White, Richard

Tempe Farm near Graham’s Town /
Sep\r/ 25\th/ 1823 /
May it please your Excellency. /
On Saturday last my Son and a Hottentot /
were in the Brush wood just by my House shooting Buffalo’s) /
where they saw three Caffers but having wounded a Buffalo they /
returned home for the Gods in order to take up the scent from the /
blood, on their return in the afternoon we mis+sed a span of eight /
Oxen which belonged to the Hottentot who I had hired with his /
span to plough some land, on Sunday morning as soon as it was /
light my Son and the Hottentot went to the place where the Oxen /
had been left feeding (which was close to my House) from thence /
they traced the spur of the Cattle acros+s the Ravine and up of the /
unoccupied Signal station, there they not only found the spur of the /
Cattle but also that the Caffers had Knocked down the shores of /
one of the Posts with large stones several of which were broke and /
had taken away the large spike Nails which secured the shores to /
tho Post, having * traced the spur of the Cattle and that of the /
Caffers they immediately went to Graham’s Town and Reported all /
the circumstances to the Landdrost and to Colonel Scott, the Land=drost /
said he would see what could be done, and the reply Colonel Scott /
made was, that as Twenty four hours had pas+sed since the Cattle /
were taken away it was to late to send out a Patrol so seek for /
them, in reply thereto my Son told him that he had lost no time after /
he and the Hottentot had fully appertained that the Cattle were /
taken away by the Caffres who no doubt was still in the Brush wood /
particularly as they had been at the Signal station, and therefore the /
Cattle might then be easily Ricovered as it was not likely they would /
go away with so small a number as light, my Son and the Hottentot /
returned home and the Next Morning they went again to the Signal /
station were they found the Caffers had been again and had knocked /
down the shores of another Post and had taken away the spike 7+ Nails /
therefrom, they also traced the spur of a number of Caffers and of the /
Cattles /
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Cattle into the Brush wood having again as+sertained (and that more /
fully) that the Caffers were still about the spot my Son and the /
Hottentot went again to Graham’s Town and reported the foregoing cir=cumstances /
to the Landrost and to Colonel Scott. and my Son being /
in Graham’s Town to day he waited on the Landdrost to urge him to /
get a Patrol out, yet no further Notice has been taken of it in order /
to Recover the Cattle or to look after the Caffers. /
I beg to as+sure your Excellency that myself my Son /
and the Hottentot have done our utmost not only to recover the Cattle /
but if pos+sible to trace the Caffers and I must inform your Excellency /
(if the Landdrost has not already done so ) that myself and Son on the /
2 day of October last persued five Caffers who had stolen Cattle and /
we succeeded in taking Thirty three head from them which we Kraaled /
and watched the whole Night and the Next day we drove them to Gra=ham’s /
Town and delivered them up to the Landdrost to be owned, the /
Landdrost ordered me to deliver them to the Skill Kraal Master and /
get his receipt for them which he desired Me to bring to him, when /
he ordered the Secretary to take my deposition of the circumstance /
and that I should be paid for my time 7+ trouble as we had Run a /
very great Risk of our lives in opposing five Caffers and taking the /
Cattle from them the Landdrost desired me to see the owners of the /
Cattle and if pos+sible to get some Remuneration from them I did so but /
never succeeded in getting a single dollar, indeed a M\r./ Bartram a /
Dutchman residing in Graham’s Town who owned part of the Cattle /
told me that I had not done more that was my duty and that if I /
had not taken the Cattle and they had been drove by the Caffers into /
Caffer land he should have got his Cattle again when a Commando /
was sent there or otherwise He should have got a like number; it there=fore /
struck me and that very forcibly that whenever these Dutchmen /
loose their Cattle by the Caffers taken them, they make a demand of /
double or trible the number whenever Cattle which are taken from the /
Caffers are distributed, I hope your Excellency will be pleased to /
take the foregoing circumstance into Consideration and will order One /
to be paid for my time 7+ trouble. /
I beg to suggest for your Excellency’s Consideration that /
in every instance of the Caffers stealing Cattle which is become so fre=quent /
and in doing which they are so very daring that it is unsafe to /
send out a Herdsman singely, whether it would not deter them if a /
strong Command was sent into Caffer land when Cattle are stolen /
and take out of the first Kraal ten head for every one they steal. /
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if such a Measure was persued it would be the Means of putting /
the Captain of every Kraal or Tribe on the alert and he would /
care that no strange Cattle was brought to the Kraal or Tribe particu=larly /
if Reprizels were made to the Number of ten for every One /
stolen , as I am (from good information ) as+sured that Captain or Chief /
does not countenance the Robbers who are the scum of the Respective /
Tribes and who have not Cattle of their own. /
Your Excellency will I trust pardon my interference /
in the foregoing case but having hired the Hottentot with his Cattle /
for the expres+s purpose of getting the land cultivated and I hope /
your Excellency will please to order that the poor Hottentot be either /
paid for the lost of his Cattle or otherwise that your Excellency will /
order that Eight Oxen be given to him from the Government stock. /
as+suring your Excellency that he is an industrious fellow of good /
character and has been some years scraping together a span of /
Ten fine Oxen (of which he has now only two left ) to get his bread /
in an honest and industrious way. /
Your Excellency’s reply will greatly oblige /
Your Excellency’s /
Most Ob\t/ 7+H\ble./ Serv \t./
Richard White /
To His Excellency the Right Hon. General /
Lord Charles Henry Somerset /
Governor and Commander in Chief of His /
Majesty’s Castle, Town, and Settlement /
of the Cape of Good Hope. /