Smith, John

To His Excellency Lord Charles Henry So=merset /
Governor of the Cape of Good Hope this,//
the petition of John Smith late of his Ma=jesty’s/ navy, and now a settler in Albany//
humbly sheweth//
That when the practicability of the Kowie//
harbour was in agitation your petitioner//
by desire of Captain Trappes, went frequent=ly /
thither in order to form and give an opi=nion /
thereof; and his unvaried opinion was //
that any ves+sel drawing no more than six //
feet of water could enter five days out of of se=ven /
: that, in order to promote the service, and//
to survey the harbour, as the cars belonging//
to the boat were all broken, he caused other//
cars to be made at his own expence, and//
took them down to the Kowie, where he was//
four days a time with Lieut. Merdie sur=veying /
the _ river, for the truth of which//
statement your petitioner begs to refer your//
Excellency to Capt. Trappes//
That your petitioner having served /25 years\ as a//
warrant officer in the British navy, and//
having a large family to support is desi=rous / of employment at the Kowie, and there=fore /
humbly petitions for the charge of a//
boat either in the beach, or custom-house ser=vice /
, or any other employment wherein.//
his services may be useful, and your pe=titioner /
, as in duty bound, will ever pray.//

Beaufort Vale//
24\th/ JanY 1824 /