Parker Party

To His Excellency the Govenor of His Majestys /
Colony of the Cape of Good Hope. /

The Humble and respectful Petition of the /
undersigned free Settlers attached to M\r./ Parkers /
party now on Board the Ship East Indian in /
Simons Bay /
Sheweth /
That your Petitioners having paid their /
own Deposit Money as required by the Colonial /
Department on London, and agreed with M\r./ Parker /
for their grants of land in the new Settlement /
are to be regarded in a different light from the /
articled Servants or dependants of the said /
M\r./ Parker . /
That your Petitioners being entire strangers /
to Mr. Parker and to each other were induced to /
emigrate from their native Country by the /
proposals is+sued from the Colonial Department /
of His Majestys Government in London, in the /
shape of Circular Letters particularly those of /
which printed copies are hereunto annexed. /

That the said Government Circulars conveyed /
the following as+surance to your Petitioners, Viz__ /
ăThat one third of the sum advanced to /
Government should be repaid on landing, one /
other third so soon as it should be certified to the /
Govenor that the Settlers be actually located upon /
the lands as+signed them and the remainder at /
the expiration of three months from the date of /
such location, and further that the Settlers should /
be located in the interior of the Colony [not far from /
the Coast] and that in allotting to them the lands /
which Government have agreed to grant their /
interest and their wishes should be consulted and /
attended to as far as may be consistent with /
the public interest of the Colony. /
That your Petitioners were repeatedly as+sured /
>
by Mr. Parker of his having obtained a promise from /
His MajestyŐs Government of a grant or Settlement on /
the Banks of the Nysna lake immediately on the /
Sea Coast in a well wooded and watred district 7+ c /
That your Petitioners to their utter disappointment /
and dismay have been informed by M\r./ Parker on his /
return from the Seat of the Colonial Government at /
Cape Town that it is intended to locate the Party about /
75 Miles in the interior that Government had cal=culated the expence \of transporting the Party with their Baggage _ / at 8+ 1500 of British currency that /

the money of the Settlers would be retained either by the /
Government or by himself in liquidation of the same /
land that on the arrival of the Party at their destination /
M\r./ Parker was empowered to act as he pleased relatively /
to the subdivision of the Government Grant or entirely /
to refuse and withhold any portion of the same ( /
notwithstanding his positive agreements with /
Petitioners) from such as he may accuse of irregular /
conduct. /
That your Petitioners are so much reduced in the /
means by delays occasioned in London and at Cove in /
Ireland chiefly by M\r./ Parker that they (with a very few /
exceptions) find themselves now entirely dependant /
on that [pittance their Deposit Money], that this would /
not pay one half the Sum at which Government is /
said to have estimated the expence of their transportation /
into the interior that in such case they must therefore /
be utterly destitute of all property or means of support /
and that the approaching Rain Season may conse=quently /
and conjointly with famine and want of /
shelter be expected to produce such a Catastrophe of /
humane misery as has never been exceeded in /
any past attempt at Colonization. /

Your Petitioners therefore most /
earnestly and humbly supplicate /
your Excellency and the Colonial /
Government deeply to consider the /
wretchednes+s which so nearly avails /
them and by such measures as in /
Your Excellencies wisdom shall /
appear most available to relieve /
Your Petitioners from an abject /
dependence on M\r./ Parker and if it /
be neces+sary to the public interest /
>
of the Colony that the party should /
be located so far in the interior to /
enable your Petitioners to reach/
their destination without departing /
from the terms of the Colonial cir=cular /
in respect to the return of their /
Deposit Money upon the faith of /
which your Petitioners alone volunt=eared /
to emigrate in this Party /
And your Petitioners {will} /
will ever pray 7+c. _ /