66 66 66 "their newly acquired wants have rendered necessary,* and which they are now obliged to procure by force or theft, by withdrawing the "military force from, and discountenancing the "new settlement at Fredericsberg, and permitting thereby the Kaffers to plunder and force the Settlers to retire, and ultimately to burn it to "the ground. By withdrawing from the Fish "River a line of posts which had previously effec"tually protected the Settlers, by refusing aid to the "more advanced+ farmers, plundering parties have "been encouraged to drive those in, and after"wards to extend their incursions to all parts of "the Settlement, and even beyond it. By exas 66 perating that tribe which had hitherto preserved "the appearance of friendship, in attempting to "seize their chief Gaika, in his own village, and "by withholding from the local military authori"ties that discretionary power with which they were formerly vested; which, by enabling them "to enforce summary restitution, showed the Kaf"fers that the offence would be instantly followed 66 by the punishment: whereas, by waiting the "decision of the Commander-in-Chief, 600 miles "distant, in every emergency, offences are allowed * This alludes to a fair I had established in the Fish River, near a fortified barrack, but which was swept away with all my other institutions. It has since been re-established (as I am told) by orders from Lord Bathurst. My Regulation will be found in Appendix C. reria. "Advanced" nearer than the rest to the borders of Kaff "to accumulate to an alarming amount; and the "slender means of defence the Settlement possesses, deprived of the power of acting with promptitude, is forced to present to the Kaffers "at once the appearance of enmity and weakness. "It thus appears to the Colonists, that instead "of the new Settlers ever deriving any advantages "from the civilization of the savages, the exist ing measures can lead only to a war of mutual "extermination." The paper concludes with a hope that better days await the memorialists, and it is thus signed, “GEO. PIGOT, "D. CAMPBell, " and two hundred others." I beg leave here to inform your Lordship who those three persons are whose names are affixed to the before me. paper "Geo. Pigot" is a gentleman of high family connexions, was once a major of cavalry, and well known to all the fashionable frequenters of Bibury (where I believe he was an acquaintance of Lord C. Somerset himself) and other races. He took out with him 5,000l. sterling to lay out in improvements amongst the Settlers, besides having several hundred pounds a-year of income-a most valuable person in a new settlement, both on account of his rank and fortune; but your Lordship will see, by an extract from a letter of his to me, which I shall subjoin, that the measures pursued in Albany after my departure had put a total stop to all his exertions and hopes. "D. Campbell" is a half-pay captain of marines, and was full of energy and expectation. He is a gentleman of considerable acquirements, and preserves, like Major Pigot, a strong tincture of the military character. "Thos. Phillips" was once, I believe, a banker of considerable opulence and respectability, and the "two hundred others" were, as I am informed by the letter which accompanied the memorial, persons of the greatest respectability amongst the Settlers, and included all the heads of parties. I will avail myself of this opportunity to do justice to the Settlers in general, who have been represented by somewho either could not have known them, or who wilfully misrepresented them, as "radicals," "reformers," and "turbulent in their conduct;" and I must declare to your Lordship, that taking them generally, I never saw in this country, or in any part of His Majesty's dominions, a more loyal, more patient, or a better disposed people than these poor and afflicted Settlers; and I have only to refer to the unaffected language of the memorial in proof of their gratitude for all favours received, their respectful submission to authority, and their confidence in the protection of His Majesty's Government. 1 The following are extracts from Major Pigot's letter to meto which I have alluded, dated April 8, 1823: "Poor Bathurst! I passed through it the other day, and I could scarcely refrain from shedding "tears! The Drostdy house (the Magistrates' "house) unfinished, and already tumbling down! "Three or four inhabited cottages, with five or "six skeleton houses, form what remains of the "town; amongst the latter mine makes one. My neighbour Delgarno has left his land; he "is quite ruined, with his three daughters, and "their mother! In fact, under the present system 66 no one can remain. I have built a good house, "cultivated a large tract of land, sunk 30007., "and shall be obliged to leave the Settlement. "We are treated more like convicts than free "Settlers. If the British Government does not "take up our cause we are all ruined; but indeed "that is the case already with the greatest part. "How I regret that I entered on this undertaking "with the enthusiasm that I did. The interest 66 you took, my dear Sir, in the welfare of this "New Settlement, made us think we were always "to receive the same attention, and encouraged "numbers to expend their means in establishing "themselves; others, more cautious, have been " content to live in huts, and look on. These can "now quit the Colony without regret or loss, "while the industrious man feels regret at the "labour he has thrown away; and with his family "distressed, and his capital sunk, he will return "home heart-broken. But I cannot believe that "the British Government will permit us so to be "treated; I shall therefore await the arrival of "the Commissioners, but I shall put an entire "stop to all expenditure. I am as partial to the "climate as ever, and although we may expect "occasional blights in our crops, it is my firm "opinion, as it is of many others, that we may "yet do well, if we are only let alone. Were "our wishes and our interests in the least con"sulted, I should have no doubt of success." The letter ends with the following sentence, after telling me that the labouring classes wish to escape from the Colony: "if this be the feeling of "the lower orders, what must be mine, and of "those similarly situated." I subjoin also extracts from another letter, dated Graham's Town, December 10th, 1823, which I received some time after from another head of a party, the style and tone of which will show that he was not only a gentleman, but a man of education. "I believe Major Pigot sent you a copy of the "Statement we forwarded to Earl Bathurst, which "will have made you acquainted with the nature "and number of our complaints against the 66 measures of Lord Charles. We have now an "opportunity of making good these charges, "and we shall take care that this is done effec "tually. Not only was Fredericsburgh and "Bathurst abandoned, but also the chain of mili 66 tary posts along the Fish River; the Kaffers, "as may readily be imagined, poured in upon 66 us, and have unceasingly continued their in By the arrival of the Commisioners. |