Ten Years in South Africa, including a particular description of the wild sports of that country

Preface

. In submitting the following pages to the notice of the public, the principal object of the author has been to convey to the reader a true notion of the habits and mode of life of a colonist in the southern extremity of Africa. From his long residence in this part of the globe, the writer had opportunities of seeing more of the Dutch settlers, and of the Hotten tot and Kaffre tribes, than usually falls to the lot of the traveller. His frequent excursions into the woody jungles of this savage region also enabled him to observe the wild and magnificent scenery peculiar to the country, and to acquire much knowledge of the natural his tory of the colony, more especially as regards the elephant. Of the mode of hunting this animal, and the part which he took in this exciting sport, he has endeavoured to convey vol. i. b VI

PREFACE.

. an accurate idea. He thinks that the anec dotes and particulars he has introduced of other wild beasts, such as the wild boar, the tiger, the lion, the antelope, the rhinoceros, &c. will not be deemed destitute of interest. In the Appendix, the author has given some very interesting anecdotes and particulars of the Hottentots and Kaffres, among whom it was his lot to pass ten years of his life, as well as some vivid pictures of the wild sports of the country, which cannot fail to be considered an acceptable addition to his own adventures. For these he is principally indebted to the travels of Lieutenant Rose — a gentleman who was four years in South Africa at the same period with himself, and to whom he has alluded in the course of his narrative. CONTENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME.

Chapter I

Determination to emigrate. — A Half-pay Officer. — Altered Prospects of a Family. — Colony at the Cape. — The Author sets out to join his Brother. — The Captain of a Fishing smack. — Discomforts on board. — A Passage to the Cape. — Scarcity of Provisions for the Voyage Island of Fernando de Noronha. — Politeness of the Governor. — An Excursion. — Entertainment. — Arrival at the Cape. . . Page 1

Chapter II

Situation of Cape Town. — The Streets and Houses. — Lodgings. — A Dutch Landlord. — Education and Morals. — Divorces. — Vices ofthe Slave Population. — Different Classes of Inhabitants. — Avarice of the Dutch. — Traits in their Character. — An atrocious Criminal. — State of the Colony. — Wine Farmers. — Flavour of Cape Wines. — Climate of South Africa. — Diseases. — -Persons of the Colonists described. — Ascent of Table Mountain. — Magnificent View. — Indecent Conduct at a Funeral. — Arrival of the Author's Brother. — Character of the Labourers. — Vice of Intempe rance. — Duties on Spirituous Liquors© . . . CONTENTS. VIII

Chapter III

Departure from Cape Town for the Interior. — Aspect of the Country.— Scarcity of Fuel.— House of an English Settler. —Ascent of Hottentots-Hollands Kloef.— Optical Illusion.— Grand Scenery. — Agricultural Produce. — Dutch Waggons. —Hospitality of the Farmers.— Dutch Manners— Laudable Custom. — Gigantic Mountain Range. — Improved appearance of the Country.— Hints to the Traveller. — An eminent Colonist. —The Zonder End River. — Moravian Missionary Station. V • • 56

Chapter IV

Situation of Genadendaal. — Account of the Moravian Missionaries. — Employment of the Women. — Community of Property. — Restraints on Hottentot Servants — Their Im provident Habits Benevolent intentions of the Mission aries. — Curious mode of obtaining Wives. — Variety of African Exotics. — Knowledge of the Botanist. — Wild Animals. — ■ The Rheebock Antelope. — The Duiker, or Ducker. — Vil lage of Swellendam. — Economy ofthe Dutch. — Respect for the English — The Buffel Jaagt River. — Missionary Station of Zuure Brack. — Conduct of Mr. S . — Privations ofthe Hottentots 76

Chapter V

Female Hottentots Bathing. — Neat Farm-houses. — Resi dence ofthe Author's Brother. — Description of his Estate. — Interior of the Dwelling. — A singular mode of building Houses. — Climate ofthe Colony. — Qualities of the Soil Aridity of South Africa. — Lofty Mountain Range Pro duce of the Land. — Effects of Summer Heats Agricul ture of the Dutch Colonists. — Requisites for a successful Farmer. — Agricultural Implements Construction ofthe CONTENTS. IX Dutch Ploughs. — Mode of preparing the Grain for Market. — Indian Corn. — Pumpkins and Melons. — Culture of Tobacco recommended. 98

Chapter VI

Interests of the Farmers. — Cultivation of Wheat. — Tea and Coffee Plants. — A Dutch Luxury. — Production of Silk. — General Scarcity of Water. — Extensive Grants of Land. — Rearing of Cattle recommended. — Grasses ofthe Coun try. — Pasture Lands. — Management of Milch Cows. — Profits of a Cattle Farm. — Strange Disease in Horses. — Mode of accounting for it. — Dutch Mode of breaking in a Colt. — Inferiority ofthe Cape Sheep. — Improved Wool. — Hints as to the Encouragement of Manufactures. . . 124

Chapter VII

Novel Mode of Life. — Uniformity ofthe Dutch Character. — Mode of accounting for it. — Oppressive Government at the Cape. — Dutch Cunning and Roguery. — Friendly Offer ings Female Influence. — Education of Children. — Early Vices. — African Scenery described — A Monster of Obesity. ■ — Melancholy Emblems. — A Ludicrous Scene. — Indiffer ence to Death. — Religious Notions. — Passion of Love. — Marriage a matter of convenience. — Matrimonial Expedi tion. — National Pride of the Scotch. — Prejudices and Vices. — Hottentot Oppression. — A Love Affair. — Trial for Murder. 145

Chapter VIII

Dutch Manners. — Indolence of the Women.- — Comparison between the Savage and the Civilized Man. — Characteristics of the Dutch at the Cape. — Remarks on the Condition of Slaves. — Punishment of disobedient Servants. — On the Re pression of Crime in South Africa. — Inefficiency of the CONTENTS. X new Slave Laws. — Character of a Nation. — Progress of Government. — Roman Conquests. — Modern Prejudices. — Slaves and Serfs. — Negro Oppression. — Hints on the Emancipation of the Slaves. — Plan for ameliorating their Condition 169

Chapter IX

Characteristics of the Slave. — Reputed Arts ofthe Malays. — Anecdote. — Jealousy of the Malay Girls. — Slaves from Mozambique. — Gradual Amelioration of the Condition of Slaves. — Conduct of the Missionaries. — Degraded State of the Hottentots. — Curious Experiment. — Oppressions of the Dutch. — Character of the Hottentots. — Their Vices. — Amiable Traits. — Brutality of the Men. — Effects of In temperance. — Polygamy. — A mixed Race. — Attractions of the Women. — Corpulence of the Hottentots. . 195

Chapter X

Passion of the Hottentots for Music. — A Summer Evening. — Musical Instruments. — Extraordinary knowledge of Harmony. — Singular Anecdote. — Hottentot Airs. — Intoxicating Liquors. — The Karree Plant. — Medical knowledge of the Hottentots. — Plants of the Country. — Remedy for Snake-bites. — Feats ofa Gift Drinker. — Poisonous Snakes. — Hottentot Superstitions. — Belief in Witchcraft A hideous Animal. — Stratagem of a cunning Woman. — Injustice towards Slaves. ...... 224

Chapter XI

Decrease in the Numbers of the Hottentots. — Use of Spirituous Liquors. — Causes for a reduced Population Wild Beasts of South Africa — Description of the Hyena. — Mode of entrapping the Animal.— Cruel Amusement. — Habits of the Ant-Bear. — The Porcupine Wild Dogs CONTENTS. XI Numbers of Jackals. — Depredations of the " Mousehond." — Nocturnal Visits of the Porcupine — Mode of hunting the Animal. 243

Chapter XII

Passion for Field-Sports in England. — Discontent of the Lower Classes. — Amusements of South Africa. — Resorts of the Wild Boar. — Mode of hunting the Animal. — Ex cellent Sport. — Excursions in quest of Wild Pigs. — Picture of a Dutch Wife. — An avaricious Colonist. — Proceedings of his Nephews. — Advantageous Traffic Successful Manœuvre. ........ 262

Chapter XIII

Different Species of Antelopes. — The " Bonte-bock," or Spotted Buck. — Hunting the Animal prohibited Habits of the Rhee-bock — Mode of approaching them Shoot ing the "Duiker," or Diver. — Chase of the Grys-bock described. — Beauty of the Eyes of the Gazelle. — The Klip-springer. — An aged Hottentot. — Herds of Spring bocks. — On the Instinct of the Antelope. — Distribution of the Brute Creation over the Earth On different Varieties of Animals. — Suppositions respecting the Flood. — Changes in the Earth's Surface. — Quadrupeds of New Holland. — Object of the Holy Scriptures 282

Chapter XIV

Different Races of Men. — Diffusion of the Human Race over the Earth. — The Savage and the Civilized Man. — Progress of Civilization. — On the various Complexions of the different Races of Mankind. — Fair Tribe of Hottentots. — Peculiarities of Formation. — Causes of superior Stature. — Disgraceful Mode of Reasoning. . . . CONTENTS.

Chapter XV

Baboons and Monkeys.— Mode of hunting the Baboon.— Habits of the Ant-Bear— Method of capturing the Animal. Singular Instinct ofthe Honey-Bird. — Anecdote ofthe Fiscal.— Variety of Snakes.— The Puff-Adder. — The Ring- Hals, or Ring-Neck. — Remarks on Snake-Bites. — Adven ture ofthe Author.— The Secretary Bird.— Remedy for the Bite of a Serpent. — Meaning ofthe term " Fascination." — The Snake and the Birds. — The Chameleon. — Scorpions. — The Tarantula. — Pheasants and Partridges. — The Paaw, or Wild Peacock 310

Chapter XVI

Farming Establishment at Groot Vaders Bosch. — Hottentot and European Servants— Their Wages— Their usual Occupations. — Laziness of the Hottentots. — Low Price of Wheat. — Residence of the Author's Brother. - — Subscrip tion of the Farmers. — Difficulty of disposing of Grain. — Failure of the Wheat-crops. — English and Dutch Farming. — An Eccentric Character Craving of the Hottentots for Brandy Singular Anecdote Customs of the Hot tentots. — Comforts of Savage Races. — Journey to George Town. — Travelling in Waggons delightful. — A Romantic Country. — Irrigation of the Land. — Hottentot Powers of Imitation. — Singular Youth. .... 327 DIRECTIONS TO THE BINDER. Hunting the wild boar. — Frontispiece . . Vol. I. An elephant hunt. — Frontispiece . . . Vol. TEN YEARS IN SOUTH AFRICA.

Chapter I

Determination to Emigrate. — A Half-pay Officer. — Altered Prospects of a Family. — Colony at the Cape. — The Author sets out to join his Brother. — The Captain of a Fishing-smack Discomforts on board. — A Passage to the Cape. — Scarcity of Provisions for the Voyage. — Island of Fernando de Noronha. — Politeness ofthe Governor. — An Excursion. — Entertainment. — Arrival at the Cape. It often happens that people suffering under some recent infliction of that capricious dame, Fortune, hastily determine on emigrating to some one of our colonies, in the confident ex pectation that there, as a matter of course, all their difficulties will cease, and that they will forthwith enter on the enjoyment of all the in dependence and luxuries which in England are usually the fruit of long and persevering indus- VOL. I. B NARRATIONS OF TRAVELLERS. try, or superior sagacity and success in business.

It is also natural, under the pressure of misfor tune, to alleviate present sorrow by the contemplation of some vague and undefined scheme of future happiness. If this inclination of the mind be indulged in as to time, we may expect that it will have still more influence as to place, and that some distant land, as unlike as possible to their native country, will be selected as the scene of their anticipated enjoyment. The mind so disposed naturally seeks for gratification in the perusal of the narratives of travellers, which, unfortunately, in nine cases out of ten, are lamentably deficient in that kind of information which is of most vital im portance to a settler : such works are generally fertile in subjects rather calculated to please the imagination than to inform the judgment. An ordinary traveller can at best but relate his first impressions of a country he passes rapidly through, or retail the opinions of others, the accuracy of whose statements he has rarely time or patience to investigate.

When we consider that the settler is often influenced in his opinions by his interest, and that the traveller A HALF-PAY OFFICER. 3 generally has many native prejudices to get rid of, we need not be surprised at the discordant accounts we receive of the same country. I believe I may safely say, that all who have the means of living comfortably, and of providing for their families, will best consult their own happiness by remaining in the land of their fathers ; but, when misfortunes have overtaken them — when they find that they cannot maintain their former station in society, and are capable of vigorous exertion, they can hardly fail to better their condition by emigrating to one of our colonies, while they are at least sure of procuring by their labour a subsistence for their families. Of all situations above absolute want, I be lieve none can be more irksome and cheerless than that of a half-pay officer ; conscious of being regarded as an useless and burdensome member of society by a large proportion of his countrymen, and ignorant of all the usual occupations of life, he too often sinks into a state of gloomy despondency, or seeks relief in dissipa tion from the miserable feeling of living without an object or hope of advancement in the world. b THE AUTHOR'S ANCESTORS.

With these painful sensations, on the reduc tion of the second battalion of my regiment, I took my passage for the Orkney islands, where my family possessed considerable landed pro perty, which their predecessors had enjoyed for several centuries — from the time the country was held by their Norwegian ancestors. In stead of the cheerful home I had anticipated, where, with my brothers, I had spent the happiest days of my childhood, amidst the wild scenery of these remote islands, I found a sad change had taken place in the circumstances of our family ; debts had accumulated on debts, with interest, law expenses, and all the miseries that hover round the declining fortunes of a proud and ancient race. My ancestors had been firmly attached to the House of Hanover when all the other proprietors in the county in which they resided had been secretly engaged on the side of the Pre tender.

My great-grandfather, a distinguished officer in the navy, had been murdered, when he was eighty years of age, in the streets of Kirk wall, by Sir James Stuart of Burray, a violent partisan of Charles Edward. My grandfather ALTERED PROSPECTS OF A FAMILY. 5 was a child at the time, but never lost sight of his father's murderer ; and though the latter obtained a pardon, when the last rebellion broke out, in the year 1745, he again joined the Pretender's party, at the time my grandfather, who was then a captain in the army, obtained a command against the rebels in Orkney, succeeded in taking Sir James Stuart and his brother prisoners, and sent them to the Tower. He forced all the other rebels to conceal themselves in a cave in the Island of Westray, where they were fed by a poor man who kept their secret.

These were crimes in our family not soon to be forgotten in a country where enmities are carefully handed down from father to son ; and it is not to be wondered at that the other proprietors regarded the falling fortunes of our house with secret satisfaction. We gradually began to experience that change in their manners towards us which every one who has been in a similar situation cannot fail to note in the neighbours whom he had formerly been accustomed to regard as his friends, and which change usually shows itself in a very unequivo cal manner in British society. DETERMINATION TO EMIGRATE. My elder brother, who, being the heir, had been brought up to no profession, finding that the property would be sold to pay the debts, as a last resource, determined on emigrating to the Cape of Good Hope while he had yet the means of doing so.

This colony appeared to him to be one in which he could obtain an in dependent livelihood with a less violent altera tion in his habits than might be expected in most persons. The rest of the family were not long in making up their minds to follow his example, as soon as the property should pass into other hands. Another brother, who had recently been pro moted to a lieutenancy in the nav)^ in the room of an elder brother who fell in the attack on Leghorn in 1813, soon afterwards joined us in Orkney, after his ship was paid off. As he determined on remaining with our aged and blind father until the property was sold, I prepared, having nothing to detain me in Europe, to join my eldest brother, who was now settled at the Cape. To those who have never experienced the DEPARTURE FROM ORKNEY. bitterness of parting, perhaps for the last time, from a kind and helpless parent, whose independent and proud spirit was nearly sinking under accumulated misfortunes, it would be difficult to describe my feelings on this painful occasion.

After receiving his last blessing, though I at that time hoped to see him again at the Cape, and taking leave of my other relations, I was soon seated at the helm of my boat. Taking a last look at the old family mansion and the red rocks that towered over the western ocean, we bounded lightly over the tide of the Pentland firth, which bore us rapidly to the eastward, where I expected to fall in with some vessel on her way to the capital. We soon overtook a fishing-smack : upon making my bargain with the captain, I shook hands with my kind-hearted countrymen, and in a few hours lost sight of the wild rocks and brown hills of Orkney, which possessed more interest in my eyes than the richest prospect the ima gination can picture. The sad and the ridiculous sometimes succeed each other in quick succession as we journey CAPTAIN OF A FISHING-SMACK. on in the voyage of life, and the mind is often relieved for the time from feelings which it would be misery to perpetuate.

Our captain was a stout-built little man with a most rubicund nose, which showed what use he made of his time ashore, whenever his toil some occupation allowed him a short interval to lay in a cargo of artificial spirits. He was equipped in the usual multiplicity of habili ments worn by smacksmen, with a pair of huge fisherman's boots, secured to his legs by several turns of cod-line, and a tarpaulin hat with its brim falling over his broad shoulders, techni cally called a " norwester." After seeing my countrymen under weigh, he asked me to " step down below and take a glass of brandy by way of a degistener" before dinner. While my companion was re-loading his short blackened pipe with tobacco, I observed that his rough weatherbeaten countenance indicated, by its deeply-marked furrows, many a reverse of fortune ; his history, with which he soon favoured me, sufficiently confirmed the im pression conveyed by his appearance.

" Yes, sir, it's a hard life is this here fishinu THE CAPTAIN'S HISTORY. 9 trade, but if I had knowed as much as I knows now, I 'd have had two or three smacks of my own by this time, and a genteel living for my missis and her children at Gravesen'. In them 'ere war-times, the trade was brisk and money came in by handfulls, and ve thought as how ve 'd never see the end on't ; for, you see, when ve gets ashore it's not long o' burning a hole in our pockets at the drinkin' shops, and what vith other things, ve never knows how it goes. Now here have I been knocking about in this here trade for the last five-andtwenty years, atween the river, the coast of Norway, the Dog ger, and the Orkneys, from the time I was no bigger than that 'ere boy, and at last I gets a wessel of my own — there wasn't a smarter craft in Gravesen' or Greenwich ; then comes the peace-time, and the fish begins to fetch low prices in the Lunnun market, and what atween tear and wear o' sails and runnin' rigging, and sometimes carryin' away a spar or two, or makin' a bad fishing, my smack comes to the hammer, when the chaps finds I can't pay 'em their wages, and with what's over I buys me a share of this here wessel, and starts again as FARE IN A FISHING-SMACK. master, and now I owes no man nothing — no not the walue of that 'ere 'bacco-pouch.

How somever, it comes a little hard on my missis and the young ones, that's never know'd what it is to want for nothing ; and, though I says it, my missis hasn't her better in Gravesen', for though I 've seen her in all weathers, I never heard a crooked word come out of her mouth, nor see'd her the worse of liquor since we was man and wife." The captain was here interrupted by the entrance of the boy with a huge tureen of vege table soup, which he deposited on the cabin floor, while he covered the table with a piece of coarse sail-cloth. Then, chucking his " nor wester" into the berth behind him, he seated himself at the head of the board ; and, loosening the clasp-knife from the cord that secured it to his button-hole, and wiping the blade on his sleeve, laid it quietly on the table beside him.

Several spoons, but no plates, now made their appearance, when the captain invited me to take some soup. I felt much in the same predi cament with the poor man in the eastern tale, when he was asked by the Caliph to help him- DISCOMFORTS ON BOARD. self to some choice morsel from the empty dishes. My companion looked half serious and half astonished, but immediately recollecting himself, said, " Perhaps you would like a plate, sir," putting an emphasis on the word " plate." " Here, boy, bring the gentleman a plate." He however, being less fastidious, after baling me out a sufficient quantity with his spoon, pro ceeded to take some himself without the inter vention of any such modern luxury. The soup was soon removed to the floor of the cabin, where the crew had already seated them selves ; and its place supplied by salt beef and a large wooden dish of cabbage, from which the captain helped himself upon a ship-biscuit, which he held in his left hand to answer the purpose of a plate.

I had good reason to make the best use of the present opportunity, for this was the last regular meal I was able to enjoy during the voyage. A fishing-smack is one of the most wretched and comfortless modes of conveyance of which a traveller is sometimes compelled to avail him self. A hundred odious circumstances conspire to offend those organs whose sensibility it is ENJOYMENT ON SHORE. in the nature of sea-sickness to render morbidly acute. Coal and tobacco smoke, and bilge water, at other times scarcely tolerable, now render his life at sea worse than a blank. Sea-sickness, however, in a moral, as well as physical respect, is productive of beneficial results, in showing us that our mere existence, when free from mental or bodily suffering, is a state of positive enjoyment ; for who, when quietly seated in a comfortable room with the green fields before him, after a stormy voyage, has not felt a sentiment of gratitude steal over his heart for a boon, which, at other seasons, he has been but too apt to underrate ?

After being at sea about four days, we arrived at Gravesend, where I gladly quitted the smack, and proceeded to London to take my passage for the Cape. As I wished to lose as little time as possible, I went immediately to the Exchange, where I observed the names of several vessels all warranted to sad on a certain day. The number of ships engaged in the Cape trade was at that time much more limited than at present, and the sums demand ed for a passage were consequently very exorbitant. A DISAPPOINTMENT. I was not long in taking my passage on board a small vessel, for which I was to pay 50/. being 201. less than the usual rate on board of the larger traders, on the captain's assurance that she would positively sail on the day stated in the handbills. Ascertaining, however, that she could not have her cargo completed for several weeks, and my agreement being only condi tional, I looked out for another vessel, and found a small brig of one hundred and twenty tons, which had already cleared out.

There was only one cabin passenger going by her ; and the captain having laid in provisions for two, was glad to take 40/. for my passage. I mention these trivial circumstances for the information of emigrants, who are not always aware that no reliance is to be put in the statements of cards and handbills as to the time vessels may be ready to sail ; and to point out the cheapest mode of performing the voyage. The vessel on board which I had now taken my passage had formerly been a French priva teer, and was of course a fast sailer, which, to my mind, made ample amends for anything that was wanting in point of accommodation. THE CAPTAIN OF A 11RIO. My fellow passenger, a Cape merchant, I found a most agreeable and intelligent companion. On a long voyage, the fewer passengers there are the better, as a number of people of different dispositions cooped up together for such a time, in the absence of other occupation, frequently amuse themselves with petty quarrels, arising nobody knows how, and often termi nating rather unpleasantly on arriving in port, particularly when there happen to be ladies on board.

Our captain, a shrewd little man with a tolerable share of self-conceit, possessed a great deal of that kind of knowledge which is drawn from observation, and no small store of that which is derived from stray volumes which had fallen in his way. He had also some gentle manly feeling, so that on the whole he was a very favourable specimen of his class ; his be setting sin was avarice, as we had soon occasion to observe from the very scanty supply of pro visions he had laid in for the voyage. His bill of fare, besides the common ship stores of salt beef and biscuit, contained some two or three dozen of lean chickens (many of which after- PASSAGE TO THE CAPE. 15 wards died a natural death), salt tongues, and pickled tripe. As usual on these occasions, he had taken a small supply of fresh beef to keep us quiet until we fairly lost sight of land, so that when we made the melancholy discovery of the state of our larder we found it was useless to complain.

We sailed from Gravesend on the 18th of June 1819, and in two days lost sight of the English shore. The usual incidents in a pas sage to the Cape have been so often described, that I shall not dwell on any particulars which are common to all voyages. Suffice it to say, that we fell in with the north-east trade-winds in the usual latitude ; were becalmed and de luged with rain for a day or two under the line, which enabled us to fill our casks with fresh water ; were followed for days by sharks, one of which we caught ; and saw flying-fish in great numbers, which the sailors say fall down as soon as their wings are dry. On the 28th July we entered the south-east trades, and made Cape St. Roque, in Brazil, when we put about on the other tack. Long before this period, our attenuated poul- SCANTY SUPPLY OF PROVISIONS. try had totally disappeared from tlie hen-coops ; this was, no doubt, a most happy deliverance to them at least, as they fared still worse than any living creatures on board.

I shall not easily for get the dismayed countenance of my fellow pas senger when, oneday at dinner, the captain some what timidly acquainted us that the fowl about to be discussed was the last of his stock. Mr. W — , born and bred in London, half epicure and half invalid, with the richest recollections of city feasts, and accustomed to look forward to his dinner-hour as the only happy time of the day amidst the toils of business, though he had hitherto borne the scanty fare with some philo sophy, could not help casting a rueful glance at me during this announcement, which was so fatal to his peace of mind. The captain him self was not a little attached to good living, and, I verily believe, cursed his own stinginess at the moment, though, for appearance sake, he broke the matter to us as if it were one of those inevitable misfortunes to which voyagers are subjected.

We were now reduced, during the rest of the voyage, to tripe and tongues, which regularly on alternate days took their places on FERNANDO DE NORONHA. 17 the table ; the captain soothing our feelings on the tripe-day by telling us, " We shall have salt tongue to-morrow, gentlemen." On the morning of the 29th, upon coming on deck, we discovered the island of Fernando de Noronha, which we were rapidly approaching. This was a most agreeable sight for the pas sengers, as we determined to insist on laying in a fresh stock of poultry and vegetables, but carefully avoided broaching the subject until we should be close in with the shore, lest the captain should put about on the other tack to save the additional expense. Nothing could be more singular and fantastic than the first appearance of this beautiful little island.