Cape Town

CAPE TOWN, the oldest town of South Africa, 33° 56' S., 18° 25' E. Cape Town was built on a strip of low ground on the south-western shores of Table bay. To the south, immediately behind the town, rises Table mountain in a precipitous wall, 2 m. long, and over 3,500 ft. high at its highest point. Its eastern cor ner, Devil's peak, is 3,30o ft. high. (See TABLE MOUNTAIN.) An outlying arm of this barrier extends round on the north-west side of the city in Lion's head, over 2,000 ft., and Lion's rump (or Signal hill). Between Lion's head and Table mountain is a col, known as the Kloof, through which pass a road and a tramway, connecting Cape Town with the suburb of Camps bay. From its original nucleus, the city has spread for about 3 m. in a more or less continuous line around the lower slopes of Signal hill to Sea point, with an outlying cluster of houses and hotels at Camps Bay (5 miles). Up the lower slopes of Table mountain it has climbed as far as the gradients will allow. A series of suburbs and independent municipalities has also developed, especially since 1910, to the east of Cape Town, and then, turning the flank of Devil's peak, has become aligned in a north to south direction along the fall line between the Cape Peninsula hills, and the Cape flats, which connect the former with the mainland. Included in this series are Woodstock, Mowbray, Rosebank, Rondebosch, Newlands, Claremont, Kenilworth and Wynberg, with Muizen berg, 152 m. from Cape Town, and Kalk Bay on the shores of False bay. In 1913 most of these centres, with the exception of Wynberg, were united to Cape Town, which now includes an area of 3 7,8 71 acres.

Several very distinct ethnic elements go to make up the popu lation (see SOUTH AFRICA) . In 1931 Cape Town and its suburbs included 150,914 Europeans and probably about 100,000 coloured.

Streets and Parks.

Cape Town is laid out in rectangular plan. The main street is Adderley street, running inland from the shore. Seaward it is continued by a promenade pier, which, with its approach and circus, is 600 yd. long. At the other end Ad derley street is continued by Government avenue, about five eighths of a mile long, and lined on both sides by oak trees. Just to the west of Adderley street is Greenmarket square, the origi nal centre of the old Dutch town, and still further is Riebeek square, on the site of the old slave market. From the pier the sea front for about 1,000 yd. to the south-east, has been laid out as an esplanade, and planted with palms and shrubs. Behind this is the castle, which was completed about 1680, much of its brick having been brought out from Holland. About a m. from the pier, in a north-westerly direction, are the docks. To the west of the castle is a large, rectangular space, known as the parade ground, which is occupied on Wednesdays and Saturdays by numerous stalls and auctioneers.

Among the chief open spaces are the Greenpoint common, lying to the north-west of the city, and including the golf links and the athletic ground, Trafalgar park to the south-east, and the Botanical gardens, which are situated along the western side of Government avenue, and cover an extent of 14 acres. On the eastern slopes of Table mountain, at Kirstenbosch, and covering about 400 ac., are the National Botanical gardens, originally part of the Groot-Schuur estate. Much of this area is a reserve for the indigenous botanical associations.

Public Buildings.

Most of the public buildings and monu ments are to be found along Adderley street and Government avenue. Near the entrance to the pier is a bronze statue of van Riebeek, presented to the city by Cecil Rhodes. A short dis tance away is the war memorial, unveiled in 1924. Then, along the main street, are the custom house, the railway station, the Standard Bank, the general post office, and the Dutch Reformed church, which is the oldest church in South Africa. It was com menced in 1699, but of the original building only the bell tower remains. In the church eight of the old Dutch governors of the Cape are buried. On the eastern side of Government avenue are the houses of parliament, and Government house, the residence of the governor-general. On the opposite side is the Anglican cathedral, which promises, when completed, to be a fine example of modern architecture. The public library, near by, contains about 150,000 volumes, including first and second editions of Shakespeare's plays. It greatly benefited by a generous gift by Sir George Grey, who was governor of the Cape from 1854 to 1861, and whose statue stands in front of the library. The South African museum occupies a site at the top of the Botanical gar dens, and contains much that is of interest to the anthropologist, archaeologist, etc. The opera house in Darling street is capable of seating a thousand people. In front of it is a memorial by Sir Goscombe John to the Cape volunteers who died in the war of 1899-1902.

The new municipal buildings are also in Darling street ; the city hall has seating accommodation for 2,000 persons. Opposite to its main entrance is a statue, also by Sir Goscombe John, of King Edward VII. The Michaelis collection of old Flemish and Dutch paintings is housed in the "Old Town house" in Green market square, a fine example of 18th century colonial Dutch architecture. The buildings of the University of Cape Town, which stood on the western side of the Botanical gardens, are gradually being evacuated as the various departments move out to the magnificent new site at Groot Schuur. The Koopman de Wet house in Strand street contains old Dutch furniture, and illustrates the life of the early Dutch settlers. Outside of Cape Town, about half a mile from Rondebosch station, is Groot Schuur, which was left by Rhodes as the official residence in Cape Town of the premier of the Union of South Africa. It is built in the Dutch colonial style, and contains some fine specimens of old Dutch furniture. Some distance away is the Rhodes Memo rial. In the grounds of Groot Schuur are being constructed the new buildings of the University of Cape Town.

Harbour.

The harbour of Cape Town consists of the Victoria basin, a rectangular area of 67 ac. enclosed within walls. The north-western wall is prolonged and slightly curved to form a breakwater. An inner area, the Alfred basin, covers 82 acres. Additional wharfage for fishing boats, etc., is provided along the shore to the south-east of the main harbour. The depth of water at the entrance to the harbour is 4o ft. at L.W.O.S.T., and vessels of any draught can anchor in the roadstead under the shelter of the breakwater. In the Victoria basin the average depth at L.W.O.S.T. ranges from io to 35 feet. The harbour is well equipped with electric cranes and transporters. Trains of the South African railway system can run alongside the main wharves. There are considerable facilities for fruit cooling and storing. A grain elevator, capable of holding 30,00o tons of grain, has recently been completed. There is also a graving dock, 5,000 ft. long, on the keel blocks, with a maximum width of 564 ft., and a depth at H.W.O.S.T. of 25 feet.

Trade.

Cape Town is the principal passenger and mail port of South Africa, and deals with over 5o% of the combined pas senger traffic of the four chief ports of the Union. It is 5,978 m. from Southampton, a distance travelled by the mail boats in 17 days. Passengers may disembark, and find trains waiting along side, which will take them to Johannesburg (956 m.), Rhodesia, or Durban (1,253 miles). Cape Town is also an important port of call for vessels trading between Europe and Australia or the East. There is also a certain amount of traffic with South Amer ican ports. For goods traffic, Cape Town is less favourably situ ated than its rival, Durban. The handicaps of a large, arid hinter land, and the distance from the centres of population and indus try on the Witwatersrand, are only partially compensated by pref erential railway rates. It is, however, the chief port of exit for South African gold and diamonds. Of recent years Cape Town has had an increasing export of fresh and dried fruits, flowers and wines, which are being produced in the neighbouring districts. There is also a considerable trade in wool, mohair, skins and maize. Local industries are largely concerned with the preparation of foods. Owing to the distance from the coalfields, and the scarcity of water, power is apt to be expensive, but coloured labour for unskilled and semi-skilled work is comparatively cheap.

As a pleasure resort, Cape Town attracts many visitors from South Africa, and from other countries. Many people from the inland provinces, on retiring, take up permanent residence here. The city owes much to its picturesque situation at the foot of Table mountain and its satellite hills, the slopes of which are in many places covered by plantations of coniferous and other trees, or by the indigenous macchia of heaths, proteas and bulbous plants, which make a wonderful blaze of colour in the spring months. The houses of the suburbs are embowered among trees and gardens. Every Wednesday and Saturday morning, in the season, Adderley street is enlivened by masses of flowers, which are offered for sale by the coloured people. The country in the neighbourhood offers a wide choice of walks and drives, including the justly famed 96 m. drive around the peninsula, passing by Camps Bay, Hout bay, Chapman's peak, the Cape of Good Hope, Simonstown, Muizenberg and Rondebosch. This, for its blending of mountain and sea, heathlands and woodlands, is probably un surpassed in the world. Table mountain offers climbing to suit the most adventurous spirits. The most popular bathing place is Muizenberg, 152 m. from Cape Town. Here, in the warm waters of False bay, surfing is much practised. The shore shelves very gradually, and sharks do not molest the bathers. At Cape Town, and along the western coast of the peninsula, the cold waters of the Benguela current offer less encouragement to bathing.

Climate, Health.

The average amount of sunshine through out the year is 7.5 hours a day, ranging from 4.8 hours in June to over io in December. Most of the rains fall between April and October. In the bright, dry summers, high temperatures may occur, especially in the city, but along the western side of the peninsula the shade temperatures in the afternoons are kept quite low by the sea breezes, which blow off the cold current.

The health of Cape Town is satisfactory. The city is equipped with a good sewage scheme. It also has a good water supply, obtained partly from Table mountain, and partly from a reservoir about 4o m. away, in the Caledon district.

The city is lighted by electricity, and there is an efficient tram service. At the Union of South Africa in 1910 Cape Town was made the legislative capital, with Pretoria as the administrative capital. It is also the seat of an archbishop of the English Church, and of a bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. (R. U. S.) University of Cape Town.—The university foundation dates from April 2, 1918, when the council, created by Act 14 of 1916, received a bequest from Sir Julius Wernher of £250,000 and a do nation of £250,000 from Otto Beit, who added £5o,000 to a lapsed bequest by Alfred Beit. By 1921 a special appeal for funds had raised about £280,000, inclusive of £5o,000 for the Jameson Me morial Hall. Pending the erection of buildings on the site provided by the Government at Groote Schuur, the university carries on its work in the buildings formerly occupied by the University of the Cape of Good Hope. The university created in 1925 chairs in commerce, fine art and accounting, while the faculty of law was strengthened by a third professorship. In 1928 the first part of the new buildings at Groote Schuur was opened to students.