The Cape and the Kaffirs: A Diary of Five Years' Residence in KaffirlandWard, Mrs.
History
The Cape and the Kaffirs: A Diary of Five Years' Residence in Kaffirland
Ward, Mrs.
South Africa -- History -- Frontier Wars, 1811-1878
"In our Report of the 30th of March last, we pointed out the peculiar
position and character of the natives inhabiting the district; it will,
therefore, be unnecessary for us to say more on this, than that they are
widely different from those on the frontier of the old colony, and are
valuable and indispensable assistants to the white settler. We take
occasion to make these remarks, because we are of opinion that when the
recommendations we have made in our General Report shall have been
carried out, the presence of so many natives, most of them available as
labourers, should be an inducement to emigrants selecting this district
as the land of their adoption, rather than operate prejudicially.
"The future prospects of the district of Natal as a colony, depend very
materially, if not exclusively, upon the filling up of the unoccupied
intervals of the district with emigrants from the United Kingdom, and
the efficient management and control of the native population within it.
Its general capabilities, as we have already represented, are of the
highest class, either for agricultural or grazing purposes. It contains
an area of 18,000 square miles, within which is found every material for
improvement and prosperity a colony can be favoured with, and requires
but an intelligent white population to develop its immense and fertile
resources.
"Building stone of a very good quality is found all over its surface;
and in some localities a superior description of free-stone is found in
abundance. Iron ore is found in great abundance in the district, and
has been used by the natives for their assegais and agricultural
implements, and is said to be of a very superior quality.
"The prices realised in England for the first exportation of cotton
grown in this district, exhibited under all the disadvantageous
circumstances connected with the utter inexperience on the part of the
grower, of 7.25 pence per pound, warrants an inference highly favourable
to the quality of the article, when it shall have received the treatment
that experience has taught to be necessary in cotton-growing countries.
"We are of opinion that this district inhabited by an industrious white
population, will produce valuable exports, both in amount and quality,
and is capable of maintaining a denser population than the colony of the
Cape of Good Hope; and we trust that its resources and advantages may
not become lost to the subjects of the British crown, from their not
being represented as their high merits appear to us to deserve.
"In this Report," Mr Stanger remarks, "I shall not enter fully into the
geography of the interior of the district, reserving that for a future
time, as I shall have a good opportunity of continuing the same kind of
observations, and thus fixing more points than at present I have been
able to do, during the proposed enquiry as to the location of the
natives; but shall describe, as far as I am able, the boundary and
extent of the district of Natal.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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