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Page 5
At the Record Office attached to the House of Parliament, I went into
the vaults, and inspected the early manuscripts of the Dutch, during
their original occupation of the Cape of Good Hope. These are most
deeply and historically interesting, and valuable. The minute accuracy,
with which every incident is recorded is most remarkable. There are bays
in these vaults, filled with records, which must be of priceless value
to an historical student, and they are now in course of arrangement by
the able librarian, Mr. H.C.V. Leibbrandt, who is the author of a most
interesting work entitled "Rambles through the Archives of the Colony of
the Cape of Good Hope."[A]
At the South African Museum I found a valuable collection of beasts,
birds, fishes, &c., not only from South Africa, but from various parts
of the world. The collection has been enriched by valuable contributions
from Mr. Selous, the distinguished African traveller, and sportsman, his
donations consisting chiefly of big game, including two gigantic elands,
(male and female), buffaloes, antelopes, &c. The series of birds
comprises the large number of two thousand species.
A visit of great interest to me was to the South African Public Library,
which boasts of about 50,000 volumes, and embraces every branch of
science and literature. It contains three distinct collections, viz.,
the Dessinian, the Grey, and the Porter. The first-named was bequeathed
to the Colony in 1761 by Mr. Joachim Nicholas Von Dessin, and consists
of books, manuscripts and paintings. The Porter collection took its name
from the Hon. William Porter, and was purchased from the subscriptions
raised for the purpose of procuring a life-size portrait of that
gentleman, in recognition of his services to the Colony. As, however,
Mr. Porter declined to sit for his portrait, the amount subscribed was
appropriated to the purchase of standard works, to be known as the
Porter Collection. By far the most valuable, however, is the Grey
Collection, numbering about 5,000 volumes, and occupying a separate
room. These were presented by Sir George Grey, Governor of the Cape
Colony from 1854 to 1859, and still an active member of the New Zealand
House of Representatives. Here are many rare manuscripts, mostly on
vellum or parchment, some of them of the tenth century, in addition to a
unique collection of works relating to South Africa generally.
Among the places of worship in Cape Town the most important are St.
George's Cathedral, which was built in 1830, and is of Grecian style of
architecture, and accommodates about 1,200 persons; and the Dutch
Reformed Church, which possesses accommodation for 3,000 persons, and is
not unappropriately named the Colonial Westminster Abbey. Beneath its
floors lie buried eight Governors of the Colony, the last one being Ryk
Tulbagh, who was buried in 1771.
No account of Cape Town would be complete without a reference to the
important Harbour Works, and Breakwater, which at once attract the
attention of the visitor, and which have been in course of erection for
several years past, from the designs of Sir John Coode. These works
have been of the greatest importance in extending, and developing the
commercial advantages of the port. The Graving Dock now named the
Robinson, after the late Governor, Sir Hercules Robinson, was formally
opened during the year 1882, and it so happened that the first vessel to
enter it was the _Athenian_, in which I returned to England, at the
termination of my tour. The whole of the works connected with the
building of the Docks and Breakwater reflect credit upon all who have in
any way been engaged upon their construction. The amount expended on
them up to the end of 1887 was �1,298,103.
Before leaving Cape Town, at the invitation of the Naval
Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Wells, I paid a visit to Simon's Town, the
chief naval station of the colony. The railway runs at present as far
as Kalk Bay, which takes about an hour to get to from Cape Town. Kalk
Bay is a pleasant seaside resort for the inhabitants of the colony, the
air being regarded as particularly invigorating. The remaining distance
of six miles to Simon's Town is performed in a Cape cart, which is a
most comfortable vehicle on two wheels, drawn by two horses with a pole
between them, and covered with a hood, as a protection from the weather.
The scenery from the Kalk Bay station to Simon's Town is very
picturesque. A bold sea stretches out on one side of the road, and the
mountain on the other. Amongst other things which attracted my attention
at Simon's Town was the Dockyard, which embraces about a mile of the
foreshore, and contains appliances for repairing modern war vessels, a
repairing and victualling dep�t, and a patent slip, capable of lifting
vessels of about 900 tons displacement. I went with the Admiral, and a
party of ladies to have luncheon on board the Steam Corvette _Archer_.
Simon's Bay is very sheltered, excepting from the south-east, with good
holding anchorage ground. It seems a quiet, secluded spot, well-adapted
for a naval station in this part of the world, although I have heard
that an opinion prevails that the fleet should be at Cape Town instead
of Simon's Bay. The _Raleigh_ is the flag-ship; I saw also some other
vessels of the Royal Navy at anchor in the bay. The fortifications which
are now in progress for the protection of this important point in our
chain of defences will, when completed, render the place practically
impregnable from sea attack.
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