Natal : a reprint of all the authentic notices, descriptions, public acts and documents, petitions, manifestoes, correspondence, government advertisments and proclamations, bulletins and military despatches relative to Natal with a narrative of events at that settlement : in two parts

Part The First, By

JOHN CENTLIVRES CHASE,

NOTARY PUBLIC, &c.

what is said.

Wisdom considers : what remains to say,

It will with patienca hear; and find a time Both meet to hear and answer highest things.”

Shakesfs**!.

GRAHAMS TOWN:

MEMORANDUM.

The object of the present publication is to collect into one concentrated focus all that has appeared in print or otherwise respecting the country of Natal. The more specific purpose of this is to enable those persons, who feel an interest in the late extraordinary events at that place, to form, by such an array of facts, a dispassionate judgment thereon, so that, while a chance of justice may be given to the offended majesty of Great Britain, a chance may also be afforded of mercy and consideration to the errors of the unfortunate and much-to-be-pitied men, who occupy so painfully-prominent a part in the present history of our Colony. “ Audi alteram partem ” may be a complete triticism, but, nevertheless, particularly worthy of attention at this conjuncture ; for there are — whatever may be urged of the indefeasible duty of allegiance on the one part, and the claim of protection by the subject for that allegiance on the other — tivo sides to the Natal question.

The compiler had intended to re-print the whole of these papers without gloss or comment, but it

IV was found totally impossible to do so : he has, however, confined himself within such limits as merely to connect and explain the narrative of occurrences. It was also his wish to have completed the publication of the papers in a single pamphlet, but so much interesting matter has presented itself that he has found it requisite to divide the work into two parts. The first brings down the history to the close of the year 1837 ; the second will resume it at that point, and carry up the Narrative, Papers, &c., to the end of 1842. The second part is nearly ready for the press.

J. c. c.

Cradock’s Town Sheep Walk,

Near Port Elizabeth, 2 9th November, 1842,

NATAL.

Natal, at present the focus of all our colonial interest, and probably destiued to become the scene of important events, on which some of the great problems of the law of nations will be practically discussed, appears to have been first discovered in 1498. In that year the illustrious Vasco de Gama, who transferred the rich commerce of the East from princely Venice to enterprising Portugal, visited the coasts of Southern Africa on his way to India, and passing that portion, the object of our present notice, upon Christmas Day, gave to it the name it has ever since borne, in honor of the nativity of the Saviour of Mankind.

The earliest description of the coast and its immediate vicinage to be met with, is that of Manuel de Mesquitta Perestrello, a Portuguese Navigator, dispatched by King Sebastian in 1575 to make a marine survey, a condensed account of which will be found in Mr. Saxe Bannister’s “ Humane Policy,” in the Appendix No. 1, but is unnecessary to insert it here, as we have more recent and better accounts.

'I lie next notice is found in Hamilton’s East Indies, Vol. 1, page9 :

“ 1 believe the first communication or commerce, either to Natal or Delagoa, with the English came by accident. About 1683 an English ship, the Johanna, was lost somewhere about Delagoa. The natives shewed the shipwrecked men more civility and humanity than some nations that I know, who pretend much religion and politeness ; for they accommodated their guests with whatever they wanted of the product of their country, at very easy rates ; and assisted what they could to save part of the damaged cargo, receiving very moderate rewards for their labor and pains Their language was by signs ; and for a few glass beads, knives, scissars, needles, thread, and small looking-glasses, they hired themselves to carry many things to a neighbouring country, and procured others, who also served them for guides towards the Cape of Good Hope, and provided eatables for their masters, all the while they were under their conduct. And, having cariied them about 200 miles on their way by land, they provided new guides and porters for them, who conducted them and provided for them as the others had done, for 700 or 800 miles farther, which they travelled in 40 days, and so delivered their charge to others till they arrived at the Cape; and some of the English falling sick on the way, they carried them in hammocks till they either recovered or died ; and out of eighty men there were but three or four who died ; but how long they journeyed before they arrived at the Cape I have forgotten. This account I have from one of the travellers. He told me that the natural fertility of those countries he travelled through made the inhabitants lazy, indolent, indocile, and simple. Their rivers are abundantly stored with good fish and water-fowl, besides manatees, or sea-cows, and crocodiles ; their woods with large trees, wild cattle, and deer, elephants, rhinoceroses, lions, tigers, wolves, foxes, for game ; also many sorts of fowls and birds, with ostriches.”

The navigator Dampier has preserved a very interesting, and somewhat detailed description of the country and inhabitants, their manners and customs, &tc., derived from his friend, Capt. Rogers, who visited it several times, which may be seen in Bannister's work before mentioned, in the Appendix i — p. vi — but for the reasons before mentioned, need not to be reprinted here.

In the Dessinean Collection of Manuscripts, to be found in the Public Library at Cape Town, is a German work, by one Johan Daniel Butua, intituled — “ A true account and description of the Cape of Good Hope," Sfc., we find the following notice of Natal ; —

Speaking of an Expedition of some colonists, who had been authorised by the Cape Government to trade with the natives in 1684, and who were the first to discover the Kafir people, he says —

From the Gous (Cawers, vel Gauril^) River, they went through the Autinequa country, from thence to the Attaequas Land, and to the country of the Heykams, in which kingdom a white man had never before been seen, except some years before when some place, called Terra de Natal, 500 Mglen” (i.e. 1,500 English miles) “ from the Cape of Good Hope, a wreck took place. Those of the sufferers who were furnished with fire arms, and would not surrender them, were sacrificed, those who laid them down received quarter, and were conducted by the natives with all the horrors of their heathenish customs. They were well fed, but they had nothing to cover their heads ; they were almost naked, and only covered theii shame with sheep-skins. Some of them died, unable to bear the diet and exposure. Two, however, reached the Cape, who were mariners on board the wrecked vessel. They were four years on the road before they reached the Cape.

“ This same Natal is said to be a fertile country, and every thing will grow there the same as in Europe.

“ The East India Company would have taken possession of this fertile land years past, but seeing at the mouth of the porta reef or a sand-bank, that no Galiot without touching could get over without danger, so that a small vessel could not safely go in there.”

In another manuscript of a similar date, in the same collection, called “ A short account of the Terra de Natal, its harbor is thus described : —

“ The River of Natal falls into the Indian Ocean in 30° South Latitude* Its mouth is wide, and deep enough for small craft, ( barquin ) but at which is a Sand-bank, which at highest flood has not more than 10 or 12 feet water, — within this bank the water is deep. This river is the principal one on the coast of Natal, and has been frequently visited by Merchant vessels.”

In this year the wreck of the ‘ Stavenisse’ a Dutch Vessel, took place, an event which led to the purchase of the Natal country by the Dutch East India Company, and on which purchase, the present right of the English, to that territory, as representatives of the Dutch Government, by conquest and cession, is imagined to be founded.

The following extract is from a most interesting work in course of publication in the Colony — “The Records, or a series of Official Papers relative to the condition and treatment of the Native Tribes of South Africa , compiled , translated, and edited by D. Moodie, Esq., Lieut. R. N.,” which shews, from a series of uninterrupted and authentic documents, running through a period of nearly two centuries, preserved in the Archives ol the Cape Colony, the practical results upon the aborigines of the migiationof Europeans into barbarous regions.

Extracts of Declaration of "VV. Knyff, in Castle of Good Hope, 24th March, 1687.

I, the undersigned, Willem Knyff, master of the wrecked ship Stavenisse, was sleeping in the cabin at the seventh glass of the middle watch, on the 16th February. 1686, having kept the first watch, and was suddenly awakened by the cabin boy. 1 asked why he so run in ? he replied, that we were on shore; and that he had once asked the mate to get up the cable ; upon which, jumping upon the deck followed by the purser, 1 found we were close to the breakers, and that the chief mate and boatswain were busy hauling up the cable, in order to bend it to the anchor ; the other two officers standing the while on the half-deck ; it was dead calm and darkish weather, and after they had hastily prepared both anchors, they were successively dropped by my orders. The ship swung to the best bower, and lay in the surf, which broke over the bows, and as far as the waist ; having lain thus about two or three glasses, a fine little off-shore breeze sprung up, when the chief mate proposed to weigh the small bower — for being nearly up and down it was of no use — and to make sail. The foretopsaii was loosed, but the anchor was scarcely up bef.rre it again fell calm. After lying thus awhile the best bower at last parted, when we again dropped the small bower, but it would not hold, so that the after part of the ship struck the rocks, and the ship being now stove and full of water I took to water and swam to land. The boat was put out when the ship struck ; the purser, the surgeon’s assistant, and 11 or 12 sailors, endeavoured to save themselves, but were at last upset in the surf, so that most of them were drowned.

From the wood and sails which drove on shore, a tent was erected for shelter on the beach.

Meanwhile I asked the people if they were disposed to remain on the beach, in order, as far as possible, to save the Company’s property ? on which with one voice they replied, — that they saw no chance of being able to do so, as the cargo was mostly knocked to pieces on the rocks, or driven to sea ; and, finding this to be the case, I determined at their request, to set out with them, overland, for the Cape of Good Hope.

Setting out thus on the 19th, and having gone about three mylen, I found that from weakness 1 could not accompany them, so I returned back alone to the beach, where we had left the surgeon sick, and the gunner, Theunis Jansen, together with Jan Jasper, boatswain’s mate, both wounded in the tent.

Two days after this, the boatswain, his mate, the sail-maker and three sailors came back to us, and were soon followed by all the three mates ; the chief mate having tried to persuade Jan de Groete, the junior mate, to go overland to the Cape of Good Hope, with the remaining 47, which he undertook to do ; but before proceedingfar he also left the Cape party, and following the mates, his companions, reached us on the beach at the same time with them.

We then set about repairing our broken boat, in order to seek our way to the Cape of Good Hope by sea, and having accomplished this in about 14 days, more or less, and having loaded her with our provisions, consisting of a half anker of bread, about 25 lbs. of salt pork, and half a legger of fresh water, seven of us pushed off, the others remaining from choice, excepting the junior mate, who, in shoving off the boat, accidently missed the opportunity of jumping in, and not being able to get over the surf, the boat being nearly full of water, we pushed back to the shore ; there we lost our compass, quadrant, provisions, and baggage.

Being now destitute of everything, and the boat being broken in pieces, we consulted how we could best support ourselves from starvation. The natives, indeed, offered us bread and cattle for sale, but we had nothing wherewith to purchase the one or the other. Nothing is esteemed there but beads and copper rings for the neck or arms. For nails, bolts, and other iron work of the wreck, we indeed got some bread and corn ; but as the natives set to work themselves, and by chopping and burning fully supplied themselves with iron, we not being at first aware, that it was so much regarded, nor daiing to prevent them for fear of provoking them, as they had sometimes fully 1,000 armed men, — they had everything in abundance, while we suffered from want.

In this deplorable condition they resolved on the arduous undertaking of building a vessel out of the materials of the wreck, and of such as could be obtained of native growth. This vessel is thus described and its departure recorded : —

Their vessel being at last completed, to the length of 50 feet, and about 14 feet broad, and two masts having been rigged, they shiped some provisions of ground meal, and two or three tons of corn, 200 or 300 fowls, about 1,000 lbs. salted and smoked beef, with 20 goats, 150 pumkins, 17 half leggers (of which 11 were made there) of water, and all purchased for the copper and beads of the English, which also sufficed to pay the natives for their labour.

They sailed on the 17th February without chart or compass, after they had resided a year and a day at Natal, and left there four Englishmen and one Frenchman, who thought it better and more advantageous to them to remain there, than trust themselves to the uncertain waves ot the sea and of fortune.

On the 18th April (1687) following, the Council at the Cape record the safe arrival of these bold adventurers. It sets forth : —

The Captain of that vessel, William Knyff, landed here in a very miserable condition on the 1st March, from Terra de Natal, in a small vessel built there by himself, three of his officers, seven of his crew ; and nine shipwrecked Englishmen .... They agree in describing the natives [of that country] as very obliging, kind and hospitable, and state that some Englishmen who could speak the language hail been prompted by curiosity to travel 50 rnylen inland, where they found people who very readily presented them with meat, bread, beer, fruit, vegetables, and lodging ; they found metalic ores among those natives, and the art of melting them ; not indeed gold or silver, though the English say that a certain Chief named Ingoose wore a br <clet which was much heavier than the copper neck rings, from which circumstance they conjectured it to be gold.

* * *• * *

Having found that the vessel was about 25 tons burden, well built and sailed well, we bought her of the English for f 400, for after we had put a few knees, &c., into her, she will last as many years. We bought also the residue of their meat for three stivers per pound, and the corn at six guilders per muid.

A few months afterwards, viz. : in November, the company resolved to send this little vessel back, on a voyage in search of the seamen still missing. The official despatch thus gives the result of this voya ge : —

We did not long detain in inactivity the little vessel called the Centaur, in which the crew of the Stavenisse came hither last year, but dispatched her with 19 men on the 10th of November, to seek for the residue of that crew, and to examine more minutely the country of Natal. The winds and currents prevented them from reaching that place, being frequently driven, to their general astonishment, but evidently by the hand of Providence, to one and the same spot, between Punta Primera and the Bay De la Goa; where, at length, upon the 8th February, they saw approaching them in the open sea, fully two mylen from the land, entirely naked, and seated upon three little beams fastened together, with a sort of paddle in their hands, two sailors of the wrecked Stavenisse, who being asked about their shipmates, stated that full twenty of them were scattered about in the neighboring kraals. It was then resolved, as the weather was more favorable than it had been for the last twelve months, to send some one on the raft, with a few little presents to the chief of the country, to convey a request that he would allow the people to embark. To this the chief instantly consented, when nineteen, including a French boy, were collected, and, with great difficulty, embarked. Three of their shipmates were not inclined to accompany them, and three others had, not long before, set out for the wreck of the Stavenisse, and were already too far off to convey to them any intimation of the arrival of the Centaur, for the vessel could lie no longer upon a lee shore, and indeed they had scarcely embarked the two last men when a change of the weather made it high time to raise their anchor and to secure a good offing, anti they were afterwards compelled to return to the Cape, where, although the men of the Stavenisse were naked, they arrived all well on the 9th February.

They informed us that, with the exception of the six abovementioned, the rest of the crew had been either murdered by the natives, devoured by beast of prey, or had perished of hunger and fatigue, such at least were their conjectures, for although they were acquainted with the country and the language they had been unable to learn any thing certain of the fate of their companions during all the time of their abode in that country.

The accounts which were brought to the Cape by these people of the amazing fertility and strange productions of Natal, seem to have excited the curiosity as well as the cupidity of the Council, and hence they resolved to send another vessel, the Noord, to make further discoveries at Natal, and along the coast to the east. The despatch of the Council, dated April 15, 1689, states:—

The commander being meantime disinclined to keep the galliot, the Noord, unemployed, sent her on the 19th October, well manned and supplied, with full instructions to proceed direct to Rio de la Goa, between the 25th and 26th parallel of latitude ; to sound and sureey it. . . .and to form a minute description of all the advantages offered to the company by the intervening country, either on the coast or in the interior, the character of the people, their merchandize, their animals, whether tame or wild, fruits, vegetables, minerals, and other liches ; and also to recover the men still missing of the crew of the Stavenisse.

This vessel having reached De la Goa on the 29th December, and having

Fully completed their survey and examination, proceeded to examine the coast and bay of Natal, where they anchored on the 5th of January of this year, and found there Adrian Jans, Boatswain, and Jan Pieters, a boy, both of the wrecked ship Stavenisse . Having surveyed that bay, they sailed on the 23rd, and on the 28th anchored abreast of the country of the Magoses, in the latitude 33° 42. where Isak Jans, formerly a sailor in the Stavenisse swam on board through the surf at the peril of his life, while his companion, from want of courage, remained on the beach.

These persons gave much information respecting the Natal country and the inhabitants, which at this time a-day it is not a little amusing to peruse. They state, among other marvels : —

One may tiavel 200 or 300 mylen through the country, without any cause of fear from men, provided you go naked (blood), and without any iron or copper, for these things give inducement to the murder of those who have them. Neither need one be in any apprehension about meat and drink, as they have in every village or kraal, a house of entertainment for travellers, where these are not only lodged, but fed also : care must only be taken, towards nightfall, when one cannot get any further, to put up there, and not to go on before morning. In an extent of 150 mylen travelled by your servants along the coast, to the depth of about 30 mylen inland, and through the five kingdoms, namely, the Magoses, Makrig gas, the Matimbas, Mapontcs, and Emboas, they found no standingwaters, but many rivers with plenty of fish and full of sea cows. There are many dense forests, with short stemmed trees; but at the bay of Natal are two forests, each fully a my l square, with tall, straight, and thick trees, fit for house or ship-timber, in which is abundance of honey and wax ; but no wax is to be had from the natives, as they eat the wax as well as the honey. In all the time of their stay in that country, or of travelling through it, they found but one European, an old Portuguese, in the country of the

Mapontes; he had been shipwrecked there about 40 years before, while returning from India. The wreck, built of teak, is still to be seen on the shore, and, as the Africans state, several brass and iron cannon are still to be found there. This Portuguese had been circumcised, and had a wife, children, cattle and land, he spoke only the African language, having forgotten everything — his God included. They cultivate three sorts of corn, as also calabashes, pumkins, watermelons and beans, much resembling the European brown beans; they sow annually a kind of earth-nut, and a kind of under ground bean, both very nourishing, and bearing a small leaf. Tobacco grows there wild, and if they knew how to manage it, would, in all probability, be equal to the Virginian.

The true European fig grows wild, also a kind of grapes, which are a little sour ( rhyns ) though well tasted, they are best boiled. They have also a kind of tree fruit, not unlike the fatherland medlar, and not unpleasant to eat ; wild pruins grow abundantly on the shore, and are well tasted. There are also wild cherries ( strand karsau) with long stalks, and very sour. Finally, they have a kind of apple, not unpleasant eating, but which are not ripe until they fall from the tree ; before they fall, they are nauseous ( walgingh ) and cause flatulency. The country swarms with cows, calves, oxen, steers and goats — there are few sheep, but no want of elephants, rhinoceroses, lions, tigers, leopards, elands, and harts, as well of the Cape kind, as the Fatherland, with branched (getrackte) horns ‘ rheboks of various kinds, wild hogs, dogs, buffaloes, sea cows, crocodiles and horses. The latter they do not catch or tame, although they approach within 10 or 12 paces; they are finely formed, and quite black, with long manes and tails, incredibly swift, and of great strength ; some have the tail black, and others white. They also say that they saw two animals feeding together in the wilderness, in size and color like the elephant ; having a head like the horse, a short tail, but long neck, very tame, and totally unknown in Europe [giraffe?].

There are many kind of snakes, scorpions, large and small, also centipedos, toads, and frogs, ostriches, geese, ducks, pigeons, red and brown patridges, abundance of pheasants and pauws, with a shining top knot (kuyf) and tail [Balearic crane?] In the rivers are eels and congers, and, in the bay of Natal, king's fish and sun fish, besides all kinds of fish, known in India and here, as may be further seen from the annexed account taken down from the mouths [of our men].

In a subsequent despatch, the council thus state, specifically the objects of the voyage : —

It was unanimously resolved to send the galiot Noord to the Bay of Natal to fetch the remaining people of the Stavenisse, and to endeavor to purchase on the Company’s account, under a forma! and duly executed written contract with the chief of that country, the said bay, and some of the land around it, for merchandize, such as beads, copper, ironwork and such other articles as are liked by

them and that the galiot shall then return hither along the

coast, and with all possible care sound and survey the bay of De la Goa, [Algoa] to see whether it may not be suitable for the Company’s homeward bound fleets and to use the same precau-

tions, in the saving the crew ol the Stavenisse and purchasing that bay and the adjoining land ( aancleven ) from its chief or inhabitants which have been ordered with regard to Natal.

The instructions actually given to the officers of the Galiot were : —

Watching a fitting opportunity (reel tij gekaveld hebbende) you will enter into a negotiation wirh the Chief, so called lngose, solemnly to purchase from him, for the Honourable Company, for beads, copper, ironmongery, and such other articles as they have a liking for, the bay of Natal and the adjoining land, and you will have a deed of conveyance in communi et solemni ferma, written by Laurens van Swaauswyck, passed before commissioned members of the ships council, and signed by the said lngose and some of his nearest relatives, taking good care that the articles of merchandize foi which the bay and adjoining land are purchased, are not noticed in the deed, except in general terms, and that the amount of the same be estimated at nineteen or twenty thousand guilders (tot op negentien of twentigh duyscend guldens.)

Having effected this, you will run down the coast, and endeavour to make the Bay De la Goa lying from 33° to 34° south latitude, and to ascertain whether, as stated by the Portuguese and laid down in their charts, there is a round sand-bank in the entrance ; you will carefully sound that bay, and have a chart of it drawn by the quartermaster Cornells Heremans.

The result of this negotiation is thus given : —

On the 4th December (the Noord) arrived before thebay of Natal which she safely entered on the following day, and after embarking the residue of the crew of the Stavenisse and solemnly purchasing that bay, with some surrounding land, from the king and chiefs of those ports, for some merchandize, consisting of copper, arm and neck rings, and other articles, upon behalf of the honorable Company whose marks were set up in various places (der selver wapen in verscheide plaatsen opgereg ) and proper attention having been paid to everything, they sailed on the llth Jan. following and four days after, put into the so called Bay De la Goa (Algoa). without anchoring, however, but keeping under sail ; it was no bay but only a bight , quite open to the sea, having three or four visible rocks in the middle, and fully as many in its entrance.

This vessel was unfortunately soon afterwards wrecked not far from De laGoa (Algoa) Bay. 'Idle particulars of this catastrophe arc thus narrated : —

Having on the day following the Kill), towards the afternoon, left the bight, Dela Goa, with a stiff topsail breeze from the eastward, steertd W. by South, and in the evening, in order to keep clear of all danger, W.S.W. after running, according to their reckoning, 14 my lent rom the west point o( Dela Goa, in the 3d glass of the first watch, or between nine and ten o’clock at night, the

wind as before they run almost high and dry, on a rocky reef

('Receiffe) extending about | myl from the main lane, although tho mate, C. Hermans, who had charge of the watch knew the coast and was the person who had made a chart of it.

The galiot being instantly bilged by the high surf, and the hold b ing full of water, they managed, an hour after, when the tide was out, to save th. mselves by getting, dry footed, along the rocks to the shore. The next day they returned to the wreck, out of which they took some arms, ammunition, and provisions, and three days after blew’ her up.

They staid together, on the beich, until the 23d of Jannary, searching about in vain in every direction for inhabitants and for food, and then determined, before the food was quite exhausted, to set out for the Cape.