George McCall Theal

“ With the Bushmen, who are perfect savages, it will be always difficult to maintain, at least without much bloodshed, the limits to be fixed, still good order requires that they also should be forced to remain in their own country. Amicable endeavours must be used to oblige these savages to leave the country which they have overrun, or if these should fail then the inhabitants of those districts which they at present occupy must unite and use force. ”

“ The dragoons were then recalled.
General Craig had promised the colonists free trade, and he kept his word as well as he could. By free trade must of course be understood what the words implied in those days, not what they imply now. Any produce required by the government could be demanded from the farmers at stated prices. ”

“ The subjects of all countries in amity with Great Britain were to be permitted to carry on trade in the colony, subject to such duties as the governor might establish. These duties were thereafter fixed at ten per cent. of the value on foreign goods brought in foreign bottoms, and five per cent. of the value on foreign goods brought in British bottoms or British goods brought in foreign bottoms. An exception, however, was made with regard to commerce with places east of the Cape of Good Hope, which could only be carried on by the English East India Company, or with its license. ”

“ There was an excellent market provided by the shipping and the garrison, and payment for supplies was promptly made by the government; but the farmers had no more liberty of buying and selling than they had under the East India Company. It was a common occurrence for those near the Cape to be required to furnish quantities of grain for the troops, when notice was served upon them that if they did not deliver their respective quotas before a certain date soldiers would be quartered upon them to live free of charge. ”

“ Several months elapsed after intelligence of the successful operations of the British expedition reached England before the king's government decided upon the form of administration of the colony. In December 1796 the arrangements were completed. A civilian of eminence was to be placed at the head of the government, and a military officer of high rank, who was to have command of the garrison, was to hold a commission as lieutenant-governor, empowering him to assume the higher duty in the event of the death or absence of the governor. ”

“ If the colonial revenue should prove insufficient for the purpose, Lord Macartney was directed to draw upon the imperial treasury through the English East India Company to make good the deficiency. Fixed salaries were now assigned to the officials, which they were to receive at regular intervals, and though the salaries were so small that there was no inducement for the best men to enter the service, a fairly efficient staff was secured. ”

“ The proper Bushmen inhabit a very extensive tract of land behind the Zeekoe river; they feed upon venison and the produce of their fields, digging out of the ground certain anthills full of ant eggs which they call rice and which serve them for a great part of their food, but they keep no cattle. Even the cattle which some of them steal from our inhabitants they do not keep for breeding, but consume immediately with the greatest profusion, according to the known custom of savages. ”

“ All the high offices were filled by Englishmen in receipt of large salaries. From the date of his appointment the governor drew from the colonial revenue £10,000 a year, besides a table allowance of £2,000 ; and he had the promise of a pension upon his retirement of £2,000 a year for life. The lieutenant-governor drew a salary of £3,000 a year. Mr. Andrew Barnard, colonial secretary, drew a salary of £3,500 a year. Mr. Hercules Ross, who had acted as secretary under General Craig, was now appointed deputy secretary, with a salary of £1,500 a year. ”

“ As soon as intelligence of these occurrences reached Lord Macartney he prepared to occupy the heights above Simonstown with a strong body of troops, in order to compel the mutineers to submit. Admiral Pringle, however, adopted more lenient measures. He took the grievances of the seamen into consideration, promised them redress as far as it was in his power to give it, and offered them a general amnesty. Any officers from whom they had received ill treatment, he assured them, would be brought to trial by court martial, upon their complaints being made in the proper manner. ”

“ If these people would by gentle means be persuaded to do so it would be fortunate, and a great deal of human blood would thereby be saved, but finally some means will be unavoidable for self-preservation, especially if their considerable procreation is considered, which according to reports thereof is inconceivable, notwithstanding their wild and uneasy manner of life and the disasters to which they are continually subject. ”

“ Burghers who were suspected of being republicans, but whose language and conduct gave no opportunity of bringing them to account, were appointed to some petty unpaid office, and if they declined to perform the duty and take the stringent oath required, a sergeant and ten dragoons speedily appeared with a demand for free quarters. ”

“ Bresler and Barrow visited Gaika at his kraal on the bank of a little stream flowing into the Keiskama. Between the Fish and Keiskama rivers they found no inhabitants, as the former residents had recently crossed over to the Zuurveld. Gaika stated that the clans in the Zuurveld were not his subjects, and that he had no control over them, but he would be glad to receive them as friends if they chose to return to their former homes. ”

“ To fill the first place the earl of Macartney, a very able man, was selected, and as lieutenant-governor and commander of the forces Major-General Francis Dundas, who was already in the colony, having reached Capetown on the 18th of November 1796. ”

“ Mr. Bresler was instructed by Lord Macartney to return to Graaff-Reinet and assume duty as landdrost. With him was sent a guard of twelve dragoons, who were to remain at the drostdy as a garrison and to carry despatches. All arrears of land rents to the 16th of September 1795 were remitted. The former inhabitants of the fieldcornetcies of Zuurveld, Tarka, Zwagershoek, Sneeuwberg, and Nieuwveld, who had been driven from their homes by Bushmen or Kaffirs, were to hold their farms free of rent for the next six years, provided they would return and resume occupation within four months. ”

“ Barrow, Lord Macartney's private secretary, arrived at the drostdy of Graaff-Reinet, and met with a friendly reception from a body of farmers who had assembled purposely to welcome him. On the following morning Mr. Gerotz transferred the office and the records, and he assumed the duties of landdrost. ”