On my arrival in Albany, in the year 1823, I found the district full of complaints against the Missionary station at Theopolis. The Missionaries were charged with keeping back the Hottentots from entering into the service of the settlers, and I had scarcely arrived at the institution, when I was assailed with numerous applications for Hottentots. On inquiry, I soon found that the complaints urged against the Missionaries were totally groundless. Mrs. General Campbell, Thomas Philipps, Esq., and others, in the neighbourhood of the institution, who treated their Hottentots well, made no complaints; but many settlers had got into the worst part of the old colonial system; and, on making personal application to some of the Hottentots, to oblige those who had applied to me, I was presented with lists of grievances, which left me nothing further to say. Of the nature of those grievances, the following may serve as examples, and I am sorry to add that they are by no means extreme cases. Abraham Klasse was engaged in the service of Mr. Biggar, an English settler in Albany, who agreed to give him six rix-dollars per month. He remained in Mr. B.'s service six months and eighteen days; when he asked for the wages due to him, having only received twelve rix-dollars and six skillings. He, at the same time, expressed a wish to leave him, when Mr. B. said, "If you want to go away, you must pay me for the things you have lost, whilst in my service.' Abraham Klasse answered, that he had not lost the things, but they were broken, or worn out in the employ of Mr. Biggar. Mr. B., however, insisted on his either making a fresh contract, or paying him back the twelve rix-dollars and six skillings, asserting that the things that he had lost or broken just amounted to the sum he would have to receive for his half year's wages.-See Mr. B.'s letter to Mr. Wright, and Abraham Klasse's explanation of the items therein charged. Abraham Klasse, finding that Mr. Biggar was determined to send him to the prison if he persisted in leaving him, went to Theopolis, which is about seven miles distant, and made his complaint to Mr. Wright, who then had the management of the temporal concerns of that station. This circumstance gave rise to a communication from Mr. Wright to Mr. Biggar, to which the following letter, containing an account against Abraham Klasse, was sent in reply. Woodlands, December 8, 1823. Mr. Wright, I have made out the account of Abraham for you to see how he stands with me. He informs me that the bullock died at Mr. Daniel's place. I asked that gentleman about it, who says it is not the case, or he should have known of it. Abraham must either pay me for it or engage another half year, and pay me the balance against him; otherwise, I shall have him apprehended and put in the Tronk. Cash Ditto Ditto I am, Sir, &c. ALEXANDER Biggar. Rix-ds. Five riems One lighter foot, (for lifting the waggon, to tar the axles). 4 0.0 One muid meal 560 500 200 240 23 0 0 4 0 0 0 12 6 0 Due to Mr. Biggar December 8, 1823. One bullock to be accounted for at thirty rix-dollars. As a further illustration of this subject, we add the following account in which Daniel Witboy is charged, by Mr. Biggar, for articles lost and worn out in his service. When Witboy expressed his determination to leave Mr. Biggar, and called for a settlement, instead of having any money to receive at the expiration of his service, Mr. B. presents him an account which makes him Dr. rix-dollars 90 2 0. Brought over Pound fees at Graham's Town Cash paid Surgeon Mc Laren Rix-ds. 58 6 0 26 0 0 15 0 0 Articles lost between Bathurst and Graham's Town, viz., 14 0 0 twenty-eight new riems (or thongs) One tar-bucket Two mats for a waggon Twenty-eight new neck straps One goat skin 300 1 0 0 Deduct twelve months' wages at six rix-dollars per month 72 0 0 Due to Mr. Biggar 90 2 0 A complaint having been made to myself when at Theopolis, in 1823, that Mr. Biggar was at a great loss for servants, and that the Hottentots at Theopolis would not enter into any more engagements with him, I considered it my duty to lay the grounds of my objection before Mr. Biggar. On presenting him with his letter dated December 8, 1823, with the inclosed account, in his own hand-writing, and asking him, at the same time, how he could ever think of acting as judge and executioner in his own case, he candidly acknowledged to me that the Hottentot Klasse had threatened to leave him, and that he had made out that account against him to oblige him to remain in his service. From the impression which appeared to have been made on Mr. Biggar's mind by the representations made to him on this occasion, I flattered myself, that a regard to his own interest would prevent such an occurrence taking place in future. In this opinion, however, I am sorry to say, I have been deceived. By the account of Witboy, we find the poor Hottentot charged with pound fees, at Graham's town, twenty-six rix-dollars; with prison expenses, at two different incarcerations, three rix-dollars; with tear and wear of Mr. Biggar's waggon, the loss of riems and tar-bucket, whips, &c., twenty-six rix-dollars; and for the loss of eight sheep, thirtytwo rix-dollars. By the repeated representations of the missionary at Theopolis, deductions were made from these surcharges; but after all these deductions, Witboy was still made debtor at the end of the year, to Mr. Biggar, twenty rix-dollars and six skillings. Had it not been for the interference of the Missionary, in this case, there is no reason to suppose these deductions would have been made; and to relieve the Hottentot from this hopeless servitude, it was necessary that the missionary should become security for the payment of that sum, which was discharged on the 8th May, 1824, two months after date. No. XIV. Extract of a Letter from Mr. Roger Edwards, MissionaryArtisan, dated Theopolis, May 5th, 1826. A Hottentot lately applied to me for permission to reside at this institution. According to custom, I sent him to the landdrost for his sanction. Permission was not given.-The young man was placed under contract to Mr. Biggar, who knew nothing of the affair, till the man arrived at his house, with a copy of the contract. Mr. B. has since acknowledged to me, that he had requested both the landdrost and the secretary to procure a Hottentot for him, as soon as an opportunity should favour his wish. John, the young man, was thus placed under contract. Major Dundas wrote to me stating, that as the man was young, and had no parents at the place, nor property, and was able to support him self under contract, he could not be allowed to join the institution; but would be hired by contract to Mr. Biggar, who, he presumed, would have no objection to take him into his service; it being, moreover, useless to fill our books with the names of individuals who could not forward the legitimate object of the society*. The following week, when at Graham's Town with the opgaaf, (or taxes,) the Major took the advantage of my being there, to converse with me on the subject. He admitted that the Hottentots were a free people; but that as discretionary power was given to him, he would act according to circumstances, and to his own judgment. I replied, that I would adhere to the letter of the law; that it was not possible for me to act otherwise than to appeal for redress. I found, from the conversation, that he did not like my letter, sent in reply to his. In that letter I referred him to the proclamation of 1809, wherein it was expressly stated, that all and every Hottentot has a right to choose both his own master and the place of his abode. At the close of my letter, I begged of him to take the case of the young man again into his consideration, and administer to him those rights which the laws of the colony secure to him as a free inhabitant of the same. The above case I shall forward to the Commissioners of Inquiry; but, as Mr. Foster is expected here in a few days, I deem it proper to wait till then, in order to advise with him what steps must be taken, to put a stop, if possible, to the Major's arbitrary proceedings. * The reasons assigned by Major Dundas, for his arbitrary proceeding in this case, that the man was young, that he had no parents, nor property, were the very reasons which should have induced him to permit him to join a missionary institu tion, where he would have found parents and instructors, in the missionaries; who would have imbued his mind with good principles, and where he would have had the opportunity of disposing of his services to far better advantage than he could in the service of Mr. Biggar. No. XV. Letter from Dr. Vanderkemp to Governor Janssens.-(Vide vol. i. p. 104.) Bethelsdorp, April 19th, 1805. Governor,-Your much-respected despatch of the 28th February, containing an answer to the last I wrote to Mr. Paravicini de Capelli, is come to hand. This answer contains an apology for keeping the Hottentot soldiers in service longer than the time of their engagement, on account of the continuance of the war, If you, who owe me no such apology, had found it proper, in a tone of authority (to which the high post you fill gives a full right) to let me understand your determination, I should have judged myself bound to acquiesce respectfully in your decision; but since you vouchsafe to enter into a discussion with me on the reasons which influenced you to the above-mentioned step, not in a style such as the ruler of an important colony might employ to a wandering stranger, but as a friend is accustomed to write to his friend, this condescension gives me the freedom to answer you on the same footing, where, nevertheless, I hope not to lose sight of the distance there is between you and myself. If there is such The only argument, Governor, by which you maintain the propriety of continuing the Hottentots in service, is drawn from the law which forbids giving passports in time of war. a law, it speaks for itself, that it ought to be executed and respected. But I must here confess my ignorance, who know not if ever such a law has been promulgated in this colony, or for the Batavian Republic either. Till the beginning of the last war with the French, there was a law in the Netherlands, which deferred giving passports to a regiment gone forth to the field, till it should have entered winter quarters, which was expressed in the regimental orders of the soldiers. I know further, that a resolution was taken by the late Council of the States, to grant the troops no passports during the above-mentioned war. Yet, if there indeed exists such a law for this colony, which I will not bring into doubt, then is the perfidy with which the Hottentots are treated so much the more unanswerable, and the conduct of Captain Alberti, who, contrary to the law, and not before, but during the war, engaged them but for a year, inconsistent with his honourable character. You describe the military service as preferable for the Hottentots, to the state wherein they formerly subsisted; and I must declare, that no condition appears more agreeable to me than the military, so that I myself, if I was not a missionary, and my years allowed it, should, without doubt, devote myself to the military service. The same inclination and affection had place, in the commencement of your government, among the Hottentots, and nothing was easier |