Walks and Sketches at the Cape of Good Hope: To which is Subjoined, A Journey from Cape Town to Blettenberg's BayC. & R. Baldwin, 1805 - 198 pages |
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Walks and Sketches at the Cape of Good Hope: To Which Is Subjoined a Journey ... Robert Semple No preview available - 2020 |
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appearance arrived ascend banks began beneath Blettenberg's Bay boor bottom Brak River Buffel bushes called Cape Hills Cape Town Charles clouds colony companions covered crossed dark deep descending distance dogs English eyes False Bay farther feet female fire flat foot formed Gauritz Graaff Reinet halted heard heart high grounds horses Hottentot Holland hour inhabitants Jacob Stein John Wyers Kloof Knijsna lake large stones leave light Lion Hills lofty look Malay miles moon morning moun Mozambique night o'clock old Prussian ourselves palmites passed perhaps plains rain range reached ride river road rocks round running sand sandy scene seemed seen shore side Simon's Town slavery slaves soon stream summit sun-set Table Bay Table Hill Table Mountain tains tears Terblans tion trees turned vessel waggon walk waves whilst whole wind Zwellendam
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Page 81 - These are thy glorious works, Parent of good, Almighty, thine this universal frame, Thus wondrous fair; thyself how wondrous then ! Unspeakable, who sitt'st above these heavens, To us invisible, or dimly seen In these thy lowest works; yet these declare Thy goodness beyond thought, and power divine.
Page 77 - The waning moon seemed gradually to be absorbed, and every moment shone fainter and fainter. The stars in the west still sparkled brightly, but those in the zenith and to the eastward shared the fate of the queen of night, and were, with her, gradually lost in the mild splendour of dawning day. By degrees the light shot up towards the zenith, and there melted into pale blue. The dark mountains of Hottentot Holland, whose craggy outlines were now clearly distinguishable, bounded the view to the east,...
Page 78 - ... slightest breeze, bearing on its glassy bosom numerous vessels of every nation, riding together peaceably at anchor. On the opposite side of the Bay, the high hills, somewhat inland, presented their tops covered with snow, and continuing to move ourselves slowly round, we observed in succession, once more the dark mountains of Hottentot Holland ; the flat sandy space between the Table and False Bays; the False Bay opening outwards to the Indian ocean ; the mountainous south eastern peninsula...
Page 78 - Africa, on whose highest pinnacle we seemed to stand, stretching from north-west to south-east, and presenting a broken scene of mountains, precipices, and chasms. Beyond it appeared the Indian Ocean, now faintly enlightened by the beams of the morning; and round again, nothing but sea, sea, sea, till we once more came to the Lion Hills, the town with its white houses, Table Bay with its numerous vessels, and, a little farther out, Robin Island, in the mouth of the bay.
Page 36 - DISGUISE thyself as thou wilt, still, Slavery ! still thou art a bitter draught ; and though thousands in all ages have been made to drink of thee, thou art no less bitter on that account.
Page 38 - So far indeed are the slaves from being subject to ' unremitting toil and tyranny,' that they may rather be described as indolent and pampered. Mr. Semple (many years a merchant at the Cape) describes them as well treated, well clothed and well fed. ' If,' says he, ' now and then an instance be found to the contrary, that affects not the general character : a man may use his slave ill, but the slaves at the Cape are well treated ; or he may lodge him badly, but the slaves at the Cape are well lodged...
Page 77 - ... mild splendour of dawning day. By degrees the light shot up towards the zenith, and there melted into pale blue. The dark mountains of Hottentot Holland, whose craggy outlines were now clearly distinguishable, bounded the view to the east, but far below our feet to the westward the sea spread out its vast watery floor, over which the mists of night still rolled, and collecting into great clouds, seemed to linger in the extreme boundaries of the west. Moving our eyes round towards the north, and...
Page 39 - ... on the happy day;— • slavery lights the marriage torch — slavery 'leads them, alone and unattended, to the marriage-bed. The husband visits his wife as he can find opportunities, and leaves her when he pleases to take another, without ceremony, or reproach.
Page 48 - At length the bad part of his character is cruelly displayed : he intoxicates himself with opium and the madness of revenge, he rushes upon his unguarded master with his kris or crooked Malay dagger, and stabs him once, twice, ten times. The unfortunate wife and children are not safe if they cross his way, he sallies out into the street, and running madly along, sacrifices all that he meets, till overpowered by numbers he is brought to suffer the punishment of his crime.
Page 49 - Without the inactivity or dulness of the Mozambiquer, or the penetrative genius of the Malay, he forms an excellent medium between the two— More intelligent, more industrious, and more active than the former ; more docile and more affectionate than the latter, he unites steadiness with vivacity, and capability of instruction to winning manners.