ows.
"You must not suppose, Mr Wilmot, that because the English had now
possession of the colony, everything went right; governors who are
appointed to the control of a colony require to be there some time
before they can see with their own eyes; they must, from their want of
information, fall into the hands of some interested party or another,
who will sway their councils. Thus it was at the Cape.
"It is true that much good had already been done by the abolition of
slavery and the emancipation of the Hottentot; but this was effected,
not by the colonial government, but by the representations of the
missionaries and an influential and benevolent party at home. The
prejudices against the Hottentots, and particularly the Caffres, still
existed, and were imbibed by the colonial authorities. Commandoes, or,
as they should be more properly termed, marauding parties, were still
sent out, and the Caffre was continually oppressed, and, in defiance of
the government orders, little justice could be obtained for the
Hottentot, although his situation was somewhat improved.
"I will give one instance to show how the rights of the Hottentots were
respected by the Cape authorities in 1810,--previous to the
emancipation, it is true, but still at a time when the position of the
Hottentots and their sufferings had been strenuously pressed upon the
colonial authorities by the government at home.
"When the conduct of the Dutch boors had roused the Caffres and
Hottentots to war, there were three brothers of the name of Stuurman,
Hottentots, who were the leaders. Peace was at length restored, which
was chiefly effected by the exertions of these men, who retired
peaceably with their own kraal to Algoa Bay; and the government, being
then Dutch, appointed Stuurman as captain of the kraal. This
independent horde of Hottentots gave great offence to the Dutch boors,--
the more so as the three brothers had been the leaders of the Hottentots
in the former insurrection. For seven years they could find no
complaint to make against them, until at last two of his Hottentots, who
had engaged to serve a boor for a certain time, went back to the kraal
at the expiration of the term, against the wish of the boor, who would
have detained them; the boor went and demanded them back, but Stuurman
refused to give them up; upon which, although justice was clearly on the
side of the Hottentots, an armed force was despatched to the kraal.
Stuurman still
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