Page:Journal of the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks.djvu/493

Rh here are blessed, abundantly prove that the climate in general is very friendly to the human constitution.

Diseases brought here from Europe are said to be almost immediately cured, but those of the Indies not so easily, which latter we ourselves experienced: our sick recovering very little for the first fortnight, and after that very slowly, so that after a month's stay several of them were far from recruited.

The industry of the Dutch, so well known, and so constantly exerted in all foreign settlements, has supplied this place with a profusion of all kinds of European provisions. Wheat and barley are as good here as in Europe; hops, however, will not grow, so that they cannot make beer, even tolerably. Cattle are in great plenty, and beef is very fair; sheep likewise are in great plenty. Both these the native Hottentots had before the Dutch settled the place, so that they differ a little in appearance from those of other places: the oxen are lighter, more neatly made, and have vast spreading horns; the sheep, instead of wool, are covered with a kind of substance between hair and wool. Their tails also are very large: I have seen some which could not weigh less than ten or twelve pounds, and was told that they are often much larger. Of the milk of their cows they make very good butter, but cheese they know not how to make in any degree of perfection. Besides these they have goats in plenty, which, however, they never eat; and hogs, but these are less plentiful. Poultry, as fowls, ducks, geese, etc., are in tolerable plenty. They have also wild game, as hares exactly like ours in Europe, partridges of two kinds, quails, antelopes of many kinds, and bustards, in general very well flavoured, but rather drier than those of the same kinds in Europe.

As their fields produce European wheat and barley, so their gardens produce the same kinds of vegetables as we have in Europe. Cabbages, turnips, potatoes, asparagus, broccoli, etc., are all plentiful and excellent of their kind. Their fruits are also the same, apples, pears, oranges, peaches, apricots, figs, etc. Of Indian fruits, they have plantains,