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
"Thus would be formed a commencement, round which the settlers might
gather with confidence, which we believe to be essential to the
prosperity of such settlements, the more particularly at their first
formation; one of them, such as the Umvoti, we recommend to be
established at once, by being laid out and surveyed, the necessary
buildings erected, and a magistrate and clergyman appointed, in order to
prepare the way for settlers.
"We are of opinion that each township should have a portion of its town
lands appropriated to the use of such natives as are engaged in the
service of the inhabitants as daily labourers. The want of such an
appropriation at D'Urban is very seriously felt, especially by such of
the inhabitants as are engaged in the shipping business; and we beg to
recommend that at this, as well as at the other established townships,
such appropriations be at once made.
"We do not at present anticipate that any difficulty will arise from the
necessity of compensating any claims to the lands suggested as the sites
for towns and villages, as the sites recommended do not interfere with
any lands now occupied. And the details of compensating the claimants
of unoccupied lands, as well as of the extent of land available for
dense population around its township, and of the number of emigrants
that may be accommodated in and around each town, will form the subject
of future inquiry.
"Having thus endeavoured to comply with his Honour's instructions to the
extent of our ability, it now only remains for us to offer such
observations upon the present state and future prospects of this
district, as well as its general capabilities, as appear to us
desirable, in order that the Lieutenant-Governor may have before him all
the information we are capable of imparting, while deliberating on the
important subjects so slightly sketched in the Report.
"The continued emigration of the Boers from this district to the country
beyond the boundaries, that has been going on ever since it was taken
possession of in 1842, by Her Majesty's troops, has, as is well-known,
almost denuded it of its white inhabitants, and discouraged the few that
remain. It is also evident that there is no prospect of filling up any
portion of it with Boers, and little by any removals from the old
Colony; the only effective remedy to this evil appears to us to consist
in an extensive emigration from the United Kingdom; without this the
resources of the district, confessedly great, and in our opinion equal,
if not superior, to any other British colony, both as respects fertility
of soil and abundance of water, will remain undeveloped.
"The climate is most healthy, and subject to none of the epidemics that
are incidental to other parts of Africa.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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