Smith, John

Beaufort Vale Jan\y/ 5[\th/ 1824]//

To the Right Honourable Lord Charles Henry//
Somerset Governer of the Cape of good Hope and its dependencies.//
That the Memorial of J Smith of M\r/ Wilson's//
Party of Settlers is humbly addres+sed.//
Your Memorialist having incurred great expences in//
building and fencing on his location and having sustained great los+ses//
from the destruction of his crops by the blight and flood (for the truth//
of which statement he begs to refer your Excellency to the Rev\d/ M\r/ //
Boardman acting head of the party) is of oppinion that agriculture//
cannot be pursued here with any prospect of succes+s; and is desirous//
to learn to the breeding, and management of cattle; but on account of//
disbursements and los+ses aforesaid not having a sum of Money in hand//
to purchase the quantity of cattle required to carry on the said busines+s//
profitable, and having a large Family to maintain he hereby requests//
from your Excellency the loan of One Thousand Rix dollars, for which//
he is willing to pledge not only his location with the buildings and//
improvements thereon, but also an annual pension of fifty pounds//
sterling, which he receives as a warrant officer in the British Navy.//

Referring Your Excellency for any further inquiries to//
HJRivers Esq\r/ Landrost of Albany your Memorialist has the//
honour to be//
Your Excellency's obedient//
and most humble Servant//
J Smith /