the name given in England to the Friday of passion week, which is observed as a fast day, as being the anniversary of our Saviour's crucifixion. Among the Saxons it was called Long Friday, probably from the length of the religious services observed. In Germany it is called Stiller Freitag, from the reverential silence maintained in the churches, but more commonly Char Freitag, from an obsolete word signifying penitence. In the Greek and Latin Churches many of the ceremonies still practised on this day remount in antiquity to the days of Constantine the Great. CAPE OF GOOD HOPE,

Strictly speaking, a small promontory, nearly the most southern point of Africa, but it gives its name to the large tract of country which forms the most southern part of that continent, and is now a colony of Great Britain. It lies for the most part between S. Lat. 29 and 34°, and E. Long. 18. and 28. It is bounded on the N. by the Orange and the Gariep rivers, on the E. by the river Keiskamma and Kafraria, on the S. by the Southern Ocean, and on the W. by the Atlantic. Its extreme breadth is from N. to S. about 450 miles, and its length from E. to W. about 600 miles, its area containing about 250,000 square miles. The country rises from the sea by a series of terraces, of which the supporting walls are nearly parallel chains of rugged and barren mountains intersected by deep ravines, the beds of streams, feeble or dry in the summer, but rushing down in torrents in the winter. The first of these mountain ranges of which Drackenstein, Hottentots' Holland, and Lange Kloof form a part, runs from the N.W. round the colony towards the E., where it terminates in the promontory of Cape St. Francis. Between it and the sea, on the W. coast, the country is sandy and sterile, but on the S. and E. coast it possesses some good soil, and is clothed with vegetation.

The second great chain, containing the Karroo Berg, Oliphant's River, Cold Bokkeveld, and Zuurbergen mountains, runs parallel to the first and terminates near the mouth of the Great Fish River. Its average height is about 4000 feet, and its greatest about 6500. Between this chain and the first the surface is varied, some parts consisting of arid plains and hills, others of good arable soil with a large portion of excellent grazing land. The third great range also runs nearly parallel to the others, and includes the Kamies Bergen, Roggeveld Bergen, Nieuwveld, and Sneeuw-Bergen mountains. This is the highest part of the colony, and from it the land gradually descends to the Orange River. Between this range and the second is the vast desolate plain called the Great Karroo, nearly 300 miles in length E. and W., and about 90 in breadth N. and S. Its soil is a sand mixed with clay, and particles of iron; all soil of a similar character in other parts of the colony is called karroo ground. These mountain chains are mostly composed of sandstone resting upon a base of granite, which are the prevailing rocks, the next in abundance being clay slate, gneiss, quartz rock, and dolerite. In some parts the ironstone is traversed by veins of red iron ore. Deposits of coal are said to have been discovered in Kafirland and Victoria division, and copper ore has been found in some abundance in Namaqualand.

The Rivers, with exception of the Orange River, are small; they all more or less partake of the character of mountain streams, having numerous falls, and being low and feeble in the dry season, but swollen and rapid in the rainy weather. They are of course not navigable, and their mouths are mostly barred with sand. The Knysna, the Cowie, and the Briede are however accessible for a short distance from their entrance to small vessels.

The chief rivers are, on the W. coast, the Orange, the Elephant, and Great Berg rivers; on the S. coast, the Briede Knysna, Sunday, Cantoos, Great Fish, and Keiskamma. The only one of them deserving special notice is the Orange River, which rises in Kathalamba or Drackenberg Mountains, flows for nearly 1200 miles generally in a westerly direction, and discharges itself into the Atlantic, forming the northern boundary of the colony. It is on the whole a noble stream, and in some parts its banks are shaded by huge willows.

The Soil.—It is considered that about two-fifths of the colony consist of arid mountain ridges and sandy plains, unfit either for agriculture or pasture. The remainder is not generally fit for agricultural purposes, although it contains some very fertile spots; a large portion of it, however, especially in the eastern part, affords excellent pasture for cattle and sheep.

The coast is indented by various bays and inlets; few of them, however, afford convenient harbours. Saldanha Bay, on the west coast, is one of the most extensive and secure havens in this part of the world, but it is rendered comparatively useless by the want of a sufficient quantity of fresh water near it for the supply of shipping. Simon's Bay, near the bottom of False Bay, is a good harbour, and is used as a station for the royal navy. Table Bay, though somewhat protected by Robben Island, is little better than an open roadstead. It affords shelter, however, to ships during the summer months, but in the winter from May to September it is very unsafe. Algoa Bay is an open roadstead, but it is the chief port of the eastern province, and is much frequented by ships, which in certain winds can lie in it safely. Mossel Bay and the Cowie are also resorted to by small vessels, but they are little better than open roadsteads.

The climate is generally milder and drier than that of England. December, January, and February are the summer months; June, July, and August the winter. In the western part the summer is dry and clear, but in the east it is wet and stormy. In the vicinity of Cape Town, the highest temperature is about 84°, the lowest about 40°, and the mean of the year about 65°. In the mountainous districts and elevated plains, the heat of summer and the cold of winter are greater.

The vegetation of the colony is remarkably rich and varied. Some of the finest botanical specimens that now adorn the gardens of Europe have been derived from this region. In no other place do bulbous plants and heaths exhibit so many beautiful varieties. Besides a number of other ornamental tribes, there are some plants which might be used in medicine and dyeing. The aloe, however, is the only one which has been made an article of export. The most remarkable trees are, the silver tree, which only grows in the vicinity of Table Mountain; the Protea; and in the eastern province, the Euphorbia. There is on the whole a scarcity of indigenous timber, though there are in some parts extensive forests. Some of the native woods furnish materials for furniture and the wood-work of houses. The oak, fir, and other European forest trees, have, however, been long since introduced, and thriven very well; some of them have attained a great size, and their wood is extensively used. There are few indigenous fruits, but most of the fruits both of the north and south of Europe, such as grapes, figs, oranges, mulberries, apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, and others, are grown in abundance; but strawberries rarely come to perfection, and the gooseberry cannot be raised.

In regard to the zoology of the Cape, there is little to distinguish it from the rest of Africa, under the head of which will be found sufficient information on this subject; we may, however, notice the domestic animals of the colony. Sheep, cattle, and dogs, of an inferior breed, were all possessed by the natives on the discovery of the country. Horses, asses, mules, goats, and inferior breeds of cattle and sheep, have been introduced, and thrive well. The Merino sheep, in particular, has proved a valuable acquisition to the colony. Among the game birds are the bustard, called by Cape of Good Hope.—This Cape was discovered by Bartholomew Diaz, the Portuguese navigator, in 1498, who first landed at Algoa Bay, having, after exploring the west coast, been driven out to sea by a storm, and thus accidentally doubling the Cape which he saw on his way back, giving it the name of the Cape of Storms (Cabo Tormentoso).

The king of Portugal, however, gave it the more auspicious name it still bears, as its discovery afforded a hope of a new and easier way of reaching India, the great object of all the maritime expeditions of that age.

The great navigator Vasco de Gama doubled the Cape in 1497, and carried the Portuguese flag into the Indian seas. His countrymen, however, attracted by the riches of the East, made no permanent settlement at the Cape, although they frequently touched there on the voyage to India. But the Dutch, who, on the decline of the Portuguese power, established themselves in the East, early saw the importance of the place as a station where their vessels might take in water and provisions. They did not, however, colonize it till 1650, when the Dutch East India Company directed Jan Van Riebeeck, with a small party of colonists, to form a settlement there. The country was at that time inhabited by a people called Quaiquas, but to whom the Dutch seem to have given the name of Hottentots. The Riebeeck settlers had at first great difficulties and hardship to endure, and their territory did not extend beyond a few miles round the site of the present Cape Town, where they first fixed their abode. They gradually, however, extended their limits, by driving the natives back or reducing them to servitude. These colonists, although under Dutch authority, were not wholly of that nation, but consisted partly of persons of various nations, especially Germans and Flemings, with a few Poles and Portuguese. They were for the most part people of low station or indifferent character; there was, however, a small number of a higher class, from whom was selected a council to assist the governor. About the year 1686 the European population was increased by a number of the French refugees who left their country on the revocation of the edict of Nantes. Our limits forbid our attempting to trace the history of the Cape Colony during the lengthened period it remained under the Dutch government. We may, however, mention some of its prominent incidents, the effects of which are visible in the colony to this hour.

1st. The Dutch, partly by so-called contracts, partly by force, gradually deprived the Hottentots of their country. 2d. They reduced to slavery a large part of that unfortunate people whom they did not destroy. 3d. They introduced a number of Malays and negroes as slaves. 4th. They established that narrow and tyrannical system of policy which they have adopted in other colonies, prescribing to the farmers the nature of the crops they were to grow, demanding from them a large part of their produce, and harassing them with other exactions tending to discourage industry and enterprise. We are of opinion that to this mischievous policy is due the origin of those unsettled habits, that dislike to orderly government, and that desire to escape from its control, which characterize a considerable part of the so-called Dutch boers of the present day, qualities so utterly at variance with the character of the Dutch in their native country, but which were strongly manifested at the Cape long before they came under British rule, and under those influences to which some exclusively attribute the insubordination of those men. The attempts of the boers to escape from the Dutch power, and so form an independent government beyond the borders of the colony, especially in the district since called Graaff-Reinet, are strikingly similar to their proceedings at a later date under the British government. 5th. The Gamtoos River formed the boundary between the Hottentot and Kafir races, and was early adopted by the Dutch as their eastern limit; but about the year 1740 they began to pass this river, and came into collision with the Kafirs, and in 1780 extended their frontier to the Great Fish River.

In 1795 the colonists, having imbibed the revolutionary principles then prevailing in Europe, attempted to throw off the yoke of the Dutch, upon which the British sent a fleet to support the authority of the Prince of Orange, and took possession of the country in his name. As, however, it was evident that Holland would not be able to hold it, and that at a general peace it would be made over to England, it was ruled by British governors till the year 1802, when, at the peace of Amiens, it was again restored to Holland. In 1806, on renewal of the war, it was again taken by the British under Sir David Baird, and has since remained in their possession, having been finally ceded by the king of the Netherlands at the peace of 1815.

A summary of the chief events which have taken place since 1806 may be given under the following heads:

1st. The Kafir Wars.—The first of these wars took place in 1811–12; the second in 1819, when the boundary of the colony was extended to the Keiskamma. The third occurred in 1835, under Sir Benjamin D'Urban, when the boundary was advanced to the Kei; but on the recall of that officer, the country between the Kei and Keiskamma rivers was restored to the Kafirs. The fourth Kafir war took place in 1846, and, after being conducted by governors Maitland and Pottinger, it was terminated by Sir Harry Smith in 1848. The fifth war broke out at the end of 1850, and after being for some time carried on by Governor Sir H. Smith, it was conducted in 1852 by Governor Cathcart. A somewhat more detailed account of these wars will be found under the head of KAFIRIA.

2d. In 1820, Scottish emigrants, to the number of 5000, arrived at Algoa Bay, and laid the foundation of the settlements on the eastern frontier which have since become the most thriving part of the colony, and includes the important town of Graham's Town and Port Elizabeth.

3d. In 1834 the great measure of slave emancipation took effect in the Cape Colony, and has been of immense service in raising the character and condition of the Hottentots and other races before held in bondage. These people keep the anniversary of this great event as a holiday, which they enjoy in pleasure parties and innocent amusements. We have more than once been present on these occasions, and have had pleasure to observe, by their sober and orderly conduct, that they knew how to enjoy without abusing the blessings of freedom.

4th. The disaffection of the Dutch boers. In 1835-6 a large number of these people resolved to free themselves from the British government by removing with their families beyond the limits of the colony. With this object they sold their farms, mostly at a great sacrifice, and crossed the Orange River into the territories chiefly inhabited by tribes of the Kafir race. After meeting with great hardships and varied success in their contests with the natives, a part of their number, under one Peter Retief, crossed the Drakenberg Mountains and took possession of the district of Natal, where they established a republican government, and maintained their ground against powerful nations of Zulu Kafirs till 1842, when they were forced to yield to the authority of the British government, which took possession of Natal.

The boers beyond the Orange River and west of the Drakenbergs still, however, retained a sort of independence till 1848, when, in consequence of the lawless state of the country, and the solicitation of part of the inhabitants, the governor, Sir Harry Smith, declared the supremacy of the crown over the territory, which was thenceforth called the Orange River Sovereignty. Shortly after this, in conse- Cape of Good Hope, as it is alleged, of certain acts of the British government in Natal, Andrew Pretorius, an intelligent boer of that district, crossed the Drakensberg Mountains with his followers, and after being joined on the western side by large numbers of disaffected boers, he raised the standard of rebellion. Upon this the governor, Sir H. Smith, crossed the Orange River at the head of a detachment of troops, and encountered and defeated the rebels in a short but brilliant skirmish at Boem Plaats. After this Pretorius and the most disaffected part of the boers retreated to beyond the Vaal River (the northern limit of the sovereignty), where they established a government of their own. They were subsequently, in 1852, absolved from their allegiance to the British crown by treaty with the governors and her Majesty's commissioners for settling frontier affairs.

In 1853-54, in consequence of the troubled state of the Orange River Sovereignty, and the difficulty of maintaining with becoming dignity the authority of her Majesty there, it was resolved to abandon the country to the settlers, mostly Dutch boers. This was carried into effect by a special commissioner, Sir George Clerk, K.C.B., sent from England for the purpose; and the country, under the name of the Orange Free State, is constituted a republic, with a president at its head, assisted or controlled by an assembly called the Volksraad (people's councils), elected by nearly universal suffrage.

The chief causes of the disaffection of the boers, and their emigration from the colony, are supposed to have been, 1st, the emancipation of their slaves in 1834; 2d, the supposed too lenient policy adopted by the British government towards the Kafirs, and more especially the reversal of Sir Benjamin D'Urban's policy by Lord Glenelg in 1837. Without all denying that these and other measures of the government were the immediate moving causes of the migration, there is little doubt that the germ of the disposition to remove out of the colonial boundary, and shake off government control, was engendered in the boers by the policy of the government of our predecessors the Dutch.

5th. The Convict Agitation.—After the government had felt itself compelled to discontinue the sending of convicts to New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land, the subject of transportation became one of great difficulty, more especially at a time when an unusually large number of prisoners was on its hands in consequence of the prosecution arising out of the disturbed state of Ireland. Under these circumstances an order in council was passed in 1848, under authority of the Act 5th Geo. IV., authorizing the secretary of state to send certain convicts to such colonies as he might think proper. A circular was sent by Earl Grey, then colonial secretary, to the governor of the Cape (among other colonial governors), requesting him to ascertain the feelings of the colonists regarding the reception of a certain class of convicts. It should be borne in mind, 1st, that the proposal to send convicts to the Cape did not originate with Lord Grey—the same project had been entertained by several of his predecessors in office; 2d, that some of the most influential popular leaders at the Cape had, some years before, suggested the employment of British convicts in the building of a breakwater at Table Bay; 3d, that it is shown, by the correspondence which has been published, that Lord Grey was influenced in this proceeding by a desire to benefit both the convicts and the colony to which they were to be sent. For he informed the governor that the wives and children of the convicts, and also free emigrants, in proportion to the number of convicts, would be sent out at the expense of the mother country; and further, that to guard the convicts, military pensioners would be sent out, who, with their families, would settle in the colony, whereby the supply of labour and the security of the country would be increased. It should further be remembered, that the convicts proposed to be sent were not of the worst class, but men convicted of crimes to which they had been incited by famine or wrong-headed political opinion, or men who had undergone some probationary imprisonment, and were supposed to be in some degree reformed. Unfortunately, owing to some misunderstanding, a vessel, the Neptune, was despatched to the Cape before the opinion of the colonists had been received, having on board 289 convicts, among whom were John Mitchell, the Irish rebel, and his colleagues. When the news reached the Cape that this vessel was on her way, the people of the colony became violently excited; and, goaded to fury by the inflammatory articles in the local newspapers, and guided by a few demagogues, they established what was called the Anti-Convict Association, by which they bound themselves by a pledge to cease from all intercourse of every kind with persons in any way connected "with the landing, supplying, or employing convicts." People who refused to take this pledge were also subjected to great annoyance and petty persecution. The banks, the government contractors, and a large number of the farmers and dealers about Cape Town were thus pledged. On the 19th of September 1849, the Neptune arrived in Simon's Bay; and when the intelligence reached Cape Town, the people assembled in vast masses, and their behaviour was violent and outrageous in the extreme. The governor, after adopting several resolutions, and again abandoning them under the pressure of popular agitation, agreed not to land the convicts, but to keep them on board ship in Simon's Bay till he received orders to send them elsewhere. Even this concession did not satisfy any but a small number of more moderate men. The mass of the population, under the guidance or domination of a few agitators, continued to do all in their power to prevent the convicts and all the officers of the government from obtaining supplies. Tradesmen and others were prohibited from selling to the proscribed class even the commonest necessaries of life. When the home government became aware of the state of affairs it immediately sent orders directing the Neptune to proceed to Van Diemen's Land, and the agitation ceased.

Upon an impartial review of these proceedings, the conduct of the people of the Cape appears utterly indefensible. Granting, what, however, may be open to discussion, that the project of sending convicts to the Cape was wrong, it was evidently formed with no disregard to the interests of that colony; and it is also clear that a temperate statement of their views on the part of the colonists would have secured its instant abandonment.

This agitation did not, however, pass away without important results, since it led to another agitation, the object of which was to obtain a free representative government for the colony. This concession, which had been previously promised by Lord Grey, has been granted by her Majesty's government; and, in 1853, a constitution was established of almost unexampled liberality. Whether this constitution, in its present form, is suited to the colony, time alone can determine; but the free expression of the opinions of the colonists through their representatives will, it is to be hoped, prevent the repetition of such disgraceful proceedings as marked the convict agitation.

Divisions, Towns, and Villages.—The colony is divided at present into two provinces, which are further divided into divisions. The western province comprises the divisions of Cape Maltesebury, Stellenbosch, Paarl, Worcester, Swellendam, Caledon, Clanwilliam, George Beaufort. The eastern province includes the divisions of Albany, Port Beaufort, Graaff-Reinet, Somerset, Colabaerg, Cradock, Wittehage, Port Elizabeth, Albert and Victoria. We have not space for a description of all these divisions. We shall therefore give a brief account of such of them as merit particular attention.

The Cape continent, the oldest and most important, includes Cape Town, Wynberg, Constantia, and Simon's Town. It is remarkable for the beauty of its scenery. Its most prominent features are the Cape Peninsula and Table Mountain. The former is a narrow neck of land about 32 miles long by 6 to 8 broad, formed by a series of rugged, broken mountains. Its extreme point is the celebrated Cape of Good Hope. The Table Mountain, with its branches, the Devil's Mountain and the Lion's Rump, rises immediately at the back of Cape Town. Its greatest height is 3582 feet. During the prevalence of certain winds it is covered by a dense whitish cloud, partially overlapping its sides like a table-cloth. Along the base of this mountain, where lie the villages of Rondebosch, Wynberg, and Constantia, the land is covered with luxuriant vegetation, including oaks and firs of great size, and is studded with villas, the abodes of official persons and others engaged in business in Cape Town. The neighbourhood is remarkable for the abundance and variety of its flowers and shrubs, especially of heather, of which there is great variety. The district produces corn of good quality, and a considerable quantity of wine, including the famous Constantia made at the village of that name.

Cape Town lies at the bottom of Table Bay, and at the foot of Table Mountain, and about 32 miles N. of the Cape of Good Hope. The streets are laid out at right angles; some of them are adorned with trees. The houses are generally built of brick, faced with stucco. Some of them in the older parts of the town are decorated with cornices and architectural devices, and have in front raised platforms of stone or brick called stoops, about six to eight feet wide, and two or three feet above the level of the street. Here the inhabitants used to sit and enjoy the air and converse with their friends. The interior of the house is generally spacious and commodious. There is a castle and several batteries for the defence of the town and harbour, and jetties are erected for landing goods. There are various public buildings, the chief of which are the Government House, the Colonial Office, the Post-office, the Barracks, the Commercial Exchange, and the Public Library. There is a broad public walk, shaded by large oak trees, on one side of which are the gardens of Government House, and on the other the botanical garden, stocked with a great variety of valuable plants. There are churches and chapels belonging to the Church of England, the Dutch Reformed Church, Scotch, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Wesleyan churches, and other denominations. The Dutch Reformed church is capable of holding 2000 persons, and the English cathedral upwards of 1000. The Roman Catholic church is also a handsome and spacious building. The population is about 25,000.

The division of Stellenbosch contains a very pretty village of the same name, a favourite resort of strangers and invalids. It is only a few hours' drive from Cape Town, with which it is connected by an excellent road. The division of Caledon has some warm mineral springs containing muriate of soda and iron. Their heat is 98° and 117° of Fahrenheit, and their waters are used both internally and as baths. They are very beneficial for rheumatism, and diseases of the skin. In the division of Swellendam is Cape Agulhas, the most southern point of Africa. In this division there are two warm mineral springs.

The Eastern Provinces.—The greater part of this district of country was, at the beginning of this century, in the possession of the Kafirs, and it can hardly be said to have been settled before 1820, when a large number of emigrants arrived chiefly from Scotland. It is now the most prosperous part of the colony. The most important places in it are Grahamstown and Port Elizabeth.

The former is situated on a plain surrounded by low sandstone hills covered with grass, but bare of trees except in the ravines or saddles of the hills. The town is large and straggling; its streets are laid out at right angles. In some of them are rows of oak trees. There are many handsome shops, numerous churches and chapels, but no public buildings worthy of special notice. The town is the head-quarters of the military stationed in the colony. It is now also the see of a bishop, whose authority extends over the Eastern Province and Kaffrland.

The town of Port Elizabeth on Algoa Bay is built along the base and up the sides of the low hills which overlook the bay. Viewed from the sea, owing to the newness and uniformity of its houses, it reminds one of the mimic towns built by children with toy houses. The houses, however, are substantially built in the English style, and the streets contain good shops. There are Church of England, Roman Catholic, Wesleyan, and Independent churches, some of them handsome edifices. The town possesses banks and three newspapers. Its population is about 6000.

Population.—The total population of the colony is stated in the returns as 217,921, of which 118,088 are persons of colour. The latter consist of Hottentots (so called), Malays, Negroes, and Kafirs. The white population is chiefly composed of colonial Dutch and British.

The aborigines of the country had originally the generic name of Quaqueur, and received the name of Hottentots from the Dutch. Owing to intermarriages with Malays, negroes, and others, and illicit intercourse with whites, the race has lost much of its distinctive character. Indeed, a pure Hottentot is scarcely to be found in the colony, although the people, in whom the blood of that race preponderates, are still known by that name. There is no return of their number, but we do not think it can exceed 25,000.

The Malays were introduced by the Dutch as slaves; their descendants still retain the Mohammedan religion, and most of the distinctive habits and customs of their race. We have no means of ascertaining their number, but it cannot be large. They reside for the most part in the Cape division. The negroes are mostly from the eastern coasts of Africa.

The Kafirs residing within the colony are chiefly composed of the section of them called Fingoes, who originally came from Natal and its vicinity, whence they were driven by Chaka, king of the Zulus, and took refuge with Kafirs on the frontier of the Cape Colony, by whom they were reduced to serfdom, from which they were liberated by Sir Benjamin D'Urban, and have, up to this time, remained faithful allies of the British. Their number may be about 25,000.

The exact proportion which the white population of Dutch descent bears to the British is not known; but there is no doubt that it still greatly preponderates.* We have called these people Dutch for sake of convenience, as they speak that language, but many of them are descended from Europeans of other countries—a considerable number from the French refugees. The latter have lost the language, but still retain the names of their forefathers, such as Du Plessis, De Villiers, Marais, and others. The British and their descendants require no special remark.

Government, local and general.—Prior to 1827, there existed in the several districts or divisions of the colony, an institution established by the Dutch, called the Board of Landrost and Heemraad. The former was the chief magistrate of the district, appointed and paid by the government. The latter was a council to assist him, composed of respectable inhabitants appointed by the governor, on the recommendation of the Landrost. These boards not only had the administration of the local affairs usually entrusted to municipal bodies, but they also possessed extensive judicial authority. In consequence of abuses, more especially in the exercise of the latter functions, these institutions were in 1827 abolished, and the present system established. By this, every division is presided over by a civil commissioner, whose duties as such are chiefly of a financial nature, such as collecting the inland revenue, paying salaries, and other disbursements of the government in the division. For judicial purposes many of the divisions are subdivided into two or more districts, each with an officer called the resident magistrate, possessing a limited civil and criminal jurisdiction. The civil commissioner is always the resident magistrate of the division; or, if that be divided into districts, of the district in which he resides. The districts are again subdivided into a number of smaller divisions called Feld cornetcies, over each of which is an officer called Feld cornet, whose duties nearly resemble that of a high bailiff or chief constable.

Prior to 1835 the whole authority of the general government was vested in the governor, assisted by a small council of officials. In that year a legislative council was established, consisting of certain government officials, and six persons nominated by the crown. An executive council was also established to assist the governor in executive matters, consisting of certain high officers of government,—such was the form of government till 1853, when the legislative council as thus established was abolished, and a new constitution introduced. Under this, the legislature consists of the governor and two chambers, called the legislative council and the house of assembly, both elected by the people. The former body is composed of eight members for the western, and seven for the eastern province, chosen by the whole Cape of Good Hope.

To qualify a man to be elected for this chamber, he must possess property in land worth L1,000 clear of charges, or L2,000 in landed and personal property together; he must be thirty years of age, and must have been invited to become a candidate by written requisition, signed by not less than twenty-five electors. Another peculiarity in this election is, that any elector may give all his votes (that is, as many as there are members to be chosen) to one candidate, or he may distribute them among two or more candidates as he pleases. The object of this provision is believed to be to permit the minority to be represented. The council is elected for ten years, but so that half its number, as near as may be, go out every five years.

The legislative assembly is chosen by the electors of the town, and electoral districts into which the colony is divided. The candidates have to be proposed and seconded at the hustings as in England. There is no property qualification required of the candidates. The assembly consists of forty-six members, and is elected for five years.

The qualification of electors of both houses is the same, namely, the occupation of fixed property worth L25.

The colonial secretary, the attorney-general, the treasurer, and the auditor, may sit and take part in the discussions in both houses, but they are not entitled to vote in either.

The governor may dissolve both houses, or he may dissolve the house of assembly without dissolving the council. He may give or refuse his assent to bills in the Queen's name, or he may reserve them for the decision of her Majesty. The Queen may disallow any bill assented to by the governor at any time within two years of its receipt.

It is further provided, that all bills appropriating any part of the revenues must be recommended to the house of assembly by the governor.

Religion.—The chief religious bodies in the colony are:

1st. The Dutch Reformed Church, which comprises the entire Dutch population, including a large number of Hottentots and other persons of colour, has about 60,000 adherents. In form of church government and in devotion it closely resembles the Church of Scotland, to which country a considerable number of its ministers belong.

2d. The Church of England. In 1847 a bishop of Cape Town was appointed to preside over the church, whose diocese extended not only over the Cape Colony and Natal, but also over the Island of St Helena. Recently, however, separate bishops have been appointed for Eastern Province and Natal. The members of this church in the colony are stated to be about 12,000.

3d. The Scotch Presbyterians are a comparatively small body, and in the rural districts especially, its members are absorbed in the Dutch Reformed Church.

4th. The Wesleyans are a large and very respectable body, especially in the Eastern Province. Their number is stated to be about 10,000.

5th. The Roman Catholics number about 3,500 adherents. Their church is ruled by two bishops; one living at Cape Town, the other at Graham's Town.

6th. The Independents number about 7,000; and the Lutherans about 1,500.

Besides these bodies there are several foreign missions in the colony having numerous followers; the most important are the Moravians, who have been established there since 1732, and have laboured hard to convert the coloured races. The government recognizes no particular body as the established church, but it contributes to the support of the clergy of most of the denominations of Christians.

Education.—A good system of education has been established by the government, and there is a free school in every district. Two colleges have also been established, one called the South African College, the other, an excellent institution, called the Bishop's College, was founded by Bishop Gray.

Trade.—The following table, giving the amount of imports and exports in several years, taken at intervals, exhibits the progress of the commerce of the colony:

| Year | Imports | Exports | Shipping | |------|---------|---------|----------| | 1836 | L541,038 | L362,280 | L134,875 | | 1840 | 732,494 | 775,050 | 184,442 | | 1849 | 941,535 | 594,920 | 204,049 | | 1850 | 1,277,101 | 637,232 | 224,126 | | 1853 | 1,651,597 | 1,054,884 | 323,884 | | 1854 | 985,266 | 601,352 | |

These exports do not entirely consist of colonial produce, but partly of goods re-exported. The value of colonial produce alone exported during 1855 was L732,245, of which L297,346 was from Cape Town, and L435,899 from Port Elizabeth. The amount of tonnage, however, of vessels entering Table Bay is much greater than that entering Port Elizabeth, on account of the large number of Indians and other vessels calling at the former for provisions; but the actual trade of the latter is much greater, as shown by the exports.

The following is a table of the chief articles of colonial produce and manufactures exported during 1853, from Cape Town and Port Elizabeth respectively:

| Port Elizabeth | Cape Town | |----------------|-----------| | Aloe | L1,250 | | Argol | 1,161 | | Beef and pork | 2,309 | | Butter | 1,360 | | Copper ore | 3,463 | | Corn and meal | — | | Barley | 1,061 | | Beans & peas | 79 | | Bran | 2,865 | | Flour | 29,783 | | Oats | 5 | | Wheat | 250 | | Feathers | 1,519 | | Fish (cured) | 398 | | Fruits (dried) | 20,274 | | Hides | L9,138 | | Horns | 1,622 | | Horses | — | | Ivory | 12,143 | | Mules | — | | Oil | — | | Goat skins | 8,426 | | Seal skins | — | | Sheep skins | 2,327 | | Spirits, Brandy| 3,352 | | Tallow | 1,387 | | Wine, Constantia| — | | Ordinary | — | | Wool | 290,637 |

The most important export is wool, and the following table shows the progress of the export of this article:

| Port Elizabeth | Cape Town | |----------------|-----------| | 1833 | 39,753 lbs. | | 1843 | 1,220,380 | | 1853 | 6,160,916 |

There were imported into London from the Cape territories 22,706 bales of wool in 1853; 22,602 in 1854; and 28,087 in 1855.

By the summary of an official table in the Cape Government Gazette, the Custom-house returns of goods imported for the first six months of 1854 and 1855 give the following results:—For the first six months of 1854, goods imported, L879,788; for the same months of 1855, L622,218—making for those twelve months, L1,502,006. Goods entered for consumption for the first six months of 1854, L827,702; for the same months of 1855, L648,485—for those twelve months, L1,471,187. The exports of articles the produce of the colony for the first six months of 1854 were valued at L315,579; for the same months of 1855, at L440,816—for those twelve months, L756,395. The excess of imports for consumption over the estimated value of colonial produce exported during the twelve months referred to is thus shown to be L714,792.

In these returns we have the amount of customs-duties collected only for the first six months of 1855. They amount to L31,770 for the first quarter; and to L35,106 for the second—total for six months, L66,876. The two chief articles of export are wool and wine. On both the increase has been very great. The wool exported during the first six months of 1854 was valued at L221,865. In the same months in 1855, at L297,885. The wine for the same months respectively was valued at L13,425 and L33,169. Wine was once the staple export, amounting in seven years to between L80,000 and L100,000. The quantity produced is supposed to be as great as ever it was, but it has found a more profitable market within the colony. The wool of the eastern and middle districts is indirectly exchanged for the wines, dried fruits, and flour of the western division.

Copper ore is a new article of export. For the first six months of 1834 this export was valued at £4,720; in 1855, at £14,179.

The revenue of the colony is derived chiefly from customs-duties, stamp and auction duties, and a direct tax called transfer dues, at the rate of 4 per cent. on the purchase money of all landed property sold, whether by auction or privately. The expenditure is for payment of salaries of the officials and other disbursements incidental to the support of the civil government. The military expenditure is at present borne by the imperial treasury. The subjoined table shows the progress of the revenue and expenditure:

| Year | Revenue | Expenditure | |------|---------|-------------| | 1832 | £130,808 | £126,859 | | 1842 | 226,261 | 220,023 | | 1852 | 289,482 | 252,455 | | 1853 | 308,472 | 268,111 |

The construction of good roads of late years, by the judicious employment of the convicts, the establishment of road boards, and other measures for the same object by the late able colonial secretary, Mr Montagu, have tended greatly to develop the resources of the colony, and to increase its commerce and revenue.

(B.C.P.)