The head quarters of the troops stationed on the frontier was fixed in the northern part of this district, and has by degrees become a permanent village, the residence of the Landdrost, (or Deputy Landdrost) of the district of Albany; and has received the name of Graham's Town. As a position for head quarters, it may have been, perhaps, judiciously chosen ; but it is to be lamented that a village has grown up in a spot which could never have been selected as a proper scite for a town. As it is, it might serve, though not very conveniently, as a nucleus around which an agricultural population might form; and already have some few farms been granted to the boors. But it is too far from the sea to receive all the benefits of a coasting trade, being more than thirty miles from the nearest shore, and is by no means in the finest part of the country.

Perhaps the best situation for a town, might be on the Kowi river, somewhere above the influence of the salt water; as boats might advance a considerable way up it, if it should prove practicable to pass the bar at its mouth. Or, the lower part of the Bushmans river might, on examination, be found to offer a spot equally eligible; and, being a larger stream, it might on that account be preferable. The banks of the Great Fish-river would, doubtless, be the most advisable spot, were it not for a too great proximity to the Caffres, and the more objectionable circumstance of not being sufficiently central in the settlement; or rather, of being on the very skirts of the colony. But this objection would vanish, if some extent of territory on the left bank of the river could be purchased from that people.

For the purpose of giving an idea of the rate of travelling at the Cape of Good Hope, it may here be mentioned that the journey from the mouth of this last river to Cape Town cannot be performed in much less time than a month in waggons drawn by oxen, the usual mode of travelling; even with the assistance of a double or treble team, and with the least possible loss of time. But by the aid of relays obtained along the road from stage to stage, under the authority of a government requisition, it may be done in a shorter time. There is no other mode at present in which a family can be conveyed through the colony; and the universal want of inns compels a travelling party to carry their own provisions, bedding and cooking utensils with them. A horseman in long journies, according to common estimation, will travel twice as fast as an ox-waggon; that is six miles in the hour; and he may sometimes find accommodations at the houses of the boors. A light waggon drawn by horses, which go at a trot, is seldom used for such long journies; and besides, is a mode of conveyance not likely to be pro

curable to emigrants. A waggon, with its appurtenances, costs, when new, seven hundred rix dollars; and a team of ten oxen, three hundred or three hundred and fifty. The customary wages of a Hottentot, in the country, are from two to five rix dollars per month, besides their food and lodging.

It is remarkable that in the whole Cape Colony, excepting the Peninsula, there is not one village immediately upon the coast; although ships may land, and take in cargoes of colonial produce at several places. To the want of a market and outlet, for the produce of those districts which are too distant from the metropolis to send their articles by land, may partly be ascribed the disinclination of the boors to grow more than sufficient for their own consumption. Although it must be confessed that the Government Corn-Magazine, erected at Mossel Bay, for the purpose of receiving any quantity of corn at a fixed price, has hitherto been no inducement for the boors to cultivate more land; nor have they manifested the least inclination to take advantage of the opportunity it presents for increased industry.

Algoa Bay, where there is a fort, and a party of military, is now, indeed, much more frequented by transport vessels from Cape Town; the voyage being from five to eight days. It is the seaport of the village of Uitenhage; which place lies at the distance of twenty miles inland.

Pléttenbergs Bay is visited constantly by a colonial vessel for timber, which is cut in the surrounding forests. Although, with abundance of materials close at hand, it would cost but a trifling sum to build out a safe wharf or landing place, the attempt has never been made; notwithstanding the graves of some English persons, drowned in landing, and buried on the beach, stand a melancholy proof of the necessity of constructing something of this kind. At Algoa Bay there are several graves of our countrymen who have lost their lives in the same way.

The fine harbour of the Nysna, notwithstanding its dangerous entrance, has several times lately been entered by ships, which have sailed out with cargoes of timber : and, could it be possible to remove the sunken rocks at his mouth, it would be the most eligible and delightful spot in the whole colony for a town, which in time would probably rival Cape Town in size and commerce; having, besides its central situation, many advantageous circumstances to contribute to its prosperity.

It is greatly to be regretted that at Saldanha Bay, the finest harbor imaginable, no attempt has hitherto been made to establish a town; which could not fail to prosper, as soon as it should be known to ships that they could there obtain a supply of fresh provisions,

wood, and water. The deficiency of this last article has always been considered the great obstacle. But it does not appear that the matter has ever been investigated with the serious intention of adopting a plan for rendering that bay a regular and serviceable seaport. Various opinions have from time to time been given, and the majority declare that such a scheme is practicable, if the expense of conveying water several miles in iron pipes be not an objection. To accomplish an improvement of so much importance to the colony and to shipping, would require the labor of many hands, and would furnish proper employment for a large party of such emigrants as feel less qualified for an agricultural life. But such a work will, in all probability, never be effected but by the public purse and authority.

At the present moment the occupation of the Zúureveld appears by much the most likely plan for affording, at the least expense, a comfortable situation for emigrants. Besides the advantages already mentioned, it possesses that of the presence of a considerable body of British troops, from which, not only protection, but much assistance may be derived; and it is a district already much more Anglicised than any other in the Cape Colony. One regiment consisted entirely of Hottentots officered by Europeans, and was a corps peculiarly well suited for keeping in check the ill-disposed part of the Caffres, whose present troublesome visits would cease as soon as the country should be properly inhabited. These Hottentots form excellent and obedient soldiers, and no measure could be more unwise than that of making any reduction in the strength of this regiment. -Hottentots, whether civil or military, are well-disposed to engage themselves in the employ of the English, whom they consider to be their protectors and friends: and are a race of men, nationally speaking, deserving of encouragement; but not fitted for impatient masters. They are excellent shepherds, and in the management of oxen are admirably expert.

As it is evidently the intention of Government, in the application of that grant of money, to afford immediate relief to such distressed persons of this country as may desire to emigrate to the Cape, the plan of making the business find its own way by leaving it to the chance of private individuals of some responsibility carrying out with them parties of emigrants, consisting of not fewer than ten persons, does not appear best calculated to answer this kind intention. Few persons of independent property may be found inclined to engage in such an undertaking, and those of smaller means may be fearful of entering on what they may deem, though perhaps unnecessarily, an uncertain speculation: whilst there may be many single families, or individuals, very desirous of emigrating on their own responsibility, to whom the offers of Government

are rendered unavailable, by fixing the number of ten adult persons as the minimum of each application. If, therefore, the Government should see the expediency of taking the execution of it into their own hands, a great deal of time may be saved, and much more may be accomplished in the first attempt, than could otherwise be done in a considerable length of time. Still allowing private individuals to take advantage of the offers that have already been officially made to them.

Thus; it might be recommended that intimation should be given that a vessel would sail to the Cape, as soon as a sufficient number of emigrants had assembled; and that they should come provided with certificates from the minister of their respective parishes, testifying that they were persons of a proper character and description.

In the mean time, it would be requisite that some preparations should be made at the Cape; such as purchasing a number of cattle and oxen, and providing a stock of flour to supply their immediate wants on landing: collecting a quantity of seed-corn and potatoes for planting; together with the seed of fruit trees (for peaches will produce fruit in the third year after they have been sown) and esculent vegetables: forwarding from Cape Town a number of tents to lodge the settlers in for the first two or three months; or, lest there might not be enough spare tents at the Cape, these articles might be taken from England: providing teams of oxen trained to ploughing having in readiness some common waggons and, in short, making such other arrangements, as the nature of the country will point out to be necessary.

From the inexhaustible forests of Auteníqua-land and Zítzikamma (Sítsikamma), lying on the very sea-shore, the finest timber for the buildings of the settlement may be procured at no more expense than that of cutting and fetching way.

The ships conveying out the settlers, would take out a moderate quantity of agricultural implements: whatever would be required for the erection of an overshot water-mill: a printing press: a forge, together with a quantity of iron: and ordinary tools of all kinds.

It is strongly advised not to disembark at Cape Town, but that the whole party should be landed at Algoa Bay; unless upon previous examination, a convenient landing place shall have been found nearer to the scite of the intended village or settlement. An encampment would be made on the spot; and near to it a detachment of military from Graham's Town would take up their quarters, to afford protection and assistance to the new-comers; who, of course, would, for some time after their arrival, be too ignorant of the nature of the country not to feel the advantage of their presence.

Without waiting to enclose the land intended to be cultivated, their very first operations would be to clear it, to sow their corn and plant their gardens; the next, to build temporary huts; and afterwards to make good roads.

Arrived at this point the settlement could not fail to go on prosperously, if kept in order by a proper and simple code of legislative regulations conforming closely to the spirit of the laws of England, and attentively watched over by a Magistrate or Landdrost of its

own.

A community of this kind would naturally give rise to a village or town, where some trades of indispensable necessity might be carried on such would be a blacksmith, a carpenter, a waggon maker, a butcher, a baker, a miller, a tanner, a soap-boiler, a shoemaker, and some others.

Under the management of the butcher would be placed the oxen and sheep, the meat of which he would serve out to the colon. ists, at the rate of one pound and a half per day for each adult. At which rate, reckoning the weight of a carcase of mutton at forty pounds, the cost of the sheep at two rix dollars, and the exchange with England at not more than a hundred per cent, each emigrant might be supplied with mutton for half a year for twenty-seven shillings and three pence sterling: or with beef at a sum a little less.

Under the baker would in like manner be placed the stock of flour to be dispensed to the settlers, by regular rations, in the form either of bread or flour.

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The introduction of any large quantity of spirituous liquors would be jealously watched, and checked as a matter of importance: an excess under such circumstances would render the wisest regulations unavailing, and if not produce the failure, would at least retard the rising prosperity of the settlement.

In the infancy of a new colony, to disperse its weak population over a large extent of country, is one of those improvident measures which contribute, to a great degree, to keep back its improvement, and estrange its members from each other; substituting a retrogade course in civilisation for an increase of mutual friendship and sociability which ought to, and otherwise naturally would, take place amongst men living in a remote situation.

Special care would be taken that the first settlers should be persons of good principles and industrious habits, and that a considerable number of them should be such as possessed some knowledge of agriculture: while the necessity of sending out a certain proportion of useful artificers of various kinds would be too evident to need recommendation. Capitalists would find many inducements for giving the preference to an estate in a colony constituted in the manner here proposed.