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
The substitution of English names for the ancient and poetic
denominations by which the Kaffirs have hitherto distinguished their
abodes, is a necessary measure; but who can reconcile himself, at this
juncture, to London at the mouth of the Buffalo River, on the borders of
Kaffirland; York some forty miles distant, lying among the Amatola
Mountains; Cambridge near Fort Waterloo, (late Waterloo Bay,) and so
forth?
The 7th of January brought together another assemblage, from all parts
of the frontier, at King William's Town. The absence of Lady Smith, who
had been present on that spot in 1836, was regretted by all who
remembered her. Old Sutu presented herself at Fort Cox, when _en route_
for the Buffalo, and begged some intelligence of "her mother." His
Excellency's movements had been too rapid and fatiguing to permit of a
lady's accompanying him, and Lady Smith remained at Cape Town during the
absence of her gallant husband.
At half-past nine in the morning the Rifle Brigade were under arms,
awaiting the arrival of His Excellency. The Kaffirs lingered about the
camp, talking in groups, and finally dropping into the semicircle, in
front of which, as before, the Chiefs and great men stood. There were
about two thousand assembled by the time Sir Harry rode up, and Pato,
having desired the tribes to greet the Governor as a great Chief, the
usual cheers arose from the throng as, dressed in the uniform of the
Rifle Brigade, and wearing the star of the Order of the Bath, the hero
of Aliwal made his entrance, surrounded by his staff.
The opening of the Governor's address was well suited to the occasion,
and to the character of his auditors. "My children, God, you see,
blesses this occasion: your gardens were dry, and burnt up, and He, last
night, sent you a copious rain."
A prayer was read, in the Kaffir language, by the Reverend Mr Dugmore,
a missionary, and, at the conclusion of this, Sir Harry Smith continued
his address to the multitude.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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