The original cottage was said to appear on a well-known painting, dating back to 1863, of the American pirate ship, the Alabama, leaving Table Bay. It was also believed to feature in the story of the heroic Wolraad Woltemade who, in 1773, lost his life and that of his horse after valiantly saving 14 shipwrecked persons. This was said to have taken place within sight and full view of the house. The second respondent called this historical link into question, averring that the house was probably not yet built in 1773 while Woltemade's heroics were believed to have taken place in the vicinity of the Salt River mouth, some 10 km away.

I underſtand, however, that there is a diſtinction between theſe names in the city and St. James's; in the latter place you may find faſhion in the characters of the ton, the taſte, the etiquette, &c. in the city they are all the tippy, the thing, the ſort, &c. and pretty things they are, Heaven knowns! [sic]—with a ſort of a cane, which being twelve inches long, one blow of an Iriſhman's ſhillalagh would drive twelve yards away.

I shuddered as I stood and looked round me: it was an inclement day for outdoor exercise; not positively rainy, but darkened by a drizzling yellow fog; all under foot was still soaking wet with the floods of yesterday.

to pass into the arch of a bridge