The opening of the mouth of the Buffalo river, for the transmission of
stores seaward to Kaffirland, will, I trust, prove the usefulness of
this key to the seat of war and turmoil. With what breathless eagerness
will the first boat be watched careering through the foam, which at
times separates, as a veil, the stream from the ocean! Intent as we,
poor exiles, are upon every movement that affects the progress of
operations, languishing for home, as well as interested in the welfare
of the colony, we gaze earnestly on each convoy of waggons wending its
slow, uncertain way up the hill "hard by," on its way to the front. On
the 22nd of March, we paused in our evening walk to observe the train of
twenty-six waggons, _en route_ for the Buffalo mouth. What an example
of African locomotion it presented! Some of these contained ammunition,
and it struck me that the nature of their contents might have been
concealed rather than manifested by their funereal coverings of black
canvas. The foremost in the train suddenly stopped. Had a steam-engine
led the van, it would have panted, and puffed, and tugged in vain, along
such a pathway. The transport for soldiers' necessaries in this country
is so small, that this waggon had been loaded beyond the capabilities of
so cumbrous a machine, and it stuck fast; none of the others, therefore,
could move along the narrow road. In vain, the driver slashed his long
whip,--the echoes only mocked it. In vain, he shouted "Bosjeman!"
"Abeveldt!" "England!" to his oxen; in vain, the Hottentot _forelouper_
screamed, and leaped, and scolded "Ireland" and "Scotland." He might as
well have attempted to move those two ancient kingdoms from their
foundations, as the oxen named after them: they only tossed their heads
at him and their tails at the driver as if in pure scorn. They were
weary, and chose to rest! The despairing escort, foreseeing delay, used
frantic exertions to push the huge vehicle from behind, and the drivers
in the rear took advantage of the blockade to light their pipes and
smoke them with their usual imperturbability. The shrill voices of the
vrouws, who accompany their husbands on all occasions, to make their
coffee, light their fires, and broil their carbonatje, formed a chorus,
in very high treble and very low Dutch, to the unmusical medley.
At length, there was at attempt at an advance; but, as the leaders would
only move up the face of the hill on one side, or down the slope on the
other, very little ground was got over; and, soon after sunset, the
opening between the hills was illuminated by the fires of the encampment
formed there.
In March the second campaign fairly commenced; Pato was yet unconquered.
Three companies of the 73rd marched from King William's Town for the
Buffalo Mouth, and were relieved by the same number of the 45th, from
Fort Hare. Colonel Buller, Rifle Brigade, commanded the field-force at
King William's Town; Colonel Van der Meulen, the 73rd, at the mouth of
the Buffalo, where Lieutenant Jervois, R.E., selected the site, and made
preparations for building a military post for 300 men. Colonel
Johnstone, 27th Regiment, was appointed Commandant at Fort Hare. The
great Chief, Macomo, went wandering about the town at Fort Beaufort in a
state of frenzy, from intoxication, having made the canteen his
head-quarters. The only wife, out of ten, who clung to him in his
fallen fortunes, complained, at last, of the injuries he had inflicted
upon her, by blows, as well as with a sharp instrument; and his child,
whom he had in some whim named "Magistrate," narrowly escaped the fate
of the poor little creature at Fort Hare, which, if not murdered at once
by him, died from the effects of his savage treatment.
The intelligence received from the Buffalo Mouth on the 4th of April,
was, that Major Smith, 73rd, had been wounded by the enemy in ambush
near the camp, when visiting the sentries; and two Burghers and a Fingo
shot. There was the usual detail of cattle stolen and recaptured, with
casualties on both sides pretty equal, waggons fired at, and a
successful chase by Captain Armstrong, Cape Mounted Rifles, after a
Kaffir lad, whom he rode down, but who would give no satisfactory
information, although he was endeavouring to communicate with some
mounted Kaffirs, swimming their horses across the Keiskama. Colonel
Somerset, in his dispatch, suggested "the expediency of establishing a
cavalry post on the cast bank of the Keiskama, to intercept marauding
parties, who are constantly passing out of the Colony with cattle." Sir
Henry Pottinger decided on shooting all such captured cattle as could
not be removed without encumbering the troops, or delaying them in their
operations.
Colonel Somerset's plan, of dotting the Colony with troops, was the
means of protecting it materially from Kaffir thieves. An old Dutch
settler's cattle were once driven, by a band of these robbers, right
into Commatje's post, on the Fish river; proving that they were hurried
or intercepted in their march, or, what is equally probable, that they
had come from a distance. One lot of cattle was recaptured in the
neighbourhood of Double Drift, another post of the Fish River; the
Kaffir thief was first observed reclining under a bush, calmly
contemplating his precious booty. Occasionally, we were without milk,
in consequence of the milkman's cows having vanished in the night,
within three miles of Graham's Town. Such losses, however, not
unfrequently occurred from carelessness on the part of the owners, or
herds; the cattle straying to the edge of the bush, where there were
always Kaffirs lying in wait to "lift" them.
Bathurst, in Lower Albany, may be said to defend itself to its best
ability. This pretty settlement has risen and flourished under the
patient labour of emigrants, sent thither in 1820, chiefly through the
instrumentality of the Duke of Newcastle. The labourer, the mechanic,
the unthriving tradesman, the servant without work, may not only find
employment, but are absolutely wanted here. The former may plant his
three, and sometimes four, crops of potatoes in the year, to say nothing
of other produce, and manifold resources of gain and comfort. It is
singular that Great Britain, in 1847, suffered from the failure of the
crops; the gardens of corn, pumpkin, etc, in Kaffirland, were more than
usually productive.
One of the most thriving establishments I have seen is a location called
Clumber, five miles from Bathurst, originally established by an emigrant
sent hither by the Duke of Newcastle. Here, as in other places, the
chapel is built as a place of refuge in case of war; it stands on a
green mound, commanding an extensive view, and its position is admirably
adapted for the purposes of defence and observation. I am struck with
the church, which would be an ornament to any large, well-built English
town.
The ride to the Kowie, from Bathurst, is exceedingly pretty, and I shall
never forget the by-path to the sands, from the small inn at Port
Frances. Such is the name of the scattered village (for it cannot be
called a town), rising in the immediate neighbourhood of the little bay,
or, more properly speaking, creek. On turning a corner, we entered a
shrubbery, thickly planted, by the graceful hand of Nature, with a
variety of flowering shrubs and trees. On each side rose tall grey
rocks, relieved in shape and colour by the euphorbia, and other stately
plants. The velvet turf under our feet was enamelled with flowers of
various hues; wreaths of jessamine floated over our paths, and festoons
of the wild cucumber, with its glorious scarlet, but poisonous fruit,
hung in graceful garlands, forming natural arches above our heads.
Silently our little party wound its way through these fragrant and
beautiful arcades. How grand was Nature in her solitude! undisturbed,
save by the occasional trill of some bird, the more valuable because the
voices of birds are seldom heard in the magnificent solitudes of South
Africa! Amid such fair scenes, I have often regretted the want of
water, which always adds life to a picture; but here, on emerging from
this green and quiet nook, our horses bounded upon firm sands, with the
sea before us, dashing up its vast and glittering volumes of spray and
foam in indescribable grandeur.
The house built for Mr Cock, the enterprising individual who has
resolved on establishing the harbour, gives evidence of great
expectations of success, and, should Port Frances ever assume the
character of a moderately thriving town, it will form a charming
locality for the settler.
One ordinance of the Lord High Commissioner was important, and doubtless
had a great effect on the Kaffirs, especially at the opening of the
South African winter. All traffic was forbidden "between her Majesty's
subjects (whether residing within or without the boundaries of the
Colony) and the different Kaffir tribes who were still in arms, or had
been recently so, against Her Majesty's paramount authority and
dignity." Instructions to this effect were given to Mr Calderwood,
(Commissioner for the Gaika tribes) on the 25th of March, 1847, but
"that no persons may plead ignorance of, or want of information with
respect to the said notice," Sir Henry Pottinger again announced that
"any of her Majesty's subjects who might attempt, under whatever plea or
pretence; to evade it, would do so at their peril, and would be held to
be in treasonable intercourse with her Majesty's enemies." The
withdrawal of the traders from Kaffirland must have worried the enemy
considerably. The Kaffir is miserable without tobacco; men, women, and
children indulge in smoking to an extraordinary degree; and as the
winter advances they will feel the loss more and more. Snuff is another
luxury with which they have become fairly infatuated--they will even
_eat_ it, frequently swallowing it in the shape of a ball; and the
English blanket is now one of the necessaries of life. They carry their
love of ornament to such an excess, that they have certain fancies
relative to their beads, which have as much sway over the fancies of the
sable belles of Kaffirland, as any fiat, or caprice, from the divan of a
Parisian modiste, or the penetralia of a Mayfair beauty. One year the
leathern bodice of a Tambookie bride is _parsemented_ with beads of a
dead white; another season, the I'Slambie girls will quarrel for a
monopoly of bright blue, and the Gaikas set up an opposition in
necklaces of mock garnet and amber. Birmingham buttons ornament the
skin cloaks of the women of Kaffraria, and brass bangles, from our
manufactories, conceal the symmetry of their arms, which are models for
sculpture.
Although our British traders would suffer individually, for a time, by
this cessation from their traffic, the most respectable of them
acknowledged that they saw the necessity of it, and anticipated
advantageous results hereafter. The great object of this measure was to
prevent, or rather check, the sale of gunpowder. It is by these means
that the Kaffirs have been enabled for years to collect it, and it is
still to be feared that there are many men among the "pale faces,"
wicked enough to traffic, not only in the articles named above, but in
arms and ammunition. Magazines have long been stored with the latter;
and as the traveller passes through a village of Kaffir huts, he little
imagines that two or three of these rude edifices, standing side by
side, were unceasingly and jealously watched by as many idle-looking
savages, whose listless air well conceals the importance of their real
occupation.
Our enemies soon learned that we were determined on tiring them out;
that we could not only reduce them to subjection, but leave nothing
undone to keep them so. They were made to understand, that we were not
merely "fighting for a hatchet!" During the operations of the troops
under the command of General (late Colonel) Hare, against the Gaika
tribes, the enemy, when beyond the range of our musketry, would call out
from the ridges of the hill, "Well, Umlunghi, have you found the hatchet
yet?" In January, 1847, a Kaffir woman's body being discovered near the
camp at Fort Hare, horribly mutilated, the legs and arms amputated, some
of her countrymen stated that, a stolen hatchet having been found in her
possession, they had determined to make an example of her, lest an
additional cause should arise for the continuance of the war. Had this
been legally investigated and proved against the perpetrators of the
deed, they would have suffered for the atrocity; but, although the story
wanted official confirmation, it was believed by most of those who were
in camp at the time.
A long line of posts was immediately planned along the Buffalo River.
The General, Sir George Berkeley, had a narrow escape on the 31st of
March, being fired at by the enemy from behind a bush, the ball passing
at no great distance from him. He was encamped at the mouth of the
Buffalo, awaiting the arrival of ships with stores and provisions. No
field operations could take place until the question was decided as to
the practicability of landing cargo there; the surf is at times
tremendous, but the place is allowed to be equal to Waterloo Bay, if not
safer.
In the mean time patrols were scouring the bush in the neighbourhood of
Pato's gardens, near the Buffalo; and although shots were occasionally
fired into the camps, they were too uncertain to be often effective. As
usual, the enemy was scarcely ever seen; he fired from his cover of
rocks, and thus, his own loss was concealed. Stock and Nonnebe profess
to be friends, and to protect certain passes, but Colonel Somerset
recommended caution in this respect, as he knew they were not to be
trusted.
In dwelling on the necessity of emigration, as a refuge and amelioration
for the condition of the Irish especially, I have called to mind
circumstances under which I have known great solicitude expressed by
them, when separated from all communication with their priest. The
Roman Catholic clergyman who left this, in 1846, was unremitting in his
duties towards his flock. Sunshine or storm, Father Murphy and his
black horse, each identified with the other, were seen wending their
way, at a sharp pace, towards the humble cottages of Irish emigrants, or
the hospital, where lay some poor Catholic, who "could not die" until he
obtained comfort from his pastor. His successor, the Rev Mr
Devereux, is rapidly gaining the esteem and confidence of his people, by
his unremitting attention and exertions. It is, indeed, honourable to
the colony to witness the readiness with which all unite in the great
purpose of forwarding relief to the poor stricken creatures at home.
"April 13th.--News from the Front! Sir Henry Pottinger has received an
order from the Home Government to augment the regiment of Cape Mounted
Riflemen to twelve companies, thus adding a battalion to that efficient
corps.
"I shall look with great anxiety on the progress of recruiting for the
Cape Corps, having long since earnestly dwelt on the advantages to be
derived from such a measure. It is worthy of remark that, when an order
was given in London, in 1842, to raise a certain number of boys, for the
Cape Mounted Riflemen, it was carried out in less than two days, without
the slightest difficulty. The Hottentots here will not be so easily
obtained, at least until better pay is promised.
"Another victim has fallen a sacrifice, not to the bullet or the
assegai, but to the bodily hardships and anxiety of mind undergone
during the war. The Colony has lost a friend by the death of Mr
Mitford Bowker. For several years he held the appointment of Resident
Agent to the I'Slambie tribes; but after his retirement from this
office, he became a sheep-farmer, and for ten years suffered from the
depredations of the savage. He was one of those brave settlers who
stood by his homestead till `the word had been given to kill,' remaining
on his farm, with his family, till the last moment. Forming a little
encampment near a kloof, he and his brave brothers, with a small body of
steady friends, were attacked by the enemy, whom they kept in check,
losing one of their number, of the name of Webb, Mr Bowker himself
being struck by a ball. At last, from the smallness of the force, they
were compelled to break up their encampment; and then, Mr Bowker,
although long and decidedly opposed to the policy of Sir Andries
Stockenstrom, accepted the appointment of Commandant of part of the
force under the latter officer. Worn out in body and mind, and ruined
in fortune, he finally sought shelter under a brother's roof, and died
at the age of forty-five, leaving a wife and children, with the good
name their father bore as their sole inheritance.
"In a sketch which I have read of his life, he is spoken of as belonging
to the aristocracy of England, `being related to Lord Redesdale' through
his mother's family. Mrs Bowker's eight sons may be considered among
the props of the Colony, and to their mother they owe an education which
has enabled them to fill the position of British settlers with credit;
and, it might have been, with eminent success. From a stirring mother
of a numerous and thriving family, assisting all in their industrious
occupations, and cheerfully sharing their toils, anxieties, and
difficulties, I hear it stated by her intimate acquaintances that Mrs
Bowker has become a broken-hearted woman. What a reward after more than
twenty years' patience, perseverance, and good example! As an
honourable close to the outline I have quoted of Mr Mitford Bowker's
life, I have to add that he was not merely `a relation of Lord
Redesdale's,' but of our own dear English Miss Mitford--God bless her!
"In the record of a war, where troops and settlers are united in the
field, and where each among the latter has a stake at issue beyond mere
worldly fame, the settler claims an equal place with the soldier, and
honourable mention when he deserves it. Alas! within the last twelve
months how many have `died and made no sign,' who, with hearts crushed
under the weight of sorrow and anxiety, and toil-worn and dispirited,
have sat down at last, awaiting their release from present misery, in
dull, absolute despair! `Ha!' exclaimed the Kaffir scouts one day from
the hills, `ha! ha! Umlunghi, we will put the cold hand upon you!'
Truly, they have kept their word, in more ways than one. Those who fell
in the first engagements have escaped a year's anguish, and much `hope
deferred.' Let us trust that those who die now, like Mr Bowker,
leaving his widow and children mourning for him on his desolate land,
may at least close their eyes on the dawning of a bright horizon."
I must not omit to mention the death of another settler, Mr Philip
Norton, holding the temporary rank of Captain in the Graham's Town
Hottentot Levy. Here we have the same record of misery, the same tale
of slow fever induced by the fatigue, exposure, and privations
incidental to the state of this frontier at the present juncture.
Driven from his home, a year before, by the rush of the Kaffirs, his
premises were fired, his flocks were scattered, and he was obliged to
take up arms in the common defence. At the age of seven-and-twenty,
this young man, who commenced his career with every prospect of success,
dies the victim of the late disastrous war, leaving a young widow and
four little children to mourn his loss.