Smith, John

To His Excellency Lord Charles Henry Somerset
Governor of the Cape of Good Hope this,
the petition of John Smith late of his Majestys 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 frequently
thither in order to form and give an opinion
thereof; and his unvaried opinion was
that any vessel drawing no more than six
feet of water could enter five days out of of seven
: 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 surveying
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 desirous of employment at the Kowie, and therefore
humbly petitions for the charge of a
boat either in the beach, or custom-house service
, or any other employment wherein.
his services may be useful, and your petitioner
, as in duty bound, will ever pray.

Beaufort Vale
24 JanY 1824