Briefwisseling oor Kaapse sake 1778-1792

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XIV. H. Cloete to Swellengrebel,
Constantia, 30.3.1780

This is an answer to your letter of the 8th July 1779, which I received on the 17th November, in which you congratulate me on the purchase of Constantia. I am enclosing a list of the goods I bought from Mr Serrurier for f30 000 which go with the house. This is, however, not the sum total. Sixteen slaves were not sufficient to return this neglected farm to good heart. I had to buy 16 other slaves and had to add another f2 000 to buy more furniture.

Other changes were made. I built a wall 600 feet long and 9 feet high to the right side of the house and planted along the wall every kind of grape known in Africa. Other vines which my son Pieter brought from Europe have unfortunately died, except the Frankenthaler which is growing. This will in time grow into a pergola where visitors will be able to pick first a bunch of red grapes, then a bunch of white. The big oak forest between Colijn and me has been uprooted to make place for more vineyards. About 10 000 new vines have geen planted there and elsewhere. They are doing uncommonly well.

The orchard lower down has also been uprooted as the trees were old and not well spaced. New young trees have been planted. All the profusion of oaks and chestnuts have been pruned and the farm can now be seen from afar. Silver trees and oaks have been planted on either side of the entrance, where the road has been sunk, so that one seems to ride in between two little mountains.

The wine-cellar is adorned with elegant new fustage consisting of ‘stukvats’ (butts) and leaguers made of beautiful wood, all yellow and oiled. These are the main changes which I have brought about in this short time.

And now I am going to tell you how I fared during the first harvest. The widow Van der Spuy was good enough to let me have an old slave who had been her cellarer and her late husband's for many years. I had to let him have his way, because I understood that Constantia wine needed to be handled in a special way, but he was very ignorant, and knew nothing about wine-making! During harvest-time we were unfortunate enough to have heavy and continuous rain, so my wine, especially the white, did not turn out well, which accounts for my having only 2 half aums of wine to give to the Le Sueurs; but I have in store in my cellar 2 more of the very best, to be shipped to you whenever the Le Sueurs let me know there is a favourable opportunity.

This year I hope things will go better. The old cellarer is gone. I am

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now personally in charge. The weather is better and I am convinced that the Constantia wine this year will be the best ever! You shall be the judge, because I shall send you as much as possible whenever I can, hoping to find opportunity to do so when I become known amongst the crews of passing ships. Enough about Constantia.

I have neglected telling you about the secretary-bird's diet. They eat vermin like snakes, lizards and moles in the veld, but when tame we feed them on meat.

The wild cotton, sent by the kind offices of Mr. Alewijn will probably not be so good as expected since it had to be picked a month too early. I wish to express my gratitude for the seeds received through the agency of Mr. Aams and have given some to the master of the warehouses Mr. P.L. le Sueur.

I have spoken to my friend Jacob Kok about the Barbary sheep. As his farm is free of scab, he is sure that they will do well there and he would accept them with pleasure if they were sent to him. In accordance with your letter of the 13th of September 1779, received the 17th of Jan. 1780, I gave Kok 3 pieces of chintz for which I had paid Rds. 21.

Do not be surprised that I am not personally sending you plants as I have done hitherto. To begin with this is my busiest season; furthermore I have asked my son Pieter to supply you with an abundance of rare plants with the same exactitude as I have done. I am writing this in the cellar. Here I sit all day and no longer take an afternoon nap. Kleintje is in the vineyard. I am all day beside the wine-press without a jacket and in thin trousers.

We, my wife and children and I, greet you and your sister cordially.

H. Cloete.

Cape of Good Hope, on the farm Constantia, 30th March 1780.

P.S. Jacob Kok has already received his flint-lock gun. David van der Merwe has been informed that my son Pieter has his flint-lock, but he has not come to claim it.

Appendix: The goods bought from Jan Serrurier for the farm Constantia for f30 000 are the following: 16 male slaves, 2 vats each containing 3 leaguers; 76 leaguers; 6 half leaguers, 2 wine-presses, 6 rice tubs, a few wine-presses and grape-vats; all the scaffolding in the cellar, brandy-still and cooling vat, 2 more copper stills, 41 oxen, 82 breeding cattle, 2 oxwaggons, 20 buckets, 6 funnels and 10 platters for dairy-products, 3 lifting-jacks, some taps, cellar and cooper-tools, a large stinkwood diningroom table in 5 pieces, 10 paintings in the gallery, 3 glass lanterns, 1 copper chandelier, 1 standing clock, 36 yellow-wood chairs, 12 paintings in the front

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rooms, 4 shelves with porcelain, a corn-sieve, a chest for flour, 2 vats with 100 lb. of sulphur, 1 leaguer of brandy, 3 empty half-leaguers, 8 hogsheads and beer pipes, 300 empty bottles, some loose planks, 7 ox-yokes, 1 lot of vineyard-knives, 1 lot of ditto saws, 4 empty cases, 7 big tin platters, 400 bundles of reeds, 2 wooden tobacco boxes, a long ladder, 3 megaphones, 2 lengths of string of 16 fathoms each, some pitch and resin, an anker of train oil, pots and junk, 100 yoke-pins, hoops and other ironwork, 1 big and 4 small bird-cages, 2 stable buckets and 3 buckets for lime, 2 wallcandlesticks, 1 copper can with spout, 1 carriage, 2 old oxwaggons, 1 old horse waggon, 1 wardrobe, 10 large and small tables, 1 boat with 3 dragnets and fishing-lines, a baker's kneading-trough, 50 to 60 used sacks, a child's pot, 1 copper kettle, 200 pinewood planks, 3 bedsteads and bedcurtains, 16 ordinary chairs, 2 beautiful paintings, 2 sets of horse-harness, 6 horses, 1 mock-velvet saddle, 2 leather saddles somewhat old, 6 old paintings, 2 copper buckets, 2 fowling-pieces, 6 pieces of black ebony, 2 easy-chairs, 4 brackets, 1 sideboard, some junk, 1 couch, 2 wine goblets, 24 spades, 12 pick-axes, 15 hoes, 4 curtains, 2 or 3 beds, 1 anvil, 3 crowbars, 4 large baskets, 24 small baskets, 3 mauls, some kegs for fish or meat, 1 copper watering-can, 1 commode with tub, 1 churn, 1 pipe rack, 2 shaving-bowls, 1 spit and three lanterns.