Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 5.djvu/61

The first newspaper of the colony, written in Dutch and English, was published in 1824, and its appearance marked an era not only in the literary but in the political history of the colony, since it drew to a crisis the dis putes which had arisen between the colonists and the somewhat arrogant governor, Lord Charles Somerset, who had issued a tyrannical decree prohibiting all persons from convening or attending public meetings. Its criticisms on public affairs soon led to its suppression by the governor, and a memorial from the colonists to the king petitioning for a free press was the result. This boon was secured to the colony in 1828, and the press soon became a powerful agent, characterized in an especial manner by public spirit and literary ability. There are now about fifty newspapers and periodicals in English and Dutch, published in the Cape Colony and Xatal.

The following table, giving the value of imports and exports and the tonnage of shipping in several years, taken at intervals, exhibits the progress of the commerce of the colony:

Year. Imports Exports. Shipping. Tons. 1835 541,033 362,280 134,875 1840 732,494 775,060 184,442 1850 1,277,101 637,252 224,126 1860 2,665,902 2,080,398 329,934 1870 2,352,043 2,453,763 335,509 1874 5,558,215 5,138,833 691,855

In the order of the amount and value of their commerce the ports of the Cape Colony rank thus : Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, East London, Mossel Bay, Port Alfred (Kowie mouth), and Simon s Town, the value of the trade of Port Elizabeth being more than double that of Cape Town.

The following table gives the quantities and values of the chief articles, the produce of the colony, exported during 1871 : -

Quantity. Value. 614,272 5,526 75,598 2,263 13,646 321,434 148,260 747 70,443 469 94,500 520 303,827 3,202 710,766 2,197 679,596 5,337 35,411 496 15,117 257 2,893 8,143 36,829 205,640 4,872,814 34,339 332,762 5,078 1,036,570 107,139 68,453 49,425 134,154 1,900 43 1,925 73,747 26,667 1,478,761 194,323 1,462,367 144,533 713 245 1,655 1,272 77,802 15,876 42,620,451 2,948,571 51,299 Add, for unregistered diamonds 1,000,000 Total value 5,133,833

The most important item of export is wool, and the following table shows the progress of the trade in this product, which is now almost monopolized by the eastern ports :

Aloes ; It) Argol (crude tartar) , , Copper Ore tons i orn, Grain and Meal Barley Ib Beans and Pease ,, Bran ,, Flour ,, Maize ,, Oats ,. Wheat , Cotton ,, Diamonds No Feathers (Ostrich) lt> Fish, cured ,, Fruit, dried ,. Hair, Angora ., Hides Xo. Horns ,, Horses ,, Ivory ft Skins, Goat No. Sheep ,, Spirit, Brandy Galls. "Wine, Con stantia ,, , , Ordinary Wool rb Other Articles.... Exports Port Elizabeth (with Poit AlfieU and East Lotnli.ii; tt) 1833 39,753 1840 401,521 1850 4,323,650 1860 19,438,566 1870 33,809,934 Cape Town (with Poit Reaufort and Mossel Bay) lb 73,324 509,597 1,589,277 3.734,219 3,473.357

The number and value of the diamonds exported cannot be judged by the figures in the above table, since but few parcels of them are entered as freight. The liole declared value of the diamonds exported from the year of their discovery till 1874 was 743,000, but it is believed that diamonds to the value of upwards of 10,000,000 have been taken from the mines of Griqua Land West.

The copper ore of the Cape Colony is derived from the mines in Xamaqua Land. Sines 18G3, when this branch of mining became a settled industry, and the Cape Copper Mining Company was formed, the exports of ore have risen steadily from an annual total of 2900 tons to upwards of 13,000 tons. Wine was at one time the staple export, and was imported in large quantity by England ; falling into disrepute there, the industry remained in a depressed state for many years, but revived on the impulse given by the discovery of diamonds, and besides acquir ing an increased consumption in the colony is again rising as an export.

The imports of the colony consist mainly of manufactured goods, cloths and hardwares, sugar and tobacco. The revenue of the colony is derived chiefly from an ad valorem tax on all goods imported (with the exception of agricultural machinery, animals, bullion, books, and un manufactured African products), and on land sales and rents, and from a tax called transfer-dues on the purchase money of all landed property sold, stamp-duties, and postages. The expenditure is for payment of salaries of officials and support of government. The colony incurs tla- expense of the regiments of Cape mounted riflemen anil police, but the British troops in the colony are maintained by the Imperial Government at an annual cost of about 200,000. The subjoined table shows the progress of the revenue and expenditure of the colony :

Revenue. Expenditure. 1832.. 130,808 126,889 1840 171,205 181,653 1850 245,785 245,655 1860 742,771 729,689 1870 831,211 795,695 1873 2,078,220 2,159.658 1874 1,907,951 1,199,970

The revenue of 1873 was abnormally increased by the raising of a loan of 860,000, included in the statement, while the increased expenditure was caused by outlay on public works. The revenue of 1874 was increased by a loan of 369,400. The colony has a public debt, bearing interest at the rate of 6 per cent., dating from 1859. The debt had reached the amount of 1,723,000 i 1874.

Cape Town, the capital and seat of government of

Cape Colony, lies at the head of Table Bay. on the northern side of the peninsula formed by Table Mountain, and 30 miles north of the Cape of Good Hope. It was founded in 1652 by Van Eiebeeck, and at first consisted of a few houses under the shelter of a fort, at the mouth of the Zoeta or " Sweet Stream," on the site of which the still existing castle was built. The chief streets of the increasing town were subsequently laid out at right angles, but the outer streets and suburbs extend irregularly upwards. The town is now paved, and lighted with gas, and

has a regular water supply. Its architecture generally