by a charming River, and shaded by luxuriant Oaks, in the neighbourhood of wild and some inaccessible Mountains. The adjacent Hills howebver give elligible situations for Farms, & produce Corn, Grapes, Peaches, Apricots, Almons and abundance of fine Vegetables.—

The Town consists of 40 or 50 Houses, and a Church neatly Built. The Houses are so detached, that it occupies a greater space, and has the benefit of Garden Grounds.

The Church had 1722 Carved on the upper part of the Door way; but none of the Houses are of a much more Ancient Date.—

The Air is salubrious. I had the Thermometer from 61 to 70 Degrees, which is Sea Temperature. In the Cape Town we had it at 77 and 80 at Noon Day.—

Affluence & abundant necessaries of life result from the labour of the industrious Farmers, and if stature, with hardy robust looks, are proofs of a fine Climate and abundance of the necessaries of life, it is observable here among the Dutch.—

The Country, however, at first sight, does not intimate that the inhabitants can reap such advantages, for its Soil is extremely Sandy, it has nevertheless in some places such a mixture of a kind of Clay, as affects all the purposes of producing Corn and charming Vinyards.— The Droves of Horned Cattle, Sheep, Goats, Horses & quantity of Poultry denote plenty if not oppulence, for how far they can turn their Stock into Cash I cannot say, I believe rather at an extreme low Rate. They have settlements so far as 300 Miles up the Country. The Roads are in general so Sandy as renders Travelling in Windy Weather only bearable in covered Waggons, & in some places exceedingly deep & heavy.

Their Oxen are the most swift in labour of any in the World. It is common to see Eight of them driven full Gallop with a Waggon managed by the lash of the Wop [whip?].—

Partridges, Snipes & Wile Ducks, are the common Game of this Country, besides other Foul peculiar to it. About the Hills are a number of Deer & Ostriches, the Deer is dry food and lean. Parties go after these in open Waggons with 8 Horses, and it is common before they return home, to run full 50 Miles. They fire from the Waggon, or as circumstances make it necessary, but the most extraordinary thing is, with this Waggon they drive the Horses in hand without a leader at the utmost speed. This they frequently do in crossing a Deer to get a Shot at him, and in their full tilt will take the shortest turnings without accident.—

The Hills are mostly covered with Bush Wood about the height of the Horses, but it never stops them in the pursuit, and very little in their rapidity. I had one Days sport of this nature, but our prowess gave us but one Ostrich, some Patridges and Moor Game. We saw several Deer, but could not get a Shot at them.—

The Madeira Wine of this Country is equal to any in the World, but it is only at some of the oppulent Farmers Houses that it is to be got of the best, of this quality it is as superior to Constantia as Constantia is to common Malmsey. The different kinds of Grape produce as many sorts of Wine, so that little can be known of what is the produce, by the common term of Cape Wine. But the superior part of the Country for Vinyards is an extensive flat called the Pearl. It has a considerable Rock on a Hill which bears a resemblance to the Longitudinal Section of a Pear, more than a Pearl from whence it is said to derive its name. An immense Rock of the same Stone lies adjoining to it, with a narrow pass between the two. This pass leads into a deep Valley, and on the opposite side of it is another Mass of Stone, one side of which is buried in the slope of the Hill, its Base lying far below the other two, renders it not so remarkable. I saw a hundred large Babboons o the side of it basking in the Sun.—

The height of the Pearl hill is nothing when compared to those around it, and cannot be called a Mountain. I rode up to the Top in about ¾ of an hour, and as I could not sit my Horse without alarm in coming down again, it cannot be called difficult of access. The Pearl Rock is only accessible, the one adjoining to it having its sides perpendicular. I did not attempt to scramble round them, but I do not think both Rocks stand in a space exceeding ¾ of a Mile in Circuit, they are nearly of a height, and R. Andersons comparing the Pearl to that of St. Pauls Church, I think is nearly too great by the whole Cupola.—

These immense Masses of Granite are solid except a few fissures or rather flaws, which I believe do not penetrate to the Center. A number of large Blocks of the same Stone lie about the Hill, the possition of two of these form a small Cave or arched Way, where Travellers Eat their little repast they bring with them, and mark their Names. The Wood about these Hills is in general small, some of it grows out of the solid Rocks, The Stones however being partly friable it is not so curious a phenomenon as at Timor and Islands near it, where Trees grow out of Rocks hard as Flint. —

In a Note in Cooks last Voyage P. 45 Vol. 1, it points out a difference of observation of Kolbon & De la Caille, I attribute this to Dr. Andersons calling the Pearl the Tower of Babel, which it is not. The Tower of Babel lies a few Miles from it, and as De la Caille says, is un tres bas Inonticule.— Mr. Sonnerats description of the Pearl is less accurate, instead of its being one of the highest Mountains in the Neighbourhood of the Cape, he would have been nearer the truth, to have said it was among the smallest. It is a part of the Country the least remarkable when seen at a trifling distance, the Rocks appearing like two small Hillocks.—

The Tower of Babel is a small round Hill lying near the Road between Stellinbosch and the Pearl, and in sight of the latter. If I had remarked it for any thing, it was from the appearance of being formed by Art.—

I took a Sketch of the Pearl Rock which will give a just Idea of its appearance. It lies EbN from Cape Town, NEbE from the Cape Promontory, and about 12 Miles NE of Stellinbosch. The Houses here cannot be said to form a Town, being too far a part. The Land only produces Grapes, for it will not grow Corn with equal advantage to the Farmer, yet they consider their Estates more valuable than at Stellinbosch. It produces also a pernicious Herb that destroys in the course of 6 or 12 Months their Horned Cattle, as they do not for that reason keep Cows, they have neither Milk or Butter, but as a succedaneum for the latter they eat Grease.—

A neat Church is built in a proper situation for the Parish, and the Police like that of Stellinbosch, is governed by a Cheif Magistrate, refering to the Cape Town all Cases of Life and Death, and some others of consequence.—

I remained a Week only at Stellinbosch, where I lived with a Mr. Borchards a sensible worthy Man, Miknister of the Parish. My health was greatly improved, but a distracted Head Ach returned to me again at the Cape Town with which I sailed.

My Journey into the Country gave me an opportunity of purchasing Wine of very superior quality for my People, than from the Wine Merchants at the Cape Town. When this Wine was brought into Town, I lodged it in a Store House to be ready for Shipping; but to my surprise, when I sent it to the Wharfs it was not permitted to be carried on Board. I complained of this to Lieut. Governor Rhenius, but I could get no redress or permition to get my Wine off, but by paying the Duties, for a law of the land forbids Wine being sent on board Ships purchased by private contract of the Farmers, if such Wine or Spirits is put into a Store House in the Town for one Night. This Law is in favor of the Wine Merchants, who supply the Ships and pay considerably to the Company for the Licence.

From the last of January to the last of August, the Wine Season, No Farmer is permitted to drive his Wine or Brandy to Town; but at other parts of the Year he may Ship it off, paying 3 Spanish Dollars to the Company and 5 to the Packter for every leagues. This Packter is another exactor, (by permission) on the Farmers who want to dispose of their property.

I was much obliged to a Mr. Breddau who lives near the Table Hill for Plants he gave to us. I took about 240 from him, that we might not only propagate them where we were likely to touch at but to give the Gardeners information of the treatment necessary on Board of Ship.

In this Gentlemans Garden is the thing best worth seeing of any at the Cape Town; it is a Beautifull Spring of Fine Water, from whence it is supplied.

I left with Mr Brandt 3 Mectarine Trees, which I was told are the only ones ever in that Country.

As I considered it necessary for the good of the Service, I sent Lieut. Portlock a Copy of my general orders, inclosed with my directions to him how to proceed.

Providence Cape of Good Hope
December 20th, 1791

Sir

I have enclosed a Copy of my general Orders, which you will take care of and be guided by in case you are seperated from me. I shall not go to the Southward of 40 Degrees South in our way to Adventure Bay, (which you are to consider as the first place of Rendezvous,) untill I get on a Meridian with the West Side of New Holland, unless the Wind obliges me. I will wait for you in Adventure Bay Ten Days, should a seperation be the cause of my being there before you. I will leave a Bottle with a letter in it on Penguin Island, covered with Stones on the part nearest the Main, & cut some Memorandum on a Tree near the River's Mouth towards the Sea. Should you get there before me, stay the same time & do the like.

From Van Diemans land I shall proceed to Otaheite (by the South of New Zeland) where our Rendezvous is to be at Matavia Bay on the North side of the Island. Should any misfortuen prevent my joining you there, you are to do the best for his Majesty's Service, & as you think yourself capable to comply with the Orders from my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty.

Lieut. Nath. Portlock
Commander of the Assistant

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