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THE CAPE COLONY.
The news from the South African Colony,
as well as the accounts from New Zealand,
ought to make South Australians doubly thank- <*>
ful for the large measure of peace and internal
I security enjoyed by (hem. The Kaffirs, who
occupy the country beyond the European
settlements, and w hose various tribes could (it
is said), if inclined to ace in concert, muster
70,000 fighting men, seem disposed to frater
nize with (he Dutch settlers, and omit no
opportunity of expressing their hostile feelings
towards the English; how this rooted antipa- -
thy has been nourished we shall not attempt
to explain, but that the Government is or has
been to blame, may be gathered, infer alia,
from a very well written article in the Graham's
Town Journal of Oct. 30th, from which we
make the following extract:—
A giea« deal too saucli is made of the Kaffirs in «ne
point of view, and t«io lit le in another. Direct our go
vernment to any unwari movement, and theie is ever " a
lion iu the way;" difficulties inumerabie are immediate"
ly presented—but aaost of these are mere phantoms of
the magination, and would vani>h were we oil? to tako
courage to loi.k them i j the face, and would we but
throw awav il.a bugbears of our own creation. The
Kaffirs are not so nntnctable as onr government believe
; them to he; liu> we tiifle with them as though children,
and no vonder ih;refure they should display the mis
chevous temper and waywardness of such when thus
treated. They know well how to appreciate a firm hand
and a bold heart ; thej are neither insensible nor indif
ferent to their own interests; and il may be depended on
that, with justice as our guide, the Kaffir tribes, instead
of being- a scou'ge to the culony, may be raised to the
cmdi-ion of pood neighbours, hspi y in themselves, se
cure in tho enjoyment of their property, and contributors
to that intellectual and moral gcot), the result of education
and good government, which may be considered as the
common stock of the grejt family of man.
A Fort Beaufort correspondent of the Jour
nal, from which we quote, states that the
Kaffirs are becoming every day more and more
audacious; and that they appear to be perfectly
unchecked, entering and departing from the
town just as they please, using very abusive
language if spoken to, a«d demeaning them
selves in a very riotous manner.
An old Hottentot servant of a Mr Price, of
Port Victoria, had been waylaid and murdered
by a Kaffir, to whom he had given a slight
offence. The murderer, who confessed the
deed, had effected his escape from military
custody.
A letter from Colesberg contains a report
that the emigrant fanners living in aad about
Moshesh's country, were preparing for an at
tack upon that Chief, in order to indemnify
themselves for losses sustained in a late cam
paign against the Griquas of Philipohs. It
was also said that Sinkonyella meditated an
attack upon the Farmers, who had retired into
that part of the country alter a defeat at the
Zwart Kopies.
Recent rains had given birth, both in the in
terior and towards the coast, to myriads of lo
custs. The destructive insect in its larva
state was seen blackening the ground in nu
merous places. It is said the swarms whilst
comparatively feeble may be easily destroyed,
and the colonists are urged to leave no means
untried.
The South African colonists have beccme
exporters of some kinds of gum which had sold
at prices varying from 28s to 52s per cwt. in
London. The first importations were pro
nounced equal to the Turkey gums. Large im
portations of gum from Mogadore and the
East Indies during the month of July last had
caused some decline in prices, but they were
expected to recover.
j ■
I Printed and published by the proprietor, John Stephen*
i every Wednesday and Saturday morning, at the South
! Australian Regisier and General Printing Office, Hindley«
street, Adelaide, South Australia, where Orders and Adver
tisements, and all communications to the Editors will b?
received.
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