White, Richard

Tempe Farm near Grahams Town
Sepr 25th 1823
May it please your Excellency.
On Saturday last my Son and a Hottentot
were in the Brush wood just by my House shooting Buffalos)
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 missed 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 across 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 Grahams Town and Reported all
the circumstances to the Landdrost and to Colonel Scott, the Landdrost
said he would see what could be done, and the reply Colonel Scott
made was, that as Twenty four hours had passed 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 & Nails
therefrom, they also traced the spur of a number of Caffers and of the
Cattles

Cattle into the Brush wood having again assertained and that more
fully) that the Caffers were still about the spot my Son and the
Hottentot went again to Grahams Town and reported the foregoing circumstances
to the Landrost and to Colonel Scott. and my Son being
in Grahams 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 assure your Excellency that myself my Son
and the Hottentot have done our utmost not only to recover the Cattle
but if possible 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 Grahams
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 & 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 possible to get some Remuneration from them I did so but
never succeeded in getting a single dollar, indeed a Mr. Bartram a
Dutchman residing in Grahams 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 therefore
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 & trouble.
I beg to suggest for your Excellencys Consideration that
in every instance of the Caffers stealing Cattle which is become so frequent
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.

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 particularly
if Reprizels were made to the Number of ten for every One
stolen , as I am from good information ) assured 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 express 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.
assuring 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 Excellencys reply will greatly oblige
Your Excellencys
Most Obt &Hble. Serv t.
Richard White
To His Excellency the Right Hon. General
Lord Charles Henry Somerset
Governor and Commander in Chief of His
Majestys Castle, Town, and Settlement
of the Cape of Good Hope.