Wait, William

Grahams Town 24 July 1820 /
May it please your Excellency /
M\r./ Johnstone the Dr. As+si\t./ Com\d/_ /
General has informed me that by order of your /
Excellency the am\t/ of my 2\d./ 7+ 3\d./ Installment /
which shall exceed that required for 27 able Individuals /
is to be detained as the property of M\r./ Thornhill. /
Your Excellency is no doubt /
justified in this order, supposing M\r./ Thornhill’s /
statement to be correct; but I know not the /
shadow of claim /he\ can have on any part of the money /
advanced by myself, and paid by me as a deposit /
to the Government in England ; I presume a plain /
statement will satisfy your Excellency that M\r./ /
Thornhill can have none. /
M\r./ Thornhill originally attached /
to my party, as well as M\r./ Barker advanced /
towards our deposit of 8+ 655 – the sum of 8+ [300] /
towards which 8+ 300 he afterwards received /
of M\r./ Barker about 8+ 140 _ thereby reducing his /
own actual advance to something more than M\r./ /
Barkers advance _ my own actual advance being /
the exact sum of 8+ 355_ /
At this period a disagreement between /
M\r./ Thornhill and myself rendered it impos+sible /
that our connexion could continue _ and M\r./ Smith /
of the Colonial Office by orders of my Lord Bathurst, /
desired me to make out a new list of my Settlers /
to the exclusion of M\r./ Thornhill. The following day /
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however M\r./ Smith was directed by his Lordship /
to endevour to make an arrangement between us /
on board our ship the Zoroaster, and met us there /
accordingly. M\r./ Smith informed me that as M\r./ /
Thornhill had been at certain expences on account /
of the concern, as well as trouble, and that as to reland /
his goods would occasion a detention of the ship, my /
Lord Bathurst wished that an arrangement might be /
made, so that we might come out to the Colony each with /
his distinct concern. M\r./ Smith therefore after consulting /
M\r./ Thornhill how many men he would accept as a compen=sation /
for his trouble 7+ expence fixed upon the number /
of fifteen, whom I allowed him _ the men having all /
been procured at much trouble 7+ expence by myself. /
M\r./ Smith then informed us that my “Lord Bathurst was /
“determined that no seeds of discord should come out /
“to the colony, that all accounts between us must be /
“there finally closed”; each of us considering M\r./ Smiths /
arrangement of allowing 15 men to M\r./ Thornhill as /
intended; as+sented that there was no demand one upon /
the other, M\r./ Thornhill as+sent being couched in these /
remarkable, /words\ “All my demand upon \Mr./ Wait now is, /
“that he shew me Gentlemanly conduct upon the /
“voyage” – to which my reply was that “\Mr./ Thornhill /
“need be under no apprehension that I should forget /
“what was due to my own character.” /
\Mr./ Smith then required of me the treasury /
receipt for 8+ 655 _ to state the amount of deposit claimed /
by each _ M\r./ Thornhill was anxious to have M\r./ Barker /
deposit included in his amount as \Mr./ Barker was/
not on board, and in pos+ses+sion of the receipt given /
individually by \Mr./ Thornhill _ to this I did not object /
>
\Mr./ Thornhill engaging to pay M\r./ Barker his /
installments, as they became due. M\r./ Thornhill /
7+ \Mr./ Barker’s deposits were therefore united in /
the sum stated of 8+ 300 and my deposit by M\r./ /
Smith was correctly stated in that of 8+ 355 _ / /
Might I presume to suggest to your /
Excellency the following queries to be put to M\r./ Thornhill /
Why did he not object to M\r./ Smith filling up /
the sum of 8+ 355 to be received by me, if my part /
therefore could be claimed by him ? /
How is it M\r./ Thornhill has not stated the specific /
sum he claims belonging to myself? /
How is it the females 7+ Children for whom I have /
drawn daily entire rations /making up\ the number of 37_ /
and for whom I have paid deposit, and am now /
at considerable expence, are not included in the
portion of my deposit to be allowed to me ? /
How is that M\r./ Thornhill has as+serted before /
honorable Gentlemen that I received M\r./ Barkers /
deposit, in receiving my first installment on 8+ 355 _?/
Had M\r./ Thornhill conceived my part of my deposit /
to have belonged to him, why has he not claimed it /
of myself, which he has never yet done ? /
Will \Mr./ Thornhill make oath to the statement /
by which your Excellency has been influenced to stop /
the payment of part of my instalments? /
To the above statement of facts on my part, I would /
most willingly make Oath ; but doubt not that your /
Excellency will see that the detention of my property /
as directed will be not only unjust but attended /
with fatal consequences to my immediate agricultural /
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pursuits, mentioned in my former petition to /
your Excellency. I have the honor to remain /
May it please your Excellency /
Your most Obed\t/ _ /
faithful /
humble Serv\t.//
William Wait /

His Excellency /
Mayor General Sir Rufane Donkin /
Governor 7+c. 7+c. 7+c. /