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BOOK ON '
UITENHAGE
- URGED

A suggestion that "some
talented person with the itch to
write" should start 'collecting
material for a history of I'iten-
hage during the years 1904 to
1954 will be made by the retiring
Mayor, Mr. J. S. Levy, when he
presents his review before the
installation of the new Mayor
to-night.

The town will celebrate its
150th birthday in 1954.

Mr. Levy feels that the book
would prove an ideal companion
volnJU^ to "that wonderful"
referemje book "Uitenhage. Past
and PVgsent," which was written
and published by Mr. W. J. S.
Sellick when t'itenhage cele-
brated its centenary in 1904.

"Any effort of this nature
would. I feel sure, receive the
blessing of the Council," Mr.
Levy says.

Copies of Mr. Sellick's book are
very rare to-day and ire regarded
as Africana. Offers of £20 tor
copies of the book have been
refused.

.^,^

KJS^-^L

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED
■ BY •

W. S. J. SELLICK

At the
"Uitenhage Times " Office,

Cape Colony.

soeveniF^

THE LATE GEO MACPHERSON
b TIMES MAYOR OF UITENHAGE.

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A Sketch of Uitenhage in i8ig.

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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIOXS.

Frontispiece : Uitenhage in i8ig and in igo^.

Jax Antony van Riebeek

Susannah Elizabeth Scheepers

CoENRAAD Michael Luyt

Uitenhage's "Baptismal Certificate"

Uitenhage Gaol

The Old Court-house

Inscription in the Dk .\[ist Bible in the D. R. Church

Rev. Alexander Smith

The Dutch Reformed Church in the 50's

Rev. D. J. Pienaar ...

Dutch Reformed Church, Uitenh.^ge

The Vill.\ge of Bethelsdori' in i82<S

Port Elizabeth in 1S46

General Cuvler

Mrs. (General) Cuvler

General Cuyler's House and TombsionI':

The Parents of Gen. Guvler (from pencil sketch in 1780)

Inscription on Back of do.

Rose Lane Church (E.xterior) ...

Do. (Interior) ...

Rev. Thomas Gamble
Hankev in 1848

St. Katharine's Church (Exterior)
Do. (Interior)

Rev. C. B. Jecks, B.A.

Plan of Proposed Springfield Waier Scheme
Corner of Caledon and Markei' Streeis
Rev. F.ather O'Brien
St. Joseph's Church (Exterior)...

Do. (Interior) ...

Rev. Father Flvnn...
Wesleyan Church, I'itenhage
Rev. J. W. House ham
Uitenhage in 1844 ...
The Town Hall

Mr. E. J. Thorn, a former Town Cli:rk
Caledon Street, Uitenhage
Market Street, Uitenhage
Rev. Joseph Whitesiiv, Mayor
Mr. F. H. Luyt, Deputy-Mayor

I'AUE.

xvi.

14
14
19
21
.SO
.SI

?,2

33
37
38
39
39
40
41
43
4.S
4.S
46
50
.SI
52
.S.S
.S8
Ac
61
61
62
ft4
6.S
70

7.S
82

«4
86
89
91

1228445

LIST OF II.LUSTRATIOXS.

Mk. Petkk Thomson. Town Ci.kkk
Mr. John' Ckntlivkes Chask
Seal of the Eastern Province

do. Inscripiion on do.
Mr. P R. Heugh, J. P.
View in Magennis Park
Sidewalk in Magennis Park
Dutch Reformed Chi'uch. Htmansdoki' ...
Rev. W. F. Helgh ...
Rev. J. D. Horak
Main Street, Humansdorp
The Park, Humansdorp
The Old Library, Uitenh age ...
The New Library, do.
Woolwashing in Uitenhage ...
Dutch Reformed Church, Jansenvii.le ...
Jansenville Bridge...
Public Offices, Jansenville ...
Town Hall, Jansenville
Mr. Henry William Bidwell...
View of VVillowmore
Dutch Reformed Church, Willdwmore...
Morning Market, Willow.more
View of Loco. V^'^orks, Uitenhage
Types of Engines ...
M.achining and Wheel-turning Shop.-;
New Dutch Reformed Church, Steyi lerville
The Parsonage, Steytlerville
Portion of Main Street, Steytlerville...
Rev. J. E. T. Weipz
Major J. M. Thornton, V.D. ...
Riebeek College, Uitenhage ...
Miss E. L. Y. Brown
Muir High School, Uitenhage
Congregational Church, Uitenhage
Rev. William Angus
Van Staadens Pass ...
Uitenhage Public Buildings ...
Hell's Gate, Uitenhage
Uitenhage Industrial School...
The Mackay Bridge
Gamtoos River Bridge
Uitenhage Cottage Hospital ...
Another View of Hell's Gaie

SUMMARY OF CONTENTS

Introductory -----
The Founders of Uitenhagc, 1790 to iiSo4
Fort Frederick . - - -

J. A. I'itenhasje de Mist

Part I.— The Decade, 1804 to 1813.

A Government Grave- Dis^tjercss

A Growing Village

Birth of Uitenhage

Changes in Uitenhage

Christian Michael Luvt

Civil Servants

Cost of Gun Powder

De Mist's Title

Dragoons Billeted at Uitenhage

Elephants...

First Church...

Founding ot the District

Historical Document

Houses built over Graves ...

Land Regulations

Licences

Martial Law in Uitenhage ...

Mother of Uitenhage

Postal Rates

Postal Service

Runaway Slaves

Small-pox Epidemic

Susannah Elizabeth Scheepers

Value of Money

Wanted : A Church and Powder Magazine

Wild Animals

Wolves in the Streets

Part 11.— The Decade, 1814 to 1823.

A. Dark Episode

Bethelsdorp ...

Civil Service Changes

Cows, r'ls. 4d. each

Euou

First I'itenhage Turf Clu'.i .

First Turf Club Dinner

General Cuyler

General Cuvler's Tombstone

A Historical Drawing
Hankev

Mr. j. H. Lange
Port Elizabeth and the British Settlers ...

The 1820 Settlers ...
Private Seals
Rose Lane Church
Some General Details

Three Well-known Judges

The Practice of Medicine in 182J...

Two Appointments ...

The Government's Thanks
The Drostdy ...
The Sad Story of Major Andre
Two well-known Colonists
Uitenhage Dutch Reformed Church

A S'lipwreck and a Bible

Slow Progress ....

The Kerkeraad Increased

The Work Begins ...

Commencement of the Trouble ...

Rey. Alexander Smitli

The Kerker.iad and Biptisnial Fees

3^
II
16

34
16

3S
40
40
43
16

34
16

4^
4^
46
4^^
47
47
47

17
18

Uitenhage Dutch Reformed Church (cont.)
A Precentor Wanted
The Building Trouble Again
More Changes
.\n Important Innovation
Marks of Progress ...
Pohl Wins His Case
The Kerkeraad Wins the .Appeal ...
Changes
Mission Work
The Church's Saltpans
Further Progress
The New Church Again
Xn Infants' School ...
The Law Suit once more
More Details

The Kerkeraad again Victorious ...
General Details
Church Plans

Precentor and School Teacher
More Trouble with the Contractor...
Financial Difficulties...
The First Memorial Tablet
The End in Sight
The Contractor Insolvent
.•\ Few Interesting Details
The Church Opened at Last
History of the New Church
Plastering and Improving the Church
Resignation of the Rev. .A.lex. Smith
Rev. D. J. Pienaar ...
The Church To-day ...

j6
26
26

28
28
28
28
28
28
28
-9

SUMMARY OF CONTEXTS.

Part III.— The Decade, 1824 to 1833.

Cattle Raising

Institutions

Lead Mines and Mineral Springs

Market Regnlations

Musical Talent

Other Officials

Public Buildings in 183 1

The Zwartkops River

Water Supply...

The Proposed Springlicld Scheme.

5(>
56

57
56

St. Katharine's Church

The Rectory

The Rev. P. W. Copeman

The Building of the Church

The Chancel

The Curates of St. Katharine's

The Parish of Uitenhage

Native Work

General Items
The Civil Service Establishment

PAGE.

49
50

Part IV.— The Decade, 1834 to 1843.

A Tiger in the Drostdy
Education in the Olden Times

The Government School
Elliott Memorial Church
Floods
Locusts

Postal Communication
Religious Denominations
The Accession of Queen Victoria
The Catholic Church
The Divisional Council

The First Meeting ...

Sundays River Bridge

Xew Roads

The Central Board ...

The First Divisional Rate

Port Elizabeth — Uitenhage Road ...

The First Secretary ...

The Railway

Jansenville IBridge ...

The College

The Council's Offices

Education

Tlie College

The Separation Question and Crown
Lands

The Council's Finances

The Railway .\gain ...

Burr Weed

Roads ...

Outspansand .Accommodation Houses

Separation

A New Village

Burr Weed Again

Mr. John Centlivres Chase

Some Other Distinguished I'iten-
hagers

Minor Changes

The Divisional Council Abolished

The Council Re-established

A Battle of Rates

Control of the Main Roads

An Echo of the Kaiir War

The Burgher Act Enforced

Burgher Officers

Lazy and rnwilling Members

116

The Divisional Council (continued)

11(1

Ward Changes ... ... i

117

New Road to Graaff-Reinet

A Drastic Step

116

Comparative Value of Fixed Property

116

General Progress

Tolls ...

Pounds

116

Crown Land

.S9

Niven's Drift

Tramways

The Circuit Court ...

Sale of Tolls

Sundays River Ferry...

Jansenville Bridge ...

9.S

District Police Force...

9.S

Divisional Council Offices

Police ...

A New Pontoon

Death of Mr. Mosel ...

Divisional Council Buildings

Opening of the Jansenville Bridge..

Periodical Wool Sales

Uitenhage a Borough

The Capital of the Eastern Provinct.

Uitenhage and Port Elizabeth Divi-

sional Councils ... ... I

Rawson Bridge

A Law Suit

Port Elizabeth Appeals Successtnlh

Rawson Bridge Swept Away

The Railway Bridge...

ICO

Wylde Bridge Opened

100

The Cape Road

100

Divisional Council Police
The Town Roads

102

Grants...

102

Uitenhage — .Ale.xandria Boundary ..

102

Elands River Road ...

102

The Municipal Roads

103

Mr. P. R. Heugh, J. P.

103

Uitenhage in 1841

104

The Produce of the District...

104

Wages...

104

Manufactiues

105

E.xports in the Earlier Days

SUMMARY OF CONTENTS.

The Wesleyan Church

The Uitenhage Municipality (continued)

......

The Moravian Mission in T'Zitzikaninia ...

Fires ...

7«

The Uitenhage Mur.icipalitv

Street Nomenclature...

The Municipality

Rille .\ssociation

First Municipal Regulations

Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage

Water Regulations ...

Water Supply ...

Various Regulations ...

Port Elizabeth's Position

The Market

The Request Refused

The First Chairman ...

Strike of Workmen ...

The First Meeting ...

Henrietta Street Opened

The Town Office

Proposed Tramway ...

Municipal Officials ...

The Commissioner and the Midland

The Wards

Railway

The Treasurer

The State of the Town

Thatch Cutting

The Ballast Hole Line

The First Town Cleric

A Powder Magazine...

Street Repairs

Uitenhage in 1876 ...

The Fingo Location ...

The Rates

The War of 1846

■ 70

List of Board of Commissionei s

Protection of the Town

The Town Clerk

Fines ...

Incorporation

A Curious Memorandum

Magennis Street

Convicted Felons

The First Town Council Meeting ...

«3

The Commissioners and ihe Press...

Salaries

Bad Streets

-Amalgamation of Committees

The Town Guard

The First Rate

Some General Items...

Farmers in Distress ...

^lulberry Trees

Cannon Street

Mr. E. J Thorn, Town Cleric

Lighting of the Town

Rules of Order

The Place of Meeting

8.S

Penny Postage to and from Port

Locomotive Cricket Club and Band

Elizabeth

.\ Curious Suggestion

Squatting and Locations

Strange Contretemps

8=^

The Town Hall

.Municipal Officials ..

Opposition to the Site

Mr. Gibson Resigns the Mayoralty

The Site Selected

Municipal Produce Sales

Plans and Designs ...

First Tree-planting Committee

The Preliminaries Settled

Uitenhage in 1880 ...

The Foundation Stone

7.S

Proposed Railway Station at O.it-

Opening Ceremony ...

7.S

lands

Uitenhage Agricultural and Horti-

Small-po.x

cultural Society ...

Precious Minerals in Uitenhage

Circuit Court

7^'

District

Bathing ...

Varia ...

The Chairman

The late George Macpherson

A Cotton and Linseed Company ...

List of Mayors

Uitenhage's Claim to be the Metro-

The Municipal Seal ...

polis

Other Items

Revenue

The New Municipal .A.ct

Bishop Street

The Present Council

Distillery in Church Street ...

Mr. P. Thomson, Town Clerk

The Town Engineer...

Uitenhage's Greatest .Ambition

Part v.— The Decade, 1844 to 1853.

p. pul.ition
Tlij -Maitland Mines
Till; Postmaster
Tlij Post-office
T.;-P.isj:i ...
T.:j L'itenhai?e P.uks

I'Atit:.

120

121

120

119

Humansdorp ...

The Division of Humansdorp
Farming in the District
The Great Fire of 1869
The Gre.it Floods ...
The Great Drought of 1873

I -'4

SIMMAKV OF CONIENTS.

Hiini.insrloip (continued)

Magisterial Chan,t;cs...

I'n)spcrity and Progress

Wreck of the Mil/onl

Tlie Lightlioiise

A Disastrous Year ...

Estahlisliment ol a Xewspajier and

Bank
The Great Ostrich Feather Boom .
Population in the District in 1882 .

I -'4
I -'4
i-'4
•-'5

Humansdorp (continued)

Magistrates ... ... 12(1

General Progress ... ... ij6

Defence Forces ... ... 126

The Municipality ••• ... 126

The Buildings ... ... 126

The Milner Institute... ... 126

Lihrarj" and Reading Room ... 126

The Last Census ... ... 126

Jeiirey's Bay ... ... ... 127

Part VI. The Decade, 1854 to 1863.

Alexandria

The Divisional Council

Dutch Reformed Church

The Village

The Prison

Drought

The Rev. J. Rocs

Education

Cotton Growing

General
District Surgeon
Farming Half a Century Ago

Stock

Annual Productions ...

Average Market Values

Wages ...
Jansenville

Farming

.■\griculture

Vineyards

The Country of the Lakes

!'Ai;k.
I2Q
I -'9

I2y

130

130
130

131

128

128
1 28
128
132
132
133
133
133

Jansenville (continued)

Prickly Pear

Lime and Stone

The Town . .

The Kerkplaats

The Dutch Reformed Church

St. Saviour's Church...

Wesleyan Church

Magisterial

Fruit Growing

The Bridge

Public Offices

The Town Council ...

The Fiscal Division

The Divisional Council

The Town Hall

General Progress
The Lib.ary ...
The Post-office
Volunteer Cavalry Corps
Woolwashing in L'itenhas»e...

133
134
134
•34
^35
134

36
136

56
[36

^6
[28

132
132

131

Part VII.— The Decade, 1864 to 1873.

A Good Year ...

A Prosperous Year

A Rise in Property

Capital Punishment in Uitenhage

Communication with Port Elizabeth

Crown Lands ...

Destruction of the Roads ...

Epidemic of Horse Sickness

Fabulous Prices

Goat P'arming...

Henrv William Bidwell

Laliour Difficulties

Prices of Necessaries

Public Floggings

Rapid Progress of the District

Severe Depression

Silk Cultiue ...

The Good Templars

The Servant Difliculty

The " Uitenhage Times"

Uitenhage Locomotive Works

Van Staadens River Pass ...

i3«
139
139
LSO
140
138
138
139
138
138
137
139
140

150
139
140

138
140

139
137
143
i3«

Waterford ... ... ... 139

Willowmore ... . 141

The Name ... ... 141

Fiscal History ... 141

Dutch Reformed Church 141

The Xew Church ... ... 142

The Mayors ... ... 142

Town Coiuicil ... ... 142

The English Church . 142

Parliamentary ... ... 142

Public Institutions ... ... 142

General Progress ... ... 142

The Market ... ... 143

Population ... . . 143

Uitenhage Politics ... ... 147

Rise of the Bond ... 147

The Bond in Uitenhage .. 147

The Railway Vote ... .. 147

How the Bond Won its Spurs ... 148

Redistribution ... ... 148

Hum.msdorp, Alexandria, and ja -

senville ... ... 149

SUMMARY OF COXTENIS.

Part VIII.— The Decade, 1874 to 1883.

A Fateful Year

Agricultural State of the District

A Serious Question

Congregational Church

Continuous Drought

Dunbrody Mission

Effects of the Depression ...

Effects of the Railway

Great Winterhoek Farmers' Association ...

Hard Times ...

Improvement Among the Coloured Classes

Population

Railway Progress

Savings Bank

Stey tier vi lie ...

" Wicked Sodom"

Dutch Church Established

Laying Out the Town

The Town

Business at Steytlerville

Various Items

167

159

" Sleepy Hollow" — A Retrospect

Stock Retiuns

The Bank

The Corner Turned

The Muir High School

The Railway Opened

The Riebeek College

The Principals of the College

A Parliamentary Enquiry
The Rise of Ostrich Farming
The Wool Trade
The 3rd Yeomanry

Service in Morosi's Country

The Basuto Campaign
L'itenhage Volunteer Rifles...

The L'.V.R. and the Anglo-Boer
War

The Corps Re-organised
Waste Crown Lands
Zwart Ruggens' Farmers' Association

Paoe.

i6i.;

1 5-'

i6y
166
164
151
163
164
164
15-
159
161
162
162
159

160
i6e

1 3-'

170

Part IX. The Decade, 1884 to 1893.

A Famous Baboon

Glenconnor Railway School

Kleinpoort

Local Mining Companies

Glynn's Lydcnburg ...

A Prominent Uitenhager

Malmani Quicksilver Company

Maitland Almes

Other Syndicates
Port Elizabeth Saltpan Company
Progress of Uitenhage
Sundays River Valley
The Post-office

171
180

180

178
182
171

176

The DoUey ^lemorial School

The School Opened

Steady Progress

Better Accommodation Secured

The Xew Building ...
The Public Buildmgs
The Wool Trade in 1885
Thornhill Church
Twenty Years Ago
Uitenhage Vinevard Company
Willow Dam .
Zwartkops Saltpan Companv

178

^79
179

179
179
i8i

175
171

175

176
176
182

Part X.— The Decade, 1894 to date.

1-A(,K.

Census Returns ... ... 19O

Port Elizabeth — Avontuur Railway ... 194

Redhouse ... ... ... 195

The Industrial School ... ... 185

The First Steps ... ... 185

Early Mistakes ... ... 186

Mr. W. Mcjannett ... ... 186

Steady Progress ... 186

Regulations for Admission ... 186

The Curriculum ... ... 187

The Mackay Bridge ... ... 187

The Old Gamtoos" Ferry ... ... 187

Gamtoos Bridge ... ... 188

Uitenhage Cottage Hospital . ... 188

^ledical Opposition ... ... 188

Uitenhage Cottage Hospital (continued)

The Site Procured

The Funds Raised ...

Architects and Contractors

The Building
Uitenhage Musical Society ...
War and Martial Law

Martial Law Proclaimed

The Town Guard

The Commandants of Uitenhage

The Censorship

Passes ...

Engagements in Uitenhage

Memorial to the Fallen
Zwartkops

188
189
189
189
184
190
190
191
192
192
192
193
194
196

PRE FA TORY.

Lf/^E issue III IS li'ork icilh u cciimii dciircc of ditfiiiciuc, because, from I lie iille " Uileiiluige Past niui Preseiil,'"
some of our readers may he led to expect ivitliin its covers more than tlicv ivill find. On the 4th Xoveniher,
igo4, Uilenli.ige reached its lootli birthday, ami it was believed that the Toivii Council would take the initiative
steps to celebrate the Centenary in some public and appropriate ivay, ami wc had intended to take that opportunity
of issuing this book as a Souvenir of the event. But the Centenaiv fell flat, and nothing was done. 11 then
occurred to its to abandon onr original intention also, and enlarge on the idea of a " Souvenir," and publish a
regular history of Uitenhage ami the District from the time of its foundation. The present rvork is the result.

We have done our best, ;;•;//; the meagre material at our disposal, to compile a leliabic history of the district,.
and have spared neither trouble nor c.vpciise in the nndei taking. But for all that it is not nearly so comprehen-
sive as we could have -wished, and no doubt many of onr readers will he disappointed at not finding any
mention of cei tain past events and legendary lore that have been handed do'dii from genei ation to generation. We
will c.x-plain these omissions ln> saying that, although many incidents and anecdotes of men and things now past
have been related to us. the reason tlicv Inire not found a place in this book is because they cannot be anthenti--
caled. .Many of those incidents and ancedoles are no doubt perfectly true, and would make most interesting
reading, and 7vonld probably enhance the value of this book as an ^^ inteiesting" work to lead. But we all
know lioiv legends are apt to gnm when handed down from generation to generation, and the difficulty is to
separate the tares from the good -wheat. Therefore, so as to make this little history so far as it goes reliable,
we have omitted practically e-verything that cannot be substantiated by documental v e-vidence.

The difficiiltics attending the compilation of a -work of this kind can only be known to those who have-
made a similar attempt ; and as far as UitenLige is concerned, -we cannot find that any such attempt has evci
been pre-viously made. Therefore -we trust our many shortcomings in this respect will be o'cerlookcd, and the
book taken for -what it is -worth.

Our readers may foi III some idea of the -work entailed, if -we mention but three items. First came the
e.yaminaliou of the minute books ot the Dutch Reformed Church. They hai-e in the vestry of that church the
minute Inwks complete foi 100 years, nearly all of which we have had to " wade" through. Ami -we have also
had to go through the minute books of the Town and Divisional Councils, each of -which have meant some-
mouths' -work. But li'e arc quite sure the e.vtracts -we lia-ve made from those three sets of minutes will be found to
be most inleiesting reading, comprising, as it docs, practically the -whole hisloiy of the fbicc.

Wc hair endeavoured to enlarge more upon the history of the district as it affects the geiieial public than
upon the individual doings of " men who -were, but now are not." We regiet this, but it ivas niia-voidable. So
many public-spirited men ha-ve had their l>eiiig ill and de-voted their energies to Uitenhage and the district, and
who without a doubt deserve to hai'c their good deeds handed down to posterity, thaf -we felt that if -we oner
launched into this subject it would be difficult to bring the matter within the compass of this -work. Indeed,,
should any writer in the future but take up this subject and publish a faithful account of the doings 0/ all
the principal men who have had a hand in the making of Uitenhage and the district, -we can piomise him
material for a hook twice the size of this.

PREFATORY.

Ill the coiiipihilioii of" Uilciili.jge PnsI iiiul Present" ;«■ kiiiiioI tiikc till llic cndil to oinui-.rs, tor i^-c have
been ithlv tissisteJ by the followiii:^ i^eiitleiiieii^ to zi'ho:ii ;;'t' tjl:r this of^portniiity of c.vpirsslnii tininks for their
various coiitrihiitioiis :

The Rt. Rev. BISHOP McSHERRV
Rev. C. B. JECKS

„ D. J. PIENAAR

„ T. \V. ZIMMERMAN

„ J. \V. HOI SEHA/M

„ THOS. OAjMBLE

„ WILLlAiM ANGUS

„ .1. E. T. WEIT:-:

„ SUPERIOR, DUNBRODY

„ N. MATODLANA
J. VAN ROOYEN
Major J. M. THORNTON, V.D.
Dr. VANES, M.L.A.

IVe may add that several other genlleiiieii pro iiiseii articles on subjects of interest of which they alone
possess particulars, but thev have failed to f)ilfil thos: promises, and laailintl for ''"^S'' m tides has been the main
eanse of the delav in piihlisliiui^ this work, and its incompleteness in haviui^ to omit siicli articles alloj^ethcr.

I>r.

COULTON

Mr. H. CHASE

P. THOMSON

„ P. MAYNIER, Sen.

B. Z. STEQMANN

„ R. J. HEYDENRYCH

P. R. HEUQH

„ J. Q. CUYLER

„

\V. HUME

„ W. F. MALLOCH, C.E.

- STEAD

„ J. C. HUMAN, ev-Landdrost

J. \V. DE VILLIERS

of Krugersdorp

H. FAIREY

„ O. L. VAN NIEKERK

J. KLINCK

„ J. C. JOHNSON

a. VAN KERKEN

„ HERBERT INOQS

H. B. SIEBERT

Mrs. COLLING

M. C. LUYT

and others.

JACOBUS J. HULTZER

s^ee^

INTRODUCTORl

IT is a source of legitimate pride to the iiiliabi-
tauts of Uitenhage that the town and district
III which they reside will ever rank high in
the history ot Cape Colony as being among
the most ancient in the whole country. To a
comparatively young Colony a hundred years are
virtually equivalent to a thousand years at home,
for the stream of time Hows more rapidly in the
nineteenth and twentieth centuries than it did in
the ninth and tenth. But Uitenhage is of no
mushroom growth. Neither is the district of
which it is the centre. Curiouslv enough, while
the advance of the former has always been
distinguished by expansion, the progress of the
latter has been characterised by contraction. The
histories of both are lined by the high-water marks
of prosperity and scarred by the low-water ridges
of adversity. Consequently, the narrative of
their origin, rise, and subsequent progress is
invested with peculiar interest, and in this volume
it will be interwoven with such details as will
serve to knit the unpretentious L'itenhage of 1804
with the ambitious L'itenhage of 1904. In other
words, it will be a case of bridging the centurv.

But to understand the posit on thoroughly it is
necessary to begin at the beginning, and to trace
the circumstances that led to the founding of the
place itself. It is always well to consider the old
order before dealing with the new.

The regime of the Netherlands East India
Company had passed away : its object in South
Africa had been accomplished. On the shores of
Table Bay stood a quiet township, laid out in
comfortable squares, with deep canals running
through the bread streets from the foot of Table
Mountain to the sea. Beautiful oaks bordered the
sides of these " grachts,"* as they were called,
but the pride of the city, the very mention of
which could make the eyes of even its most
phlegmatic inhabitants sparkle with pride, was its
magniiicent Gardens. Here the hale and sick, the
rich and the poor, the miserable invalid from the
east, the scurvy-stricken sailor from the west —
all sorts and conditions of men, in fact — could
find health and enjoyment. Here also were
obtained the provisions for the scorbutics in the
hospital, and it only required a six months' course
of vegetable diet, with plenty of fresh air and fresh
water, to turn into a strong and healthy sailor the

A gmM was a broad sluit or canal running down the middle of a
street. The ro.ldwavs and footpaths were constructed on either side
of it. The word st'ill exists in the name " Buitengracht Street"— one
of the train thoroughfares in Cape Town to-day.

unfortunate mariner v. h^j^c berlii on e.ist or west
bound vessels had been hlled by one who h?id
become convalescent by similar treatment. Here,
too, was the great frowning fort, deemed liv the
townsfolk to be impregnable. Hence, there was
everything on the shores of Table Bay that the
Company could desire — a garden, a hospital, a
fort, people to provide the green-stuff and the dairy
produce so necessary to the fleets— while the
constant demand for fresh meat was largely met
by the Hottentots who came from the far interior
with their flocks and herds. This had been the
great ideal which existed in the minds of those who
arranged for the establishment of a half-way
house, and it had been realised.

But a dilference now arose between the
Company and its servants. The former thought
only of centralization and of its own financial
prosperity. Every little bit of profit that could
jiossibly accrue from the Colony had to find its
way into the pockets of the shareholders. Xo
matter how hard the brave pioneers strove to rid
the country of wild animals, to cultivate the virgin
soil and to protect themselves and their cattle from
the ravages of the wild man — the Company cared
absolutely nothing for their toil and hardships.
True, they had been granted the title of " free
burghers " (and a grant of land had attended this
title), but it was only a name. They were still
servants with but one exception, namely, that
when they acted as soldiers they were paid for
their labour, while for the title of " free burgher "
they often had to pay with a life's service. The
cereals raised with such infinite trouble, so
frequently destroyed by wild beasts, bj- wilder
men or by the still more dreaded rust, were to be
sold only to the Company and at its fi.xed prices.
Generally speaking, these were so meagre that, after
the fruits of a year's unremitting toil had been
disposed of, the unfortunate burgher found himself
deeply in debt. Not only was he bound to sell to
the Company all that he raised, but he was also
bound to purchase from them all that he needed
for his household. Small indeed was the return
that he received for his work, but even then he
was liable to be mulct by the very men who
should have acted as his protectors. Every official
with whom he came into commercial contact
invariably endeavoured to make something out of
him ; so that at last, rendered desperate by
corruption, debt, and profitless toil, he began to
look about for some means of escaping from the
slavery into which he had gradually degenerated.

IXTRODUCTORY.

It was the corn and wine farmer whose shoes
pinched so unbearably. The grazier, ahhough
his hfe was far from being a happy one, was not
onlv in easier circumstances, but was, as a general
rule, much wealthier than his less fortunate
brother. Sheep and cattle were always in demand,
and the demand was frequently greater than the
supply. Again, the expenses of running a stock
farm were next to nothing, and the whole of the
proceeds realised were therefore solid protit. His
wants were few and simple. Coffee, sugar,
tobacco, some yards of calico for his wife and
daughters, and he had evervthing he could
possibly require until his next periodical visit to
the nearest dorp, or to the Knap.

The unhappy corn and wine farmer regarded
him with envy, and yearned for a life so free from
care and drudgery. But there was the dear old
hom ; stead, the orchard and the vinevard planted
in the full vigour of youthful hope and expectation ;
every foot of cultivated ground was endeared to
him because it represented his life's history, and
so he bethought himself of one more expedient
to preserve to himself the fruits of his life's toil.
He believed that freedom to trade would solve
his difficulties, and, as Providence helps those who
help themselves, it seemed nothing short of a
Godsend when Kyk van Tulbagh was appointed
Governor of the Cape in 1751.

Never were the people so prosperous and so con-
tented as while under his wis? and beneficent rule.
What cared they if Father Tulbagh did insist upon
enforcing Sumptuary Laws ? These were reckoned
unto him for righteousness. The manners and
customs of their forefathers were but retained and
preserved. Honesty, frugality, and the fear of
God were inculcated and practised. It was no
longer necessary to sell to the Company at ruinous
prices. On the contrary, there were the great
English, Dutch, and French Heets constantly
arriving and ever in need of fresh fruit,
\egetables, corn, vvine, and water, as well as
meat, venison, etc. They were able and
willing to pay, too. Never before had money
circulated so merrily at the Cape, and it is no
wonder that the days of Father Tulbagh have
ever si ice been regarded by the descendants
of the Dutch burgher and of the French Huguenot
as the golden era in this southern land !

But all good things, alas, come to an end at last,
and so, in the course of time, did Tulbaghs's rule.
Shortly after his decease in 1771, the Company
drifted once more into the old insane policy of
monopoly. Petition after ]ietition for free trade
found its way to Holland and Batavia. The
Company, too, was being hard pressed by its
English and French rivals, and no longer possessed
the entire monopoly of the Eastern trade. The
C:i|->e had become a necessity, but, owing to
misrule, it had also become a financial burden. The
•Company could neither do with it imi without

it, and to grant freedom of trade at a period of
such unprecedented stress seemed to the Chamber
of Seventeen to"ne an act of absolute madness.
Heavier monopoly and severer taxation met the cry
of the farmer, and so, to escape from the millstone
of debt that was hanging round his neck, he de-
cided that there was only one course open to him —
expansion. Following the example set him by his
fellow Colonist, the grazier, he, too, would pack his
belongings upon a wagon, take his gun and trek.
And so this great trek set in — to the North and
to the East — e.xpansion, ever e.xpansion I

But this view did not appeal to the Company.
Their idea was not colonization. They did not
want a free and easy community. Servants,
Yes — but a real population of Free Burghers,
Xo I So Governor after Governor issued placaats
against expansion. Again and again the boundaries
of the settlement were clearly defined ; and by
these paper bullets the Seventeen thought of
stopping the natural sequence of events. But all
to no purpose. The burgher had his oxen, wagon,
gun, and powder, and a practically unlimited
expanse of country through which he could roam
at will, until at last he came across some delightful
nook suited to his taste, and where he could settle
down in peace. He was not going to be debarred
from going where he .pleased, from settling
where he liked, or from using the illimitable veld
by placaats or boundaries.

The Company had no other opposition to place
in his way. Bankrupt, they could not oppose the
burgher bv force, and so they bowed to the
inevitable. When he had gone so far that he
could not be easily reached for the purpose of
collecting the few rix-dollars of quitrent, a church
and drostdv would be built to form the nucleus
of a new township. The Company knew that
although he with whom they had to deal could not
be stopped on his career of expansion he could still
be controlled. He was first and foremost a deeply
religious man. The one and only book which
accompanied him in his wandering was the Bible,
and, according to his lights, he regulated the
conduct of his household and of himself by its
precepts. And it was owing to its influence that
he did not altogether sink into barbarism or turn
into a Xomad. It was owing to its influence, too,
that, next to his religion, he was swayed by his
reverence for the law. True, he did not allow
that reverence to induce him to give up trekking.
His natural instinct led him to see that on this
particular point he was right .and the Governinent
wrong. But on the further questions of political
and fiscal regulations he was quite willing to bow
to the powers that existed, for did not his Book
tell him to " Fear God and honour the King ?"

Consequently, although the Government was
too weak to force him to pay quitrent, and
other indirect taxes, he still paid them voluntarily
(\vliene\er he could do so) without going to the

IXTRODUCTORY.

trouble and expense of a journev lastin.i^ weeks
or e';en months. Hence it was that. I'Cnowing
the character of the pioneer, the Government
would invest in the outlay of building a
drostdv and a church, and, in the end, a school,
besides providing for the mauitenance o!^ a land-
drost, a clerg)-man, and a schoolmaster, certain that
in the end thev would be amplv recouped for the
expenditure, and, in the meantime, receive good
interest on a safe investment. Hence, too, originated
a custom which obtains in our time — the Xacht-
maal Service, which recurs every three months.
Godfearing as these people were, one can quite
understand that the head of the household must
often have been put to great straits for something
fresh in his morning and evening family prayers
and in his Sundav exhortations.

The quarterlv Nachtmaal Service therefore
came to be looked upon by him at tirst as a
pleasant relaxation, and at last as an absolute
necessitv for the provision of fresh ideas
and lights for his own spiritual guidance,
and, through him, for his family, his servants,
and his slaves. He looked upon the

aborigines of the countrv as bondmen provided
for his use by the Almightv, of whose special
race he had the honour to be a member. But
though an individual might be a bondman, one
whom it would be a sin to teach to read and
write, vet he was an animated being. It was thus
his bounden duty to instruct his slave regarding
his mortal and eternal welfare. Hence, morning
and evening and on every Sunday, the whole
family, bond and free, would be gathered round
the family altar to hear the inspired Word, and to
listen to the exhortations and prayers of the
patriarch.

At the Nachtmaal, too, he would meet kindred
spirits ; and thus receive news of relatives distant
from him, and learn something about the events
happening in the outer world. Events three
months old would be to him fresh, and matters
whose cause and effect had passed into history
would by him be discussed with the zest and
vigour which a telegram of to-day concerning a
great battle, a proposed new law, or a cricket
match would excite.

Thus the patriarch would go north and
eastwards, until he found a convenient spot suited
to his fancy, and there he would settle. But that
spot was to be so far removed from his nearest
neighbour that the smoke of his hearth had to be
invisible on the horizon. And when his sons
arrived at the age of manhood they, too, would
follow the custom of their forefathers, pack up
their little belongings, get a strapping wench from
Oom Piet or Koos for a wife, and trek. Their route
can to this day be traced by the nomenclature of
the farms and the natural features of the country
through which they passed. Here would be a
river which would have to be crossed again and

again and so often, that no htter name could tell
of its interminable windings than Zonder Eiiid,
(Without End.) Then another, where great good
fortune brought a herd of elephants into the w-ay
of the trek. To commemorate this, what should
It be called but Olifahts River ? And after all the
hardships of the journey, the wished-for spot at
last comes in view. Here will he fi.x his habitation,
and hand down to po.steritv his great good fortune
by calling it " Rust en Vrede " (Rest and Peace),
after months of worrv and war with nature, man
and beast.

Here and there, too, the very road which had
been cut through forest and through and over the
mountain ravines may still he seen. Such a one,
for instance, vet remains in e.xistence near the
Montagu Pass, between the George and Oudts-
hoorn districts. Its direction and construction
tell us something of the character of these old
trekkers. There was no backing out \\'hen once
a start had been made for the unknown. They
saw the thing through, in a slow but stern and
uncompromising manner, come what might.
When a kloof or precipice came in the way there
was no divergence towards an easier gradient or
a safer ascent. It was dnanioor or daarover —
(through it or over it.) Gradients of i in 8
were common things, and here and there the
wagons had to he unloaded and actually taken to
pieces in order either to be lowered down or hauled
up some steep declivity or ascent. How they man-
aged with the old lumbering and heavy vehicles
remains a marvel to this very day, but manage it
they did, and glad indeed must they have felt when,
on having conquered the mountain and having
turned their faces eastward, they found a
practicallv easy country to travel in — a long valley
well wooded, well watered, and stored with game of
all kinds, large and small, with Hocks of ostriches,
and droves of wild asses to vary the even tenor
of the wav. At one place a halt of a few days
was called for a big zebra hunt, and one of the
pioneers became so enamoured with the spot
that he definitely fixed his habitation here. To
this moment it still belongs to his descendants, who
have spread from thence to the east and to the
west. Here is still shown with pride the old
opstal or original dwelling-house, and the name
borne by the farm to this very day brings back
to memory the great zebra hunt — " Ezeljacht "
(the hunt of the wild ass) — while the name of
Rauhenheimer has spread from this centre to such
an extent that it can be found all over the
Midlands and northwards into the Transvaal.
Neither is it unknown in the military annals of the
pioneers, for was not a Rauhenheimer one of the
six companions of Louw Wepener who stormed
Thaba Bosigo, and was he not killed when only
five yards from the summit ?

On journeved these old pioneers. The band
ever and ancn heL':;me smaller as the fancy of one

IXTRODrCIORY.

or the other was captured by some spot lovelier
than its surroundings.

The remainder patiently worked thcii- way
along this valley, which, with their u.siud felicity,
they named the Lon^ Kloof, until, on one
meinorable evening, was reached, a dale lovelier than
any they had yet seen, and here a whole family
elected to remain. To commemorate the time of
their arrival at this haven of rest, the Zondags called
it Avond-uur — the Hour of Evening — but this has
since been corrupted into Avontuur (Adventure).

Now, as these people had wandered so far east,
it seemed litting to the Dutch East India Company
that an attempt should be made to stop further ex-
pansion. Governor van Plettenberg, brother-in-law
of his predecessor. Father Tuloagh, therefore set
out on a tour eastwards. He followed the route
taken bv the travellers until he came to the gorge
• now known as the Montagu l^iss, but, dismayed
by the awful road, he preferred travelling to the
East through the forest, but on the south side of
the Outeniqua range, and thus he proceeded as
far as the Bay which still bears his name. There
he erected a bmikcii or beacon in token of
possession. It was a roughly hewn stone ' bearing
the anns of the Netherlands East India Company,
together with his (_,wn arms and an inscription to
the effect that the stone in question had been
erected by Baron Joachim van Plettenberg to
indicate the Eastern boundary of the Netherlands
East India Company.

From thence the eastern boundary was to
extend to a partially delined point in the north,
and beyond this imaginary line no subject of the
Company was permitted to trek in an easterly
direction. Should he do so, he was to lose all
civil rights, and to be no longer entitled to the
protection of the Company. Van Plettenberg
then crossed over to the Long Kloof, and when he
came to Ezeljacht he spent several weeks in
hunting and visiting the Long Kloof farmers,
whilst a road was being constructed across the
Outeniqua, starting from Ezeljacht, and which,
after crossing mountain and forest, emerged at tiie
spot now called Woodville.

But boundaries, placaats, and even the personal
visits of Governors could not stop the trek east
and north. No sooner was the Governor's back
turned than the huge lumbering wagons were
inspainied, and faces were once more set towards
the east. Two routes were followed — one along
the Long Kloof between the Outeniqua and
Kamnatie mountains, the other south of the
Outcniquas, between them and the sea, and
throvigli the great forests (if the Knysna and
1 zitzikama.

Tht»Ktrne is htltl in cxIsUiiic, and stands on a small topjc about 400
yards fn ni the sea. and three or four miles from the main road. It is
about Hve leet high. and. having been enclosed hv a stout iron railing,
l» In :.n excellent state uf prc!<r\ation.

In these wanderings the pioneers had to
contend not only with the natural difficulties of
mountain and Hood, and with dangerous wild
animals such as elephants, lions, and buffaloes, but
they had ever to be on the watch to protect their
flocks from the ravages of the jackal, the wild dog,
and the hyena.

At fixed intervals all along their route can still
be seen little buildings in the shape of a domestic
oven, and, if one questions the descendants t.f these
indomitable pioneers regarding the meaning of the
said erections, he will be told that they were
Kolf-liiiizen (wolf houses) built by the old trekkers.
Never could more than two sclioflcii be made in
one day — that is to say, the rate of progress never
exceeded more than twelve miles per diem. A
" schoff " would be two hours by wagon, — i.e.
about six miles. And all along the route the
country was infested with hyneas, or, as the Dutch
called them, wolves.

This animal was a cowardly brute by day, but
most ferocious by night. Other beasts could be
scared by hre, but for this the hyena cared nothing.
A sheep, or a new-born lamb for preference, he
would have, and, in spite of fire, gun. or the
presence of man himself, he generally got whatever
lie wanted. So that at last this plan of laying
a trap for him was hit upon. A little oven-shaped
building of solid stone was constructed with a
door just wide eiiou li for the wolf to creep
through. A kind of tr.,p door was made, so that
when once the animal entered the oven he would
touch a spring, and thus cause the door to fall
and imprison him. Behind the oven a ewe and
a new born lamb were securely fastened to a
stake for the purpose of luring the depredator to
his destruction. The watchers lay round the trap
in a semi-circle so as to protect the sheep, while
the track leading to the erection was left
unguarded.

The pathetic bleating of sheep and lamb snoii
brought Mr. Hyena to the spot. Being as discreet
as he was cunning, he preferred to take the course
which presented to him the least element of
dinger. Hence he wculd jiroceed very cautiously,
led on by the continuous bleat of the decoy until
the doorway of the trap was reached. Invitingly
it stood open, and, frightened almost to death by
the presence of its enemy, which although unseen,
was nevertheless betrayed by its odour, the
distress of both ewe and lamb would be redoubled,
as would also be their struggles to escape from
their dreaded foe. Anticipating a delicious meal,
the prudence of the intruder is thrown to the
winds. Into the trap he rushes, the door falls
with a thud, and he finds himself a prisoner
without hope of escape. There he languishes
mi.serably until sheer starvation at length [nits an
end to his existence.

But cleverer foes were the jackals and the
wild dogs, for the latter were the most dangerous

IXTRODUCTORY.

enemies the sheep fanner had to contend with.
The tiger will kill until he is satiated, the hyena
may be satisfied with a ewe or a lamb a night,
the jackal will prowl about during the hours of
darkness only, and may easily be scared by hres
and by \yatchmen. The wild dog, howeyer, raids
both by night and by day. Nor will he kill. No
watchman v.^ill prevent him from attacking a flock.
In pack i of from six to twenty, these pests will
run yelping among the sheep, snap at each animal
they meet, and tear great strips of quiyering flesh
from the liying bodies. They do not take the
trouble to kill, and deyour the carcase. When
such a pack got among a flock, hundreds of poor
animals were maimed before assistance could
arriye. When once they had tasted blood,
moreoyer, they would not hesitate to attack their
human foes, and cases are on record of young
boys and girls being torn to pieces by these
ferocious hounds.

Thus the trekkers had eyer to be on the watch.
Neyer for a minute were the gun, the bullet pouch,
and powder flask out of reach. Eyery morning,
after prayers and coffee, the tirst thing that
occupied attention was the simp Irian, or, as it
later grew to he called, bavia.m bonl. Flints were
carefully examined and sharpened, the pan and
touch hole properly cleaned, the barrel thoroughly
oiled, and often, too, the bullets were moulded,
because at any moment some lion, tiger, or wild
dog might make its appearance.

This reminds one of the anecdote of the Koetze
wagon. The schof of the day had been a
particularly long one, and twilight was deepening
when the place for outspanning was decided
upon. .All the men were busy with the oxen and
flocks and arranging the laager for the night, while
the women were getting the evening meal ready.
Watch fires had not yet been lighted. One lad of
fifteen was left to keep guard with his gun.
Suddenly and unexpectedly an immense lion
appeared on this busy scene, and made his
presence known by a deafening roar. Men and
women rushed to the wagons for weapons or
protection. Confusion reigned supreme when a
shot was heard, and the lion rolled headlong oyer,
in front of the patriarch's wagon, dead as a door
nail. And there was young Gert Koetze, with
smoking gun, unconcernedly looking at the brute
he had just shot. Danger oyer, clown stepped the
patriarch from the \yagon and marched up to the
young giant, hat in hand. " Neef, wie is u, als ik
yragen mag " ? — '' Sir, who are you, if I may
ask ? " " Kyk, ik ben pa's zoon Gert." — " Why, I
am pa's son Gert " — wasthe reply. But so sudden
had been attack and deliverance that, quite dazed,
the old man repeated the question ; and it was
some time before he could be made to understand
that it was his own son who had rid them of their
dangerous foe. And so every family of these
pioneers has some anecdotes to relate of dangers

encountered and overcome m those brave days,
of old, when every mule was bra\e and every
female virtuous.

But these were the least of the dangers. It
was thecontinual onslaughts on man and beast by
the cunning and swift-footed aborigines which
were most feared. If the pioneer had to be
watchful to guard against the attacks of wild beasts,
he had to be doubly vigilant to guard against
the attack, surprise, or ambush of a foe — brave,
watchful, ubiquitous. The Hottentots of the
Attaqua, Outeniqua, and T'zitzikama attended him
on his travels, and wherever opportunity offered
they would be ready for attack. The farmer
might ensure his safety by laagering his wagon, and
tilling the spaces between his wheels with thorn
bushes, but when it came to such a pass he was.
sure to lose his flocks.

The whole route was therefore a continual
scene of strife. The pioneers were always
successful in defeating their foes, but the
Hottentots were often able to drive off the farmer's
flocks, and sometimes even managed to capture
his oxen. When beaten, they would melt away
into the dark ravines of the surrounding mountains,
only to reappear at localities more favourable to
themselves, and there repeat their favourite
methods of attacking and harassing the white
man. Isolated cases occurred in which they
were able to cut off and put to death the hunters
who had strayed too far from the main body in
their ardent pursuit of such game as would
replenish the larder of the expedition. So also
there are cases on record in which the Outeniqua
Hottentots succeeded in carrying off children of
the pioneers, who were never recovered, and who,
it is surmised, have grown up among the blacks,
and become entirely assimilated with them in
habits, customs, and nationality. In fact cases
are also on record in the Oudtshoorn district,
(immediately North of the Kamnatie Mountains,
where, about fifty years after this trek, when
white farmers first began to settle between the
Zwart Berg and Kamnatie ranges), of half breds,
men and women, among the native tribes, and it
is accepted that they were the descendants of
those young men and women captured by the
Hottentots.

As the pioneers gradually settled down along
Long Kloof, the contest between white and black
waged very keenly at tirst. At one place some
eight Dutchmen were surprised and slain by th6
combined Outeniqua and T'zitzikama tribes.
Moordenaars Kuil (Murderer's Den), is the name
of the locality to this day.

But gradually these tribes w'ere subdued, and
were either captured and made slaves, or became
voluntary servants of the farmers, the men acting
as herds and the females as the domestic servants.
So complete was the subjugation of these tribes

IXTKODUCTORY

that thev lost every vestij,'e of nationality. Thf ir
weapons disappeared, as did also their slijiht
knowledj^e of art. No loni,'er did they induli,'e in
tlie elaborate carvinjjs on their assejjais, or on the
heads of their arrows. The art of smelting copper
was lost. They forgot the manner of dressing
the skins which served them for clothing. Indeed,
their very language was lost. The few words that
now remain to us of the original Hottentot
tongue are the names of a few of the prominent
natural features, Outeniqua and Attaqua Moini-
tains, Gamka River and Karroo (a name which
the Dutch settler thought most appropriate for the
drv and arid jirairie King between the Midland
and Northern ranges). The Hottentot accepted
without demur the position of bondman in a
countrv which he liad at first occupied as lord
of the soil, and by rep.son of his lazy and inert
nature he soon ceased to trouble about his
language, customs, or nationalitv, and not only
accepted with gratitude the food and clothing given
him by his master, but also took the trouble of
learning his language and of forgetting his own.

Of his religion we know very little. He did
have some idea of a Supreme Being, but it was
very faint. There was one insect to which
he paid his devotions, an insect of the grasshopper
tribe, still known as the Hottentot God. He
had some idea of a future state, and was
immensely superstitious. He was alwavs in great
fear of his ancestors' spirits, and would never by
any chance visit the graves of any of his dead. He
had some idea of legendarv lore. Many are the
legends extant, now told in Dutch, but originally
of Hottentot origin, concerning the beasts of the
earth, the lion, wolf, and tiger. To him the
tortoise was the wisest, the fox the most cunning,
the lion the strongest and the bravest, the wolf the
most foolish and cowardly oi all the animals. But
his patriotic and national spirit, if he ever had
any, entirely disappeared with his complete
absorbtion as the white man's slave.

The inHuence of the Hottentot servants upon
his conqueror can to this day be traced in his
intense superstition, and to some extent in his
language. Hottentot women became the nurses
of the Boer children, and, in manv cases, their
foster mothers. Up to the age of "ten thev had
complete control of childhood. They "would
frighten the lives out of the poor little ones with
weird tales of spooks and evil spirits, and instilled
into their minds st) tixed a belief in the super-
natural that it renvtined for life. Up to this day,
in the backveld districts of the Colonv, and still
more so in the Transvaal and in Bec'huanaland,
the fear of ghosts is so great that neither men nor
women will sleep alone in a dark room, or will even
venture out of the house of an evening. Candles
are kept alight in the bedrooms the whole night
long. Every one has some tale to tell of an
<.-ncounter with the spiritual world. This belief in

ghosts is strengthened bv Biblical stories ; and if
vou question it, or trv to prove how silly it is, or
how impossible the common stories are, examples
are immediately quoted from scripture to show
that the departed are sometimes allowed to revisit
this earth, and texts from scripture are adduced
for the purpose of proving the orthodoxy of the
fables and the heterodoxy of the sceptical. In
fact, a man who does not share the belief in
spooks is looked upon as a rank heretic.

Then as to the language. Naturallv, the
Hottentot having to unlearn his own and to pick
up a highly inflexional mode of speech, got rid,
so far as he could, of grammatical particles and
verbal change, and, as he had most to do with the
children of the Boer, these latter would of course
speak the language their nurses employed,
especially as it was untrammelled bv grammatical
distinction of gender and the various inflexions of
the noun, adjective, pronoun and verb. We must
remember, too, the absence of education. School-
masters were scarce, and when one was obtained
he was usually a man who knew verv little more
than his emplovers. He \^•as generallv some army
deserter or runaway sailor. The language of the
schoolmaster, instead of counteracting the
tendency to simplifv a cumbrous language, would
more often assist it. Besides, there was the
natural tendency to get rid of inflexions so far as
intelligibility would allow, so that the highly
inflected language of Holland, which was spoken
to a certain extent when the trekkers left Cape
Town, Stellenbosch, and Paarl, arrived at an
uninflected stage in the Cape Colonv in less than
a century, while in England a similar language,
influenced by Dane, Norman, and French, had
required eight centuries to bring it to the simple
grammatical stage of to-dav.

But the influence of the Hottentot was not
only exercised on the grammar, but also upon the
vocabulary. There were certain sounds thev
could not do awav with, e.g., the consonantal
.s(7/. What the Dutchman called a scluuip. the
Hottentot would persist in calling a skonp. Again,
the (/;/ was too much for the brown man. He
could come no further than the gutteral i;. Thus,
(TchI would sound to him <;^', luiclil inig, etc. Then
again the sounds given to the symbol (• and /
would mix themselves up in his speech, and when
he had to sav in he would sav I'li, and 'I'iir I'crsn.
These little slips he would perpetuate in words of
more thah^)ne syllable.

Had it not been for the counteracting influence
of the predikant, who was bound to visit every
family of his congregation once a year, and of the
domine or zieken bezoeken (sick visitor), who did
the rounds somewhat oftener, for the quarterly
visit of the farmer to the nearest dorp for the
Nachtmaal celebration, or for the preparation of
the young people for the conlirmation (when the
Heidelberg catechism had to be thoroughly known),

IXTRODUCTORY.

tlie laiigiKige of the Cape Colony of to-dav would
have been a thorough jumble of bad Dutch and
Cape Hottentot. Luckily, too, the Dutch palate
could not stand the Hottentot click, so that the
vocalularv, though influenced in the pronunciation,
remained Dutch.

Next to the Bible and Gezangen and
Catechisatie Book, there was one other volume to
be found in the Boer's lilirary, and that was a
Dutch translation of the German L'lilt'r spicgd, a
term which has become proverbial in this country
under the guise of Cilspecl, and is still extensively
used as a name for one who is an egregious ass.

Unfortunatelv the inHuence of the Hottentot
did not stav there. He was bv nature a liar and
a thief. He would rather, in the little events of
everyday life, when he was in a corner, employ
cunning and falsehoods to get out of his difficulty,
than act straightforwardly and speak the truth.
The greatest liar was the man most honoured in
his tribe. This idea of morality was grafted upon
the Boer youngsters, and unfortunately sprouted
into an unhealthy stock. Hence the almost
proverbial untruthfulness of the South African
youth of to-day. To his influence, too, may be
attributed the " slimness " of the Boer. Again,
being cunning and untruthful, the Hottentot
would naturally be suspicious. He merely judged
others by himself, and could not possibly believe
that there was such a thing as honesty or truth ; so
that he was always on the watch for something quite
the contrary to the actions and words of those
with whom he came into contact. This trait
could be ()nl\- too readily implanted upon the
young and tender mind of human frailty. The
Dutch boy or girl was ever on the watch that
Number One should not suffer, and that he should
not be over-reached. So the tendency grew with
the growing youth, and when the stage of
manhood was attained, suspicion became so firmly
rooted that it was impossible to be eradicated.
This accounts for the suspicious character of the
Boer farmer of to-dav.

The moral influence of the Hottentot upon the
trekker was thus decidedly bad, and one to be
deplored ; but his services in the country, and the
lessons he taught his master in his natural life and
surroundings, were invaluable. He was intimately
acquainted with the veld, which was his home.
He knew the best country for grazing oxen, sheep,
or horses. He could tell when water was to be
found on the surface or below it, by signs known
only to himself, but which he imparted to his
favourite kli'iii buns.

It is remarkable that the Hottentot became
violently attached to the Boer children ; in fact,
he lavished upon them all his affection to the
detriment of his own brood, and to them he
imparted the secrets of the veld. He was well
skilled in the nature of the country, and could tincl

his way across the pathless wilds by natural
landmarks, and by the sun, and this knowledge
obtained from observation he imparted to his foster
child. He was a good weather prophet, too ; the
chirping of the grasshopper, the flight of the lors
(a kind of beetle), the habits of animals, the
droop of the leaf, and so on, all had their
signiiicance to him as regards the weather, and
from them he could foretell dry or wet, wind or
storm. But his foiic lav in tracking man and
beast. This art was a necessity to him, surrounded
as he was by his great enemy the Bushman, and
dependent as he was upon game for his sustenance.
This he communicated to his foster child until
he also could track, although he never became
quite such an adept in the art as his tutor. To
the farmer, as well as to the Hottentot, this art of
spoor siiviiig (tracking), as he called it, was
indispensable. Though not so dependent on game
as his servant, yet hunting came to him as a relief,
and varied the monotony of his otherwise humdrum
existence, while game was a welcome addition and
change to his larder. Then, as he was ever trekking,
it was no wonder that his cattle or sheep would stray,
and if he could not trace them they would be lost.
But most of all was it necessary for him to know
the difference of footprints, because wherever he
went, there he was followed by his inveterate
enemy the Bushman ; and if he could not tell the
difference between the spoors of the Hottentot and
Bushman, he would soon find himself ambushed,
probably with a few poisoned arrows sticking
into him, or, if not so bad as that, yet with a good
number of his cattle lost for ever.

Last, but not least, was the knowledge of the
herbs of the country, their medicinal qualities,
and the production from them of simple remedies
for various diseases. This the Hottentot possessed
piir cxciilcncc, so that far removed from what Dr.
Dowie would call Doctors, Drugs, and Devils, the
Hottentot was the one mediciner to whom the
farmer could turn in moments of distress. And
many and many of the homely remedies used to-day
in the Dutch homes of the Karroo and in Bushman-
land originally obtained from the Hottentot.

Thus the Hottentot, though the bondman of
the Dutch farmer, played a great part in shaping
his language, forming his moral character,
and teaching him the mysteries of the veld.

If the Hottentot accepted his position as bond-
man to the Dutch, not so the Bushman — the
Ishmael of South Africa. He followed the Dutch
trekker wherever he went, but always as an
enemy. Generally speaking, the Bushman was
the mountaineer' of South Africa. The gi-eat
cavities which the elements in the course of cen-
turies had hollowed cut cf the mountain rocks
formed his home. There he brought his art of
painting to the highest possible state of perfection
of which he was capable. Along the slopes of
the various mountain ranges he has left his mark

IXTRODrCTORY.

in the c;ivcs he was wont to inhabit. He used to
varnish the walls with some compound of vegetable
and animal matter, and on this smooth surface he
would depict in red. yellow, and blue the animals,
the ostriches, and, later, the men on horseback he
had seen — perhaps, too, his wife and children.
To-day there are still to be seen drawings of
the ostrich, either fighting or "waltzing," or
running from its pursuer the zebra ; the various
fauna of the country, the lion and the elephant, all
of which represented sport and food for him. Here
also are to be found the faces of men, women and
children, and here, too, he kept an account of
something or other — time, or the number of
animals slain bv him, or foes despatched. All
along the walls are short lines in threes, coloured
blue, red. and vellow alternately, all marked in a
back-handed manner, such as a left-handed
man would employ when writing, or drawing
straight lines. Later (because fresher and
better drawn) are the pictm-es of men on horse-
back, with tall hats and the never failing gun — the
Boer, in fact, with whom he had for the first time
come in contact. He must have held the Hotten-
tot in the utmost contempt, for nowhere have we
ever come across a painting representing the Hot-
tentot. Whatever had anything of interest to the
Bushman he depicted upon the walls of his cave,
but we have neither seen nor heard of anv pic-
ture of the Hottentot, though he used to wage
fierce war upon him. The Bushman had no Hocks
or domesticated animals. His herds and flocks
were the wild animals and the wild goats of the
country ; his poultiy, the ostrich, paauw, korhaan,
and other wild birds. Where his haunts are to be
discovered there will be found innumerable, shells
of ostrich eggs. His palate must have possessed
an element of fastidiousness I He was the real
wild man of the South African wastes. He lived
only upon animal food. \'egetables he eschewed
as a diet, and he employed vegetable matter onlv
as a poison for the barb of his arrow. Wild and
fierce, nothing could induce him to al er his habits.
Consequently, when he came into contact with the
Dutch farmer, it was war for the mastery of the
country at first, and war to the death afterward;..
Never did he cease to harass his white enemy. As
long as there was one of his own tribe alive, he
never allowed himself to be captured.

On the slopes of the Attaqua mountains, near
Robinson's Pass, there is a cave which is still
shown by the Heyns family as the scene of the
last stand made by some fifteen Bushmen who had
been cornered by the Boers. There, with their
bows and arrows, ensconced behind their hastily
erected schantz, they offered a resistance until
every one of them was slain. During these fights,
by tiie way, it was their custom to place the ends
of their bows between the great and ne.xt toes, and
then to draw the strings with their hands to the
utnii St tension. At length, when no more arrows
came whistling through the clefts in this schantz,

the farmers cautiously approached until thev saw
the bodies of their enemies lying about stiff and
stark. Then they rushed into the fortress, and found
(so determined were these diminutive creatures
to retain their freedom) that the remaining
few' had continued shooting with their bows and
arrows till the Hesh of the great toe and the first
finger and thumb had been worn to the bone.

Sometimes it happened that a bov or girl was
captured in infancy, but even then their wild
nature would sooner or later break out As soon
as the bov could walk and run long distances he
was off, whilst it was a sayi g among the farmers
at that the Bushman girl would stav until she arrived
at womanhood. \Vhen in captivity they were
obstinate and sullen, never to be trusted for a
moment, for, on the slightest provocation they
would wreak their \engeance upon man, w^man
or child bv attempted murder. Though far less
numerous than the Hottentots, and lacking even
their little organization, yet thev continued to
harass the farmer wherever he went. On the trek
they were ever vigilant to ambush him, to cut off
his herds, to waylay his hunters, to steal or kill his
horses, or to slay his wife ;ind children. They
never carried away white babies like the Hotten-
tots used to do on occasion. When they found a
stray infant they killed it. Where the farmer
settled, they would haunt the adjoining mountains
with the object of plundering him if the shghtest
opportunity offered, indeed these people seemed
to be ubiquitous. D;:l he go out into the veld
alone, as sure as sun-up the white man would be
subject to the Bushman's attentions. Did he take
sufficient men with him, his homestead would be
just as certain of an unwelcome visit from these
objectionable neighbours. Did he for an hour
allow himself and dependants to sleep at night
without a watch, that would be the time the Bush-
man would raid his kraal, and probablv attack his
homestead, or try to burn it to the groinid.

To protect himself from these raids the farmer
used to build a little cvlindrical shaped tower be-
tween the house and kraal, loopholed all round
and commanding vieus of both home and fold.
Here he would spend night after night with his
grown-up sons watching, and awaiting the attack
of the Bushman. These " rondables" (round
towers) as they were called, are still to be seen on
the oldest farms in the Longkloof and in other parts
of the country.

Anecdotes dealing with these attacks are
numerous. On one occasion, for instance, an old
farmer of the name of Louw happened to be the
only male on his farm. His wife and a voung
daughter of about eleven had remained at home
with the father. It was about five in the afternoon
of the 13th October, when the old man, leaning
over the lower half-door to enjov the cool south-
east breeze, was suddenly hit bv a poisoned arrow
just below the breast bone. He plucked out the

IXTRODUCTORY.

missile, snatched up his gun and tired a few shots
at the skiili-cing enemy. Finding his end drawing
nigh, he went and lay down on his bed, where he
expired within an hour of his having received
his wound. His wife, according to custom,
went into the kitchen to heat the night cap to put
on the dead man's head. The foe, led by a runaway
Bushman, on perceiving this, immediatelv stormed
into the house. Rushing into the kitchen they de-
spatched the wife by stabbing her with assagais,
and left the young girl dead (as they thought) with
thirteen assagai wounds. When they had ran-
sacked the place they retired to the kraal to cele-
brate the occasion by gluttonous feasting. But an
old Hottentot woman managed to get into the
house unobserved. She found the master and his
wife dead, but the nonnie (little miss), although
severely wounded, still breathed. She caught the
child up, wrapped her in a skin kaross, and man-
aged to escape with her to a neighbouring tarm,
some thirteen miles off. Here the young girl re-
covered after a lingering illness, and, in the course
of time, became the happv mother of a family of
thirteen. Some of her grandchildren are still
alive, and the very place where the great grand-
father was shot is still pointed out by his descen-
dants at Groot Toon, while the old homestead is
kept in its original state by the present proprietor,
a lineal descendant of old Klaas Louw.

All along the route of these old trekkers. too,
where the old homesteads are preserved, Bushman
relics are to be found. The race has disappeared,
leaving no mongrel representatives behind them.
They either died fighting, or, when they found
themselves vastly outnumbered bv their white and
brown enemies, they fled northwards ; but not one
single instance is known where a Bushman remained
in slavery, or a woman of the tribe lived on terms
of intimacy with brown or white.

The only indications which show that these men
had lived in that part of the Colony are the paint-
ings which adorn the caves, and such relics as
arrows, arrow-heads shaped like harpoons, and
round stones, with a hf)le through the centre, which
are still to be found in the old Dutch homesteads.
The last-named implements must have been used
as weights for the sticks with which they used to
dig for roots for the vegetable poisons and pigments,
or to raise up the anthills, in which thev found then-
beloved rice — the larv;e of the white ant. These
stones are of various sizes, some weighing a couple
of pounds, others onlv an ounce or two. Others,
again, were of intermediate weights. Probablv the
heaviest were used bv men, both as a weight and
as a weapon ; the intermediate ones by the women
in their digging process, whilst the smaller were
possibly used by the voungsters as tovs, when
imitating the actions of their elders. Their arrows
were made of bone, smelted copper, and iron. In
warfare and in hunting these were tipped with vege-
table poisons. What their pigments were made of
nobodv can say with anv degree of confidence, but

it has been noticed that wherever these paintings
are discovered, there, too, will be found a clay like
fuller's earth, of the three different colours "com-
monly employed — red, blue and yellow.

One more characteristic shows the Bushman
not to ha\e been an absolutely wild man. He
could paint, and he also possessed a knowledge of
fortification. His haunts, when near to the resi-
dence of the white man, were cleverly fortified
with rocks and stones, so that when pursued he
would retreat thither, and there he would fight to
the death when attacked. Some of these fortresses
are still in existence, and are called sjhantzes by
he Boers.

Socially, therefore, the Boer had nothing to do
with the Bushman, and he has consecjuently dis-
appeared entirely from the greater part of this
country. His lasting inHuence on the pioneer,
consequently, has been practically nil. True it is that
when he dwelt in the land he caused the trekker
to be vigilant, careful, and ever ready for a fight.
He sharpened his white foe's knowledge of track-
ing, but not a word has he added to the Boer
vocabulary, nor did he inHuence his character for
good or evil.

Such were the difficulties and foes the old
trekkers, ';oing eastward, encountered in their
march ; nut resolution, pluck, and sheer doggedness
caused them in time to surmount every obstacle.
But as the white man was steadily turning
his face to the east, there was another race coming
from the north-east, marching south and west
along the coast, killing and laying waste whatever
came in their path. This was the black man.
The whites had found in the brown Hottentot and
Bushman two very hard nuts to crack. The latter
was a persistent enemy until he was exterminated.
But now the trekker was to meet with a foe who
v.as much more clever, who possessed splendid
organization, a fervent martial spirit, and, added to
.ill this, a determined bravery ecjual. or nearly so,
to his own. Then when he thought to settle down
peaceably, and live the easy and contented life of a
border grazier, he found that he still had to fight
the fight for the mastership over again, and this time
with a foe who outnumbered him — fierce, cruel,
merciless, and brave. It was with a fierce joy that
he filled his pipe, cleaned and loaded his gun, and
with Dutch phlegm prepared himself to meet his
black adversary, safe in the faith that though the
fight were hard and long, yet, being God's own,
lie must eventually succeed in driving the black
man back from whence he had come, and occupying
as his own the rich and fertile territories conquered
;-nd overrun bv the aborigine.

It was ni 1786, during the iri<iiiic of Governor
van der Gr.iaff, that the white pioneer and the
black marauder first met. Eight of the pioneers
had gone on an elephant hunt, when they were
suddenly attacked by the Gaika Kosas and were

IXTRODUCTORY.

slain to a man. Just then higher politics occupied
the attention of the Colonists, and no immediate
attempt at retaliation was made. The great ques-
tion between the Orange party and the Republican
French partv in the Netherlands had reached even
the furthest pioneer of South Africa. The mono-
polist n\i;iiiu- of the Company, unjust taxation, and
the overbearing behaviour of the colonial ot^cials
had disgusted the Dutchman. He was leading a
free and easy life, and it seemed to him tliat the
Republican party of Holland was synonymous with
freedom. So the burghers, the corn and wine far-
mers, and the graziers were all ready to throw in
their lot with that party. The Colony was prac-
tically in a state of revolt. They refused to pay
taxes, and would have none of the officials ap-
pointed by the Company. To make matters
worse, the Government was in the hands of a weak,
vacillating invalid at a crisis when a strong, resolute
man was wanted. He could only meet this serious
state of affairs with empty menaces which he had
no means of carrying out. Xot only was he weak
but insincere. The burghers were openly repub-
lican. In fact the Graaff-Reinetters had already
expelled their landdrost and had declared them-
selves a Republic in alliance with the Republicans
at Iionie, and their example was followed by
the inhabitants of the district of Swellen-
dam. Governor Sluysken and his officials were
Orangemen at heart, and, though pretending to be
in sympathy with the patriots in South Africa,
were onlv awaiting an opportiinitv to betray the
countPi'. The Colony was thus in a sad state in
1795. Revolt among the burghers and pioneers,
treachery among the officials, want of money and
troops to defend the country from threatened inva-
sions by the black man on the eastern border, and
from the great rival of the Netherlands from sea-
ward, would seem cause enough to have plunged
the country into total ruin and desolation.

The Governor tried, in his weak, vacillating wav,
to keep the black man out by entering into a treaty
with Gaika. The Great Fish River was to be the
eastern boundary of Dutch South Africa. No
white man was to cross the boundarv, except for
the purpose of hunting or trade. Tlie black man,
too, was to be conlined to the east of tliat river.
This treaty was distasteful to both nations. The
white pioneer had already treated these boundary
placaats with disdain, and was readv to do so
again. He had his wagon, which could at a
moment's notice be turned into a fort bv interlacing
the spaces between the wheels witli the spiked
mimosa, while he and his sons were ever
armed with their never-failing guns, and these the
fem.des of the party had been taught to load.
With tliese factors in his favour he resolved to
brave the terrors of the black's ferocity. But be-
fore he could do so the Kosas themselves settled
the matter by storming across the treaty boundary
and establishing themselves in the Zuuiveld.

Fortunately for the whites, the Kafirs just at

this time were divided into two parties. Gaika,
the chief, was a young man. He had been reared
by an uncle of his, called Ndlambe. When the
voung man assumed the reins of jiower Ndlambe
felt his power gone. So he instilled distrust ;;mong
the Kosas, especiallv after the treaty with Sluvsken,
and the great Gaika tribe was split up into two
factions, one following the chief and the other
Ndlambe. The result was a great battle in which
Gaika was defeated, and he tied into the country of
the Kei. He recouped his forces, howe\ er, and re-
turned to defeat his powerful rival. Ndlambe with
his followers then Med from Gaika's vengeance
across the Fish River and westward into the white
man's countrv, and established themselves in the
Zuurveld. The Governor again had recourse to
diplomacv. Instead of calling his burghers
together and driving the Kafirs out, he sent an
embassv first to the invaders, pointing out to them
that they had broken the treaty, and asking them
to re-cross the Fish River. Of course the answer
was that it was fear of Gaika which kept them
there. The Governor then approached the Kafir
chief, who made fair promises about the policy he
would pursue with regard to his rebel kinsman and
his followers, if thev would only return and be
loval to him. But, being Kafirs, they would not
trust the honeved promises of the Kafir chief, and
so thev stayed.

lust then, too. came the news that tiie Prince of
Orange had Bed to England, and had called upon
the British Government to take possession of the
Dutch Colonies in order to prevent them from
fallnig into the hands of the French. With this
request the British Government was onlv too ready
to comply. A great expedition was being fitted
out to take over the Cape Colony. This news for a
time brought something like union amongst the
people. The Governor and his officials " talked
big" about defending the Colony to their last drop
of "olood. The burgners allowed themselves to be
persuaded of their sincerity, and enrolled them-
selves into a defensive force throughout the countiy.
Everywhere preparations were \ igorously carried
on to keep the Colony Dutch, and anxiously were
the burghers awaiting the arrival of the English.
Even the Hottentots entered into the spirit of the
thing, and, wherever the Boers had banded tiiem-
selves into a defensive force, there too was a Hot-
tentot levy to be found. The great point was first to
settle the dispute with the English. Tiie questions
of Republic, Swellendam, and Graall-Reinet were
kept in abeyance, and no thought could possibly
for a moment be given to Ndlambe's Kosas, or to a
trek eastward of the Fish River. Every available
man was wanted to defend the country from the sea-
ward. At last the anxiously expected lleet arrived.
The Governor was summoned to surrender the
Colony to the English General, to be held for the
Prince of Orange. Though at heart an Orange-
man, Sluysken returned a forcible answer. He
stated that he and his forces would not surrender

IXTRODUCTORY.

the Colony to the friends of the fugiti\x- prince, and
would defend it to the last man. We know what
the result was. A few days after this magnificent
reply Cape Town was in the hands of the English.
Hardly any fighting had taken place. Such re-
sistance as was made was offered by the Dutch
burghers and their Hottentot levies. But though
the capital had been betrayed into the hands of the
English, the sturdy pioneers of the east were not
going to submit so tamely.

The Graaff-Reinetters once again declared
themselves a Dutch Republic in alliance with their
Republican compatriots in Holland, and vigorously
prepared themselves for resistance. Help was
promised them by the French, and, as a matter of
fact, the French frigate La Peruse^ of 36 guns,
accompanied by a barque, was despatched from
Mauritius with ammunition, provisions, and cloth-
ing for the Republicans. These ships sailed into
Algoa Bay, on whose shores was a small burgher
commando waiting to receive the much needed
supplies. But the English were on the watch, and,
shortly after the Frenchmen had anchored, the
Dlilo frigate sailed in. A sharp engagement
followed and lasted a few hours. In the end
the Frenchmen were obliged to haul down their
fla,gs, and the stores so much needed by the
Republicans found their way to English arsenals.
Thou.gh staggered by this severe blow, the Dutch-
men would not acknowledge themselves beaten.
Even after the Swellendammers had laid down
their arms, these sturdy pioneers held out. The
English generals, averse to shedding blood,
endeavoured by forbearance and kindliness to
bring these trekkers into line, but when they
found success did not crown their efforts, they
resolved to starve them into submission. No inter-
course or trade of any kind was allowed between
the Dutch west of Graaff-Reinet and the Republi-
cans. A small force of soldiers was sent to patrol
the borders, and so well were these measures
carried out that hunger and want did what fighting
could not bring about. Unable to obtain clothing,
ammunition, or groceries, they at last submitted to
the conquerors. This they did because a greater
danger was threatenmg them. The Kafirs east and
west of the Fish River were threatening a raid on
a grand scale. Such an invasion could only be
successfully stopped by the combined action of all
the whites. Dutch burgher and English soldier
would be required to the last man to stem the
black tide which was about to roll westward.
I'nfortunately, too, some of the Hottentots had
become dissatisfied. Headed by a renegade Hot-
tentot of the name of Stuurman, they joined the
Kafirs, and were getting ready for a ,grand invasion
with the object of driving the white men into the
sea. Xolciisroh-iis, the Republicans were forced to
submit. Even then there were some sturdy Dutch-
men who would not come in, but, as they were in
the minority, they at last submitted. Meanwhile
the trekkers were reinforced by a number of their

countrymen from the west, with the idea of moving
eastwards across the Fish into the Kafir territory.

Attempts were again made to induce the Kafirs
in the Zuurveld to retire beyond the river, and
though threatened with expulsion by force, they
refused to evacuate the countiy. Both negotia-
tions and threats signally failed, and the Kafirs
remained to work dire evil. The farmers, rein-
forced by their western compatriots, who preferred
the' free life of a grazier to the strict and monopo-
listic reisimc instituted by Lord Macartney, were
finding themselves numerically strong enough to
assail the Zuurveld Kafirs. Thus both parties were
getting ready for a desperate encounter.

After Lord Macartney's return to England, and
during the Governorship of General Dundas, the
Graaff-Reinetters revolted once again. The im-
mediate cause of the rebellion was the arrest of
Adriaan Van Jaarsveld. A number of burghers
attacked the escort that was conveying him to
Cape Town, and set him free. This insurrection
was soon stamped out by General Vandeleur.
Whilst these events were proceeding, Ndlambe
was on his way to attack Gaika, and whenever he
came to a Dutch farm in the Zuurveld he burned
it. The farmers fled before the horde of Kosas,
and lost all they had. The track of the Kafir chief
was marked by blazin.g farm houses, and, in some
cases where the farmers were overtaken, by ghastly
and mutilated corpses. General Vandeleur, not
expecting to be attacked by the Kosas, was on his
way back to Cape Town, after having received the
submission of the insurgents. But at the Sundays
River he was attacked by a Kafir chief named
Conga. After a hot encounter, the Kafirs who
fought very bravely, were beaten off, but twenty
men, who formed a small reconnoitering party
along the coast, were cut off, and every one of
them killed.

This was the spark to the powder. Burgher
commandos were called out. While they w-ere
assembling, the farmers were molested by the Hot-
tentot allies of the Kafirs. For two months, while
negotiations were carried on with Gaika, the com-
mandos were kept under arms without bein.g
allowed to strike a blow. Dispirited at this in-
action, the farmers returned to their homes. This
w-as the opportunity of the Kosas. Under the im-
pression that the white men were afraid of them,
the Kosa hordes, aided by the Hottentots under
Stuurman, Bozak, and others, burst into the Colony.
Pillage and murder accompanied the raiders ;
almost the whole of that long valley down which
the trekkers had made their weary way was
devastated. The farmers and trekkers collected
in laagers, wherein they were too strong for the
Kafirs to attack ; but the farms were left to the
mercy of the natives. When they had nothing to
gam by prolonging the contest, a peace was patched
up with the Kosas, who retired to their haunts in
1798. This w-as the first of a series of wars be-

ixTRODuawn'.

Uveen the white and black men — a war which,
had the advice of the older Colonists been fol-
lowed, would very likelv have been the first and
last.

Unfortunately, General Dundas did not know
the treacherous character of his black adversaries,
and in mistaken British philanthropy concluded a
peace with the barbarians as if they were a
civilized foe, trusting to the word of the wily Kosa.
This unfortunate policy, so often condemned by
results, so ofteti pursued in spite of facts, was the
cause of the sacrifice of thousands of valuable Hves
and the cost of millions of pounds. Worst of all,
it was this policy of philanthropy which caused a
feeling of distrust among the Dutch towards the
English, and it grew stronger and stronger as time
rolled on. It was found that the Government in
England, guided bv the ojiinion of white mission-
aries, turned Hottentot, like Van der Kemp and
Read, were always so apt to consider the white
man wrong and the black man right. This distrust
at length grew into decided race hatred, which, sad
to say. has not altogether died out in our own day.
It was not only the Kafir who was treated as a
wronged man, but the Hottentot loo.

The hordes who had aided and abetted the late
raid were collected by Dr. \an der Kemp. A grant
of land was given to them by the Government,
near the mouth of the Zwartkops River. Here
a mission station was established, witii Dr. van
der Kemp and Mr. Read as missionaries. These
men seemed to think that to raise the Hottentot
they should sink to his level. The former adopted
Hottentot dress and customs /;( tola, the latter
married a Hottentot woman. In their mistaken
zeal they are credited with having encouraged the
native servants to run away from their white masters,
and represented the Dutch in the blackest colours to
the Cape Governor. This caused the enmity of the
Dutch farmer to mission work. The name of the
station was Betlielsdorp. But these Hottentots did
not stay at Bethelsdoip. They joined the robber
hordes, and it was by these Christianized rene-
gades, aided by some Kahrs, that old Commandant
Tjaart van der Walt was attacked at Koode Wahl,
At the beginning of the hght his eldest son, a young
man, recently married, and father of a few months'
old infant, was mortally wounded. " Father, take
care of my wife and child," said the dying man.
"Be comforted; God will provide for your loved
ones," was the reply of the brave old leader. In
his arms his son breathed his last. The ne.xt day
the old commandant also met his fate. He was the
ancestor of the Van der Walt family, amongst whom
the name of Tjaart is held sacred.

So time rolled on, and the young men of the
west evei- set their faces towards the east when
they arrived at the age of manhood. This was the
state of affairs when, in i8o^, the Peace cf Amiens
was proclaimed, whereby Cape Colony was handed
over to the Netherlands, or Balaviim Republic.

Great was the joy of the Dutch Burghers when the
news arrived. The Burghers had alwajs been in
sympathy with their Republican compatriots. A
return of the days of good old Father Talbagh was
hopefully looked for.

It was on the 20th February, i^'oj, that the
English guards were relieved by the Dutch soldiers.
The ist of March, 1H03, was observed as a cay of
general thanksgivmg because the Colony was re-
stored to the Dutch. The Batavian Repui lie had
chosen two of their ablest men to guide the state
of affairs in the Colony, General Jans.^ens and
Commissary General dc Alist. In October, 1804,
the latter made a tour through the country, to tind
out by personal inspection what the inhabitants in
the districts further removed ftom the Capital had
to complain of. On this tour of inspection he
visited Bethelsdt.rp, and thence proceeded along
the Zwartkops River on his way to Graaff-Reinet.
At Graaff-Reinet he apportioned the boundaries of
a new district, to which General Janssens gave the
name of Uitenhage, a barony of the De Mist family.
This name was given in honour of the Commissary-
General. One of the chief complaints of the far-
mers was that they had to go so long a distance for
the purpose of paying taxes and attending the
Xaclitmaal services. As this new district had been
founded, it seemed advisable that a drostdy and a
church should be built to meet the wants of
the inhabitants. The. selected the farm of a
widow named Scheepers, on the Zwartkops
River, and here, in 1804, was begun the drostoy
which should form tlie iieuclus of the important
town that is now ccicbrating its first Centenary.

As we have devoted some attention to the old
regime of the Netherlands East India Company,
its purposes and ideals in the foundation of this
settlement in South Africa, we might now conclude
our introductory remarks with a brief review of
the new Dutch irgiiiu; which, for its broad-minded
policy and high-toned ideal, is worthy of study by
the enlightened people of the twentieth century.
The old policy of narrow monopoly, oppressive laws
and ta.xauoii, corrupt c fiicials, and insane strife for
centralization, had passed away. The new regime
of tree trade, just laws and honest officials, of ex-
pansion and progress, formed a contrast plea'sant
to contemplate.

The very first duly of Mr. Commissarv-tieueral
de Mist was to make himself acquainted with the
circumstances of the country for the purpose of
preparing a charter to be ccinfirmed bv the States
General.

A Burgher Senate, consisting of a President and
six members, was inaugurated. This number was
afterwards reduced to hve. At the end of every
year one member retired, when a list of four
names was handed to the Governor, from which
he selected one as a successor. In the country
districts the landdrosts were to be the chief repre-

IXTROnrCTORY.

sentatives of the supreme authority. Their powers
and duties corresponded to those of the Civil Com-
missioners and Resident Magistrates of the present
day. In their hands lay the protection of property
and the hberty of the subject. Thev were to main-
tain peace and friendly relations with the aborigines
beyond the border, and to safeguard the interest of
the Hottentots as a free people. Thev were to take
the preliminary evidence in criminal cases, to
arrest criminals and to send them to Capetown for
trial. The interests of slaves were to be looked
after by them, and they had the power to punish
their misdeeds. They could inflict imprisonment
up to six months, and corporal punishment to a
limited number of lashes. Thev also had to safe-
guard the mterests of the Government bv prevent-
ing the alienation of vacant lands, or crown lands,
as they would now be called. To them w.is in-
trusted the duty of fostering education, agriculture,
tree-planting ; in fact everything which tended to
the development of the country.

These men, therefore, had an important part to
play in the growth of this Colony, and in keeping the
stubborn race of colonial farmers within bounds.
This was clearly realised by the Government, and
men were appointed to the office, not bv favour,
but by merit, and during the brief period of the
second Dutch Administration, it seemed as if the
plan was going to turn out a great success. The
arduous duties entailed upon the landdrost would
have been too great a strain, and so, to aid him in
successfully carrying them out, the old plan of a
Board of Heemraden was resorted to. In each
district si.x of the most intelligent, respectable, and
trustworthy of the burghers were elected to form
the council. At these courts the landdrosts presided.
They held jurisdiction in farm boundary disputes,
questions concernmg the impounding ot cattle,
suits connected with auction sales, and even in
civil cases in which the contested amounts did not
exceed three hundred rix-doUars. They performed
the duties of coroners. They had charge of the
making, and keeping in repair of main roads, and
generally of all matters carried on at the expense
of the district. In this court we see the origin of
our present Divisional Councils.

When a new district was formed, the Governor
appointed the Heemraden, but at the end of each
succeeding year the two who had served the
longest retired. The Board then supplied the
Governor with a list of four names, from which he
selected their successors. These courts were held
monthly, in the Stellenbosch and Tulbagh districts,
and quarterly in the outlying districts. In their
judicial capacity they were subjected only to the
High Court of Justice. In criminal cases they had
to report to the Attorney-General. These boards
of the Burgher Senate and Courts of Heemraden
were to be the first step towards a modified form
of representative institutions, somewhat similar to
the Cape Parliament before the introduction of Re-
sponsible Government. They used to be the

political schools in which the respectable portion
of the inhabitants were to be taught the art of
governing the country, of properly controlling its
finances, and of making it worthy of the Free
Charter which Mr. de Mist was drawing up for
the sanction of the States Senate. The Adminis-
tration of Justice also received particular attention.
A High Court of Justice, composed of a President
and six members, was instituted. They were to
be capable and learned jurors, and independent of
the Legislative and Executi\e branches of the
Government. All these judges were to be
appointed by the States Senate, and could only be
removed by them. They held office as long as
they conducted themselves honourably and
impartially, but upon the least taint of bribery or
corruption could be summarily dismissed. In
. this court we see the origin of the Supreme Court
of our time. And the members appointed by the
State Senate were in ever\- way as eminenth^ legal
lights in their day as the members of the Supreme
Court are at present. To them were submitted
the cases which the Landdrost and Heemraden
could not adjudicate, or which were beyond their
control. These formed a Court of Appeal, too, and
in criminal cases they were to confirm or reverse
the decisions of the Lower Courts. The greatest
freedom was allowed in this court, even
in cases of dispute between the Govern-
ment and subjects. The decisions were
absolutely untrammelled by any interference,
and the judgments strictly upheld. The great
idea of ilr. de Mist, himself a judiciary of no
mean order, was to keep the fountain head of
justice pure, so that there could be no excuse for
any miscarriage of justice in the lower tribunals
by citing examples of its failure in the High Court.
And he took care that this ideal should be realised.
So successful was he in this particular that the
Court became a legacy to the country, and, in its
administration of justice, an example to the chief
legal courts of our day. '

The inhabitants of the Colony then were,
generally speaking, stern Calvinists. The Hollander
had brought his religion with him, and to main-
tain it in its purity he had brought with him two
books to whose teachings he tenaciously held-^
the Bible, and the Heidelbergsche Catechisms.
He formed the first pioneer, and, removed from
all social and religious intercourse in the wilds of
South Africa, his ignorance of modern theological
speculation and his lonely life in the desert made
him only the more convinced that his form of wor-
ship was the only correct one. Conservative by
nature, it would ha\'e taken a deal of argument to
prove to him that his position was wrong, had he
been placed in a position to argue. But the cir-
cumstances of his life made it simply impossible to
convince him. Then came the influx of the French
Huguenot, who had given up his all for his form of
worship. The influence exercised by this race
only strengthened the Dutch farmer in his lirm
belief of the absolute inviolability of Cahinism

IXTRODUCTOKY.

<lr;icUi;illv, however, Koman Ciitholics, Lutlierans,
and Jews had drifted into the country. Malays
also, introduced by the Dutch themselves to act as
grooms, cooks, and domestic servants, formed a fair
percentage of the [lopnlation. To all these races
and sects the bigoted Calvinist refused permission
to worship the Deity according to their lights. To
remedv this state of affairs Mr de Mist issued a
proclamation of Religious Toleration. All religious
societies which worsliijiped an Almighty were to
enjov equal rights and protection under the law of
this Colonv, and no one was to be exempted from
public otfice on account of his religion. All
religious communities could freely enjoy their
religious rites, after ha\ing obtained the sanction
of tlie Governor. In Capetown the religions toler-
ation was an accomplished fact. The Roman Catho-
lics and others were allowed to worship God in their
own way without let or hindrance, so that De Mist's
ordinance met with no opposition there ; but unfor-
tunatelv the country bigots could not be brought to
\iew freedom of worship so favourably. Thev be-
lieved themselves to be the chosen of God, that their
form of worship was the only correct one, and all
others wrong, so that it would not onlv be an error,
but a grievous sin to tolerate other forms of worship,
and that it would be followed by dire conse-
quences from an insulted and irate Deity. There-
fore the Ordinance met with a storm of opposition
from the country. Xo chapel, church, or building
for worship, e.xcept for their own creed, would they
-■allow to be built in the country towns. What the
result of this opposition would have been it is, of
course, impossible to say. It is just possible that
it might have caused serious trouble, but before
that could happen the Cape had changed rulers for
the fourth time.

It does sometimes hajipen that a ruler is further
advanced in his ideas of liberty than the ruled. It
certainly was the case with the Government of the
Batavian Republic. Mr. de Mist, the chosen
commissioner of the States General, had been
appointed because of his broad and enlightened
ideas. On the question of religion he certainly
was head and shoulders above the colonists, so
also was he on the matter of education. Did he
strive for toleration in religion, so, too, did he en-
deavour to inculcate the system of undenomina-
tional State education. His idea was to establish a
number of State-aided schools throughout the
Colony, in which children would be taught general
knowledge without being forced to attend the re-
ligiousclassesof Hibleand Catechism teaching. This
system met with the greatest opposition, and the
antagonism reached from Cape Town to the
furthest farmhouse. The pef)ple were determined
that rather than send their children to such
a school they . would not send them to
-school at all. To eliminate the Bible and Catechism,
the psalm and hymn books, from public schools,
would be a sacrilege such as could not fail to bring
down upon their heads the just wrath of Almighty

God. Meeting with such strenuous opposition,
Mr. de Mist was obliged to drop his idea for the
nonce. This very scheme was in after years taken
up bv Sir William Herschel, and on it he based
the modified one of undenominational education
which obtains in our State-aided schools to-day.
There is nothing new under the sun.

In other matters, too, this great man left his
mark upon the country. He it was who induced
the Dutch Government to experiment with the
merino sheep on a large scale, and carried out his
scheme to the immense profit of the Colony.
Viticulture, fruit culture, agriculture, horse and
cattle breeding — in fact everything that tended to
make this country a great and prosperous com-
munity— received his attention, and, backed by the
wider and more enlightened policy of the Batavian
Republic, gave a tremendous impetus to the pro-
gress of South Africa, and great promise of
a vigorous branch of the old Netherlander
stem. But before all these schemes could be
carried out to perfection the new irf^iiiw of the
Netherlander had again been changecl, and once
more the Union Jack waved over South Africa.

The Introduction to " Uitexhage P.ast axd
Present" would not be complete without a brief
reference to what may justly be considered an
incident of local historic interest, considering that
the district of Uitenhage was the scene of the
greater p;irt of the sufferings to which the persons
more particularlv interested were the victims. We
refer to the wreck of the Gros'i'diioi . Mr. D. C. F.
Moodie, in his " History of the Battles, ike, in
Southern Africa," has three long and verv graphic
descriptions of this terrible disaster, from which
we cull the following brief statement : —

The Grosvcnor sailed from Trincomalee on the
13th June, 1782, homeward hound, with a large
crew and a number of passengers, and was wrecked
on the 4th of August foUow-ing on the South
African coast above the Umzimvuhu, near St. John's
River. The greater part of the crew, and
apparently all the passengers, amongst whom were
some British officers of rank, several ladies, and a
number of children, succeeded in reaching the
shore, only to encounter misery and destruction in
worse shape than that they had tirst escaped. Of
all, the souls on board only nine of the European
crew and some of the Lascars succeeded in
reaching Cape Town. The shipwrecked peojile
divided themselves into several parties, and started
on their long march through an unknown and
difficult country, inhabited only by the savage
Kalirs and myriads of wild animals, in the hope
that one at least of the parties would succeed in
winning through. The storv of the sufferings of
the various parties through their long and weari-
some march, of the deaths through sheer fatigue,
starvation, and exposure, of various of the travellers
one by one, of the attacks and general unfriendli-
ness of the natives, of the fear of lions and other

IXTRODl'CTORY.

wild animals, makes terrible readiiii^, and shows
the loss of the Grosi'cnoi to have been one of the
most terrible calamities, in its fearful results, the
history of which has been handed down to us.
Two expeditions were fitted out by the Govern-
ment to go in search of the survivors, but they only
succeeded in finding seven Lascars and three of the
white crew. It is asserted, however, and believed
by some, that three of the young lady passengers,
daughters of General Campbell, were captured by
Kafirs and compelled to become wives of one of
the chiefs. And, indeed, the chief Faku was
commonlv supposed to be a grandson of one of
the Misses Campbell. As opposed to this theory,

however, Mr Jacob Van Reenen, who commanded
one of the expeditions above referred to, states in
his journal, published eight years after the wreck,
that all the European women landed from the
wreck perished soon afterwards. The account of
Van Reenen's journey through the district teems with
incidents of contact with lions, elephants, sea cows,
etc., which shows that ui those days the bush along
the south coast was a veritable hunter's paradise.
It was not until the 15th January, 1783, more than
five months after the wreck, that a few members
of one of the parties reached the farm Zwartkops,
owned bv one Daniel King — the first European
they had met since the wreck.

■^^

— ^=5);

.^^z^

JAN Antony van RiiiBiiEK,

I'IRST GOVF.KXOR Ol" CAPE COI.OXY IXDKK THE Dt TCH AD.MIMSTKA
16^2-1662.

THE FOUNDERS OF FITEXHAGE.

I J go to 1804.

IN the course of the foregoing Introduction we
have traced from their common source the
many '' rills of circumstance" that eventually
led to the founding of Uitenhage. We have
seen how the men of the west, dissatisfied
the lines in which then- lives were cast, turned with
their faces eastward and travelled steadily onwards
until thev finally decided to settle down. We
have seen how the large companies gradually
thinned as family after familv detached themselves
and took up their abodes along the route. In this
way a succession of farui-houses sprang up be-
tween Cape Town and tlie remoter regions of the
east, forming, as it were, the base or foundation
upon which the Colony was to be built ; for, when
further expansion in the direction of Kaffraria was
found to be impossible, the tide turned northward
and Howcd on until it had crossed the Orange and
Vaal Rivers. So much, then, for the general trend
of events that subsequently led to the founding of
Uitenhage; and we mav now turn from the con-
sideration of the general to that of the par-
ticular.

The Founders

Uitenhage

In the vear 1790 Governor Van
tier Graaff received a petition
signs 1 by Gert S:heepers,
Gert Van Rooven, Christoffel
Kock, Janse Van Vuuren, Solomon Vermaak, and
J. Boyce, requesting that they might be allowed to
proceed on a hunting expedition as far as the
eastern border. This innocent request was readily
granted by the Governor, and the adventurers set out
upon their travels. Although the pursuit of game
was nominally the object of the expedition, their
real aim was to spy out the land and to settle down
in peace. They journeyed onwards for many weeks,
and, although their hardships could not be com-
pared with those of the trekkers who had been
the lirst to penetr.it;; into the wilds of the east,
th;ir progress was nevertheless slow and difficult,
notwithstanding the fact that something resembling

a road had gradually been created. This became
worse and worse the further it proceeded, and
when the last farm-house was ultimately passed —
somewhere in what is now known as the Humans-
dorp district — the track came to an end, and from
that moment our iive travellers became the pioneers
of Uitenhage. They patiently cut their way
through the bush, and at length found themselves
on the summit of Red Hill, which stretches along
the bank of the Zwartkops. The scene which
opens out before the spectator as he stands upon
this rise is one of placid beauty, and one can easily
imagine how the eyes of the travellers glistened
when it suddenly burst upon their view. The
sparkling river, unpolluted in those days by the
woolwasheries which were destined to be erected on
its western banks, was carefully explored for miles
in either direction, and the valley was discovered to
be fertile, and possessed of great possibilities both
for stock and cereals. The adventurers decided to
obtain the Governor's sanction to settle here, and
with this object they returned to Cape Town.
They had previously parcelled out large tracts of
land between themselves, and when they reached
the capital they sought His Excellency's permis-
sion to take up their abode in the Zwartkops
Valley. Van der Graaff granted his sanction, but
only did so conditionally. The Sundays River was
then the boundary of the Colony, and the Kaffir
Chief. Conga, was established on the further side
of it. He was a most undesirable neighbour, but
if people cared to settle down in the vicinity of
his kraal they were welcome to do so. The land
was at their disposal, so far as the Government
was concerned, but if the savages disputed their
right to it they must make the best of it, for, in short,
they could expect no protection, and must take all
■ risks. This must have been rather disappointing,
but perhaps it was expected. At all events it
neither damped the ardour of the adventurers nor
coole;l their resolution. They made the necessary
preparations, and in a few weeks' time everything
was ready for the long journey eastward.

THE FOrXDERS OF riTEXHAGE.

It is not difficult for one who has hved in
South Africa to picture the scene. The wagons are
loaded and inspanned. the women are bidding
their friends a last farewell, the men are similarly
occupied, while the natives who are to accompanj-
the expedition have gathered together in animated
little groups, chattering, gesticulating, and talking
with dieir fellows as only a native can. At last
the signal is given. The women mount the
wagons and take their places, the road is clear,
everything is ready. The whip cracks, the o.\en
swerve unsteadily, and then strain forward
together; the wagon creaks and jars and moves
off amid cheering and hand-waving. The other
vehicles follow in close order, and yet another trek
has started for the mysterious regions of the east.
What must have been the thoughts of the friends
who were thus separated ? Who could tell
whether those who were being borne away by the
slowlv retreating wagons would ever again re-visit
the scene of their recent departure ? Those
stoutly built and carefully loaded wagons would
have to be unpacked and taken to pieces
time and again, lowered down precipices in frag-
ments, transported across the bases of dozens of
kloofs, laboriously dragged up the steepest ascents,
and put together again on the opposite summits. At
other times, too, they would be drawn up
in laager, the wheels and interstices would be filled
with formidable thorn bushes, the women and
children would be ensconced in comparative safety
in the hastily formed square, while the men would
take up their positions and face the savages with
their deadly muskets. In what stirring scenes
would those wagons take part ! In short, they
would speedily become to their occupants not only
vehicles, but homes and fortresses as well. And
so, amid a thin cloud of dust, they disappeared
over the eastern horizon, never perhaps to be seen
again, but carrying with them some of the bravest
and most indomitable people that have ever lived
in this land of Good Hope.

As may be imagined, one trek was much the
same as another in those times, just as there is but
little variation in the railway journeys of to-day.
Certainly there was more incident, and -each com-
pany would meet with its own adventures. But
these were mostly all of the same character, and
were chieily made up of troubles caused by natives,
wild .animals. Hooded rivers, and d;uigerous roads.
But at last, after weeks of weary travelling, the
Gamtoos Kiver was crossed, and the track, which
had been roughly cut through the bush by the
pioneers, was entered upon once more. As the
little body of adventurers neared the site of their
future homes one can picture their eagerness to
see it. .And when at last a halt was called on the
brow of Red Hill, it does not require much imagina-
tion to conjure up the spectacle of the group that
w )uld gather round the leader of Ih.- expedition
and gaze in silence upon tile p!eas;uit valley of the
Zwartkops, which, to them, was indeed the
Promised Land. Here they were to live, to work.

and, in all prohabilit\-, to die. What would have
been their thoughts could they but have pierced
the veil of a hundred years and have seen, in place
of the sullen bush which covered the earth from
the river bank to the slopes of Cannon Hill, the
broad, well-made streets, the noble trees, the
comfortable houses and stately mansions, the
churches and stores, the public halls and offices,
the ever growing Loco. Shops, the net work of
railway lines, and all the various factors that have
gone to make this the seventh town in Cape Colony
to-day ?

But no such visions troubled the founders of
Uitenhage. They were probably conscious of
little else than a sense of relief that the journey
was ended, and of a desire to commence the con-
genial occupation of making a home for themselves
with the least possible delay. And so the way-
worn wagons would descend to the valley, and in
due course of time the tracts of land chosen by the
various families would be occupied by their new
owners. They gradually settled down, and the
months and years went by. bringing with them the
usual variations of storm and calm, good fortune and
bad. Thus it was that the people who were the first
to take up their abode in the Zwartkops Valley
arrived at the site of the future town of Uitenhage
in 1790. With their subsequent lives we shall
deal moie fully later on, for we must now pass over
a period of ten years.

J. A. Uitenhage The Peace of .Amiens was
De Mist. concluded in the latter part

of 1801, and the Batavian
Government, m 1802, appointed Commissary-
General Jacob Abraham Uitenhage De Mist to take
over from the English authorities the " Colony of
the Cape." We have dealt with this matter, how-
ever, in page .xii. of the "Introductory," and need not
again enter into details regarding it. Suffice to
say, therefore, that he made a tour through the
Colony in 1804, and was accompanied by his
daughter. Augusta. His son acted as his secretary,
and he had with him a clerk named Michorgus, an
escort of Light Dragoons under the command of
Lieut. Odmer, a cadet nameci Le Sueur, Dr. H. Lich-
truskrin (Professor of Natural History), a courier, a
surgeon, and the usual retinue of servants, slaves,
wagon drivers, etc. Miss De Mist had a cumpanion
in another lady who accompanied the exjiedition,
which lasted for six months. The whole party
rode on horseback, the baggage being conveyed
by the wagons that accompanied the travellers.

Fort We must not omit to state that in

Frederick. .-Vugust, 1799, a wooden building
was erected on the hill, where the
Donkin Memorial now stands, in Port Elizabeth,
and a small stone redoubt built. This was named
Fort Frederick, and a garrison was established.
Captain Abb,')t was in command of it in 1804, i.e.,
at the time De Mist and his party reached this
lojalitv.

^i if engage :.^^,

^•^asf anb

^h*c5cnf. .

'rime, lilce an ever— rolling
Bears all its sons a-wa;*- ;,

'l^hey fly, rorgrotten, at^ a d:
T>ies at tlie oi>eiiiiig day.

/\ir/ I . — The Decade, 1S04-1813.

~T" ~T'HEN Commissary-General De Mist
\ A / reached the Zwartkops Valley he
-*- jL found the four pioneers referred to in
the previous page, settled within a
few miles of one another, and it was impossible for
him not to admire the excellent choice they had
made. So struck was he with the natural advantages
of the locality that he arrived at a decision the real
importance of which could not be then estimated
by anyone not possessing the power of prophetic
vision. He resolved to estabhsh a town, which
would be the centre of its own district. The first
procedure was the formation of a drostdy. This
term must not be confused with that which is
applied to the ancient building which still stands
at the east end of Caledon Street.

The word was really liivssiuinischaap, the literal
translation of which is " Bailiwick." The dross-
aanhchaap in question was at first under the
control of the one at Graaff-Reinet, just as the
Magistrate here would have the control of
Kleinpoort. This was in October, 1804.

The site for the proposed town was the next
matter that engaged the attention of its founder.
Where the Loco. Works now stand there was a
charming little homestead, surrounded by flower
gardens, shadv orchards, and breezy fields, and
occupied by the widow of the valiant Gert
Scheepers. A curious building it was, and many
of our present townsmen will remember it
perfectlv. Consisting of two rooms, it was
constructed of mud and unburnt brick, the roof
was thatched, and the walls were ingeniously
loopholed in order that the occupants might
defend themselves from the not infrequent attacks
of natives. These loopholes formed a curious
characteristic of the building, and were quite
scientifically arranged. This historic building was
afterwards reconstructed, and one of our Mayors
(the late Mr. Edward Dobson) subsequently resided
in it for some years. The Railway authorities,
however, purchased the ground in 1892 or 1893, and
the homestead, which may be said to have given
birth to Uitenh.ige, was demolished in order to
make way for the ever-growing Loco. Works.

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

The Birth of Such was the latter history ol the
Ultenhaga. house, and we may now return

to the days when it played so
important a part in the founding of Uitenhage. It
was occupied, as we have said, by the widow of Gert
Scheepers, and a shrewd old lady she must have
been. De Mist had set his heart upon acquiring
her farm as a site for the new township, and he
obtained his desire on certain conditions. The
sum of ^-400 (present currency) was to be paid
down, and Mrs. Scheepers stipulated that she
should be allowed, not only to live in her cottage
rent free as long as she lived, but that she should
also be permitted to graze her cattle on the
commonage, so far as it might extend, for the
same period. These terms having at last been
agreed upon, the transfer took place, and thus, m
about November, 1804, exactly one hundred years
ago. the town was founded.

The Mother of But it would ill become the
Uitenhage. historian to leave this branch

of his subject without further
reference to the grand old lady who might fitly be
described as the mother of Uitenhage. She accom-
panied her husband from Cape Town ;• and
when one considers the hardships of such a
journev. the manifold perils and dangers to which
travellers were exposed, and last, but not least, the
prolonged discomfort and hardships which had to
be endured, it becomes all the more wonderful
that anv woman, however robust, could ever have
contemplated such an undertaking. But Mrs.
Scheepers. from all accounts, not only did so with
equanimity, but on numerous occasions rendered
valuable assistance to the men who comprised tlie
party. Strong, fearless, and resourceful, she must
have been a woman amongst women even in those
days. When the little settlement was formed in
the pleasant valley of the Zwartkops, Gert and his
wife settled down to the varied occupations that
lay nearest them. One might be pardoned for
lingering long over their strenuous lives, and in
comparing them with those who built up the
walls of Jerusalem with a trowel in one hand and
a sword in the other. They had countless foes to
contend with, and the daily struggle must have
been an exhausting one.

In 1799, for instance, a bloodthirsty horde of
Kaffirs swooped down upon the lonely cottage
without the slightest warning. Assegais and
arrows quivered in the walls, frenzied shrieks and
war-cries rent the night air, and the red light of
many torches shed a lurid glare over the scene.

Every living animal was either destroyed or driven
off. There were but three men in the house at
the time, and they kept up a fire for two nights
and three days, with some intermission, Mrs
Scheepers being employed in loading th e muskets
At length the Kaffirs managed to set fire to the
homestead. The three gallant fellows and Mrs
Scheepers then fled to an unroofed outbuilding,
but before they reached it several shots had
passed through Mrs Scheepers's dress. This gar-
ment she exhibited to the last day of her life.
By some means they were able to elude the
vigilance of their would-be destroyers shortly after-
wards, and to escape into the thorny recesses of
the Gamtoos River Bush. The Kaffir chief, a
brave ruffian named Conga, was in command of
the marauders, and his tribe formed one of the
greatest elements of danger the Zwartkops settlers
had to fear. They dwelt on the eastern side of
the Simdays River, and their ancient hnbiUit is
to this day known as " Conga's Kraal." After a
time, however, the Kaffirs were gradually beaten
back, and the settlers repaired the damage that
had been done to theii' property. While dealing
with this subject, we might mention that the first
engagement between Kafirs and British troops
took place in the Uitenhage division in 1799.
General Vandeleur had left a small garrison at
Graaff-Reinet. and was marching the remainder
of his troops to Algoa Bay, where they were to
embark for Cape Town. Suddenly they were
surrounded by a host of Kafirs under Conga,
with whom were a number of white renegades,
amongst whom was a lawless ruffian farmer of
herculean proportions, named Coenraad Buys, who
had married Ngqika's mother. The assailants
were defeated, although the nature of the ground
was in their favour. Their losses were heav}>'.
The General then continued his march to Algoa
Bay, where he erected and garrisoned a small
fort for the purpose of securing that important
position against a foreign enemy. He then took
ship for Cape Town with the remainder of his
men. Mrs. Scheepers was eventually credited by
her savage neighbours as one who possessed super-
natural powers, by reason of her having dramati-
cally jirophesied a rainstorm which, luckily for her,
visited the locality at the right time, and this
fortuitous circumstance freed her from many disa-
greeable visitations. She was described by one
writer in 1830 as then being about 90 years old,
enjoying tolerable health, and residing with her
son-in-law, Mr Van Staaden, at his farm in the
Wintcrhoek. She had si.x children — four sons and
two daughters.

UITEXHAGE PAST AXD PRESEXT.

\H ELIZABETH SCHEEPERS.

Susannah One of these, Susannah Elizabeth

Elizabeth liy name, was the second European

Scheepers. female born here, and she died m
1870 at the age of 84. She was
married in 1814 to the late Mr. Christian Michael
Luyt, who died in his 4Sth year. Their grandson.
Michael Coen-
raad Luyt, died
here on the
13th Mav 1904,
at the ripe old
ageof 88, while
their great-
grandchildren
and their great
great gran d-
children are
still flourishing
in Uitenhage
to-day. We are
able to repro-
duce the like-
nesses of the
first - named
couple. Other
branches of the Scheepers' family are equally
well known in these parts ; in fact, their rami-
fications seem to haye no end I But while Mr.
and Mrs. Scheepers farmed on the original
site of the town, there were other families in the
neighbourhood, and most of their descendants

haye remained
heretothisyery
day. How many
r i t en h agers
.ue there who
haye not heard
of theVanVuur-
cus ? jauseyan
X'uuren settled
at the farm
" Krnis Kiyer,"
about 3 miles
from his friend
Scheepers, and
it has eyer since
been occupied
by his descend-
ants, unto the
third and fourth
generation. Kruis Riyer is famous for its truit
and market produce, while the grand old orange
groyes form a sight that is well worth seeing, and
its owner is one of our best known local farmers.
Christoffel Keck chose the fertile '' Narro."

.Mli-H.itL LI I

A Crowing When the township was once
Village. created it began to attract a popu-

lation. Families whose farms
were situated some distance from it built " town
houses" for themselves, a few ivinkels began to
arise here and there, a small internal trade sprang
up, and from then onwards Uitenhage has pro-
gressed— slowly. It is true, but none the less
steadily. It is interesting to look through the
documents and letters bearing upon this period,
for one finds in them dozens of names that are
familiar to everybody who has lived here for any
length of time. Amongst them may be mentioned
Luyt, Elemals (a land-surveyor) Buchensroder,
Marais, Van Niekerk, Captain Van Kerken,
Benecke (an ancester of Mrs Frost) and Krog.
These people must have settled here between 1804
and 1810.

Land The method of forming the town-

Regulations, ship was an excellent one. Ground
w^as given free on application, in
buildmg or garden plots not exceeding one morgen
m extent, on the condition, however, that the
grantees should have a substantial building erected
upon it within six months. This system w^orked
well ; so satisfactorily, indeed, that it was retained
by the English Government when the country
tinally passed nito the hands of Great Britain.

Dragoons In the year 1806 a regiment

Billeted in of dragoons was stationed in

Uitenhage. Uitenhage, but yery little is known

concernnig what took place. The
soldiers were billeted upon the farmers at high
rates, and the rations to be served out to each
man and horse daily were i^ lb. bread, i lb. meat,
9 lbs. barley, and 7 lbs. chaff. For this the Govern-
ment paid the sum of 5/-, so that the civilians did
not do badly.

The Cost of It appears from the Gazette that
Cunpowder. about this time the farmers could
only procure gunpowder from the
Government, but as the price at which it was sold
was eventually considered too low, the landdrosts
were instructed to raise it to is. i^d per lb. This
caused a considerable amount of grumbling, but
there was not very much to complain about after
all, for the price to-day is 3s. 6d.

Small-pox About 1807 an epidemic of small-
Epidemic, pox broke out, and a crusade of
wholesale vaccination was com-
menced. But there was no medical man in Uiten-
hage, and the work was performed by laymen and

flTEXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

■Government officials. It is amusinfj to note the
happy-go-lucky manner in which " doctors" were
allowed to practise in those days. A Board met
in Cape Town, and perfunctorily examined such
candidates as chose to present themselves. These
were divided into two classes — town and country.
Those who came through the ordeal satisfactorily
were given a licence to practise in Cape Town,
while the others were only allowed to exercise their
skill in the country. It was certainly rather hard
upon those who did not dwell within the favoured
regions of the capital ! Amongst those who ob-
tained '' Cape Town diplomas," as they were called,
were Drs. Mackirill. Biccard, and Leisching —
all of whose names are familiar to Uitenhage
people. The small-pox epidemic was finallv
stamped out in 1812, after having raged intermit-
tently for five years, as it appears that Thursday,
the nth October, was appointed to be observed in
the churches throughout the country as a solemn
day of thanksgi\ ing for the cessation of this dread
disease.

Licences. At this stage we might give the
licences that obtained in the early
days of last century. They were as follow (the
sums being reduced from rix-dollars to our present
system of coinage) : —

Auctioneer .. .. .. *.'u 5 o

Butcher . . . . 3150

B.-iker .. .. .. .. 3 15 o

General De.'tler . . . . . . 1 10 o

Permission for ;i lor- 1

eifiner to rem.iin ! .. .. 076

in Colony. I

Permission for .iny- 1

bo<tv to leave the | .. .. 016

The Value of The monetary system then in
Honey. existence was very different to

our own, and consisted of eight
coins. These were the —

Doubloon, valued at . . ^"400

Johanna „ .. .. 200

Guinea ., .. .. 120

«.,A. Ducaton ., . . . . o q 6

Pagoda „ .. 080

Spanish dollar,, 050

Engl.Shillini!,, 010

Copper coin ,. 002

The Postal Although Uitenhage was still the
Service. veriest dorp, it nevertheless pos-

sessed considerable relative impor-
tance 111 tiiti^c clays, when all towns were small
when compared to their present size. Where we
now reckon their population by thousands, our
ancestors reckoned by scores. A postal service
was inaugurated, and it appears to have been
managed remarkably well. In fact it com-

pares favourably with that of to-dav, as the follow-
ing will show.

Uitenhage was 93 hours distant from Cape
Town — that is to say, from a postal point of view —
and the route was split up into stages. The con-
tracts for carrying the mail between Long Ivloof
and Uitenhage were in the hands of five farmers.
These were Stephanus P'erreira (Long Kloof), J.
Petrus(Kromme River), J. L. Rautenbach (Comgha),
J. Meyer (Gamtoos River) and J. S. van Xiekerk
(Van Staaden's River). The time allowed between
Van Staaden's River and the Drosdty was three
hours — the time allowed at the present day in
doing an 18 miles' journev.

From Uitenhage to Graaff-Reinet thirtv hours
was the scheduled time, and the journey was
divided into two stages, the first being from the
Drosdty to Zoutspans Nek (near Kleinpoort), and
was in the hands of a farmer named Stiiltz.

Postal Rates. The Capetown mail came along
the coast, as aliove stated, and
if it left at midday on Monday morning it would
arrive in Uitenhage at 9 a.m. on Fridav. The
service was a fortnightly one. The postage on a
letter consisting of a single sheet (envelopes had
not been invented) was gd., and 112 on a double
sheet. For packets not exceeding k lb. in weight,
the sum of i '6 was charged.

Runaway The records of the early days of

Slaves. Uitenhage are decidedly meagre,

but if one looks through the Govern-
Duiil Gazette published during this particular period
he will be rewarded by many little sidelights on the
conditions under which people lived during the first
ten or fifteen years of the nineteenth century.
Slavery, for instance, was still in existence, and we
shall treat more fully upon this suliject a little later
on. But about 1809 a number of slaves escaped
from Capetown and made their way to Uitenhage.
As an inducement to them to go back again, the
Government generously guaranteed them a free par-
don— provided they returned to service within four
months from the date of the notice. Whether they
took advantage of this noble offer deponent sayeth
not, but it is scarcely likely that they fell in with
th^ idea.

Civil The number of holidavs observed in

Servants. Cape Colony forms a frequent source
of complaint amongst employers to-
day, and it is therefore fortunate for them that they
did not live a hundred vears ago — in the reign of
George 111 — when the following davs were strictly

UITEXHAGE PAST AXD PRESENT.

observed : New Year's Day, Queen's Birthday
(i8th January), Good Friday, Easter Monday,
Ascension Day, King's Birthday (4th June), Whit
Monday, Prince of Wales' Birthday (ist August)
King's Coronation Day (22nd September), Christ-
m IS Day, BDxing Day and the usual year-end holi-
days ! The hours for civil servants, by the way,
, were from g to 2.

A Government In the course of our Introduc-
" Crave tion, we have referred at

Diggeress." considerable length to the

monopolies created by the
Netherlands Company; but perhaps one of the
most quaint appointments ever made by any
Ciovernnient is gravely set forth in an issue of the
Covcniiiiciit Gazette published in 181 1. It reads
as follows : —

NOTICE

is hereby given that His Excellency the Lieutenant
Governor, with the advice of his Executive
Council, has been pleased to appoint Mrs Deman
grave diggeress in the room of Mrs Ley, deceased.

One might be pardoned for wondering whether
this lady had the Royal Arms put up over the door
of her house to indicate her appointment under
the Crown I

MartJa' Law In 181 1, owuig to the dejireda-
In Uitenhage. tions of the Kahrs, martial law
was proclaimed in the districts
iif ritenhage and Graaff-Reinet on the 8th October
hv Sir lohn Francis Cradock, Governor of the
Colony. Lieut. -Col. J. Graham, of the Cape Regi-
ment, was appointed commander-in-chief for the
administration of martial law, and he was invested
with full power to call out the commandoes when-
ever occasion might require. He made Uitenhage
his head-quarters, and in consideration of the
town's having been made a military centre, it was
declared to be a sub-drostdy in 1812, and the
deputy lanJdrost was ordered to reside there. Thj
hostilities with the Kafirs were at length brought
to a cloje, and out of compliment to Colonel
Graham, who had done such excellent work, the
town on the Zuurveld was named after him. Ths
district in which it was situated was named Albany
by General Cuvler, after the State in America
from which he originally hailed. Marti.il
law w.is stil! in force here in 1812, but
there was considerable dissatisfaction expressed
at the v>av in which the Government defrayed the
cost of the war. Uitenhage and Graaff-Reinet had
already paid 20,659 rix-dollars — i.e. about ^"1,55°!
but the fighting had been done by the very people

who had to contribute that amount. Eventually
the Government admitted the injustice of forcing
the burghers to fight with one hand and to pay for
the cost of the campaign with the other. Uiten-
hage and Graaff-Reinet were reheved of the tax,
and it was distributed among the other districts as
follows : — Cape Town 15,000, Stellenbosch 12,000,
Swellendam 10,000, Tulb igh 10,000, and George
4,000 rix-dollars each.

Changes. We need linger no longer over the
Katir war, for that is a matter of
Colonial history; and it is with the rise and pro-
gress of LUtenhage that we hive to deal in this par-
ticular work.

In 181 1 we hud that Mr .Vuret was appointed
District Clerk to the Landdrost, and he was the
first to hold this office. He was succeeded shortly
afterwards by Mr Knobel, and when he was pro-
moted he was followed by Mr J. C. Bergh, who
remained here for a very long time.

At this period it was brought to the notice of
the Government that persons imprisoned for debt
were being half-starved, in consequence of the
non-existence of any regulation regarding their
maintenance. Creditors were therefore ordered
to pay the magnificent sum of livepence a day for
every person detained under their processes. The
maintenance fee has since been raised to i -.

L'p to 1813 it had been a common practice
among shopkeepers to keep their stores open on
Sundays, but in that year it was thought advisable
to put an end to this evil, and a proclamation was
therefore issued forbidding Sunday trading. Cer-
tain exceptions, however, were made.

Wanted : Next year, it appears from the

A Church and (nnxrnment Gazette, tenders were
Powder invited for the building of a

Magazine. church an;l a pjwder magazine

in Uitenh ige. It was rather a
curious combination, but it is not upon record
whether any tenders were submitted at the time.

The First At all events it was not until 18 17 —
Church. three years later — that a church

was founded, and the Reverend
Cornelius Mol appointed as its minister. This
historic place of worship served its purpose for
muiy years, but when the present edilice was
formally opened on the adjacent piece of ground,
in 1843, it was turned into a dwelling-hous;, and is
now occupied by Mr. F. H. Luyt.

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

Houses It may not be particularly pleasing

Built over to people who dwell on the west
Craves. side of Church Street — i.t'., on the

D. R. Church side — to learn that
their houses are built on a graveyard, but it is a fact
nevertheless ! The ground between the residences
of Mr. F. H. Luyt, in Caledon Street, and Mr. S. J.
van Niekerk, in Cannon Street, and extending
broadwise to Church Street, was for over twenty
years the only cemetery in Uitenhage. On several
occasions during recent years bones have been
dug up in yards and gardens. Some little time
ago a certain family living in Church Lane received
a decidedly gruesome reminder of the ancient use
to which their plot of ground had been put. The
floors were not planked, and one morning the
breakfast table — rather a he.ivy piece of furniture
— suddenly subsided sevenil inches, inuch to the
amazement of the people who were sitting around
it. Subsequent investigations showed that a large
grave had once been dug on that spot, and, judging
from the number of bones discovered, several
people must have been buried in it. The moulder-
ing remains were collected, and re-interred in
another place. This may sound like a romance,
but the story will be corrobrated by anyone who
was residing in Uitenhaije at the time. The ceme-
tery would seem to have extended even to the
other side of the street, for when Mr. G. Barnes'
building was burned down, in 1900, human remains
were discovered among the foundations.

The Founding It must not be forgotten that in
of the tlij early days the district was

District. very much larger than it is now,

and as we have already dealt
with the town, we must now revert to the district
itself. In 1800 the Colony was divided into four divi-
sions, the eastern boundary being the Fish River.
These (in order of size) were named Stellenbosch,
Graaff-Reinet, Swellendam, and Cape. Graaff-
Reiuet extended from the Gamka River on the
west to the Great Fish River in the east, and
from a point near the Orange River to the sea.
Swellendam stretched between Cape Agulhas and
the Gamtoos, and from the Zwartebergen to the
sea. De Mist was in Graaff-Reinet in February,
1804, and as the inhabitants of the field-cornetcies
of Zwartkops River, Bushman's River, Bruintjes
Hoogte, Zuurveld, and Zwarte Riiggens were
distinctly turbulent, and had been severely harassed
by the natives, he issued a proclamation on the 71 h
of that month cutting away those lield-cornetcics
from Graaff-Reinet and forming them into a new
district, the landdrost of which was to be a military

officer, who would have a body of troops under
his command. Mr. Andries Stockenstroom was
promoted from Swellendam, where he was
secretary, to the post of landdrost of Graaff-Reinet,
while the Commandant of Fort Frederick (Captain
Alberti) was created landdrost of Uitenhage on the
22nd of April. He gave it the name of " Uitenhage "
on the 25th of the month. On the 4th of October
it was decided to add to the new district the tield-
cornetcies of Winterhoek, T'Zitzikama, Kromme
River, and Raviaan's Kloof.

Wild Although there were no wild animals

Animals. poisoning clubs in those days, the
Government found it necessary to issue
rewards for the destruction of vermin, and the
following were the prices decided upon : —

Ti,i;er .. .. .. .. ±1 17 6

W.ilf .. .. ~i 10 o

Wild C.it . . . . . . o 1 h

.Muishontl . . . . o o ij

H.iwk .. .. .. .. o o y

Wild animals were remarkably plentiful at
this period. The bush teemed with them, and, as
is well known, game of all descriptions abounded.
But the continual warfare waged upon the latter by
farmers, natives, and beasts of prey, soon reduced
their numbers, and it was afterwards found neces-
sary to restrict the annual slaughter as far as pos-
sible. The " big game" also came in for a large
share of the hunter's attention, and many species
were exterminated. Nomenclature is not always a
safe guide; but where the Dutchman had the
naming of a place one c.ui be sure that he chose
a designation that was at once apposite and
indicative of some characteristic peculiar to the spot.
Thus, it becomes certain that at one time hip-
popotami existed in what is now the Humansdorp
district, for the town which is its centre is situate
near a river named the Zeekoe. This word,
literally translated, signifies " sea-cow," or hip-
popotamus. But none are to be found there
to-day. The trekkers were not strikingly original
in their choice of names — as witness the vast
number of Driefonteins, Wolvekraals, Commando-
kraals, Olifantskops, Koodooskloofs, and so forth —
but their system of nomenclature always seemed
to emphasise some particular feature of the
place, and when we tind a " Quaggas Kraal" in the
Uitenhage district we can rest assured that the
old trekkers had seen some of these beautiful
animals in that locality. Similarly, the name of
the farm Wildepaardeberg, situate in the Elands
River range, immediately suggests the existence of
zebras in that part of the district. As a matter of
fact these gaily-striped quadrupeds are still to be

['ITEXHAGE PAST A\D PKESEXT.

found there. One was captured not Ions;" ago by
Mr. S. P. Ferreira, of Slanghoekfontein. It managed
to make good its escape, however, but was re-cap-
tured by Mr. Tom Young and sent to England
And so the names of the various farms are in many
cases of considerable value to the historian — more
especially when he has to deal with the animal life
of the country. But as a general rule these desig-
nations are the outcome of some chance incident.
Take Slanghoekfontein, for instance, and consider
the composition of the name. The trekkers have
settled down, and have alreadv explored the area
which they claim to be theirs bv right of occupation.
The farm is still unnamed. A horse or an o.x is
missing, and a native is detailed to recover it.

" I last saw the animal," the patriarch w uuld
explain, " in that hock (or corner) formed bv two
spurs."

" What two spurs, baas ?"

" Where we came across those loiiliiiis. You
know well enough. You remember the place
where we killed the snake ?"

"Oh, where we killed the sliiiii^ .' There in the
hock where the foiilcnf< are ? The Slanghoek-
fontein ?"

" Yes. Now, go up to the ' Slanghoekfontein,'
as you call it, and see if vou can lind anv traces of
the animal."

And so, almost unconsciously on the part of its
owner, the farm received its n.ime.

Wolves in It is frequently stated that wild

the Streets, animals were in the habit of enter-
ing the village at night for the
purpose of drmking at the vlei which formerly
existed at the corner of what is now John Street.
This is incorrect. Uitenhage, in those davs, was
completely surrounded bv water : in fact it was a
veritable island. One could not enter it from any
direction without having to cross water, and it is
therefore absurd to suppose that carnivora would
risk their lives by visiting the John Street vlei when
they could drink as much as thev wanted in the
safetv of the veld. But it is iie\ ertheless a fact that
wolves (a species of wild dog) used to
prowl about the streets at night, and this
probably gave rise to the stories we have taken
some pains to discount. The cause of their
undesirable visits was a very simple one. Up to
the late tifties butchers were allowed to slaughter
sheep and oxen in front of their shops, and this
disgusting practice naturally attracted beasts of
prey. The wolves, in short, acted as the scavengers

of the town, for when night fell thev w ould gather
round the spot where the killing had taken place,
and devour the whole of the offal that remained.
That they then slaked their thirst at the vlei is
quite natural; but when v.e read of troops of
elephants travelling over the veld, crossing the
belt of water which encircled the village, and march-
ing solemnly along the street that led to a muddv
little pond, we accept the tale v,ith a good deal
of reservation ! It is certainly true that the body
of a hippopotamus was discovered in the vlei in
question, but that does not add anything to the
caihird in the wav of proof.

Elephants. One of the most troublesome foes

the settler had to contend with v.as
the elephant. These huge animals would fre-
quently visit his farm in herds, destrov the crops,
and do considerable damage. The unfortunate
people sometimes had to flee for their lives. On a
farm situated a few hours' ride from the town, li\e
elephants suddenly made their appearance. A
young man who happened to have his gun with
him at the time rashly fired at the animals, without
doing them any harm, however. But the brutes
were furiously enraged by the noise, and charged
madly at their .assailant. He was accompanied by
two natives, and the fugitives made for an out-
house some little distance av>ay. They reached it
just in time, but it only availed them shelter for a
moment. The foremost elephant charged at it
with resistless force, the v.-all bent inwards and
collapsed, bringing downpart ofthe roof with it. The
two natives were buried beneath the debris, but
the young farmer succeeded in scrambling unper-
ceived thiough a window on the other side and in
making his escape. The elephants, meanwhile,
were busy with the bodies of the unfortunate
natives, and anyone who has had the slightest
experience of these monsters will easily imagine
how fearfully thev mutilated their victims.

A few years ago the late Mr. Attrill was
hunting in the Addo Bush, where, as is well known,
elephants are still plentiful. To be accurate, he
had been requested to do his best to shoot a certain
" rogue elephant" which was constantly doing con-
siderable damage to the farm. Mr Attrill came up
with the animal, but his foot slipped, he fell to the
ground, and in a moment the brute had seized the
unfortunate man by the upper half of his body,
knelt on his legs, and literally tore him in two.
But although such anecdotes might easily he multi-
plied, we shall leave the subject of elephants for
the present, returning to it later on.

riTEXHAGE PAST AXD PRESENT.

A Historical As we have
Document. entered in-
to details
regarding the founding of
the district, the re-produc-
tion of the following pro-
clamation, which, so to
speak, is the original bap-
tismal certificate of Uiten-
hage, will be of interest.
We take this opportunity
of thanldng the Speaker of
the House of Assembly for
according us his permission
to have it photographed
specially for tliis work.
The translation appears
below : —

PUBLICATION.

J.\X WII.l.EM J.VNSSENS. Governor
.iiul Chief over the Colony of the
Cape of Good Hope and the Juris-
diction thereof. To all who shall
see this or hear it read, greeting^
know : <or niaketh known>

jOv\N'ILLEM JANS-
SENS, Goi'.vernetiren
Generaal en Chef over
ic Colonic de Kaap de
GoEDE Hoop, en den
Reflbne van dien, aan
slie, die dezcn ziillen
zien of hoorcn lezen,
Salut ! doet te weeten :

WM'eiiial 6e Commisrarij Ceneraal nn
>a Ua'xh Gouverntmenl Mr. J A. DE
KT, tji Piib!tcj;ie van den 7 February ,lcze$
^ it Cfllor.ic van Craaff-Reinei hceft gcfplita
e^tedeelen orUnddniidjen , wsar van hct
•MfcliKicn naa.-n van Craaf-Eeincr hcelt be-
^»!e3. l.-rwyloinircrlh« Zuidelyke, bevat-
l=i: I* VelKomeifctaff ea ran

*»"K tasstnt.

'"r«//«;f.-.

THAT WHEREAS the Coinmissiir
General of the Balavian Govern
nienl. Mr. J. .\. HE MlST. by puWi
tation of the 7lh February, thi
year, divided the Colony of Gnuili- j^, j
Kcinet into two Mayislracies, the hm

^ '"'«'«rajlen.opweIkepIaaisdeLan<J-
"!"t vsia rermenLe zaj raoeicn towden.

!»,-> era E.-Jerlre ran Vet „.-oa-Am1 van
''■rft.a:ri.i,ndeZ,>/(<,p„jcn Kromin,-
2^"-. l;hB 4 Anikel liergera Pu'blteiii- aao
■■imrnnir en CencrjilenOrfisoveifc-
northern ..ne of whieh received the p«,""",""*.''"-"' »""■*■'='' «■
name of Graaff-Rkixkt. whilst
regarding the southern one, cm-
sisling of the Kjeld-Cornetcic> of

Zwarte Ruggcns, Bruiiitjcs Hoogtc. Ii.>sjesnian's River, Zuurveld,
Zw.irtkops River, together wilh a portion of the Magistracy of
Swellendam, on the Tzitzikamnia and Kromnie River, by the 4th .Article
of the said Publication, it is left to the Governor and General and Chief
to give a name to this new Magistracy, and to determine at which
place the Magistrate sh.all have his fi.\cl residence.

^O IT IS that the General and Chief has decided to give to the District
separated from the Colonv of Graaff-Reinet. and He herewith gives,
the n.anie of •• I'lTEXH.AGE. '

THE provisional .administration of the same M.agisterial office is herewith
entrusted to Captain L. Ai.bi-;rti. commanding Fort Frederick at -Algoa
Bay. who is also instructed, with the assistance of a Land Com-
mis.sion, to look out for a suitable site which can be decided on as a
Residence for the Magistrate.

AXU herewith the ne^eisary conmnmication hereof is made to the Public,
with instruction to all citizens and inhabitants of the forcmentioned
District lo render all h.mour and respect and assistance to Captain L,
Aliierti. in the performance of the duties of his oHfice. where the'
Governor and General and Chief has found such .as in the interest of
the country.

THAT nobody may pretend ignorance of this, it will be published an.l
posted up wherever it is customary lo put up a publication or placard.

ZO IS 'T. di:J-CoaverncurcnG-.-:;r,i!en
Chirf he.:f[ bglloun , ii.\ het in voci^i) vir^z,
van dc Colonic Gr3a''-Rti;e<af,xrcli:iisr.D;s.
Irid [i gtevcn , 20 aliHy^'aor^aigecrrbyde*

' U I TEN HAG E.

D=provj(ionccIet3C.ticiiaiv3ij ri^iiclvj D C;".*
aupt word:byd;3;M.o,-jcJ:a;en can dsn C.ipr.
L ALB£RTI,co;nmind!e:cu-1ehciFonFrJr.lE
aji] dj Algoa-Baa/ , am \vicn msi<: i> g;dciRin«
deer.l , om met aJfiHimie eer.tr Landtii:i3.^e
Coiiiniisfie, uii re zicii naar cen gcrciiitte pji-n ,
welketotdc RcfrJcnue van deu LaaJdiCil k^a
wordcii vaitgcftdd.

Enlrorfhlcrvanbydezenaan hcl PoVrckda
no.ligccommjnicalijgcgcven m:Ha.r, an alle
III- en Oi'geMcnen van voorm. Dflria, 0:11 den
Cipi, L ALBE.RTI i, hcl uiroclTenen 7jTi:r fjire-
licnall.-ccr, refred en ht;:p^ Ic bcwyzcn . uv t
de Goovcnicur lh Gcneraal eti Cb.-f 7-j:ki:.n
dicnllc van dco La.jdf bevondcn kec.': aizo re b.-
boorcQ.

O? dar niemand hicr van ign -raniis zai nTO^cn
prercn'ercn zal dezc woricn gcfuNiceerd en
geafTi^cer.l , alommc caar men gewrw.T is ru-

Aldusgedaan In ZuH-Arrlca jin de K-.i;
de Goedc Hoop , den 25 Apil 1834.

Oe Couvenicur en Ceneraal en Che4
J. W, JaX5SE.\S.

De De Mist was de-

Mlst's prived of his tide
Title. hy Napoleon
Bonaparte, but it
w;is afterwards restored to
him by the King of the
Netherlands, who granted
him letters patent authoris-
ing the resumption of the
title in question. De Mist
did not forget the district
which was named after
him, and about 1824 he
sent an authentic copy of
these letters patent to the
landdrost. It was filed
among the records of the
district, together with a
very handsome covering
letter from Government.
These documents, how-
ever, were ordered to be
sent to Capetown aliout
five years ago, so that we
are unfortunately unable to
obtain access to them.
The same applies to other
documents of local interest,
which were removed from
here and deposited in the
archives at the Capital.

This done in South .\fric

. at the Cape of Good Hope, the 25th April, 1804.
overnor and General and Chief.

J. W, JANSSE.VS.

X^S' ^ v^> x^>

This brings us to the end of a most interesting
decade — the first in the history of Uitenhage. In
the course of the preceding pages we have en-
deavoured to place before the reader some idea of
the town as it was in the first ten years of its exis-
tence. As may be imagined, the sources from which
we derived our information were few and far be-
tween, but the further we proceed the more numer-
ous and interesting do the details become. The
town did pot make very rapid progress at that
time, it is true. In fact, it was the merest dorp ;
but it grew at about the same relative pace as the
other centres in Cape Colony. It must be remem-
bered that the Capital itself was then about the
size of tiie Uitenhage of to-day 1

Part II —The Decade, 1S14-1S23.

TE^X veurs after the foundinji of Uitenhage
bv Commissary-General J. A. Uitenhage
Ds Mist, Lieut. -General Lord Charles
Hemy Somerset was appointed Governor
of Cape Colony. He was allied to some
of the most noble families in Great Britain,
and was undoubtedly an able and efficient
administrator. His faults were manv, it is true,
and he has been charged with a considerable
number of grave indiscretions, but he has left his
mark upon South Africa nevertheless. About the
beginning of his term of office, regular postal com-
munication was established between England and
the Cape, fast sailing vessels securing the Govern-
ment contract to carry the South African mails once
a month ; but as the potentialities of steam had not
then been discovered, the arrival of these vessels
was somewhat irregular. The tune occupied by
the first mail packet (the Eclipse) was nearly sixteen
weeks, and she arrived at Cape Town on the 13th
April, 1816. The letter postage was fi.xed at 3s. 6d-
per quarter-ounce, 3d. per ounce being charged on
newspapers. The mail contract at present is six-
teen days ; there is a weekly service, and the letter
postage is id. per half-ounce. Times have changed
since Lord Somerset was Governor of Cape Colony I

Civil Mr. J.J. F. Roselt, a name well-known

Service m Uitenhage, was appointed here on

Changes. the 28th April, 1815, as Sworn Trans-
lator, while on the 12th Mav, in the
same year, Mr. J. C. Brugh, to whom we referred
in the last chapter, was removed to George, and
replaced bv Mr. C. .Allen. Captain Jacob Glen-
Cuyler, of the 59th Regiment, had been sent to
Fort Frederick in 1806 to take over Captain Alberti's
duties there as Commandant and Deputv-Land-
drost of Uitenhage.

A Dark We now come to one of the most un-
Episode. fortunate episodes that ever occurred
in South Africa, namelv, the rebellion
of 1815, which terminated with Slachter's Nek.
Uitenhage and Uitenhage men played a prominent
part in this dreadful affair, and we must therefore

refer to it at some length, even although the
general facts are fairlv well known. At this period
the Boers were in a perpetual state of irritation, and
some of them were daih' growing more and more
ripe for mischief. There were two causes of dis-
content. The administration of certain land laws
was the first, but the second and chief reason for
ill-feeling was that complaints made against them
bv Hottentots were investigated by different courts,
and thev were occasionallv fined for punishing
these people. It was the ill-treatment of a native,
savs the late Judge Cloete, that set the whole
Eastern Province in a blaze, drove a great mass of
the population into open rebellion against their
Sovereign, and brought the heads of several respect-
able families to an ignominious death, thereby
causing an alienation from, and bitterness of feeling
towards, the local Government, which a lapse of
verv manv vears has not been able entirely to
eradicate.

The criminal session having opened at Graaff-
Reinet, Landdrost Sir A. Stockenstroom acted as
cx-officio prosecutor, and informed the Court that
Frederick Bezuidenhout, a farmer living in the
Baviaan's River Ward, had refused to appear before
the Court of Landdrost and Heemraden on a
charge of ill-treating a Hottentot. Furthermore, he
had threatened to shoot the messenger, or sheriff,
if he again ventured to approach his premises. He
was well-known as a daring and desperate charac-
ter. It was also certain that he was in the habit of
consorting with Kafirs contrary to the law, and there
was therefore a probability of his enlisting their aid
against the officers of the law should the case be
continued against him. The Landdrost consequently
applied for a " personal summons" (as it was legally
termed) ordering him to appear in person before
the Commissioner. This application was granted
bv the Court, and, taking into account the facts as
above set forth, the messenger whose duty it was
to deliver the summons received an order authoris-
ing him to call in the aid of the nearest military
force should he think it necessary, or apprehend
any danger.

riTKXHAC.K PAST AND I'HESEXT.

When the messenger reached Beziiidenhont's
neighbonrhood he learned that some Katirs had
been seen at Baviaan's River, and he therefore
applied to the officer in charge of the Boschberg
Post (now Somerset East) for assistance. Lieut.
Rousseau at once procesded, with twenty men of
the Cape Corps, to Baviaan's River Poort, where
the recalcitrant farmer resided.

The bush in those days was of tiie most imper-
vious nature in that part of the country, and the
little force at once saw that their task would not be
an easy one if much resistance were offered. Thev
at last arrived at Bezuidenhout's residence, and
found him fully prepared to meet them. He had as
an ally a powerful half-caste, and these two worthies
seeing the squad approaching, took up a position
behind the walls of a cattle kraal. Thev were
armed. The reoels called upon the force not to
advance another yard, for the first man who did so
would be shot. Nothing daunted. Lieutenant
Rousseau threw his men into extended skirmishing
order, whereupon the rebels, seeing that thev
would speedily be sur rounded, fired a shot, dashed
into the house, es caped through the back door
dived into the thick bush, and disappeared entirely.
It was over an hour before the fugitives were dis-
covered, when their hiding place was betrayed by
the glint of the sun upon the muzzles of their guns..
The lair proved to be a cave situated some distance
up the precipitous cliff which formed one side of
the kloof. It could only be approached by one
man at a time. Lieute lant Rousseau, undeterred
by the furious threats of the fugitives, pluckilv
scrambled up the krantz until he reached a spot a
few feet above the entrance to the cavern. He
advised Bezuidenhout to surrender, assured him of
personal safety if he would accompany the messen-
ger of the court on the summons it was his duty
to serve upon him, but the only answer he received
was that Bezuidenhout would never surrender or
be taken alive.

The Lieutenant then employed an exceedingly
ingenious stratagem, the result of which was that the
cave was suddenly stormed by two parties, one of
which threw up the projecting rifles while the
other shot at the rebels. Bezuidenhout received a
mortal wound in his head and breast, but the half-
caste was uninjured. He was taken into custody,
and the rebel shortly afterwards expired in his
cavern. It was then found that the place had been
stored with a number of guns and a large tjuantity
of ammunition, thus showing that Bezuidenhout
liad been long jireirued for ,i similar emergency.

Xight was now approaching, and the surround-
ing bush was teeming with the Kafirs with whom
the deceased rebel had maintained daily intercourse,
in defiance of the strict laws then existing forbid-
ding all such intercourse under the severest penal-
ties. Lieutenant Rousseau was therefore anxious
to retire out of these dangerous kloofs before dark,
and he consequently retired as tjuicklv as possible.

The half-caste was tried at Graaff-Reinet — some
authorities, by the way, say that Bezuidenhout had
two men with him — hut was acquitted on the
ground that he was not a free agent. The " Com-
mission of Circuit," as it was called, then proceeded
to I'itenhage, where several important cases were
to be heard.

While these were proceeding, a mounted officer,
who had left Grahamstown early in the morning
and ridden hard all day, arrived in town the same
evening with the astounding news that the farmers
of the Somerset and Tarka districts had rebelled
and had taken up arms. Captain Andrews' post
along the northern banks of the Fish River was
threatened. Major Fraser, Commandant of
Grahamstown, had already proceeded to the scene
of operations. Such was the startling intelligence
which burst upon the little community of I'iten-
hage that quiet summer evening.

Colonel Cuyler, who held the dual ofiice of Land-
drost of Uitenhage and Commandant of the frontier,
was a man of action. Within sixty minutes of the
arrival of the news his horse had been saddled, and
he was swifth' speeding northwards. Such use did
he make of his spurs that forty-eight hours had not
elapsed before he thimdered up to the house where
the rebel farmers were gathered for the purpose of
formulating their plans. He dismounted, strode
into the room, informed them who he was, re-
marked that he had heard all about their behaviour,
and demanded a good and sufficient reason for it.
The astonishment of the malcontents may
be imagined when it is remembered that they
did not know that the news of their outbreak had
even had time to reach the ears of the authorities.
And yet here was the fiery-tempered landdrost of
I'itenhage not only in possession of the general
facts but already in their midst. They soon ex-
plained the state of affairs to him.

It appeared that when Lieutenant Rousseau and
his men had left the farm, Bezuidenhout's relations
.and friends had .assembled to bury him. At the
funeral Jan Bezuidenhout, a brother of the deceased,
became fearfully excited, and in impassioned

riTEXHAGE PAST AXD PRESEXT.

language harangued those present on the illegality
which had been committed on his dead brother.
This address met with the greatest sympathy, and
it was resolved by those who were present at the
obsequies that revenge should be taken. What
Colonel Cuyler replied is not recorded, but history
shows that the farmers had decided to attack the
nearest military post and to drive the British forces
from the Frontier. Later events proved that a
resolution fraught with worse consequences could
never have been conceived. However, the rebels
decided to plunge, and they casf about for the best
method of achieving their object. Circulars were
sent to the neighbouring farmers, while Cornelius
Faber, who had married into the Bezuidenhout
family, offered Ngqika the most tempting promises
if only hi would join the rebels in attacking their
common foes and driving them from the Frontier.
But X'gqika was not a bird to be caught with chaff
and he replied in the most evasive terms. He
found himself between two fires, and wished to see
wiiich way the wind blew. He undertook, how-
ever, to consult his councillors, and to give the
matter his most careful cousider.ition. This was
unsatisfactory, but in the meantime circulars were
being spread broadcast throughout the Eastern
Province. The addressees were carefully selected ;
but " the best laid schemes of mice and men gang
aft agley," and one of these documents providenti-
ally fell into the hands of a loyal farmer, who im-
mediately communicated with Mr. van der Graaff,
the Deputy Landdrost of Cradock. Immediately
after receiving it, this official forwarded the paper
to Captain Andrews, with instructions to take
prompt measures. Captain Andrews obeyed his
orders, and sent out a military party. The result
was the arrest of Hendrik Prinsloo, of the Bosch-
berg. This man, together with Jan Bezuidenhout,
had been nominated bv the rebels as their com-
mander, and his capture was therefore of the
greatest importance. He was taken to .Andrews'
Post, and the little fort was immediately
strengthened, in view of a probable attack. Xor
were these preparations in vain. Two days after
Prinsloo's arrest a squadron of nearly three
hundred Boers rode up and demanded not only
the immediate surrender of the station but the
release of the prisoner as well. It was at this time
that Faber arrived from Katirland with the news
of Xg.;ika's wavering policy. Some vacillation was
thereby created in the Boer ranks, and in the
meantime Major Eraser succeeded not only in
forcing his way into .Andrews' Post, but also in
sending a despatch to Colonel Cuyler.

The result we have already stated. The Land-

drost of I'itenhage rode post haste to the scene of
operations, and astonished the leaders of the
campaign by informing them that all their plans
were fully known and that they would be met by
signal punishment if persisted in. He demanded
the reason of the rising, and, as we have stated
above, was speedily m.ade acquainted with the
facts of the case. He refused, however, to uphold
the action of the leaders, and declared that he
would communicate with headquarters. He was
as good as his word, and the follouing trenchant
proclamation immediately appeared in the Govern-
luent Gazelle : —

PROCLAMATIOX

Bv His EXCELLENXY GeXER.^L THE RlGHT HoN".

Lord Ch..\rles Henry Somerset, etc., etc

Where.as it has been reported to me of certain
turbulent and rebellious subjects of the Dis-
tricts of Graaff-Reinet and Uitenhage having
assembled in arms upon the most frivolous
pretences, and have proceeded to acts of
violence, to the disturbance of the public peace
and tranquillity of the Districts aforesaid, and
. whereas such daring outrages and rebellious
conduct render it necessaiy for the safety and
protection of the Magistrates and of the well
disposed inhabitants of Graaff-Reinet and
Uitenhage, that the officer commanding his
Majesty's troops in those parts, Lieut.-Col.
Cuyler, of the Cape Regiment, should be vested
with full power to suspend the civil authority
(if need shall continue) and enforce martial
law in all such parts of the districts aforesaid
as shall appear to be concerned in any act or
acts of rebellion, or hostile to the public peace.
I do therefore hereby authorise the aforesaid
Lieut.-Col. ]. G. Cuyler, of the Cape Regiment,
commanding on the frontier, as well as any
and everyone of His Majesty's officers who
have or shall have separate commands, to
punish after a conviction before a Court
Martial all persons acting, aiding, or in any
manner assisting in any rebellious act, accord-
ing to martial law, either by death or other-
wise, as to him or them shall seem e.xpedient
for the punishment and suppression of all
rebels, of which all of His Maiest\'s subjects
are required to take notice.

GOD S.AVE THE KIXG.

Given under my h.md and seal at the Cape of
Good Hope this :'5th day of Xoveinber, 1815.

(Signed) C. H. SOMERSET.

By his E.xcellency's command,

(signed) H. ALEXAXDER,

Secretary.

UITEN'HAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

But before Colonel Cuyler took action a worthy
field commandant, named William Nel, volunteered
to go among the rebels and endeavour to turn
them from the noose into which they were running.
For two davs he fearlessly continued to visit them,
and as he gradually began to open the eyes of some
of the men his presence in the camp was swiftly
attended with imminent personal danger to him-
self. At length the head men, Bezuidenhout and
others, seeing that his influence was commencing
to have considerable effect on the minds of some
of the farmers, called the whole host together, and
ordered them to stand in a circle and take a solemn
oath to remain faithful to each other until tiiey had
expelled the tvrants from the frontier.

When Colonel Cuyler heard of this he
despaired of bringing about submission by peace-
able means, and he sallied forth from Andrews'
Post early next morning at the head of a troop of
the 2ist Light Dragoons, while a troop of loyal
burghers under Commandant Nel marched out
with him. They soon came up with an advanced
post of the rebels, but on the order being given to
advance upon them about thirty, who formed the left
wing, suddenly threw down their arms and sur-
rendered. The remainder fell back upon the main
body, and the rebel force retired with their wagons
and oxen into the wilds of Baviaans River, where
it was almost impossible for a small force to dis-
lodge them.

W'hat was known as a " drive" in the recent Boer
war was then decided upon. The glen was sur-
rounded by the troops under Major Eraser, Land-
drost Stockenstroom, and the Deputy Landdrost of
Cradock. The rebels were deftly enclosed in the
net that had been woven for them, but some con-
trived to escape during the night by paths and
passes of which only they had any knowledge.
The ringleaders, however, declined to accept any
terms, and actually contrived to extricate them-
selves from their dangerous position. They managed
to reach the Winterberg, immediately bordering
upon Kafirland, where they hoped to be safe ; but
Major Eraser, with a squadron of the Cape Corps,
was at last successful in completely ambushing
them in a deep kloof. Again rejecting all terms,
they hastily made preparations for a desperate
defence. Esconcing themselves behind the wagons,
they kept up a steady fire on the troops. I hey
killed one Hottentot and wounded another,
and it was not until Bezuidenhout had been shot
and Faber and his wife botii wounded that the
wh )le thirty-nine were ca]itured.

Guarded bv a strong escort, the)- were brought
to Uitenhage and committed to prison — the same
building that exists to-day. Fifty or sixty other
rebels were subsequently traced and confined in
gaol. .A special commission was appointed in

riTEXH.U'.E G.\OI,. IX WHICH THE KEBEI.S WERE COXUXEl).

Cape Town to try the offenders. A preliminary-
enquirv resulted in the selection of thirtv-nine
persons out of the whole party as the most culpable.
The commission arrived in Uitenhage in December,
the Judges being Messrs. \V. Hiddingh and P. Diemel.
Mr. B. van Blokland was secretary of the court,
Landdrost Cuvler acting as prosecutor. The pro-
ceedings opened on the i6th December, and the
prisoners pleaded guilty of high treason and waging
war against His Majesty. The trial was a long and
painful one, but the evidence was conclusive.
Judgment was delivered on the 22ik1 Januarv, uSifi.

The sentence of the court was that the whole
of the prisoners should be conveyed to the spot on
Van Aardt's farm where the oath had been taken,
and that there, on the qth of March, Hendrik
Prinsloo, Cornelius Faber, William Krugel, Theunis
de Klerk, Stephanus Butma, and Abraham Botma
suffer death by hanging. .All the others were to
witness the execution, and then to undergo various
degrees of punishment by lines, transportation, and
banishment for life, according to the various
degrees of their proved culpabiiitv.

The judgments were sent to the Ciovernor, Lord
Charles Somerset, for his fuit. It was generally
anticipated that he would commute the capital
sentences on the six men, and thus make manifest
the mercy and clemency of a paternal Govern-
ment. But Lord Somerset did not avail him-
self of this opportunity of endearing British
rule to the hearts of the people. Had he done
so, the whole of the sulisequent historv of Cape

UITEXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

Colony would probably have been very different
to what it is. He wrote the fatal word ^' Flal"
across hve of the sentences, and the men were
doomed. Krugel's life, however, His Excellency
was pleased to spare, and he was ordered to be
tiansported for life. Great indeed were the sorrow
and sympathy expressed for the unfortunate men,
aid bitter was the feeling aroused among the
Dutch in Cape Colony by the stern harshness of
the Governor. I'p to the last, however, hopes were
entertained that he would eventually reprieve the
rest. But, as time went on, these hopes gradually
waned, until at last the dav appointed for the
executions drew near.

On the 6th of March, 1816, a melancholy pro-
cession set out from Uitenhage. The whole of
the prisoners were drawn up, handcuffed, placed
in vehicles, surrounded by a strong mounted escort,

and driven away. Colonel Cuylerwasin command
6f the party. In the meantime a gallows had been
erected on the spot where the rebels had prexiously
ranged themselves in a circle and taken the o.ith
to be true to one another. It was not until the
melancholy procession came in sight of this ominous
structure that hope completely died, for from the
fatal beam there depended five ropes. This showed
th.it no reprieve had been granted, and that the
law was to take its course.

Accounts of the actual execution differ some-
what. We give two of them. The first version,
which is given by Mr. D. C. F. Moodie, seems to
be the more probable : —

" With perfect resignation ;.nd firmness, under
the spiritual guidance of a worthy minister, the
Rev. Mr. Herold, the five culprits simultaneously
mounted the fatal ladder, from which, at a given
signal, they were to be launched into eternity. But
even then thev were doomed not to find an end to

their misery. From the hasty and imperfect manner
in which the scaffold had been constructed, it
proved insufficient to bear the weight and dying
struggles of these five powerful men thus thrown off'.
The whole fabric gave way, and the unfortunate
men, slowly recovering from the asphyxiated state
into which they had been partially thrown, crawled
up to the officer whose painful duty it was to see
to the execution of the sentence, calling aloud for
mercy. This plea was earnestly supported by all
their friends placed without the circle, who, viewing
it as a signal dispensation of Providence, were with
difficulty kept from forcing themselves through
the military array, and, with screams and shouts,
joined in the cry for mercv."

Mr. Theal, the Colonial Histriographer, deal-
ing with this matter, says, however, that " before
ascending the scaffold they requested to be
allowed to sing a hymn with their late companions
and friends, and upon permission being granted,
their voices were clear and firm. After this,
Stephanus Botma — whose ancestor of the same
name was the first bm^gher in South Africa — ad-
dressed those present, advising them to be cautious
in their behaviour, and take warning from his fate.
To outward appearance, they were all perfectly
resigned to die. When the drop fell, four of the
ropes snapped, and the condemned men rose from
the ground unharmed."

Whichever version is correct, howexer, it is
certain that the men were thrown to the ground.

But the stern nature of his duty ieft Colonel
Cuvler absolutely no alternative but to see the
execution completed. Although possessed of a
quick and fiery temper, he was at heart one of the
kindest of men, and it may therefore be easily-
imagined with what pain he ordered the structure
to be repaired at once. His strict orders from
Cape Town were that the culprits must be
despatched on the dav mentioned in the warrant,
and it was for him to obey. The executioner
hastily made all the necessary preparations once
more, the men were again secured and led to the
gallows, the soldiers closed round it, and, amid the
cries and clamours and prayers of their friends and
relations, the sufferers re-mounted the fatal ladder
and were launched into eternity one by one. The
last rays of the setting sun shone gloomily upon
the dangling figures, until they were finally cut
down. Here another sad scene ensued, for the
relatives besought Colonel Cuyler to grant them
the remains for interment. He was compelled by
his orders to refuse this request, and the corpses
were buried under the gallows by the hands of
the executioner.

.Among the rebels there was one man who had
a narrow escape from the death sentence. His

UITEXHAC^E PAST AND PRESENT.

name w.is Fiaiis Marais, and he was a deserter
from the Batavian Army. Whetlier that was his
real name is not known. He was sentenced to
have a rope fastened round his neck during the
execution of his companions, and then to be
banished from South Afric. for hfe. Mercy was
extended to the remaining convicts. Seven of
them were banished for hfe from the districts of
George, Uitenhage, and Graaff-Reinet, five were
fined 200 rix-dollars with the alternative of four
months' imprisonment, four were fined 50 rix-dollars
or one month's imprisonment, one was lined roo
rix-dollars or two months' hard labour, while 60
were condemned to witness the execution and were
then set free.

Thus ended the rebellion of I1S15. It caused
the deepest feeling at the time, and this continued
for many years. It is still a painful subject to
Dutch and English to-day. These dark memories,
however, are rapidly disappearing like mists before
the sun, for the two dominant races are fusing
into one united whole, and a thorough understand-
ing of each other is consequentlv being arrived at.
Much as the incidents which brought the rebellion
to an end are to be deplored, we can scarcelv
measure them by the standard of the twentieth
century. Life then was iiilinitch- clicajK-r than it
is now. Even in England it was the custom to
hang people convicted of theft and other pettv
crimes. Still, everyone will agree that Lord Somer-
set should have mitigated the sentences of capital
punishment ; but those dark davs have passed from
South Africa for ever, just as have the gloomy
times in Great Britain when Protestants persecuted
and tortured and burned their Roman Cathohc
fellow-creatures in order to propagate the Gospel
of peace, love and charity, and when the Roman
Catholics retaliated upon their Protestant brethren
with interest the moment they had an opportunity
of doing so. Nobody worries about these episodes
now. Both sides admittedly made mistakes, but
the descendants of these grim, stern men, long dead
and gone, ha\e profited b\- their errors bv laynig
the results of their experience to heart, and living
together in peace and unitv.

Mr. J. H. Lange. On the 2isl of November,

1817, Mr. J. H. Lange was
appointed to Uitenhage as Districts Clerk and Clerk
for the " enregisterment " of slaves, in the place of
Mr. Auret. Slaves were gradually being better
looked after by the Government, :uid their interests
more generally considered. The " Magna Charta"
of i he natives, as it is called, was not signed until
a 83 J —fifteen years later.

Cows IGs. 4d. We might mention in passing

Eacb. that at this period the price of

stock was extraordinarily low.
We have been shown a paper dated 1815, faded
and yellow with age, receipting the payment of
108 rix-dollars (X8 2s. od.) for ten milch cows !
This works out at lA 4 for each animal !

Private An interesting sidelight is thrown upon
Seals. the almost autocratic power then jios-

sessed by landdrosts by a curious com-
plaint made by the Governor, General Cradock.
On his return to Capetown, after a tour of the
Colony, a notice appeared in the Ciovciiniuiil
Gtizctlc stating that His Excellency had noticed
that landdrosts and others were in the habit of
placing their own arms over the drostdies, while
they impressed public documents with their own
private seals ! He therefore desired that the Royal
Arms should be substituted for the others. He
furthermore directed that a sutlicient number of
seals bearing the King's arms and the name of the
drostdy should be prepared for distribution.

Two well- .\b(>ut tnis time two well-known

known Colonists arrived in Uitenhage —

Colonists. Messrs. Brehm and Graham. The

descendants of both are still flour-
ishing in South .Afric.;. Mr. Brehm was the grand-
father of those members of the family who still
reside in Llitenhage, and he laid out the beautiful
gardens in Cuyler Street now owned by Mr. W. H.
Dolley. Of the descendants of Mr. Graham it is
not necessary to say much, for there are but few
people who have not heard of Mr. Acting-Justice
T. Lydendoch Graham and his brother, .Mr. J.
Graham, Secretary to the Law Department.

The First .\iul now we aiii\e at a subject

Uitenhage which wiil be of considerable

Turf Club. interest to all sportsmen — and is

not their name legion in Uitenhage ?
We refer to the founding of a Turl' Club here in
1815. The population of the town was naturallv
very sniali, and it is not therelore surprising to
ilncl that tile ellective iiiemhers <inlv numbered
twenty. Four lionorar\' members brought the
grand total up to two dozen. The "effectives"
paid 15 rix-dollars per annum [22 h) and the
" honoraries" 10 rix-dollars per annum (15 -). The
following are the full lists : — Colonel Cuyler, Capt.
Evatt, Capt. Ellers, Messrs. ]. Baird, Fleischer,
Damant, .^llen, Knobel, Buchenroder, Damster, f.
H. Linge, De Waal, Reus, Bergh, j. J. Miiller,

UITEXHAGE PAST AXD PRESEXT.

H. O. Lmge, J. A. van Xiekerk, Gordon, Huntly,
P. Kc'titt. Thii honorary members were Messrs.
Luyston, I. S. Fcrreira, J. A. van Xiekerk, and
Garis.

A faithful record of the betting was kept, live rix-
doliars being the favourite stake. At the September
meeting m 1815 the events appear to have been as
follows ; — Zwartkops Plate, Ponv Sweepstakes,
Districts Plate, Regent's Plate, Hangklip Plate,
Bethelsdorp Plate, and Handicap Plate. The ex-
penses of the nieeting amounted to 290 rix-dollars
(£21 15s.), and this left 616 rix-dollars {£-\,(^ 4s.) as
a balance on hand.

Encouraged by the success which had attended
the hrst meeting, the committee decided to hold
another one in February, 1816. This met with
even more gratifying results, for two other plates
were added — the " Uitenhage" and " Change."
The sum of 300 rix-dollars (£22 los.) was expended
on a handsome silver cup. The making of the
racecourse cost ;^I5, and the balance in hand at
the end of the meeting amounted to £ib. This
was after the race dinner had been settled for.

In August the third meeting was held, and the
accounts show that the Turf Club was rapidlv he-
coming a most popular institution. The subscrip-
tions were raised from 15 to 20 rix-dollars, and the
membership had increased. The committee could
now afford to do things in style, and we find an
item of 97 rix-dollars (£6 i6s) " for wagon hire for
bringing down the band from Grahamstown and
back." This band must have been a military one,
and therefore worth the expense incurred. The
music would, at all events, be more elaborate than
at the races held in August of the previous year.
The financial statements regarding the festivities
on that occasion contain the following quaintlv
simple entries : " To fidler and piper, 10 rix-
dollars ; drummer, 2 ri.x-dollars ; six tiddle strings,
3 rix-dollars." The art of printing had not yet
been introduced into the Eastern Province, and the
race bills were therefore written out by hand, the
munificent sum of is. 6d. being paid to the indus-
trious scribe for his work.

It is easy to conceive that these bi-annual meet-
ings were the chief events to which the people of
Uitenhage could look forward as a relief from the
monotony of their existence. The village was
small, scattered, and isolated, as will be seen from
the sketch which forms part of our frontispiece,
and which was not drawn until three years after
the period we are now dealing with. On these
great occasions the place must have been deserted ;
all and snndrv would flock to the breezv veld,

there to enjoy at least one afternoon's excitement
in the course of their lives. And after the races
were over, and when the music extracted by
the " fidler" from his three dollars' worth of liddle
strings — to say nothing of the pipmg and drum-
ming— had dwindled away into silence, what could
be more natural than a dinner to wind up the fes-
tivities ?

The TiKF Club Dixxkk.

Mr. van Eyk was caterer on this occasion,
and, judging from his bill, he seems to have
provided an excellen"t sjiread. The prices are
interesting in the extreme, and for convenience
sake we have reduced them to the present cur-
rency. Forty-eight bottles of wine were supplied
at 16 each, while three bottles of French brandy
only cost 4 6 each (half their present value.) Two
fowls were priced at lod. each, while 100 lbs. of
meat ran to i8s. (less than i jd. per lb.)

We have now given our readers a brief idea ot
the Turf Club as it was in davs gone by. The
yellow documents, written in ink, long faded, and
the carefully audited accounts are interesting beyond
description, reviving, as they do, names long since
buried in obscurity, and bringing before the mind's
eye the forms of those whole-hearted Uitenhage
sportsmen who were the pioneers of racing in this
part of the country. The Turf Club of the present
day forms a link with the past, for it is the lineal
descendant, so to speak, of the institution we have
dealt with above. We shall revert to it in the
proper place, and leave for the nonce the gala
davs and the nights of good cheer which were
celebrated here in the ye.ir iSu).

The Dutch We now enter upon a subject
Reformed which is inextricably bound up in

Church. the history of Uitenhage past and

present — the Dutch Reformed
Church, to wit. No record of the town or district
would be complete without an accurate account of
the vicissitudes through which this important insti-
tution has passed since it was founded in these
parts, and we therefore offer no apolog>- for re-
ferring to it at some considerable length.

A congregation is often founded before a church
is built for their accomodation, and this was the
case with the local body. The earliest official
records we have are contained in the minute bookSj
which, yellow and stained with age, are still filed
in the archives of the church. A perusal of these
shows that the first meeting was held on the i ith
of December, 1817(87 years ago), when there were
present the Rev. C. Mol (chairman), Messrs. P. S.

UITEXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

A'an Xiekerk, and J. A. Jansen van Vuuren (elders),
and J. C. Cuyler (Government representative).
The last-named gentleman deli%-ered to the
Kerkeraad all the books and papers connected with
the Church, and the election of deacons was then
proceeded with. The choice fell upon Messrs.
Gerrit van Rooyen and Johannes Lunge. On the
nth of May, i8i8, another meeting was held, and
a communication was read from the Governor
(Lord Charles Somerset) sanctioning the appoint-
ment of those officers. The Dutch Reformed
Church was then of course ■ the State Church, and
therefore under Government control. At this
second meeting it was resolved that the son of Jan
Kromhout should be sexton, at an annual salarv of
300 rix-dollars (£22 los.)

We have previously stated (see page 7) that the
original church was the building now occupied by
Mr. F. H. Luyt. Here it was that the services
were conducted by the Rev. Cornelius Mol every
Sunday ; but it is not generally known that the
house situated further along the street, and now in
the occupation of the descendants of Mr. Joachim
3rehm, was the manse. Such, nevertheless, was
the case.

Mr. Mol was not stationed here for any great
length of time. In fact his ministry was the
shortest in the history of the Uitenhage Church, for
he was appointed to Swellendam in 1823, and died
there on the nth of Februaiy, 1863.

But we are anticipating. It was on the 12th of
February, 1818, that Colonel Cuyler submitted to
the Kerkeraad a plan of the proposed new church.
This, of course, had to be submitted to the Gover-
nor for his approval ; but if the members of the
committee could have foreseen the apparently
•endless series of complications that were in store
for them it is doubtful whether they would have
•entered into the work with such enthusiastic zest
and vigour. As a matter of fact the editice was
not opened until 1843 — •' qH'iiter of a centun*- after-
wards !

The Hrst step taken was the election of other
two deacons — Messrs. Lucas Jansen van Vuuren
and Lucas Marthinus van Rooyen. Another meet-
ing was convened on the 5th of March to consider
the great questions of building the new church and
of establishing a school. On the second of .-^pril.
1818, a letter was read stating that His Excellency
had been pleased to approve of the plans sub-
mitted to him, and that he also confirmed the
appointments of Messrs. van Vuuren and van
Rooyen as deacons.

Fifteen months passed away, and in July, 1819,

the Kerkeraad sent a letter to the school committee,
which had already been formed, recommending
that Mr. J. P. T. Touchon be given the appoint-
ment of teacher.

.■\t the same time various accounts were passed
for payment, and amongst the items we find that
the annual sum of 30 rix-dollars {£2 5s.) was dis-
bursed for cleaning out the special pews occupied
by the Landdrost and Heemraden. The fees for the
various eccelesiastical offices were as follow :
Christenings is. 6d., confirmations is. 6d., and mar-
riages 4s. 8d., while a " chair in church" cost is. 6d.
per annum.

In November, 18 19, Deacons van Rooyen, J.
Lange, and T. van Niekerk resigned ; Messrs. J.
van Xiekerk, P. Mare, and B. de Klerk were elected
in their stead. The Governor confirmed this
selection on the 24th of February, 1820.

A Shipwreck .and ..^ Biki.k.

There are but few people living in Uitenhage
to-day who have not heard of the wreck of the
Dutch man-o'-war Amsterdam, and of the famous
Bible which was presented to the church bv Com-
missarv-General J. A. Uitenhage De Mist. But
there are equally few who know that the two
incidents are closely associated. In fact this Bible
was the outcome of the shipwreck. The stoiy is
an interesting one.

On the i6th of December, 1817, \.he Amsterdam,
commanded by Captain Hofmeyr, entered Algoa
Bav dismasted and in a sinking condition. The
day was dark and stormy, and the crew, worn with
toil and anxietv, welcomed the sight of the low,
sandv shores which stretched in front of them. With
but one exception the boats had been carried away
bv the heavy seas, and in the one which remained
were placed a lady, two children, and a lieutenant,
named Aspeling. who had in his possession the
ship's papers. This forlorn little party reached the
land in safety, but there were still 220 men on
board the doomed vessel, and there was imminent
danger of her sinking under their feet without a
moment's warning. The only thing to be done
was to run her ashore with the least possible delay.
Dusk was approaching when the keel of the
Amsterdam grated on the beach at a desolate spot
midway between the mouths of the Zwartkops and
Coega rivers, and before the waves could complete
the work of destruction no less than 217 out of the
220 men were saved. The remaining three per-
ished. The vessel, however, lasted for three days
and then broke up, but, owing to the fierce current
which sweeps round these coasts, scarcely any of

UITEXHAGE PAST AXD PRESENT.

the wreckage drifted ashore. Officers and men
were scantily clad, as most of them had discarded
all that was superfluous in the wa}- of clothing ; the
supply of food was by no means abundant for so
large a party, and, in short, their plight was pitiable
in the extreme. Fort Frederick, however, was not
far distant, and before very long assistance arrived.
The hospitable people of Uitenhage soon learned
of the disaster, and came to the rescue with their
usual whole-hearted generosity. The wrecked
seamen were made as comfortable as circum-
stances would permit, and it would appear that, on
the whole, they had a decidedly comfortable time
of it. The plain adjoining the scene of their de-
liverance from a water}- grave, by the way, was
subsequently named after the wrecked man-o'-war,
and is still known as the Amsterdam Flats.

In this work of charity the local Dutch Reformed
Church took a very prominent part. The Kerke-
raad opened subscription lists, and the people not
only responded in the most liberal fashion, but dis-
played the most practical sympathy and interest in
the unfortunate mariners.

Commissary-General J. A. Uitenhage De Mist
had not ceased to take an interest in the town and
district wiiich bore and still bear his familv name,

and when he heard of the kindly treatment
accorded to the seamen by the inhabitants he re-
solved to send them some tangible mark of his appre-
ciation. Communication between Cape Colony
and Holland was not so rapid in those days as it is
in these ; but we lind that in the minute book of the
church there is an entry dated the 24th of February,
1820, which bears upon the subject. It states that
after Messrs. Mare, Van Niekerk and De Klerk had
been appointed deacons, a letter was read from
General de Mist warmly thanking the Church and
the public generally for the help they had rendered
the shipwrecked sailors of the Dutch man-o'-war
Ainsterdiuii, and, as a token of his appreciation, he
had great pleasure in presenting the Church with a
Bible for use in the pulpit, and also for the use of
the Landdrost, Kerkeraad, and Heemraden.

The volume is indeed a ponderous one, for it
weighs about 25 lbs. ; the binding is of leather
covered oak, mounted with massive silver clasps.
The book is not used to-day, but is kept in the
vestry, securely locked away in a safe. On the
title page is an inscription in General De Mist's
own handwriting, and the following is a fac simile
of it, with a literal translation : —

y^an Ufanaj: /fcJche cCajcoc^ en . '^(n-df c^eeze ^Jiy(^^ f tn ^^ ^ei^en^

&&/•

d<. n Jitjo^ <-n MoiCa. n <
\ i!>u:n.o I (9/0

[Literal Translation".] — For the piomolion of the pure worship of GoJ and the increase of
Evangelical Virtues, this Bible (with seven others in quarto size), for the use of the Minister, Kerkeraad, and
Precentor of the Reformed Congregation of the Church at Uitenhage, in the Magistracy of that name,
situate in the South-Eastern part of Africa, is offered as a gift to the consistoiy there

By the founder of the Magistracy (in the year 1804), then Commissary-General
of the Batavian Government, at the Cape Colony.
The Hague in Holland, J. A. Uitexh.\ge de Mist,

4th June, 18 ig. Aged /I.

UITEXHAGE PAST AXD PRESENT.

Hence the wreck of the Aiiiskniain and the
presentation of this historic Bible to the Dutch
Reformed Church by the founder of our town and
■district are, as we said betore, very closely con-
nected.

Slow Progkess.
The Government had already granted a sum of
money towards the building of the church, and it
was now asked whether thev had not a suiftcient
amount in hand to enable a commencement to be
made. An important meeting of the Kerkeraad was
held on the 19th of October, 1820, to consider the
matter. It was resolved to ask the sanction of the
Colonial Secretary to borrow 5,000 rix-dollars
(;6375) t'om the bank in order that the work might
be started. On the 25th of January that official
replied consenting to the raising of the loan, and
confirming the change made in the personnel of the
new Kerkeraad. Tenders were called for, and it
now seemed as if matters would proceed more
rapidly in the future than they had in the past.
Vain hope ! Babies who were in swaddling clothes
Tit the time this resolution was passed were grown
men and women, and probidily with tiny families
of their own, before the church was opened. At
the meeting held on the ist March, 1S21, three
tenders were considered. The first v.as submitted
by Messrs. John Strachan, George Donald, and
John Coultherd for 45,317 rix-dollars (£t„^oo).
The second was lower— 38,76orix-dollars(A'2,907) —
and was sent in by Messrs. Gerrit van Rooven and
G. Tait. The third and last was from C. F. Pohl
and was the lowest of the three, — 32,000 rix-dollars
{£2,400). This was accepted, and the successful
contractor, who must have lived in some other
town, was requested to visit Uitenhage for the pur-
pose of signing the agreement and arranging details
with the Kerkeraad.

The Kerkek.a.au Ixcke.ased.

In October, 1821, it was resolved to increase
the numerical strength of the Kerkeraad. Messrs.
P. Mare and P. Moulman were created elders, the
deacons being Messrs. A. M. Muller, J. A. van
Niekerk, P. H. du Preez, Daniel Xel, Barend
Marais, and Is lak Meyer. Their term of oflice was
also extended.

The Work Begins.
On the 7th of February, 1822— eleven montlis
after tiie acceptance of the contract— Pohl was
shown the site of t!ie future church. It was re-
solved that the work should be commenced on the
1st of March, .md that the l.iying of the foundation

stone should be marked bv a solemnity worthv of
the occasion. The Governor approved of the addi-
tions to the Kerkeraad, and decreed that two of the
members should inspect the building operations
every day.

The CoMMExcEMExr of the Troible.

It soon became apparent that in accepting the
lowest tender the Kerkeraad had not acted too
wisely, for ten days after the work began Colonel
Cuyler, as the representative of the Governor,
demanded that the entire Kerkeraad should inspect
the foundation Pohl was laying down. He also
stipulated that if these were found to be unsatis-
factory the contractor should be notified accord-
ingly, and ordered to improve his work. If he
refused he was to be warned that the contract
would be cancelled forthwith.

The inspection was duly held, with tlie result
that the Kerkeraad immediatelv expressed to
Colonel Cuyler their entire dissatisfaction with the
quality of the foundations. In fact, they were not
laid down according to contract, and the Land-
drost was requested to communicate with Pohl at
once. A special meeting was convened on the r4th
of March for the purpose of impressing upon him
the absolute necessity of his close adherence to the
agreement. He was also asked whether he was
willing to rectify what had been badly done, viz.,
by removing the stones already laid down and
replacing them with better workmanship. He
said in reply that if the work were inspected and
condemned by an expert he would be willing to
bear the cost of doing it over again ; but if an
expert could not be obtained and they still insisted
upon an improvement a new contract must be
entered into.

This was the beginning of an appuentlv end-
less series of bickerings and negotiations. In July
it was resolved not to let Pohl have his own w.iy,
and in September he was told to go on with the
work at once, failing which he would be prosecuted
for breach of contract. He, however, adhered to
the terms of his decision regarding the expert's
opinion, and it was then resolved to have the foun-
dations strengthened by somebody else. In August,
1823 — more than two years after the signing of the
contract — the Church officers decided to have the
kerkhiiis (or manse) repaired, and furthermore to
consult Advocate Brand, of Capetown, as to the best
method of dealing with Pohl. But by this time
the Rev. Cornells Mol had received and accepted
a call to Stellenbosch, and his resignation was
regretfully accepted at a meeting held on the 21st
of June, 1823.

UITEXHAGE PAST A\D PRESENT.

The Rev. .\le.\.axi)EK Smith.

vSeven months afterwards, or, to be exact, on
the lAth January, 1824, the Rev. Alexander Smith
presided for the first time at a meetin,g of the
Uitenhage Kerkeraad. It was the fore-runner of
many, for he remained in active minis'rv here for
no less than fortv years.

The Kekkek.\.\d asd B.^piism.al Fees.

At the meeting we have referred to — the first
at which Mr. Smith presided — a letter was read
from Mr. C. Bird, Colonial Secretary, approving of
the appointment of the following members : Messrs.
A. M. MuUer (senior) as elder, and Solomon Ver-
maak and P. C. van Xiekerk as deacons. The
minutes also show that the fees for baptisms were
increased. If the rite were administered within
the parish, the sum of 2h rix-dollars (3s. yd.) was
chartied, and of this is. 6d. was devoted to the
Church funds and 2S. 3d. given to the sexton.
Outside the parish, however, the fee was 5s. 3d.
of which the church received 3s., while the remain-
in,g 2S. 3d. was divided between the sexton and
the poor.

It was not only decided to proceed against Pohl,
and to send all papers to Capetown, but also to in-
an advertisement in the Govcrnincnt Gaseiie stating
that the parsonage was for sale. Another building
would then be hired or purchased for the accom-
modation of the minister. In the following month
Advocate Brand was retained by the Church,
and a letter was received by the Kerkeraad from
Pohl stating that he desired to obtain possession of a

certain document, then in the hands of the Kerkeraad
which would soon prove that they had kept
him back : and had thev not done so, he could
have proceeded with the work as agreed upon.
They decided to give him this paper, and deputed
Mr. Cuyler, an elder and a deacon, to deliver it up.
The money required for the carrying on of the
case was borrowed from one of the elders, and
tlius the machinery of the law was started at last.
It must have been an intense disappointment to
everyone concerned that so vexatious a delay had
taken place, and one can easily imagine how diffi-
cult it would be to maintauT the general enthusiasm
in the project.

A Pkecexiok W.\nieu.
But although the erection ot the new building
had been stopped, the work of the Church was
vigorously pushed forward by the energetic
predikant and his Kerkeraad. On the gth of
February, 1S24, it was resolved that as there was
no precentor one should be appointed, and that
His Excellency the Governor be applied to for
linancial assistance in the shape of a grant of 700
rix-dollars (52 guineas) per annum. This was the
tirst conspicuous improvement made by Mr. Smithy
for there can be little doubt that the proposition
came from him, seeing that the meeting in question
was only the second which he had attended. New
brooms sweep clean. At all events on the 28th of
April, 1824, a letter was read from the Governor
stating that he had been pleased to grant the sum
of 700 rix-dollars per annum for the purpose set
forth in the Kerkeraad's communication. It was
then decirled to appoint " Mr. John Humphreys as
Viwrlcc:cr {i.e. precentor and lay reader), in the
Hollandsche en Engelshe Kerk," at that salary.
The main qualifications for the holder of this
responsible office was that he should be "a capable
man, knowing both languages."

The Building Trouble Ag.\ix.
So much trouble had now been experienced
with Pohl, the contr.ictor, and so long a time
had elapsed since the foundation stone of
the new church had been laid, and so much
tjrass had grown over the dilapidated founda-
ations themselves, that one might be pardoned for
wondering why the man was not released from his
agreement, and tenders again called for. But the
Kerkeraad doubtless imagined that they had the
law on their side ; or, perhaps, they were now too
thoroughly aroused in their wrath to let him off so
cheaply after all the trouble and expense to which
he had put them ; but whatever the reason may

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

have been, it was determined U< proceed with the
case. Pohl's guarantors became alarmed. It is
possible that they themselves entertained mis-
givings as to his chances in a Court of Justice,
and on the 6th July, 1824 — more than two years
after the contract was signed — they begged to be
released from their suretyships. The Kerkeraad,
however, refused to consider this application, as it
had been decided to proceed with the action, and
Advocate Brand already had it well in hand. It
was all very well to say that .Advocate Brand had
the matter well in hand, but, judging by the light
of later events, it is questionable whether such
were really the case. He must have derived quite
an annual income from his exasperated Uitenhage
clients, and they, in turn, tasted to the full the
bitterness of the law's delay. During the next two
years this enterprising barrister appears to have
kept up a correspondence with the Kerkeraad on
the most trivial pretexts (at so-much per letter, of
course), and we lind, for instance, such grave state-
ments as the following in the minutes : — (The
meeting in question, by the way, was held on the
28th of March, 1824 — two years after the sureties
were told that the advocate had the case well in
hand) : — " Papers were received from Capetown
regarding the contractors. Messrs. Cuyler and
Muller had previously been deputed to send
certain documents to the advocate. Mr. Brand
now wrote saying he found that Mr. Muller had
resigned from the Kerkeraad, and that he could
not therefore act. A successor should be appointed
at once. The meeting then elected Mr. J. R. Innes
to act in Mr. MuUer's stead."

It is interesting to note the evidently hopeless
jiatience with which these weighty communications
from Cape Town were received. Perhaps, how-
ever, the Kerkeraad had resolved to see how long
their advocate could really continue as he was
doing. In the absence of documentary evidence
regarding the cause of these interminable delays, it
is dit^cult to arrive at any other conclusion, although
prolonged litigation is generally an expensive
amusement. As we are relating events in their
chronological order, we shall pick up threads of
the action here and there in proper sequence.
They form the background of the tapestry, and the
patterns woven upon it might well be figures repre-
senting " Patience " and " Long-suffering."

MoKK Changks.

The erection of a new s.-hool was still inider
discussion in 1824, and at the meeting held on the
5th of October, in the s ime year, it was resolved

to lay out a cemetery " beyond the furrow, and as
high up as possible," while the services of a land
surveyor were to be retained for this purpose. On
the 27th December, Mr. C. Pohl, junior, was
informed, in reply to a couple of letters which he
addressed to the Kerkeraad regarding his position
as organist of the church, that he would be paid
the sum of 300 rix-dollars {£22 los.), and his services
dispensed with. D. du Toit, the sexton, was also
dismissed at the same time, owing to some financial
mystery which he could not satisfactorily explain.
Next month it was decided to amalgamate the
duties of sexton with those of bell-ringer, and Du
Toit's successor must possess, as one of his qualih-
cations, that of being able to toll well. On the 5th
April, 1825, Johan de Korte (father of the late Mr.
de Korte, Cuyler Street), was appointed to this
position, but he was apparently allowed to have the
bell rung at his own expense by somebody else.

.\x Impokt.axt I\xov.\tio\,

On the 27th December, 1824, a most important
communication from Capetown was read and
approved of by the Kerkeraad. It stated that the
following sums should be contributed by the Church
in aid of the Synod Fund : (i) ten per cent. (i.e.
a tithe) of all collections, gifts, presents, and
legacies ; (2) one rix-dollar (i 6) for the baptism of
every child not christened on the fixed day
(gewoonen tijd)* ; (3) 9d. for every baptism on the
ordinary day ; (4) for the burial of every corpse,
yd ; and (5) gd. for each seat in church. A little
more than nine months afterwards, a copy of the
regulations framed by the Governor anent the
general meeting of the Synod was received and
tiled.

Marks of Pkogkess.

.At the end of January, 1825, the Kerkeraad
complained that they did not possess a complete
register of members, and after the matter had been
fully discussed it was decided to place the affair
in General Cuyler's hands. He was asked to pro-
cure the names of all who belonged to the Church
and to enter them in a book. The members of the
various wards undertook to assist him in every
possible way.

About the same time a petition was received
regarding the purchase of a public clock, and it
was decided to open subscription lists for the
purchase of one.

^ The rite of baptism had hithertu been administered on Mondays, but
the day was now altered to Tuesday. The fee was higher for christening;
on any other day of the week.

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

In March, 1826, Mr. Smith pointed out that the
Church possessed absolutely nothing in the way of
a safe repository' wherein the records might be
placed, and it was decided to have a chest made
for the preservation of these papers.

The long expected Synod was to be held in
November of this year, and Mr. Smith received
instructions to do what he could while in Capetown
to procure a competent schoolmaster for the natives
here. He appears to have done his best, but after
the Synod was over a letter arrived from the
Metropolis stating that the " School Commission"
there could not assist the Kerkeraad in this
direction. An appeal for help was then made to
the Governor direct.

PoHL W'lxs His Case.
At last, after an apparently interminable delayi
the case against Pohl was brought to a conclusion.
Mr. Smith, as we have seen, visited Capetown in
November, 1826, and it is not inconceivable that
he found occasion to give Mr. Advocate Brand a
piece of his mind regarding the dilatory way in
which he was conducting the campaign against the
contractor. At all events matters appear to have
progressed more rapidly after this, and on the 27th
August, 1827, a special meeting of the Kerkeraad
was convened for the purpose of hearing and
considering the judgment which had just been
delivered. There were present the Rev. A Smith
(in the chair). Elders Cuyler, Mare, and Van Vnuren,
and Deacon J. Rose Innes. Mr. Smith read a
letter from Advocate Brand informing the Kerke-
raad that judgment had been entered in favour of
Pohl for 8,000 rix-dollars (;^'6oo) and costs of suit.
This was a serious set back, and one can imagine
the disappointment that was felt at so unexpected
a termination to the case. However, the Kerkeraad
was not going to give in without a struggle. It
was resolved to answer Advocate Brand's letter
without delay, and to ascertain whether the
materials used by Pohl, and still in the possession
of the Church, came within the amount awarded
in his favour. Enquiries were also to be made as
to whether the Court would stay the effect of the
judgment to enable the whole Kerkeraad to meet
for the purpose of deciding the question of an
appeal against the decision. The Court, in the
end, granted this petition, and it was resolved to
appeal. In October, 1827, Advocate Brand
Hiformcd the Kerkeraad that he had lodged an
appeal, and had fulhlled all the conditions pre-
scribed in such cases. But another irritating delay
occurred. The appeal, as we have seen, was noted

in October, I827, and yet the minutes show that in
July, 1829— a year and nine months afterwards —
Advocate Brand wrote informing the Kerkeraad
that the delay in the appeal was caused by Pohl's
barrister asking for a translation into English of
the whole proceedings, and this work was not yet
completed ! Another twelve months passed by,
and Cashier-deacon Rose Innes resigned his office,
as he was leaving Uitenhage for Capetown. Mr. M.
Potgieter was elected to fill his place. Mr. Innes
was requested to see Brand on his arrival in the
metropolis and to enquire into his long silence
regarding the fate of the appeal. This was in July,
1830. What the result of Mr. Innes' interview with
the advocate was we do not know, but the next
reference to the matter is dated 27th December,
1830, when it was decided to empower the ex-
Cashier-deacon to attend Court on behalf of the
Kerkeraad.

The Kp:kkek.a.ad Wixs the Apfe.al.
Another six months passed ! Mr. Innes had
managed, however, to bring things to a head, and
on the 4th of July, 1831, a letter was received from
him stating that the case would be argued during
the ensuing term in the Court of Appeal (Hof van
Justitie). Then came a red-letter day in the history
of the Dutch Reformed Church, Uitenhage. On
the 3rd October, 1831, the Kerkeraad assembled,
and Mr. Smith read a communication which must
have created feelings of unmingled relief and satis-
faction to everybody dwelling in the town and
district. It announced that the case Kerkeraad
;rc5;/.s Pohl had been argued in the Court of
Appeal, and that judgment had been given in
favour of the Church, Pohl being mulcted in the
sum of 18,000 rix-dollars (;£ 1,350), and ordered to
pay all costs. And thus, after no less than eight
years of dreary waiting, the Kerkeraad was victori-
ous at last. One can imagine the unbounded
delight of those patient, long-suffering people when
the news of their hard-earned victory was
announced to them by their minister, and it is not
difficult to realise that the enthusiasm which had
marked the laving of the foundation stone nine
years before, and whijh had dwindled and sunk
under the interminable delays of the law, now
rose to its former height. Hopes would doubt-
less be entertained that the new buildmg would
hi readv for use within the next year or two. As
a matter of fact anotlur tw^^lve years were to elapse
before the new church was opened ! However,
the Kerkeraad considered their victory in all its
bearings, and then decided that, as thev were un-

riTEXHAGE PAST AND PKESE\T.

acquainted with Pohrs tinancial position, they
should ask for advice on the question of proceeding
against his sureties for the amount awarded by the
Court. A committee, consisting of the Rev.
Alexander Smith, Messrs. L. Jansen van Vuiuen,
M. Potgieter, and .Vle.xander Tennant. was then
appointed to decide what instructions should be
given to the attorney, and they were given full

pnM.T t(i :ict.

Ch.vxgks.

In the meantime, however, certain changes had
taken place. The Civil Commissioner and Resi-
dent Magistrate (Mr. van der Riet) informed the
Kerkeraad in April, 1828, that General Cuylcr
would no longer represent the Go\ernment at the
meetings, and, as a matter of fact, that gentleman's
name ceases to appear in the minute book after the
27th December, 1827. In October, 1828, the
Government communicated with the Board and
graciously exempted all Kerkeraad members from
municipal duties during their term of office. Mr.
Humphreys, the precentor, did not get along very
well with his immediate superiors, and he was
dismissed, Mr. J. Hyman being appointed in his
stead. The sexton died about this time, and the
post was conferred upon his son, Mr. G. de Korte,
on the 5th October, 1829. At the same meeting
Mr. J. \V. van der Riet, C.C. & R.M., gave notice
that the interest on money borrowed from the
Government by the Kerkeraad School Committee
was due and payable ; and from this it would appear
that a native school had already been started under
the aigis of the Church. Indeed, an ancient copy
of the Commercial Achcrliscr states that "in the
year 1822 an English Seminary for the instruction
of youth of both sexes was founded, and which has
been crowned with the greatest success : the
number of pupils is new one hundred and sixtv.
There is also a school for the black and heathen,
where ninety children receive instruction in the
English language." It was on the 12th of July,
1822, according to the Governmenl Gazette, that Mr.
James Rose-Innes, M.A., was appointed "Instructor
in the English tongue," and we have already
seen that this gentleman (the father of a late
Magistrate of Uitenhage and grandfather of the
present Chief Justice of the Transvaal) took a
prominent part in the affairs of the Church, and
was eventually the means of bringing Pohl's case
to a speedy conclusion.

MlSilOX WOKK.

Missions were flourishing in those davs, and the
Malays were not forgotten, for it was resolved in

October, 1827, to devote the Christmas collections
to the South .African Society, who wished to spread
the Gospel among these people.

The Capetown Philanthropic Society also com-
municated with the Kerkeraad regarding the
emancipation of slaves, and the letter was recorded.

On the 26th December, 1831, Mr. J. Bennie
wrote from Kafhrland asking permission to labour
spiritually among the slaves in Uitenhage. He
belonged to the Slaves" ilissionary Society, and
besought not only tor the requisite permission, but
also requested linancial assistance from the Church.
After some deliberation it was resolved to grant
^Ir. Bennie leave to carry out his task here, but
not to grant him any financial aid.

The need of a Theological Seminary had long
been felt in Cape Colony, for towns were beginning
to spring up in various parts of the country, and
the demand for ministers was rapidly exceeding
the supply. Young men whose abilities were
great but whose resources were small were fre-
quently debarred from entering the Church by
reason of their being unable to proceed to Europe
for their clerical training, and the ser\"ices of many
a \aluable man were lost in consequence. The
necessity of establishing a Theological College in
Capetown had been on the tapis for some time,
but, so far, nothing definite had been accomplished
in this direction. On the 2nd of April, 1832, how-
ever, the Kerkeraad were asked to consider the
question of assisting in the work of founding a
seminary in Capetown which would meet this long
felt want. Funds were urgently required, and a
general appeal was being made in every town and
district. With their usual readiness to further
every movement calculated to increase the Church's
power for doing good, or to assist in the wider
propagation of the Gospel, the Kerkeiaad resolved
that the matter should be laid before the congrega-
tion, and that every effort should be put forth to
facilitate this worthy project. One can readily
understand that when the people learned what was
required of them they were not slow in contributing
their share toward the fund which had been
opened.

Thk Chlkch's S.^lt Paxs.
Deacon A. Tennant, in April, 1832, brought to
the notice of the Kerkeraad that the salt pans at
Bethelsdorp and Port Elizabeth belonged to the
Church, and it was thereupon resolved to ascertain
the real facts of the case, and, if this proved to be
correct, to lease them for one year to the highest
bidder.

UITEXHAGE PAST A\'D PRESENT.

Writing on this subject in 1843, Mr. [ohii
Centlivres Chase says that " there are two salt pans
close to Elizabeth Town, producing a very incon-
siderable quantity. The third is situated on the
lands of the Missionary Institution of Bethelsdorp,
affording a very lucrative source of revenue to
the Hottentots of that station, from its proximity to
the place of export. The fourth and largest is on
the eastern heights of the Zwartkops River, which
is farmed out by tender at £200 per annum by the
Dutch Reformed Church, for whose support it is at
present granted by the Government. The origin
of these singular natural phenomena remains a mys-
tery ; the elevation of these pans and the distance
of others (as in the case of those in the country
beyond the Orange River, 300 miles from the
nearest coast), preclude all supposition of oceanic
connection. The deposits of continual solutions of
saliferous plants so common to this continent, and
their evaporation in the pans, is another untenable
hypothesis, as similar hills, equally surrounded by
the same vegetable substances, are frequently found
in their immediate neighbourhood, holding per-
fectly sweet water. It has been suggested that
they owe their existence to some occult chemical
process, enabling the soil to generate the mineral ;
but perhaps, after all, the true rationale of the
matter is that below these pans large beds of rock
salt are deposited, and that the rains in winter
descend through the soil and reach the first, by
which they are saturated, and, evaporating during
the hot weather, form a crust collected on the bed
or floor of the pan. The truth of this theory might
be tested with inconsiderable cost by boring ; but as
the supply is plenteous enough for the demand,
no person has as vet thought fit to settle the
question by practical experiment. Excellent, how-
ever, as is the pan sal* for table and culinary uses,
and none can be better, as well as for every other
purpose, it is to be regretted that a prejudice has
existed against its employment for the purposes of
salting, which is carried on to a great extent in Port
Elizabeth. The objectors state that it is positively
injurious, for, notwithstanding that it perfectly
preserves the meat from decomposition, it
entirely dissolves the fat and hardens the muscular
fibre so much as to render it unservicable. To
what ingredient in the mineral substance
this imagined result is attributable the objectors
have never yet attempted to show, although a
commission of the medical body, appointed
by the Colonial Government in 1827 to report
upon the salt in question, stated that it does not
differ essentially in chemical composition from

ordinary common salt .... and that they have-
not discovered any ingredient in it which, in their
opinion, would disqualify it for the preservation of
meat under proper management. The fact is that
the pan salt is now found to be equally as good as
that imported from Europe, and is almost exclu-
sively used in the preservation of meat intended for
export."

Hence, Deacon Tennant's disjoverv regarding
the ownership of these pans was a fortunate one
for the Church, and a valuable asset was thus
turned to good account. Money was not over
plentiful in those days, and the additional income
derived from this source must hive been veiy
welcome. The Kerkeraad hid many calls upon
its coffers, for in 183 1 the population of the parish
was estimated at 7,000. only 150 of whom usually
attended church.

FuKTHER Pkog:<ess.

The Governor informed the Kerkeraad that
the house lately occupied by the minister might be
given over to the Church, on the understanding
that it be kept in repair, and that the Slave School
(situated where Messrs. Heeley's store now stands)
should be maintained. From the minutes it would
appear that the precentor also fulfilled the duties,
of school master, and that he annually received
;^50 from the Government and ;^5o from the
Church. The late Mr. Henry Jones was the last
precentor who worked under these conditions.

.At the beginning of 1832 the Kerkeraad received
a communication from the M;.ster of the Supreme
Court stating that the late Mr. Petrus van Staaden
had left the Uitenhage Church a legacy of 24 C;>pe
gulden.

The Xew Chl'rch .Ag.\ix.

On the 8th April, 1813, Mr. A. Tennant moved
that the members of the Church should be asked
to take shares in the building of the new edifice —
i.e., that the sum of 25,000 rix-dollars should be
apportioned among the congregation, each share
to be of the value of 100 rix-dollars {£j los.), pay-
able in instalments. The Kerkeraad would under-
take to refund the money thus advanced within
two years, but without interest. This proposition
was carried. At the .same meeting it was moved
that Mr. van der Riet (who was Civil Commissioner
and Resident Magistrate) should be asked to
recommend the Governor to sanction the lease of
the T'Zitzikama forest (from which the Church
derived part of its income), in order to raise funds.
for the building of the Church.

UITEXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

Another start was now made with regard to the
-erection of the Church, and it was decided to notify
the Governor that the Kerkeraad had decided to
proceed with the building in terms of the resohi-
tion carried at the preceding meeting, and to lay
the corner stone on the lirst Monday in October,
1 83V III the meantime an advertisement asking
for plans and specifications was to be inserted in
the public press, offering the sum of 100 rix-dollars
'(£■] los.) to the successful architect. These plans
and specifications were to be submitted before the
30th of July, and would then be laid before a meet-
ing of the subscribers or shareholders. Mr. Pohl
had become bankrupt bv this time, and it was
resolved that the Kerkeraad should sue his sureties
for whatever deficiency might be shown in his
■estate.

.\x IxF.AXTs' School.

On the 8th July, 1823, it was resolved, on Mr.
Tennant's motion, that the collections taken up on
Wednesdav and Thursday evenings be devoted to
the Infants' School which had been established.

The L.\w Sum oxce more.
If our readers are growing tired ot the law suit
already, how \ery weary the Kerkeraad must h,i\e
been when the matter time and again came under
their consideration I The history of this trial
reminds one of Jarndyce versus Jarndyce in
Dickens' '' Bleak House," for it appeared to go
on for ever. In October, 1833, Mr. Tennant
brought to the notice of the Kerkeraad the fact that
the trustee in Pohl's estate had accepted the sum
•of 200 rix-dollars (;^I5) as payment for the founda-
tions which he had laid down. Then a delay
occurred in connection with the laying of the
foundation stone, for it was found that, owing to
various hindrances, the function could not take
place on the appointed date. The 28th of Novem-
ber, 18^3, was therefore settled on, and it was
decided to ask the Magistrate to perform the cere-
monv. Tenders for the stone work in the new
foundations had been received in the meantime,
but they were all too high. It was decided to see
what quantity could be taken out of the old foun-
dations, and then to invite tenders for supplying
whatever balance might be required. An agreement
was arrived at which provided that in the event of
:niy difficulty arising in connection with the build-
ing those members of the Kerkeraad resident in
the village and in the immediate vicinity should
•constitute a standing committee, whose duty it
would be to adjust matters to the best of their
;ibility. Three important resolutions were passed

at this meeting (26th December, 1833.) The tirst
was to call for tenders for the making of the neces-
sary bricks, the second was that the requisite
amount of wood should be purchased, and the
third to instruct the Kerkeraad's attorney in Cape-
town to proceed against Pohl's sureties without
further delay and bring the case to an end as soon
as possible.

More Det.ails.

The tinal decision regarding the plan of the new
church was arrived at on the 5th of June, 1834,
when it was resolved that two " row-windows"
should be put into the four sides of the building,
that the ceiling be constructed of lath and plaster,
that the roof be of imported English slate, the neces-
sary lead, nails, etc., were to be imported from
Great Britain, while a double iron chain to enclose
the church, and a bell three feet in diameter, were
also to be obtained from Home. It was also re-
solved to build a consistory or vestry at the back
of the church. Mr Streak was entrusted with the
work of laying the foundations. The surplus
stone was advertised for sale on the 14th June, and
Mr. Celliers accepted the post of clerk of works at
a fee amounting to three per cent, on the cost of
the erection. The agreement between Mr.
Celliers and the Kerkeraad was not drawn out,
however, until the 6th of October, 1834, and on the
same date the tenders for the supply of wood were
considered, none of them being accepted, however,
owing to the price being too high. The pew rents
also occupied the attention of the Kerkeraad at
this time. Matters looked so much brighter that
it was no doubt anticipated that the church would
be finished within a few months' time. But more
than nine years elapsed between this period and
the formal opening ! It was resolved, however,
that should there be more than one applicant for a
pew, it should be put up to public auction and sold
to the highest bidder. If funds grew too low, on
the other hand, it was decided to call upon the
subscribers and to obtain from them the amount
of money signed for, so that the work in hand need
not be delayed a day longer then necessary. Six
months later a resolution was passed to the effect
that Pohl's sureties should be sued for the amount
previously awarded against him, and that this case
should be brought on during the ensuing term.
.Advocate Brand, liowever, wrote later on saying he
had endeavoured to carry out the wishes of the
Kerkeraad in this direction, but his efforts had
jiroved unsuccessful. The Kerkeraad then came
Xo the sensible conclusion that as these delays were
becoming intolerable, Ihcv themselves would send

UITENHAGE PAST A\D PKESEXT.

in a petition to the Court and ask if there was no
possibility of the matter being settled at an early
date. This course was no doubt pursued, for
within six months an opinion was received from
Brand stating that at least twelve witnesses
should be sent round to Capetown at the expense
of the Church. He was informed in reply that
some of the original witnesses were already dead,
and others now so old that they were incapacitated
from taking so long a journey. Could not this
difficulty be met in some way or another ?
Sick at heart of the whole business, the Kerkeraad
shortly afterwards decided that as it was not at
present in a position to continue with the erection
of the church, such bricks as were ready by the
4th January, 1836, should be sold by public
auction.

The Kerkeraad again Victorious.
Six months afterwards a letter from Capetown
was read stating that the case against the sureties
would be heard on the 25th August, and that all
surviving witnesses should then be in attendance.
The trial was concluded in due course, and Pohl's
sureties were mulct in the sum of ;^i,338 15s.,
with costs of suit. An appeal to the Privy Council,
however, was notified, and this being the case the
Kerkeraad were warned that they must give
security tor the costs in case the judgment
should ultimately go against them. The prospect
of further proceedings of this nature was so alarm-
ing that Cashier-Deacon Tennant was instructed to
address a letter to one of the sureties, living in
George, asking him whether some kind of an
agreement or compromise could not be arrived at,
and the appeal withdrawn. But if no answer were
received by the first return mail, an appeal would
be made to the more prominent people in the
district that they should join the Kerkeraad in
becoming plaintiffs in an action to recover the
amount already awarded by the Court, but not yet
paid. .Also that they should act as guarantors for
the sum required if the Privy Council's decision
were unfavourable. As a matter of fact no reply
was received from the surety who had been com-
municated with, and at the end of December, 1836,
the Kerkeraad's attorney was formally instructed
to proceed with the case. The Lieutenant-Gover-
nor was at the same time petitioned that a portion
of the ground belonging to the Church might be
sold for the purpose of proceeding with the erection
of the new building. A month later the Kerkeraad
heard from their lawyer, and it appeared that
Pohl's sureties had paid the money dovin, but the
sum he had received did not include the interest

which was legally due. He advised, however,,
that this point should not be pressed, and his.
counsel was gladly accepted, for, by agreeing to
forego the interest, the whole matter terminated,.
and the irritating delays caused by the further law
suits were averted. Thus ended the light between
the Church and the Contractor, and there can be
no doubt that both parties rejoiced greatly in the.
fact that peace reigned once more !

General Details.

I" 1835, while the legal negotiations were in
progress, Mr. J. G. de Yilliers applied for leave to
have a pew constructed and cushioned in the
Church for his own use, and his request was-
granted, subject, however, to the condition that
when it was finished it would be submitted to
public auction. If he then purchased it, well and
good ; but if not it would be knocked down to the^
highest bidder !

On the motion of Mr. Taute it was decided, in
1836, to have the cemetery at the back of the
church laid out into burial plots, these in future
to be formally applied for, as people had in
the past been in the habit of interring bodies there-
W'ithout the requisite permission !

In the same year Mr. Hyman was requested
to erect a seraphine organ and to procure the-
services of an organist. If the result were satis-
factory the instrument would be retained ; other-
wise one would be purchased in England.

Church Plans.

Once the law suit was satisfactorilv disposed of,,
it became necessary to consider the great question
of finance, as a fresh start would now be made-
with the new church. It was decided to borrow
the sum of Xi, 000 from the Savings Bank of that
period, and to leave it in the bank as an open deposit-
The walls of the Church were to be 22 feet under th&
ceiling, stone being employed in building the first
twelve feet and brick for the remainder, while the
wood for the framework of the doors and windows-
was to be procured from the Western Province.
It was further decided to institute enquiries
regarding the most suitable wood, to obtain the-
services of a competent overseer, and to make out a
list of everything that might be required. The-
slates for the roof were to be purchased in England^

The Lieutenant-Governor communicated witk
the Kerkeraad assenting to the above-mentioned
sale of ground, and it was decided to sub-divide it
into ten plots, which vi-ere to be paid for in 6, 12^
and 18 months.

UITEXHAGE PAST AXD PKESEXT.

As no tenders had been received for supplying
•stock bricks, the whole building was subsequently
ordered to be completed with stone. On the
2nd October, 1837, the plans were laid on
the table by Cashier - Deacon Tennant, and
thev were accepted. The work was to begin
-at once. Six months later, it is amusing to
note, a letter was read from one John Campbell,
stating that he had been detained in Port Eliza-
beth for a whole we 3k as the Kerkeraad had sent
no wagon to cjnvey him to Uitenhage. He there-
fore demanded a week's salary in consequence of
the delav. This was granted, as was also permis-
sion for his son to work with him in the new
church at a daily wage of a rix-dollar (1 6) I

Mr. Tennant explain 3d at considerable length
the great diflijulty of procuring suitable beams,
and he was instructed to ascertain whether some
could not be obtained in T'Zitzikama forest.

Precextor AXD School Teacher.
Several letters were read from candidates for
the combined posts of precentor and teacher of
the Slave School, rendered vacant by the death of
Mr. C. Hyman. It was decided to advertise the
appointment in the public press, and not only to
secure the most competent person for the position,
but also to ask the School Commission to work in
unison with the Kerkeraad. Mr. H. S. G. Schmidt
was selected on the ist of September, 1838.

More Trouble with the CoxTRAcro:«.

A dispute, the nature of which does not appear
in the minute book, now arose between the
Kerkeraad and the contractor who was supplving
the stones. This, however, was patched up more
rapidly than its predecessor, for it was agreed by
both sides to cancel the agreement if the monev
paid in advance was returned. The money was
refun.led and t!ii matter ended. Three months
later another difficulty arose between the Church
and the new stone cartage contractors, but this
was met by an offer of 7 6 per load.

FlXAXCIAL DlFEICl'LTIES.

On the 8th of July, 1839, the Cashier-Deacon
gave notice that the building material ordered from
England had arrived, and as the cost of this,
together with the freight, was much heavier than
had been anticipated, Mr. van der Riet was asked
to lend the Ker'.vsra i:l ;^403 or ^500 on interest.
This application cannot have been successful,
however, for in October the Cashier-Deacon gave
notice that the coffers were empty. He proposed
that the Government Bank be asked to advance

the sum of A'2,000, to be repaid in yearly instal-
ments of £200. with interest. This was carried,
but in December the Government Secretary replied
that it was no longer in His Excellency's power to
sanction loans of the nature mentioned by the
Kerkeraad.

The First Memorlal Tablet.

Dr. Fairbridge wrote on the 6th of July, 1S40,
asking permission to place upon the wall of the
new church a tablet to the meniorj- of the late Dr.
Matthews, and he offered the sum of ;^'5 for tl;e
privilege of doing so. Permission was granted in
this instance, but it was resolved that in future not
less than ^10, paid in advance, should be accepted
in similar cases.

The Exd ix Sight.

Matters now began to proceed with more grali-
fving rapiditv than hitherto. The building was
steadilv rising, for it is on record that the services
of a foreman plasterer were required in 1840. The
Kerkeraad could not procure one in Uitenhage or
Port Elizabeth, and they had to advertise for a
competent man in Cape Town. Furthermore, as
the tower was nearlv finished, and as the contractor
would soon desire a settlement for the work he had
done, it was left to Cashier- Deacon Tennant to
arrange for a disinterested expert to measure up
the amount of construction already completed. In
December the interior work was discontinued for
a time, and " the workmen were paid off and
thanked."

The Coxr;?.^cro;< Ixsolvext.

Earlv next year the contractor, a Mr. White-
head, became insolvent, and Mr. Brehm, who was
appointed trustee in the estate, sent in an account
for which immediate payment was demanded.
Cashier-Deacon Tennant was absent from this
meeting, but he was instructed by letter to prepare
a contra account, containing the amounts advanced
to the contractor. This was carried out in due
course, and the money paid.

A Few Ixterestixg Details.

At this meeting a bye-rule was established
whereby any member of the Kerkeraad absenting
himself from a meeting without giving proper
notice, and also substantial reasons, should be
lined £>, I

In Julv the Cashier- Deacon intimated that he
had sold the old bell for £22 los., and suggested
that this sum should be devoted to repairing the
roof of the old church, which was in a most
unsatisfactorv condition. This was agreed to.
Work on the new building was now recommenced.

UITEXHAGE PAST AN'D PRESEXT.

By this time the town was growing in all direc-
tions, and, as a natural result, the members of the
various religious bodies were increasing to such an
extent that they began to think of building for
themselves Hitherto, church -men and non-
conformists had worshipped together under the
same roof every Sunday, separating only when a
minister of their own particular denomination paid
an occasional visit to the town. In July, 1841, the
Kerkeraad received a letter from the members
of the Episcopal Church heartily thanking them
for the grant of the old church for the monthly
services held by the Kev. F. McClelland since 1825.
A movement was now being set on foot to build an
English church, but we shall deal with this matter
in the proper place.

In July, 1842, Mr. Tennant, after rendering
yeoman service in the capacity of cashier-deacon
for many years, announced that it was his intention
to sever his connection with the Dutch Reformed
Church, and to join the Wesleyan community.
His resignation was accepted with great regret, for
he had tilled his responsible office with conspicuous
ability from start to finish.

The floor and galleries in the new building
were completed in 1842, and the final carpentering
work, such as the construction of pews, etc., came
to an end in 1843.

We have now traced the history of the Church
from its verj' beginning, and, considering the mani-
fold delays, difficulties, and disappointments that
had been met with, one can easily imagine the
genuine relief and satisfaction when the building
was at last ready for use. Commenced in 1817, it
was opened in 1843, and, as we said before, infants
who were in swaddling cloths when Mr. Moll's
Kerkeraad first considered the great question were
grown men and women, many with families of
their own, when the historic ceremony took
place.

Thk Chukch Opexki) .at Last.

We can do no better than republish the follow-
ing excellent account of the opening function. It
appeared in the issue of the So:itli African Coiii-
iiiercial Advertiser, dated 9th September, 1843 : —

OPENING OF THE DUTCH KEKORMED CHlIiCH Or IITEN-

HAGE. AND TESTIMONIAL TO THE REV AI.ENANDKR

SMITH.
(To the Editor o) the "South African Courier and Advertiser." ^

S!R.— Occurrences of an encouraging and edifying character being in
general but too rare, the following are two which have caused great joy
here, and which we deem it our duty to communicate, that all who are
an.vious for the univeisal spread of Divine Truth, and feel interested in the
-su:cess of Christ, and Churches, may be made acquainted with them, that
they may be partakers with us in our joy.

The building of this splendid edilice having at last been completed, it
Avas opened for public worship itn Sabbath last (27th .August, 1843), when

hree suitable discourse
preached in the forenot
Pears, of .Somerset, in the afternoon
shall prosper that love Thee." Both sermons

delivered. Mr. Murray, of Graafl-Reinet

Haggai. 2nd chapter, 7th verse, and Mr.

Psalm CXXII. verse 6-" They

particularly excellent, and

oncluded with a close and searching appeal on behalf of the funds. The
ollections amounted to ^y; is. 3jd. In addition a donation of £5 has

been

ved.

Dr. Rou.\. of .Albany, was expected to preach in the evening, but wa.s
detained by the weather. Mr. Smith filled his place, and delivered an
animated and powerful discourse from Philippians. 2nd chapter, 15th and
ifith verses— "Among whom ye shine as lights in the world : holding forth
the word of life."

The attendance was very considerable, notwithstanding the unfavour-
able state of the weather- upwards of 700 persons were present : and though
the seoices lasted seven hours, yet the attention of the audience was kept
up to the end. May the Lord add His blessing to the labours of the day
and crown our esteemed P.Tstor and promising cause with abundant success.

On the Jlonday evening following a meeting was held for prayer,
which was numerously attended.

The building is of modern architecture, and aflords accommodation for
about i,QOo. The strength, solidity, and neatness of the work, both in-
ternally and externally, is beyond all praise.

On the Friday preceding, a number of ladies and gentlemen in con-
nection with the congregation met in the Government school-room, and
presented Mr. Smith with a superb pulpit gown and cassock of perfect
workmanship, and Dutch and English Bibles, with Psalm Books, elegantly
bound. The .gown and cassock were presented in the name of the lady
subscribers, and the books in the name of the gentlemen. In addition to the
above, the l.idies of the congregation have collected the sum of ^:go for an
organ to the church. The Bibles and Psalm Books contained the following
inscription :-

" Presented to the Rev. .Alexander Smith by the gentlemen of his congrega-
tion, as a sincere expression of their affection and attachment to him
as their Pastor and Christian Instructor— their Spiritual Benefactor
and best Friend."

1 he presentation was made by J. W. ran der Riet. Esq., Civil Com-
missioner, who. in a short but comprehensive address, pronounced a well
merited eulogium on the character of Mr. Smith as a minister of the
Gospel. Mr. Smith made a most suitable and impressive replv.

On the same occasion the subscribers presented the Consistory with a
splendid crimson silk-velvet Bible-cushion and drapery, for which M, J.
Potgieter, Esq.. Cashier-Deacon, made a suitable acknowledgment.

By inserting the above in your paper you will much oblige. .Sir.
A'ours respectfully.

A CHUKCH MEMBER.
Uitenhage. lolh Sept.. 1,^43.

The History of the " New Chlijch."
We hive already traced the history of the
church up to the opening of the new building, and
as a considerable amount of space has been devoted
to this particular subject, it behoves us to pass on
more rapidly now than hitherto, for as we proceed
we gradually reach the times which are fresh in
the minds of most people of Uitenhage living to-day.
It was in 1849 that Mr. W. G. Bubb, who had
contracted in the previous year to erect the
parsonage and vestry-TOom, and to raise the roof
of the new church, the contracts for which jobs
had been drawn up by Mr. Attorney Innes, of Port
Elizabeth, was warned not to delay with his con-
tract, as he had suspended the work. He was
warned again in December, that as he had not
paid any attention to the Kerkeraad's request
regarding expedition, his sureties would be
informed of his conduct. The church, it would
seem, was badly ventilated, and it was resolved to-
improve it in that respect. At that time there was
no stoep. and it was felt that one should he con-

riTKXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

stnicted. This contract was placed In the hands
o£ Mr. Alexander Accom, but he seems to have
delayed the work somewhat, and had to be re-
minded of the necessity of completing it within a
reasonable period. This was in 1851. In the
meantime contractor Bubbs's sureties became insol-
vent, and Mr. Leonard Jones, a baker, became
surety- for him on condition that an extension of
time was allowed him. It was at this time, too,
that the necessary documents were signed to pass
the transfer of the old erf to Mr. S. J. van Niekerk.
At tlie meeting held on the 26th December, 1851,
it having been announced that the parsonage was
completed, the building was taken over by the
Kerkeraad, the tinal settlement with the contractor
taking place on i8th March, 1852.

We give here an illustration of the church and
parsonage as they were at this period. The
original is a water-colour painting which was
executed about that time, and many old Uitenhagers
will recognise the monument which stands in the
foreground. It was known as the " Enimett
Memorial," and we shall refer more fully to it
later on.

Lll CUfKCH IX THE '50s

In the minutes of a meeting held on the. 5th of
Julv, 1852, the first mention is made of the clock in
the steeple, Mr. H. G. Taute, one of the members
of the Kerkeraad, offering to attend to it at a salary
of ;^io per annum. This was agreed to, the Chair-
man intimating that he would ask the Municipal
Commissioners to contribute half of this amount
yearly. His request was granted, and to this veiy
dav the Corporation pay half the cost of keeping
the clock going.

Pl.asieuing .and Improving the ChcKwH.

In 1854 '^I'- .!• Clarke's tender for plastering the
church, adding to the tower, affi.xing a lightning
conductor, and otherwise completing the building,
was accepted.
Resign.\tion of the Rev. Alexander Smith.

As we mentioned in page 21, the first Kerke-
raad meeting over which Mr. Smith presided was
held on the i6th of January, 1824, and he had
laboured strenuously and earnestly from then
onwards. But advancing age and bodily weakness
compelled him to retire from active work, and he
informed the Kerkeraad of this on the 7th October,
1861. His resignation, as may easily be imagined,
was accepted with the deepest regret, but, as a
matter of fact, he did not actually retire until more
than a year later, when the following letter was
received from the Colonial Office : —

C0LONI.4L Office, Cipetown,

jtist December, 1862.
SiK. — I am directed by His Excellency the Governor to inform you that
he has been ple.^sed to authorise the name of the Rev. Ale.\ander Smith,
minister of the Dutch Reformed Church at Uitenhage, being placed on the
retired list from the tst pro.\., and. in accordance with Section No. 212 of
the church Regulations, I have h reby to convey to the Consistory
of Uitenhage the permission of His iCxceliency to call a minister in his
room and stead.

1 have the hon ur to be. Sir.

V,..i: hediciit serv.int.

L. ADAM SOX.

pri:

1 Secrctar

The Secretary of the Consistory of the
Dutch Reformed Church, Uitenhagi

On the i6th of March, 1863, the Rev. Mr. Roux,
of Riebeek, Albany District, took the chair at the
Kerkeraad meeting, and Mr. Smith then announced
to the members that the Governor had accepted
his resignation and allowed him a pension of ^200
per annum for life. He then took an affectionate
leave of the Raad, over whose deliberations he had
jiresided for nearly forty years, and, after what was
doubtless a touching scene, left the room. The
next step was to elect Mr. Smith's successor, and
two candidates were balloted for — the Revs. \V. F.
Heugh and A. J. Steytler — and as Mr. Steytler
recei\ed by far the larger number of votes, he was
formally " called." He accepted, and remained
here for eighteen years, and accomplished some
excellent work. The chief event which character-
ised his ministry, perhaps, was the lengthy contest
which took place between himself and his parish-
ioners regarding the alteration of the interior
arrangements of the building. The Kerkeraad
was strongly against this, and after a stubborn
fight he at last got his way. The two side galleries
were taken down, and the pulpit moved from the
east wall to where it now stands. The seats were

riTEXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

then shifted round so as to face it, and the entrance
changed. Otherwise, matters progressed much as
they do to-day. and there are but few incidents in
the later history of the church possessing sufficient
interest to render special mention of them in this
work necessary. Mr. Steytler left for Capetown in
1881, and was succeeded by the Rev. J. H. Hof-
meyr, M.A., who only remained here for iive years
and then took up a position as Deputy Inspector
of Schools, which he still retains.

The Rev. D. J. Pien'.\.\r.

In December, 1887, the Rev. Daniel Joshua
Pienaar, B.A., was appointed Dutch Reformed
minister of L'itenhage, and we trust that it will be
many years before he leaves our midst. He has
done some grand work, and has written his name
largely on the history of the church. We publish
a photograph of the rev. gentleman, and append
a sketch of his career : —

He was born in the district of Richmond, and
attended the public school in that town, leaving in
1870 for the Stellenbosch Gymnasium to prepare
for his future profession. In 1873 he passed the
third-class examination, the present matriculation,
which was the last held by the old Board of
Examiners. The same year he entered the South
African College, Capetown, where he attended the
classes and read for the B.A. of the Cape Univer-
sity, and at the same time prepared for the Admis-
sion Examination into the Theological Seminary- at
Stellenbosch. In 1874 he passt;d the latter, and in

1876 the former, the subjects being then still so
arranged that candidates had to take both classics
and mathematics. In 1876 he returned to Stellen-
bosch, and after a three years' course in Theology
he passed the " Kandidaats Examen" and left for
Edinburgh, where, a fortnight after his arrival, he
sat for the first part of the Exit Examination in the
Free Church, which he passed ; and six months
afterwards he was successful in the second part.
Without waiting to be licensed by the Presbytery
of Edinburgh, he went to the continent and attended
for two months the Theological Classes at Utrecht
and Bonn. In 1880 he was licensed, and entered
the ministrv of the D. R. Church in the Cape
Colon}', acted as assistant at Ladysmith for
three months, accepted a call to Aliwal North,
where he was ordained in June, 1881 (ten ministers
taking part in the laving on of hands). At Aliwal
he remained till December, 1887, when he came,
after a second call, to Uitenhage. He has had
fourteen calls to various congregations during his
ministry, including one to Bloemfontein, one
to Stellenbosch, and one to Johannesburg. He
sits on six permanent Synodical Committees,
and has been prncscs (chairman) of the Pres-
bvterv more than once. He is a member of
all local Public School Committees ; Chairman of
the Riebeek College Committee ; Chairman and
Hon. Secretary of the Boarding Department in
connection with the College ; Hon. Secretary of
the Industrial School Committee ; and Ch.iirman
of the Public Library Committee.

The Church To-d.av.
The main characteristics of the interior of the
building are its plainness and neatness ; but the
same mav be said of practically every Dutch
Reformed Church in South Africa. There is seating
accommodation for about 800 people, but even thi&
is taxed to its utmost capacity during a heavy Nacht-
maal. The population of Uitenhage in both town
and distri.-t is steadily increasing year by year, and
in order to cope with the ever increasing demand
for more room the Kerkeraad is now considering
the advisability of erecting two spacious galleries
in the near future. Only one exists at present, and
the choir seats and organ take up a considerable
amount of space there. The organ, which consists
of two manuels, with two octave set of pedals, is
in realitv what is known as an " American organ,"
inasmuch as it is pipeless. It was presented to
the Church in 1895 by Mr. Henry Steytler. A
movement will soon be set on foot to obtain
funds wherewith to purchase a really good church

L'lTEXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

oifiaii, the cost of which is expected to approach
;^"^'oo ; and such an instrument would, of course,
lend an additional dijjnity to the services.

Since
the foun-
dation of
the Dutch
Re form 'd
C h u r c h
jn Uiten-
hage its
various
ministers
have bap-
tised 15,
300 child-
ren, con-
f i r m e d
I 2,400
people,
and imit-
ed in the
bonds (if
holy niat-
r i m o n \-
over3,i(;iS

COUJilcs,

T h i s f- ^_

brings to

a conclu- T"-- ''"'-"•• R'="o="''=°

sion our historv of the Cluuvli. We have de.alt
with it at considerable length, in view of the fact
that its rise and progress is closelv interwoven with
tiie rise and progress of Uitenhage.

.About the oldest-established station
Bethslsdorp. of the London Missionary Society
in these parts is that of Bethels-
dorp, or Botha's Place, as the farm
was originally called, and situated about y miles
to the eastward of Port Elizabeth, in a cosy posi-
tion at the foot of a range of hills. This station
was taken possession of by Dr, Vanderkemp on
behalf of the London Missionarv Society in 1802,
and peopled by about 160 Hottentots, the nucleus
of which company he had brought with him from
Graaff-Reinet, but which had been continualh-
augmented by wandering Hottentots on the road.
In those days the Bushmen were being hunted
and shot down wherever they were found, and the
Hcllentots, although not looked upon e.xactlv as
slaves, were really in little better condition than
slaves, as, when found wandering about, they were
at ■>nce handed over to the farmers and kept in

enforced servitude for a term of years. It was i.i
the hope of bettering the condition of these unfor-
tun.ite people that the London Missionarj- Society

f o u n d e d the
mission at Beth-
elsdorp.

But Dr. Van-
derkemp's ideas
were just loo
years in advance
of the times. It
must be remem-
bered that at
this period tb.e
t'itenhage dis-
trict was very
sparsely popu-
l.ited, and the
1 )utch tarmers
w ere seldom se-
i lire from at-
i.icks of Kafirs,
who were fre-
quently joined
bv the Hotten-
i ts. Both these
ii.it ions were
then considered
as savages, and
the natural en-
emy of the white num. W'liat wonder, then, that
the Dutch farmers did not look verv kindlv on
the location of a colony of their enemies in their
very midst, and under the immediate protection
of a body whose endeavour was to raise them
to the level of the white man ?

Be\ond continual complaints to the Govern-
ment by Dr. Vanderkemp of the alleged t.ranny
of the commandant of the district. Colonel Cuvler,
and that gentleman's failure to help the missionary,
we have very little on record as to the success of
the mission, and, reading between the lines, we
are forced to the conclusion that under Dr. \'an-
derkemp's regime the mission was not ;i brilliant
success. He was no doubt a good, conscientious
man, and jiut his heart and soul into the good
work of ameliorating the condition of his proleges ;
but his methods were not sticii as would appeal to
such a degraded race as the Hottentots then were,
and he could not command their respect. All but
in colour, he practically became one of themselves,
dressing and living as tliev did, and even marrying
one of their women.

CHCRCH, UnEXH \

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

At this time Port Elizabetli had not come into
existence, and, beyond Fort Frederick and a few
mud huts, there was nothing to show that the site
of the present Liverpool of South Africa was in-
hibited. On the other hand, the reproduction
given below of a sketch of Bethelsdorp published
in the Rev. John Philip's '' Researches in South
Africa," in 1828, shows that the station had gone
ahead in the niatter of buildings, at any rate. And
it certainly looked a much more important place in
iSjiS than it clues in this vear of grace IM04.

(^llJm in tiiunMiii; published m iSjS b\ the Rev. John Philip, D.D.l

Dr. Vanderkemp died on the 7th December,
iiSii, thoroughly broken in spirit at the non-success
that had attended his efforts and his failure to
jirotect the Hottentots from what he considered
gross brutality and inhumanitv on the part of the
authorities and surrounding farmers.

The Rev. (. Kitchingman, sen., succeedetl Dr.
Vanderkemp as head of the mission, and during
his ministry a decision was arrived at to found
another station on the banks of the Gamtoos River,
and for the purpose of purchasing the farm on
which Hankev now stands the respectable sum of
7,000 rix-dollars (;^525) was raised by the inhabi-
tants of Bethelsdorp.

The mission people made some show of advance-
ment under Mr. Kitchingman, and a visitor to the
place ui 1825 tells us that the Hottentots there had
discarded the " sheep-skin kaross with its lilthy
accompaniments," and were clothed in British
manufactured goods. They also possessed among
them 50 wagons. The village contained a spacious
school-room, valued at 5,000 rix-dollars, in which
the youth were taught to read and write both
English and Dutch, and arithmetic ; and a
spacious church. Bethelsdorp (according to the
same writer), moreover, possessed the " best black-
:-.mith's shop on the fr.mtier, or, indeed, in the

Colony." Other trades also, especially those of"
mason, thatcher, and sawyer, were successfully
carried on at Bethelsdorp.

Mr. Joseph Kitchingman, jun., succeeded his
father as missionary of Bethelsdorp, and under
his ministry the mission continued to improve ;
and he, again, was succeeded by Mr. Thos. J.
Paterson, who only held office for a couple oi
years or so.

The Rev. Thos. Merrington, son-in-law of the
elder Mr. Kitchingman, was appointed missionary
about 1857, and he was ably assisted in his work:
by his three brothers-in-law and a sister-in-law.
Dining the earlier period of Mr. Merrington's.
superintendence the prosperity of Bethelsdorp
continued, two of his brothers-in-law carrying on
a very lucrative bus ness in wagon-making. Later,
however, both the spiritual and temporal condition
of the station declined, owing to the apathy of the^
people, primarily caused by the scarcity of water.

The main source of revenue at this time was.
the gathering of aloes for export, of which a large
number grew in the vicinity. The older people at
the station were industrious, and followed the
teaching of the missionarv to the best of their
abilit;' . Mr. Merrington caused a stone wall to be
built round the gardens, and a sod wall round the
public lands. The salt-pan was also growing into
importance, was cleaned, and became a source of
revenue, and is to-day the most valuable asset of
the village.

In 1873 the London Missionary Society decided
to partition the land and allot it to the younger
members of the community, and gave them titles
to the land. This decision proved the ruin of
Bethelsdorp as a mission station, and those to
whom the land was given proved altogether unfitted
to act for themselves, and, instead of going on in
the old wav, and working for the common weal,
they launched out as small farmers, first mortgaging
their allotments for the purchase of oxen, and
thus, not being able to repay the loans, bringing
rum on themselves and the station as well.

Mr. Merrington died in 18 )i, after 40 years''
service at Bethelsdorp.

On the death of Mr. }kIerrington, the Rev. j. \'.
van Rooyen took charge of the station as consulent.
and a year afterwards, in 1892, the Rev. T. S.
van Rooyen was appointed missionary of Bethels-
dorp.

During Mr. van Rooyen's ministry signs of
progress were made, as he had taken young blood
and energy into the place, and among other thmgs^

UITEXHAGE PAST AXD I'RESKXT.

he greatly interested himself in tree-planting ; but
it proved practically a failure, owing to the apathy
of the residents and lack of sympathy from others
who might have assisted him in the good work.
Mr. van Rooyen also endeavoured to induce the
people to refrain from mortgaging their ground
indiscriminately, as they had been in the habit of
doing, and in other ways worked hard for the
general welfare of the station. He, however,
receive. I no support, and tinilly, in December,
1900, rsbigned the ministry at Bethelsdorp in
despair. This year's census .shows the population
of Bethelsdorp to be 15 Europeans and 945
coloured persons, with 185 occupied buildings.

The tract of land whereon this mission
Enon. now stands was granted to the Moravian

brethren by Lord Charles Somerset in
1815, and is situate on the Witte River, a tributary
of the Sundays River. The mission was at once
established, and during a Kafir outbreak in 1819 it
was destroyed and abandoned, but re-established
on the restoration of peace. Enon has had a some-
what chequered career, and, strange to sav, the
authorities seem :inxious to keep its history a
profound secret — fjr what reason we are unable
to say. The present missionary, the Rev. F. Rauh,
has persistently refused to supply us with any
information for this work.

Port Elizabeth Although this is a history of
and the British Uiteuhage, we must neverthe-
Settlers. less refer to Port Elizabeth in

these pages, tor at one time,
as we have already shown, that town and district
formed part of Uitenhage. It is a source of
legitimate pride to the inhabitants of the Garden
Town that Uitenhage is the mother of the Liverpool
of South Africa, for the bleak and barren shores of
Algoa Bay were uninhabited when I'itenhage was
a flourishing village. The rise of Port Elizabeth
has been remarkable for its rapidity, for, from
being a mere fort in 1820, it is to-day the second
largest town in Cape Colony. It will readily be
perceived that if we attempted to do full justice to
this subject we should lill a book twice the size of
the present volume. We shall therefore content
ourselves with a brief reference to the neighbouring
town, for the sole reason that it once stood within the
boundaries of Uitenhage. We have already seen
how Fort Frederick was established and "placed
under the comm.md of Captain .Aiberti (who sub-
sequently bsjam- landdrost of Uitenhage), but the
history of the pi ice between that time and the vear

1819 is very meagre indeed. The following is a
complete list of the inhabitants in 18 19, found
among the papers of the late Griffin Hawkins, of
Humansdorp (founder of the present well-known
firm of John Owen Smith & Co. — once Hawkins
& Smith), and presented some 20 vears ago to the
Port Elizabeth Public Library by Mr. \\'. S. J.
Sellick :—

Conmi.-ind.ini Evatl

Gambol Hartman

Henry Evatt, his son

— Dijsel

— Crcig

Thomas Griftin

— C.arn

— Brown

— Xkholl & Chahclu

— Gurney

— Wdsford

— Smith

Benjamin Green

— Hacheloveri

— Hunt

' Younger

— Frames

John Younger

— McPhail

Thomas Mollineaux

— Board

James Raid

— K.irtuin

Joe de llcll and Joe Hubband

Xicholaas Hitje

~ Kane

^ Dunn

— La Harpe

Gambol Dunn

— Minto

— Burehell

IJriHin Hawkins (Visitor.)

The 1820 Settlers.

The termination of the Continental wars in the
year 1815, which enabled Great Britain to disband
her large military and naval armaments, and
restored to other countries a portion of the com-
merce and carrying trade she had exclusively
enjoyed during the long contest, threw out of
employment a very large proportion of her popula-
tion, and caused throughout the United Kingdom
extensive and alarming distress : and however
glorious the close of that eventful struggle, it was
darkened by intense suffering, aggravated by
unproductive seasons, the result of which, but for
the adoption of some adequate remedy, was to be
extremely dreaded.

During this period of national distress, and the
political excitement it naturally produced, the
minds of the British Cabinet had been anxiously
and frequently engaged in divising palliatives for
the evil, and at length colonization was tixed upon
as the only effectual remedy. The question of
relief was therefore reduced to the simple choice
of the future destination of the settlers who were
proposed to be sent away, and the Cape of Good
Hoj'te, to which attention had been directed from
the time of Mr. Barrow, was lixed upon as the
scene of the experiment. This decision reflected
upon its originators the highest credit for sound
policy, in engrafting its native-born subjects on a
conquered possession, and in diffusing a free
labouring population among a community of slave-
owners. The selection of a settlement like the
Cape, blessed with a delightful climate, and from
its long prior establish.nient capable of sii]iplving

UlTENHAGE PAST AXD PRESENT.

the wants of the new comers, and thus preventing
much of that misery insparable from the formation
of a new colony, was also characterized by human
foresight.

In Jnl_v, i8iu, the Commons House of Parlia-
ment granted a sum of _^50,ooo to carry the
emigration into effect. The promulgation of the
intentions of Government was received and
embraced with avidity by the public, and the
applications for permission to avail themselves of
the facilities offered were numerous beyond expecta-
tion. The number to be accepted was limited to
4,000 souls, and the disappointment of the unsuccess-
ful candidates, amounting to above qo.ooo, was
bitter beyond description.

The two first vessels with the adventurers (the
CImpinan and Xniililiis transports) left the English
coast on thegth December, i8i9,and arrived iuTable
Bay on the 17th March following, and on the gth
of April they anchored in Algoa Bay on the eastern
frontier, where the anxious emigrants safely de-
barked on the following day. From the tenor of
the Government circulars it was generally sujiposed
by the emigrants that they were to be settled
around the port, but on their arrival, to their
annoyance, they learned that their ultimate location
was hxed above 100 miles inland, a discovery
more particularly unpalatable when they found
that their transport thither was to be at their own
cost. Wagons were liberally supplied, however,
by the Government, and the first party of the
immigration was located on the 26th April near the
mouth of the Great Fish River, on the ruins of a
Dutch farm which had been plundered and burnt
by the KaHrs some years before. To this founda-
tion of the British settlement in Albany the new
comers gave the name of Cuylerville, as a token of
respect to Colonel Cuyler, the chief magistrate of
the district of Uitenhage, whose kindness and atten-
tions were both fatherly and unremitting.

Before the middle of the year 1820 the remain-
der of the settlers had all arrived in the Colony,
consisting in the whole of 3,736 persons. Two
small parties had been located in the districts of
Clanwilliam and Svvellendam, in the Western
Province ; but they were soon disgusted with that
part of the Colony, and joined the majority of their
countrymen in the Zuurveld. The whole of this
large number of immigrants were landed through
the surf in Algoa Bay, without the occurrence of
an accident or the loss of a single life ; a circum-
stance which speaks volumes in favour of the port,
which very unjustly had acquired a bad reputation.
It would be ungrateful at this place not to nanij.

as deserving the highest praise, the conduct of the
Commandant of Fort Frederick, Captain Francis
Evatt, formerly of the 21st Light Dragoons. This
hne veteran officer waded through the surf, and
landed with his own hands the greater number
of the women and children. Nor did the old
gentleman's kindness end here, for his house and
table were open to all whose character and conduct
tleserved the attention.

A clever writer in an interesting and useful
work, entitled " The State of the Cape in 1822,"'
shortly after the arrival of the British settlers, did
them the injustice to represent their an.xiety to
leave their native hearths as arising from political
disgust. He stated that the settlers exported with
them feelings of hostility to the Parent State, and
that possibly the Home administration, mindful of
the consequences which in the reign of the First
Charles followed a prevention of the departure
to America of Hazlerig. Hampden, Pym and
Cromwell, encouraged this emigration of the dis-
contented to a distant part of the globe. This
cruel surmise had for several years the most in-
jurious effects upon the character of the immigrants,
and was only erased by the nobl;; denial which
was given to it by His Majesty's Commissioners of
Inquiry in 1825. Now, it may be as well at once
ingenuously to confess that the emigration of 1819
to the Cape of Good Hope, perhaps unluckily for
the glory of the settlers, had nothing romantic
about its character. It was neither encircled by
the celestial halo of religious enthusiasm, nor
dignified by the sublimity of voluntary exile in
search of freedom ; it was not the growth of
fanaticism, nor, to use the words of the calumniator,,
the result of the '' fears of bereavement of political
and personal liberty." It was, as far as the mass-
of the settlers were concerned, the emigration of
intelligent and feeling men ; of men who had forti-
fied their minds to undergo the separation from
country and from kindred, fleeing with their oft'-
sjiring from actual penury, or its gradual yet certain
approach. If Albany is destined to become the
seat of a new empire at the extremity of the African
continent, and to own an independent flag, she
must be contented to trace her origin to those
pressing, but not discreditable motives. The
founders of Albany, in the words of the poet,,
abandoned their native home to seek —

■ A \v.-lrmer WDrld, :i milder clime —

A liome to rest. .1 shelter to defend. —
Peace and repose."

The tirst years of the new colony were those
of severe difficulties, considerable privation, and
much disappointment, heightened by an unpre-

riTKXHAC.K PAST AXD PKESKXT.

cedented failiiie oi tlie whu-at crops, which was
not conlincd to Uie new settlement. The native
tribes also exercised on their new neighbours those
predatory habits which they, in common with other
savages, naturally are heir to ; and the British
settlers felt galled under the restraints imposed by
the Colonial Government, at that time in every sense
despotic. Xotwithstandins.; this complication of
evils, the immigrants were made of too sturdy
materials to vield to their pressure. They inherited
the temper of their race who emigrated to America
two centuries before — " the Pilgrim Fathers," who,
under similar suffering, publicly declared in a
manifesto to their Government, " that it was not
with them as with other men, whom small things
could discourage, or small discontents cause to
wish themselves home again." In the failure of
their crops the Albany settlers saw a severe but
doubtless a wise dispensation of Providence, and
they looked with an unabashed countenance and
with full confidence towards their country for relief
from the other evils with which they were then
beset.

The close of the year 1S23 was the most critical
period of the new settlement ; the plant appeared
to be in the last stage of exhaustion ; it had not
recovered its change of soil and climate, although
it was supposed to ha\e struck root, and fears were
generally expressed that its doom and failure were
sealed. Exactly similar were the appearances and
prognostics in the iust days of the foundation of
our noble American colonies, more recently of New
South Wales, and still later of all those on the
western and southern coasts of Australia. It
.appears, indeed, to be the law of transplantation,
whether of m;n or vegetables.

The following year, 1824, is the era of the suc-
■cessful establishment of the new settlement in the
-eastern division of the Cape of Good Hope. The
complaints of the British settlers produced a Parlia-
mentary Commission of Inquiry, by which they were
nobly vindicated from the aspersions attempted
tj be fixed upon them for expressing English
sentiments, and for demanding the privileges of
their birthright, under an English Hag and in an
English colony. The same Commission recom-
mended an extensive ref .^rm in most of the branches
-of the local Government, which has since been
-cffe.ted, and is still hailed as a boon obtained
chicily through tiie iuHueuce and instrumentality of
the Settlers. The immigrants ats:i obtained, though
with luibounded difficulty, the legalization of a
trading intercourse with the neighbouring Kalir
tribes, hitherto t'orbi;!deu under the jieiialtv of

death. Within a few months the articles thus
purchased from the savages, consisting principally
of ivory and hides, were estimated at the value of
X32,ooo. The disease which had hitherto proved
so destructive to the crops lost much of its virulence ;
native depredations were far less frequent, general
confidence became restored, hope revived, and the
Albany settlement commenced a career of success
from which, with the except-on of the check given
by the Kafir irruption of 1834, it has never been
for a moment diverted.

From 1825 to the close of 1834 the young
colony made astonishing strides. Fine wool farm-
ing was successfully introduced by Messrs. Daniel.
Griffiths, White, Korsten, and others. A direct
commerce was established between England and
the settlement by Messrs. Maynards in 1828. Our
Albany traders had opened a traffic, of a very
lucrative kind, with the native tribes, as far as
Xatal in the east, and among the numerous abori-
ginal clans in the north, to an immense distance.
Our travellers had reached the Portuguese colony
of Delagoa Bay, in one direction, and the Tropic
of Capricorn in another. Our missionaries had
carried the standard of the Christian faith almost
as far as the traveller had set his foot. Population,
building, stock, and produce multiplied, and the
political and social reforms demanded by the new
comers, for the most part, were conceded.

In 1820. on the visit of the Acting-Governor
(Sir Rufane Shaw Donkin) to locate the British
settlers who had just arrived at Algoa Bay, he
ordered a small pyramidal cenotaph to be erected
in memory of his lately deceased wife (Lady
Elizabeth Donkin), and named the village he then
founded " Port Elizabeth" as a perpetual token of
respejt to her memory. He records her to have
been one of the most perfect of women. At this time
the only buildings were the Fort previously .alluded
to, a small barrack, a mess house, the Comman-
dant's quarters, and a few tempor.iry huts of
perishable materials, besides the original farm
house belonging to a Boer of the name of Hart-
man. The trade was confined to the occasional
visits of a coasting vessel, with long intervals
between each voyage, bringing in exchange for
butter a few groceries, and clothing and supplies
for the military. Port Elizabeth was founded in
the month of June, 1820, W'hen the British settlers
arrived. Captain Evatt was then commandant of
the fort, and in 1823 he was appointed Resident
Magistrate of Port Elizabeth at an annual salary
oi £.)0. We m.iy mention that the settlers encamped
lieliin.l a rant^e of saudiiills winch then existed

UITEXHAGE PAST AXD PRESEXT.

where Main Street now is, and the centre of the
camp was in the locahty of Rnssell Road. Pro-
ductive trardens were established near the landing
place, and astonishing varieties of vegetables were
produced. The Custom House and Post Office
were established in iSjIS, and in 1830 the exporta-
tion of wool totalled 5,400 lbs. In 1832 a period
of depression set in, and retrenchment became
necessarv. Consequentlv the magistracv was
tempor,unlv suspended, and the t')wn placed under
the jurisdiction of a Justice of the Peace. Two years
later the population had risen to 1,200. The
erection of St. Mary's Collegiate Church was begim
in 1836, but through various causes it was not c:)m-
pleted until 1842. The funds were raised by
means of a tax, and this is the only case of its kind
in South Africa. On the i6th of February, 1837,
five months before Queen X'ictoria ascended the
throne, an ordi-
nance was issued,

on the proposal ,.. ,,*

of Captain Stock-
enstroom, creat-
ingthreedistricts,
w h i c h w ere
named Port I
Elizabeth, Coles-
berg and Cra-
dock. The new
district of Port
Elizabeth was,
and still is, the
smallest in the p^,i,i , ^

Colony. For tiscal

purposes it still remained connected with the
division of Uitenhage, and Mr. John George
de Villiers was appointed Resident Magistrate.
The first jetty dates from the vear in which our
late Queen Victoria was crowned, and preceded
the establishment of the first Bank by no less
than nine years. In 1846 the population amounted
to about 3,500, but one writer says that even
then " the town itself was nothing better than
what in England would have been considered a
long, dirty fishing village. The streets were
unconnected, exceedinglv rough and irregular,
unmacadamised, and strewn all over with rubbish
oi every kind, whilst here and there large stones
protruded. Nothing had yet been done towards
t'ae establishment of public bodies. Verv little was
cultivated. There were no plantations or public
parks, and altogether the town looked e.xceedinglv
h irren, dirt\', and unin\iting."

On the 1st of Januarv, 1847, the Port Elizabeth
B ink was opened, with a capital of ^"40,000.

The Cape Recife light-house was completed
two years after the one on Point Agulhas, and the
light iirst exhibited on the ist of April, 1851. The
lanterns were specially made in France, and half
the cost (^24,000) was borne bv the British
Treasury, as the matter was regarded as of impor-
t uice to the whole Empire — the Cape ivulc then
being the only one to India.

The value of the imports at this period was about
£120,000 ; the exports about _^i5o,ooo. An ex-
cellent pile of buildings was completed about this
time for the use of the commissariat and ordinance
departments, and contained an armoury, the cost
being over /"i4,ooo. There was a Wesleyan and
also an Independent chapel ; while the Roman
Catholic Church was in course of erection. The

town could also
■ boast of a small

court-house with
public offices at-
tached, and a
, gaol.
, ■; k .\s we men-

tioned above, the
' jettv was begun
'' in '1837. The
landing of goods
and passengers
had hitherto been
upon the open
II IX |^^,, beach, through a

high and fre-
quentlv dangerous surf, bv means of boats
built expresslv for the purpose, and which were
worked by warps from the vessels to the shore.
The inconvenience, expense, and injury to property
by damage by sea-water induced the merchants of
the port in 1837 to attempt the experiment of a
jetty, and having driven fourteen trial piles along-
side a wreck which had borne the fury of the surf
uninjured for two years, they called the attention
of the public to the e.xpediencv and advantages of
such an undertaking, and formed a company for
the purpose of raising _^6,ooo, by 600 shares of
£"io each. As soon as they had collected tvi'o-
thirds of this amount the work was commenced
under the direction of their engineer, the original
projector. By 1843 no less than ^^2 feet of jetty
had been carried out into the bay upon 160 piles,
nearly the whole of which was floored or decked,
while a stone approach of 210 feet, with solid abut-
ments to the sea, had been completed. Another ico

riTKXHAGE PAST AN'D PRKSKXT.

feet were acldecl, hut passengers and goods were
being landed on the jetty hefore that was accom-
plished. There are now two iron jetties extending
to the seaward 1.152 and 840 feet respectively, which
are equipped with steam and hydraulic cranes, and a
perfect svstem of railway lines which lead to the
transit warehouses and depositing grounds, and
are connected with the main systems of the Colony.
In the fifties Harbour Works were begun, in the
shape of a breakwater intended to shelter shipping
from south easters, but it failed in its effect and
had to be removed. Sir John Coode, in 1877,
submitted an elaborate scheme for an outer
harbour, to cost ;£ri,ooo,ooo. but this, although
approved of bv the most celebrated engineers, has
not yet been undertaken.

The town to-day contains a very large number
of handsome and imposing buildings. The Town
Hall — an excellent example of the Renaissance
style — stands at the south side of the Market
Square. Behind it is the Resident Magistrate's
Court, Public Offices, and Post-office. The last
named is especially worthy of note, and is one of
the most perfectly appointed buildings ui its kind
in South Africa. The Market Hall was erected at
a cost of ^70,000, and contains wool and feather
markets, a museum, and a magnificent organ.
Port Elizabeth can boast of a large number of
schools and churches, while there are three well-
laid-out parks. The water supply has hitherto
been brought 27 miles from Van Staaden's River,
but extensive operations are now being carried on
at Sand River, by which the supplv will be very
materially increased. The railway which is to
connect Port Elizabeth with the Long Kloof is
being pushed on as rapidly as possible, and will be
completed in the near future.

As we said before, this is primarilv a history of
Uitenhage, and it is impossible to do justice to so large
and flourishing a town as Port Elizabeth in these
pages. Our only reason for referring to it at all lies in
the fact that Port Elizabeth was at one time in our
own district, and was only a meagre fishing village
when Uitenhage was a flourishing town. The
rapid strides that have been made reflect the
greatest credit upon our neighbours, and we only
wish we had sufficient space at our disposal to
trace more fully tlie history of the rise and progress
of the " Liverpool of South .Africa " — the daughter
town of Uitenhage.

The Census returns of 1904 give the present
total population of Port Elizabeth, with that ot the
various Locations connected with the town, at
46,676.

In the foregoing pages frequent re-
Ceneral ference has been made to General
Cuyler. Cuyler. He was Landdrost of Uiten-
hage for many jears, a prominent
member of the Dutch Reformed Church Kerkeraad,
and superintended the locating of the British
settlers ; and was, unfortunately for himself, the officer
appointed to supervise the carrving out of the
capital sentences passed upon the; Slachters Xelc
rebels. He was, in fact, quite an historical char-
acter, an.l this book would be incomplete without
something more than a passing reference to him.

Jacob Glen
Cuyler was
born at A\-
h a n y , X e w
York State, on
the 20th Aug.,
1775, his father
(Mr. Abraham
Cuyler) being
the Mayor of
that city. The
future general
having arrived
in South Africa
at a compara-
tively earlv

^ge, he en- genhrai. cwl.,,

tered the ser-
vice of His Majestv King George HL, and soon
received a captain's commission. He quickly dis-
tinguished himself in the field, and it was not long
before he was promoted to the rank of Major, and
subsequently to that of Colonel. Eventually he
was created General. In 1814 he purchased from
one Booysen a farm near Uitenhage — the price
being 1,000 rix-dollars, or ;f 75 — and commenced
the erection of a homestead. It is still standing,
and is at present occupied by Mr. J. G. Cuyler, a
grandson of the General. Scarcely any alterations
have been made, and to all intents and purposes
the building is the same to-day as it was when the
last touches were given to it by the slaves who
were emploved in its construction.

The General married Miss Hartman, who was
of Huguenot descent. They had three sons, all of
whom pre-deceased their father, and two daugh-
ters. One of the latter married Mr. Bernard, of the
Old Zwartkops Drift farm, and left a large number
of children, one of whom was the mother of Mr.
J. G. Cuvler, the present owner of Cuyler Manor.
She married tl:c late Mr. William Armstrong, who

L'lTEXHAGE PAST AXD PRESENT.

hailed from Ber\vick-on-T\veed, and had once been
in the East India Company's service, and who
subsequently became the first member of P.uiia-
ment for Uitenhaije. He died in 1859.

There are
many conHict-
i n g reports
concerning
General Cuy-
ler's person-
ality, and, as is
usual in such
cases, the
weaker traits
in liis charac-
ter have been
unj ustirtably
magnified and
exaggerated.
Hot-tempered
he certainly mu- tin u

was, but at

heart he was the kindest of people. He
could always be depended upon to admin-
ister strict and impartial justice ; his word
was law, and beyond that he was the
embodiment of all that is best and most desirable
in man. When the slaves were emancipated, most
of those who had belonged to him point-blank
refused to leave the f.irni, and the majority of
thsm died in his service. His overseer, John
Whitburn (a native of Surrey), managed the farm
for no less than thirty years, died there in 1851 at
the aL;c of Sj, .iml w.i-, iiitened a few feet from

character. He knew how to manage the natives,
and he was well-hked by them. Although a deeply
religious man, he was at constant enmity with the
missionaries, for he plainly saw that they were
doing more good than harm. It used to irritate
him intensely when Ur. van der Kemp and his
Hottentot wife arrived in their blankets and
squatted on his steep until he had time to listen to
some interminable complaint regarding the be-
haviour of some converted Kafir at Bethelsdorp,
and on these occasions he generally gave the
infatuated missionary a considerable piece of his
mind 1 True, an attempt was once made upon
his life by a native, but his assailant was iudf-
witted.

P.rh:ip^
t h e c h 1 e t
events in his
career were
the suppres-
sion of the
Slachter's
Xek rebel-
lion in 1S15
and the loca-
ting of the
British set-
tlers in 1S20.
Hitherto, a
good deal of
obloquy has
been at-
tached to his
name in con-
nection with
the former

episode, but the papers recently discovered in the
archives have thrown an entirely different light
upon tlie matter. Having procured a copy of
them we are now able to supplement the informa-
tion given on page 15, and are glad to do so, as it
removes from General Cuyler's character what
many people still believe to bj an ineradicable
stain. His report to the Colonial Secretary is
d.ited from Uiteiihage on the i8th of March, 18 16,
and says : —

1 had the hon.nir ti) forw.ird to yoi
of h.iving carried into e.xc
E.\ceUency the Governor on
rebelUon. By this opporti

I a hasty report trom Bruintjeshoogte
;ution the sentence as jiatal by His
the inhabitants concerned in the late
nitv the Board of Landdrosts and

the spot where h:s master was to lie three years
later. Few men had such faithful and devoted
servants as General Cuyhr, and this is surely suffi-
cient proof of his sterling worth and eslmable

Hccmraden report the s.aiile to the Worshipful the Court of Justice.
The melancholy finish of the transactions w.as attended with every
precaution, and effected the deepest feelings on all present. .4n
occurrence, however, look place which made the scene morehoriid
and distressing, and no doubt will more impressively m.-irk its
example on the minds of those inhabitants who saw^ it, as well as
'.hose who mav come to hear of it. On drawing the fall from

riTKXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

under the prisoners, four of them fell to the ground in consequence
of the rope (notwithstandinj; that a precaution was talicn of having
it doubled) snapping. They, all four, got up i one attenipted to
le;ive the spot and rushed towards the place where the CoUegie of
Landdrost and Heemraden were. They all four spoke, and al this
moment some of the spectators ran to me soliciting pardon for
them, fancying it was in my power to grant it. I cannot describe
the distressed countenances of the inhabitants at this moment who
were sentenced to witness the execution. The executioner came
with rope only for one. I was consequently put to my shift to
get cord, and none was to be bought ; w,->s therefore obliged to use
some that was in the Government store here, which, although of
sound appearance, proved rotten. It will perhaps he a satisfaction
to His E.vcellcncy to hear that the prisoners one and all died fully
resigned to thefr fate, .\bout three hundred military were present,
as were the Landdrost and U.'puty Lanidrost of Graafl-Reinet ;
and the Reverend Mr. Herold attended the unfortunate people.
After he h.id prayed for them at the execution, they requested leave
to sing a hymn with their late companions an.l friends, and it was
done in a most clear voice, and was exlrenuly impressive ; after
which Stephanus Bothnia addre"*ed his friends, advising them to
be cautious of their behaviour, and take an example by his unfor-
tunate fate : and 1 am convinced the example m.ide will have the
desired effect of preventing a similar occurrence, and completely
show those unforlunale, ignorant people that it is at all times their
duty to support their Government. So fully am I persuaded of
this that I once more beg to intercede in behalf of the unfortunate
three, viz. : Willem Kredrik KruSel, .Adrian lingelhre-ht. and Andries
Mever, that it may most graciously pleiise His Excellency to
p.ardon them,

I have the honour to be, with the greatest respect. Sir,
Your most obedient humble servant,

J G. CUYLER,
Landdrost.

On 2()t!i
ot Maicli,

ill COllM.--

qiience ot
MiCnyler's
ajipeal on
behalfolthc
three men
men tioncci
above, His
Excellency
pardon et!
them.

In 1820
Cuyler was
^,ent to re-
ceive and
locate tlic
Britisii Set-
tlers, and
this work
he accom-
plished to
the entire
satisfaction
of every-
body concerned. As a slight recognition of his ser-
vices in this direction he was allowed to select a name
for the new district. He called it Albany, after the
/ merican city in which he was born ; and a little
1 wn that sprang up there was named Ciiylerville.

GliXERAL Cl'YLEk's TOMBSTONE.

The General brought his own tombstone with
him from America. He was buried on the farm. The
stone apparantly lay on deck during the voyage,
for it is partially covered with signatures and
initials scratched upon it by officers, seamen and
passengers. The first part of the inscription was
carved in America, space being left for the date
of death. The following is the inscription, which
appears somewhat indistinctly in the illustration : —

Here

Lieth the Body

JACOB QLE.S CUYLER,

Born in Albany.

^o^th America,

20th Aug:ust, 1775.

Died

the

14th

April,

■ 8S4,

Liei

itenai

nt-General

the

Briti;

ih Ser

vice.

Aged 7»

year*

:. S mi

onths.

Pexcii, sketch ok Mr.
(Drawn by Major Andre while iu

X HiSTOKILAL DkaWIXG.

Col. Cuyler's house at Cuvler Manor is tilled with

mementos
of him. By
t':ir the most
precious of
these is a
pencilled
sketch of
his father
and mother
w hich was
cli .iwnfroni
memory liy
llieiiiitortu-
II. lie .Aiuhx-
while in
prison
.1 \v .1 i t i ng
e.xec u tion
asaspy.We
re p I'oduce
.1 plioto-
,L;i,iph of
tins weii-
iiigh price-
less posses-
sion here,

together with the Genentl's inscription on
the back of it. From this it will also be
seen tliat his parents supported the English
in the War, and that they, too, had their share of
adventures.

AXD Mrs. cl'yler.
prison awaiting execution).

riTEXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT,

The Sad
Story of
Major Andre.

There are few visitors to West-
minster Abbey who have not been
shown the monument erected
to the memorj- of Major John
Andre, an officer in the British
service during the American War of Independence.
The story of his death is a melancholy one I but its
very sadness has made it historic, and, as the unfor-
tunate man was intimately acquainted with General
Cuyler's parents, we shall give a brief resume of
the circumstances which led to his untimely end,
and will show how he comes to lie mentioned at
such length in " Uitenhage Past and Present."

He was, as we have said, a Major in the British
service during the American War of Independence,
and was born in London of Genevese parents in
175 1, entering the army when he was twenty
years of age. He rapidly distinguished himself at
the theatre of operations, and was made aide-de-
camp to Sir Henry Clinton, the British commander-
in-chief. In 1780 he was raised to the post of
Major and .Adjutant-General of the forces, although
he was then onl\- 2.) years of age. While Andre
held this
position an
American
G e n e 1" a 1
named Ar-
nold, who
had dis-
ji 1 a V e d
g r e a t e n -
ergy in ths
cause of the
c o I o n i e s ,
conceived
himself un-
justlv treat-
ed by his
colleagues,
a n d p r o -
posed to the
British th;it
he should
betrav into
their hand',
the vit.illy

important iNscmnins ..x c).:.i:k>k Sll.K OK 1

H u cl s o n

River fortress known as West Point. .-\s this
fortress was the hey to the American position,
the Briti-^h commander-in-chief n iturally con-
cluilei th it its capture would bring a long
and costlv war to a satisfactory conclusion.

^At p i>-ri€auCi i-^njJu/n- tAi^^'^
eAaytt o/XKt deli of- i^ (oCLtt^^^^^

£f. tiii ^^^ot.£Un^a. UL,^^ CJrA/n ./(TLcCAje

^OfTVSx.^

and, with this paint in view, he appointed Major
Andre to negotiate with .\rnold. The former was
provided with a flag of truce, and was sent to
interview the would-be traitor.

Before the negotiations were concluded, how-
ever, Andre's boat was discovered by the men in
one of the American forts, and they at once opened
fire upon her and forced her to drop down the
river. After this attack and retiral it was obviously
impossible for Andre to return bv the way he had
reached the fort. He fouijd it necessary, therefore,.
to pass the night in the home of his guide — a man
named Smith — and next morning to make the best of
his way overland to New York. All this time he was .
within the American lines. Arnold provided Smith
and Andre with passports, and they passed through
the enemy's ranks in perfect safety together. The
English camp was at length seen in the distance,,
and Smith bade farewell to his companion, con-
jecturing, naturally enough, that all danger was
over. But " the best laid s;hemss of mice and men
g.ing aft a-gley," and An:lre w.is suddenlv arrested
bv three suspicious militiinun in full view of his'

own coun-
trymen. He
was carried
hick a pri-
s.)ner,aiKia
court - mar-
t i a 1 w a s
held. The
Major de-
livered a
spirited de-
fence, and
a strong
r e m o n s -
trance from
the British
General
w as r e -
cei\ed. It
was consi-
dered ;uid
recorded..
The Major
was found
guilty of
occupying
the pos-.tion of a spy within the American
camp, and he was sentenced to be hanged. Every
effort was made to save him. Sir Henry Clinton
did his utmost, but General Washington was.
obdurate, and refused even to respite the con-

^^/-'C^

•/U

c/^LOL^

UITKXHAGE PAST AXD PRESENT.

<k'mned man. The people of England were more
than interested in his case. He was known to be
a bold and fearless soldier ; his accomplishments
were many and varied ; he possessed distingnished
military talents and a well cultivated mind, and he
was the idol of his men. His condemnation
stirred np a fiiroic of popular sympatln- for the
unfortunate soldier, who, after all, iiad only done
his duty. But General Washington was obdurate.
Th2 Major must die, and he must meet the same
fate as was meted out in those days to a common
pick-pocket. He was sentenced to be delivered
over to the public hangman. There are few more
heroically pathetic letters in e.xistence than that
which Major Andre addressed to Washington on
the night previous to his exejution. It ran thus : —

Sir, — Buoyed up above the terror of de:ith by the consciousness o( a
life devoted to honourable purposes, and stained with no action which can
give nie ren\oi-se, I trust that the request which I nial<c to your E.xcel-
lency at this serious period, and which is to soften my last moments, will
not be rejected : sympathy towards a soldier will surely induce your Excel-
lency and a military tribunal to adapt the mode of my death to the fee!inj;s
-of a man of honour. Let me hope, Sir, that if aujjht in my character
impresses you with esteem towards me — if aught in my misfortunes mark
me as the victim of policy, and not of resentment - I shall e.\perience the
operations of those feelings in your bre .st by being informed that I am not
4o die on a gibbet,

I have the hojiour to be. Your Kxcellcncy.

JOHN" .WDRE.
.\djutant of the Hritish Forces in .America

Hut Washington was determined that the brave
Major should die as had been previously deter-
mined, and he coldly declined to accede to his
dying request that he might be given a soldier's
-death. The erection of the gallows was proceeded
with, and on the following morning (October 2,
1780), Major Andre met his ignominious fate with
.a fortitude that e.xcited the admiration and melted
the hearts of the spectators.

When asked the i^sual question, " Ha\e vou
anything to say ?" he replied, " Nothing, but to
request you will witness to the world that I died
like a brave man."

His unhappy end e.xcited universal sympathy
bjth in America and all over Europe, and the
whole British Army went into mourning for liini.
He was hanged, as we have stated, 011 the 2nd of
•October, 1780, but some time after the war was
concluded his remains were exhunu-d, taken over
to England, and, on the 28th Novenibn 1821, were
re-interred in Westminster Abbey. .\ear his grave
is a monument erected by order of King George
in., bearing the following inscription : —

.Sacred to the memory ol Major John Andre, whi>, raised by his merit, at
an early period of rife, lo the rank of Adjutant-General of the
Hritish Forces in Anic.-ica. and employed in an important but
hazardous enterprise, fell a sacrilicc to his zeal for his King .and
country on the 2nd October, 17.S0, aged twenty-nine, universally
beloved and esteemed by the Anny in which he served, .and
lamented even by his foes. His gracious .Sovereign. King George
III. hasciused this m-)r.u,iient to be erected.

The sculptor was the famous Van Gelder, and
the sarcophagus shows a figure presenting to
General Washington the above quoted letter under
a Hag of truce. The curious pilferer has been
unable to resist the temptation to carry away parts
of the monument as curios, and the head of
General Washington has already been renewed
three times. Wreaths are periodically laid upon
the tomb to this very day.

So much for the sad history of Major Andre.
We have written sufficient to show the most casual
reader how great and universal was the sympathy
evoked by his terrible fate. He occupies a niche
in history, and the following additional details are
therefore the more interesting and valuable.

We have stated that he possessed many accom-
plishments besides those of a military nature.
Am:ingst those was a talent for drawing, and
just previous to his execution (probably while
aw.iiting General Washington's reply) his facile
pencil traced upon a sheet of brown-tinted paper
a sketch from memory of General Cuyler's father
and mother, who were numbered amongst his
closest and most intimate friends. The sketch in
question was given to them after the Major's
death, and is still preserved — an almost priceless
treasure — at Cuyler Manor, near Uitenhage. We
have lieen enabled through the ready courtesy of
Mr. |, G. Cuyler to reproduce it in these pages,
together with a /i/c simile of the inscription (in
General Cuyler's handwriting) which is pasted on
the back of the picture.

.\s will be seen, the date of Major .Andre's
execution as given by General Cuyler does not tally
with the authenticated statements, and shows a
discrepancy of four years. This is accounted for
bv" the fact that the inscription was not written
until 60 years had elapsed since the incident took
place, and under all the circumstances such an
error is excusable.

More than a century ago the agents
Rose Lane of the London Missionary Society
Church. were labouring at Bethelsdorp, and

as their work developed, xaiioiis
parts of the district were visited by them in order
to extend the blessings of the Gosjicl of Christ.
Groups of natives, living along the banks of the
Zwiirtkops and Elands Rivers, were reached by
these itinerating missionaries, and eventually a
station was established at what shortly afterwitrds
w;is named " Uitenhage." As the fertile valleys
of I'itenhage became known, the puptilation
sjieedily increased, and with it the need for ,i more
settled state of things.

UITEXHAGE PAST A.VD PRESEXT.

A tew biogniphical items, culled from the
Missionary Registrar of the London Missionary
Society, relating to its representatives in this town,
will speak for themselves : —

Christopher Sass, born in Prussia, 1772, studi&l
in Berlin, arrived in Capetown September 13,
181 1, proceeded at once to Namaqualand, but
shortly afterwards left for Capt. Cornelius Kok's
kraal, Silver Fountain. In 1820 he removed to
Campbell, and from thence to Griquatown. Dis-
astrous events occurring there, together with
ill-health, led him to retire to Bethelsdorp.
Remaining there but a short time, he was, in 1828,
removed to Uitenhage. From this time the Church
became independent of Bethelsdorp, and managed
its own affairs.

George ^lesser, born in Hesse,
Germanv, 1773, ordained in the
Lutheran Clnuch, Loudon, sailed
June 21, 181 !, arrived in Cajielown
Septemlter 13, 1811. He was lirst
stationed at a Hottentot kraal near
Swellendam, removed to Bethelsdorp
in 1815, thence to Pacaltsdorp to
i8u), to Hankey in 1823, where he
laboured until September i, 1831, ' •
when he removed to Uitenhage. He
labonred in this town until he retired
from acti\e service in 1842. Mrs.
Messer died m April the following
year, and was buried in the Dutch
Reformed Church cemetery. Mr.
Messer died June 7, 1845, age 72.

William Elliot was born at
Sheffield, September 22, 1792. He
arrived in Capetown in 1821, and
after \arioi.s experimental kiLours in
different parts of the globe, became
an agent of the London iNtisbionaiy
Society in South Africa in 1826. He
was employed severally at Zuurbraak, district
Caledon, at the Paarl, at Uitenhage, and George-
town, where he remained till death summoned him
to his reward in the 67th year of his age, and the
27th of his missionary life. The children of this
variously gifted man have made his name honoured
in Cape Colony. One son was for many years the
General Manager of the Cape Government Railways,
and another, the eldest, a well-known solicitor in
Port Elizabeth.

Thomas James Paterson was born in Edinburgh
May 9, 1814. Having prepared himself by studies
in his native city, he went to South Africa in 1840,
at the invitation of Sir John Hcrschel, who dr.ifted

the iirst educational scheme for the Colony and
made his own selection cf men to work out his
scheme ; one of whom was Mr. Paterson. After
having served the cause of education in Georgetown
ani Graaff-Reinet, Mr. Paterson joined the London
Missionary Society in 1845 and took charge of its
station at Bethelsdorp. He was ordained at that
place January 26, 1847, and was then appointed
t.5 Uitenhage, where he remained till 1882, when
he retired from the active ministry. During his
last years he resided at Port Elizabeth, and made
himself serviceable in the occasional supply of
local pulpits, until failing strength compelled him
to join those who " only stand and w.iit." He
passed away in December, 189;, at the ripe age
of 85.

Rose Lane Church, originally known as Unioit
Chapel, holds the proud position of being the
mother of all Protestant churches here except the
Dutch Reformed Church. For many yens these
were the only places of worship in the town.

During Mr. Paterson's ministry the church in.iv
be said to have reached its meridian. The seating'
capacity of the building w.is nearly doubled by an
addition to the church, whi-h converted it from
a rectangular to a crucif )rm shape. The services
were conducted in three 1 ingu :ges in as many
services each Sabbath. The musical part was of
high quality, the congregation possessing the first
organ that was seen in Uitenhage. The Rev. T. J.

riTKXHACE PAST AND PRESENT.

Paterson developed ti-.e English work to meet the
wants of the ever increasing number of Europeans
that Hocked hither. The spiritual life of the
fathers and grandfathers of ihe present generation
of I'itenhagers was nourished by the word of God
preached from the old pulpit in Rose Lane Church.
In the space immediately before it many of them
were presented for baptism. The church records
contain such names as, .Allcock, Alexander, Albut,
Bidwell, Cunningham, Calligan, Doubell, Deacon,
Fish, Finlay, Fleischer, Gray, Gradwell, Harrif,
Jacklin, Juby, Kennedy, King, Kirkman, McCabe,
McEwen, Xash, Nicholson, Puft'et, Pringle, Stow,
Stevens. Thompson, Taylor, Templeton. N'ariicv,
Ward and Young.

I'p to the early lifties the Christians belonging
to the various denominations were too few in
number to support a church of their own persua-
sion, and the I'nion Church, Rose Lane, afforded a
convenient home for such. The town continued
to grow rapidly, and it only required time before
these Christians left their temporary home in Union
Church for a more permanent one elsewhere
honoured with a distinctive name of its own. The
first to have its own edifice was, we believe, the
Episcopal section ; then followed the Wesleyan,
and lastly the Congregational.

In the same way the native congregations of
the town were first nourished here, subsequentlv
attaining a separate e.xistenjc.

The mi.xed communities of Chris-
tians, as they became numerically
strong, divided oft', the Native on
lingual, and the European on
denominational lines. As in the
realm of nature, so in the realm of
i^race, daughters have been known
to outgrow their molhcis. 'i luv
would, however, be unnatural parents
that followed their children with an
envious eye. We, the old folk,
remain in the old home while our
children have entered into mme
stately structures. We wish them
peace.

The Rev. James van Rooven
assisted, and then succeeded Mr.
Paterson ; but his labours were
considerably hampered by a spirit
of dissension, which greatly divided
the people. .Matters went from bad to
worse. At last the London Missionary
So-iety stepped :n and :esu ned its dormai
ri ,'hts over the church i-irojiirty. The Rev. loin

Mackenzie, of Bechuanaland fame, and author of
" Austral Africa." was sent to put an end to these
unhappy disturbances. He opened correspondence
with the Rev. T. Gamble, of Heidelberg, C. C,
inviting him to assist the London Missionary
Society and the e.xecutive of the Congregational
Union in tile work of establishing peace. Mr.
Gamble connnenced the difficult task of recon-
structing the church life and work in July, 1897.
Ai the induction service the building was well
filled. The Rev. J. Mackenzie, representing the
London Missionary Society, took the chair, and
on the platform were present the Revds. W.
Dower and W. Friend, o; Port Elizabeth ; the
Revds. D. J. Pienaar, G. P. Ferguson, S. Sihunii,
and N. Matodlana. The laitv were represented by
Messrs. C. Kayser, C. Mackay, and others.

The order and period of service of the suc-
cessive ministers of Rose Lane Church are as
follows : —

Revd. Christopher Sass ... 1S28 — 1S30
J. G. Messer ... 1831 — 1838

William Elliott ... 1839—1846

Thomas J. Paterson ... 1847 — 1882
James van Rooven ... 1884 — 1896
Thomas Gamble ... 1897 —
The London Missionary Society's property
consists of Lot 25, being one of the original erven
into which the town was divided. The lower end,
bordering on Baird Street, was the gift of the

(Governor, Sir Lowrv Cole, December 11, 18:52.
The portion bordering on jolin Street was obtained

UITENHAGE PAST AXD PRESEXT.

4-=;

from Dr. Rose-Innes, the first Superintendent-
Gsiieral of Education of the Colony. Hence its
name Rme Lane, though it is believed by some to
have taken its name from the beautiful rose hedge
that for many years was the admiration of the
passers by.

The manse was much frequented in days gone
by, being a place of call for the earliest mis-
sionaries and travellers, such as Campbell, Freeman,
Moffat, Livingstone, etc. In it Sir Charles Elliott
was born ; and in it rested Prof. Henry Drummond
on his emerging from his researches in Central
Africa. A lad born in the manse was the college
chum of Henry Drummond, and before his return to
England he visited the place of the birth and burial
of the friend whom he had "loved long since, but
lost awhile." Twice the biographer of Drummond
refers to his stay in Uitenhage.

In the church
records are found
documents issued
by the now de-
funct Matrimonial
Court held periodi-
cally at Uitenhage,
which illustrate
the old adage
" The course of
true love never
did run smooth."
The swain, after
having succeeded
in persuading his
sweetheart to
" name the happv
day " had to fur-
ther coax her into ^,,. ^„„„^, cam.,..,
accompanying

him to appear before the Matrimonial Court to
have their betrothal and intending marriage
registered. After having satisfied the court of the
genuineness of their intentions, a new difficultv'
confronted them, which under other circumstances
would have cooled their affection. Things moved
slowly in those days. The ministers on a tour of
pastoral visitation were months absent, and in case
of the death of a minister it was frequently a year
before a new one was settled. The couples, whose
love story reached a climax during such intervals,
were provided with a document from the Matri-
monial Court, which allowed them to invoke the
aid of any passing clerg\'man to consummate their
happiness. The following is a sample of these

documents. The outer wrapper bears these
words : —

This stamp covers the uTitten ceitificate for the solemnization of the
marriage between JOHX FiXLER, bachelor, and Hilda Howles.
spinster.

Inside we find the following : —

In the Matrimonial Court holden in
and for the district of Uitenhage on
this 5th Xovember. x.'*34,

JOHX FlLr.ER

Hilda Howles,
having appeared before this Court with the certifi-
cate of the due publication of their banns for the
purpose of having their intended marriage registered
and having satisf.actorily answered the questions
put to them by the said Court, permission is hereby
granted to any ordained clergyman in the Colony
to solemnize the said marriage according to law.
W5I. CRADOCK CUYLER,
Member and Clerk of the said Court,

This relic of the old system that obtained
during the Dutch and early English occupation
v^-as superseded by order of Her Majesty in
Council, 1838, whereby it was enacted that the
registration of a marriage by the officiating clergy-
man should be legal in Cape Colony. This was
accomplished by transmitting direct to the Deeds
Office, Capetown, a duplicate copy containing the
original signatures of the contracting parties.

Another document gives evidence that some,
at least, among the slave owners of the past
encouraged legal marriage among those too often
regarded by their masters as soulless chattels
instead of human beings. It reads thus : —

.\CHILLES and JIAN'ISA. sl.aves of Col. Jacob Glen Cuyler, of the district of
Uitenhage. have produced to me their master's consent in writing •
these presents are therefore to authorise the Reverend Mr. Messer
of said town to unite these persons in holy matrimony.

. W. DE VILLIERS,
.\ssistant Protector of Slaves.
Uitenh.age. the loth -ipril, 1S34.

The London ^Missionary Society's
Hankey. station at Hankey was founded in

1822, and consists of a magnificent
stretch of land extending along either bank of
the Gamtoos River, about i8 miles from Humans-
dorp. The original farm was purchased for
_^i,5oo, and the Mission was intended as an
outlet for the surplus Hottentot population of the
district. The farm consisted partly of pasture
land and partly of land which by irriga-
tion could be made fertile and fruitful. The
establishment of this Mission was mainly brought
about by the residents of Bethelsdorp, another and
older station of the London Missionary Society
(referred to in a previous page), who among them
subscribed ;^5oo of the purchase price. The
extent of the new mission station at Hankey was
4,100 acres, or 2,050 morgen. The first European

UITEXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

worker was Mr. J. G. Messer, \vh j supt^rinleiided
tlie station from 1823 to 1831. He was assisted
by Mr. William Foster, who was sent there in
1826 to establish a school for children of mission-
aries ; but in this project Mr. Foster was unsuccess-
ful, and after a very brief spell of service he
returned to England in 1829, and ceased in 1830
to be connected with the Society. Mr. Messer
was succeeded by Mr. John Melvill, who laboured
at Hankey till 1842, in which year Mr. WiUiam
Philip, son of Dr. Phihp, took charge of the

l.ihours to that end, very little improvement had
been effected. Mr. Mackenzie died on the 23rd
March, 1899, and was succeeded by the Rev. R.
Howison, who died in April, 1901. His successor,
again, was the Rev. \V. E. Morgan. As the
Hankev Mission church is not self-supporting, we
understand the London Missionary Society con-
template disposing of their interest in the place at
no distant date. The population of Hankey in
this year of grace 1904 is 839, of whom 251 are
Europeans and 588 natives.

station. He greatly improved it by carrying out
successfully the great engineering feat of cutting a
tunnel through a mountain, thus utilising the water
of the Gamtoos River to irrigate part of the valley.
This work cost ^^2,500, of which amount the Society
g'.ve X500, the Inlance being raised from the
rcut'.l of the land. In 1845 Mr. Philip was
drowned in the Gamtoos River, and was succeeded
by his brother, Mr. T. Durant Philip, who remained
in charge until 1876, when Hankey was sold, and
became a public village. The London Missionary
Society, however, decided to resume for a time
the spiritual oversight of the people, and the first
minister who was " called " was the Rev. Harper
Riley, and he was succeeded by the Rev. H. Kayser.
Both left the congregation on account of their
inabiliity to get the salary from their people. As
matters were going from bad to worse the Rev. R.
Wardlaw Thompson, secretary to the London Mis-
sionary Society, paid a visit to Hankey, and in the
hope of bettering things resumed possession of
certain lands and effected an exchange of this
by transferring outspan servitude to other lands.
Tlie late Rev. John Mackenzie arrived in Hankey
on the 6th October, 1891, and did his best, on
behalf of the London Missionary Society, to restore
the station to a good footing. In 1898 he sent in
iiis report to the Society, but, notwithstanding his

Having now dealt fully with
Some General several special subjects, we may
Details. turn our attention to some

general details connected with
the history of I'itenhage at this particular period.
Stock fetched extraordinarily low prices, if one
may judge from the fact that Mr. Brehm, who first
planted what was long known as Brehm's garden
in Cuvler Street, sold ten cows tor the sum of of 108
rix-dolhrs (^8 2S.) — the price working out at 16,2
each. The purchaser was Mr. John Graham,
whose two grandsons — the Hon. Mr. Justice T.
Lydendoch Graham and Mr. John Graham
(Secretary to the Law Department) — have shed
lustre upon the honoured name of their progenitor.
Thkee Well-Kxown' Judges.

No less than three of the judges now occupying
South 'African benches are connected more or less
closely with Uitenhage. We have mentioned Mr.
Justice Graham; Mr. Justice Lange is another
instance, while the present Chief Justice of the
Transvaal (Sir James Rose-Innes)is yet another case
in point. His grandfather, Mr. James Rose-Innes,
was appointed, as the Goveniiitcnl duette quaintly
expresses it, " to teach the English tongue in
Uitenhage." This was in 1822, the same year in
which the gentleman in question arrived from
Scotland. First of all, he filled the position of
Professor of Mathematics at the South African
College, then he took up his residence in
Uitenhage for a short time (occupying a house
situated on the site of the present Industrial School),
and eventually became Superintendent-General
of Education, which office he held until he was
succeeded by Sir Langham Dale.

The Practice of Medicine ix 1822.

The doctors in 1822 evidently had good cause
for complaint regarding the inadequacy of their
fees. True, a medical education was not so costly
as it is now ; neither were the requirements so

CITEXHAGE PAST AXD PRESENT.

o q

o _'!

striiij^eiit. But the governiiifi powers came to the
rescue and graciously formulated a regular tariff
for the guidance of the long-suffering medicos.
It was published in the Goi'eniiiient Gazette, and the
ma.xinium fees were fixed on the following scale : —

s. d.
Visit in town ... ... ... ... ... i 6

Visit in neighbourhood ... ... • ... t, o

Visit by night (town or country) ... ... 9 o

Consultation ... ... ... ... 9 o

Bleeding, and all minor operations ... :; o
Simple decoction ... ... ... ... o 4^

,, ,, 16 oz. ... ... ... o 6J

-'4o>'-

Mixture or draught ...

Composing draught, or emulsion ... ... o 4.',

Dose of pills ... ... ... ... ... o 2]

Drachm of pills ... ... ... ... o 4I

Half-ounce of pills ... ... ... ... o 9

Above half-an-ounce of pills (for

each 2 drachms) ... ... ... o 2}

One powder ... ... ... ... o 2]

Cutting and preparing herbs (2 to

4 OZ-) o 4^

Compare these magnificent fees with those that
obtain at the present day !

Notice was given at the same time that, in
order to avoid general confusion and serious
mistakes, the Pharnmcopa'ia Londiiiiensis should be
used as the standard work of reference.
Two Appoixtmexts

In 1S23 Mr. John j. F. Roselt (father of the late
land surveyor) was appointed assistant registrar of
slaves in Uitenhage, vice Mr. Honoratus F. W.
Maynier (whose grandson is still the Chief Con-
stable of Humansdorp).

Later on, Mr. Stadel was appointed Secretary
and Vendue-master for the district of Uitenhage,
Mr. J. J. F. Roselt taking over his office.
The Goverxmext's Th.axks.

In December, 1823, the Government publicly
thanked, through the medium of the Gtizctle, Com-
mandant Aluller and the Uitenhage burghers for
the services they had rendered in patrolling the
Albany district and clearing it ot the marauding
Kafirs who had been giving much trouble for
some time past.

One of the most ancient and his-
The Drostdy. toric buildings in Uitenhage is

the Drostdy, which stands at the
east end of Caledon Street. It was built during
General Cuyler's tenure of office here, and is a
typical example of the style of architecture adopted

in the early days of the nineteenth century. The
walls are remarkably thick, and the rooms more
than usually spacious and lofty. One of them is
o\er 100 feet long, and this was used as a ban-
quetting hall or as a dancing room as occasion
required. The massive front doors are constructed
of solid mahogany, and they have already done
duty for nearly a hundred years.

The Drostdy has been the scene of many his-
torical events, as may easily be imagined. When
the trial of the Slachter's Nek rebels was in pro-
gress the members of the Court took up their
abode within its walls during their sojourn here
for Uitenhage could boast of but few houses in
I'^'S- -f^.^:''", 't was on the .stoep of the Drostdy
that tiie deputation, headed by the ill-fated Pieter
Relief, interviewed the Landdrost of Uitenhage
before they set out on their fatal trek to Natal. His
followers were known as the W'interberg Party,
and, finding that it was impossible for Mr.
Stockenstroom to grant them what they desired,
they left the Drostdy and shortly afterwards
trekked eastward. Everybody is acquainted with
the ghastly end that awaited them at the hands of
the treacherous Dingaan. The unfortunate men,
having overcome countless obstacles, eventually
interviewed the Zulu Chief with regard to a grant
of land. He received them kindly, and promised to
accede to their wishes. Just before leaving for the
main camp, however, he invited them to witness a
war-dance. Being in high good humour, they
agreed to do so, and squatted round the potentate.
\\. a given signal the savages attacked the deputa-
tion, and killed every man comprising it. Some
time later the Dutch exacted a terrible reprisal,
and utterly defeated the treacherous Dingaan and
his impis. The anniversary of this victory is still
celebrated on the i6th of December, and is known
as Dingaan 's Day. While on this subject we might
remark that the capital of Natal is partly named
after Pieter Relief, tl;e brave leader of the Uiten-
hage Party.

When the Kafirs became troublesome, the
Drostdy was of course the head-quarters of the
Commandant, and it was the custom for the various
commandoes to assemble in front of the building
and to march from there.

Eventually, howexer, the Drostdy passed out of
the hands of the Government and became a private
residence. It was always occupied by the Magis-
trates of Uitenhage, however, and they either
bought it outright and re-sold it to their successors
or paid a monthly rent. In fact, our Drostdy
formed a very strong inducement to magistrates to

riTHXHAGK PAST AND PRESEXT.

;ipply lor tla- ritciil)a,L;c bench, lint the Drostdy is
no longer nsccl as a rcsiclcncy, for it passed
into private hands some years ago, and has
not been tenanted by a magistrate since. Ex-
ternally, its appearance has been altered materially
by the addition of a verandah, and also by the
removal of the tine old lir trees which used to
stand in front of the bnilding. These, it is inter-
esting to note, were planted by Mrs. Cuylcr, who
brought the seeds round from Capetown, tied up
in a pocket hankerchief. The trees thri\ cd and
grew to an immense height, but one of Ihem was

I1I0WU down about the middle of 1^04, and nearly
wrecked the Drostdy. The Council then ortlered
the removal of the others, as it was found that the
roots were becoming rotten. We cannot close
this necessarily brief sketch of the Drostdy without
mentioning the " mounting block" which stands
to the right of the steps. This was erected for the
jiurpose of assisting ladies to mount their horses
with greater ease than would otherwise have been
the case. These pedestals may be seen in old
English villages, but thev are much more rare in
South Africa.

Part III — The Decade, 182^-1833.

The history of the Enghsh Church
St. Katherine's in Uitenhage is a record of in-
Church, domitable perseverance and of
steady progress in the face of
circumstances which were often of a most difficult
and discouraging nature. As is invariably the case
with rehgious bodies, there were periods during
which the forward movement was temporarily
retarded, but these intervals of quiescence were
beneficial in many ways, inasmuch as they were
always followed bv periods of renewed activity
and enthusiasm. When one project had been
successfully accomplished, or a long deliberated
improvement effected, the parishioners were given
time to recover themselves, as if were ; and when
the next scheme came up for consideration it was
attacked with fresh vigour and enthusiam. Another
factor which accounts in great measure for the
flourishing position St. Katherine's holds to-day is
the policy which has been pursued with regard to
ways and means. "One thing at a time" is an
excellent maxim, and the present condition of the
church shows that the concentration of united
effort upon one particular object at a time has
been marked bv the mcst gratifving results.

With this brief foreword, we may now turn to
tiie early history of the English Church in Uiten-
hage, for which purpose it will be necessary to go
back eightv vears, and examine the records of
iS-'5.

It was in that year that the Rev. W. McLelland
was appointed Colonial Chaplain at Port Elizabeth,
and in fulfilment of his duties there he visited
Uitenhage at regular intervals. He conducted
periodical services here, administered the sacra-
ment, performed baptisms, solemnised marriages,
and officiated at burials, the requisite particulars
of each being entered in the registers of St. Mary's
Collegiate Church, Port Elizabeth. Indeed no
loL-al registers were opened until 1840, and during
those fifteen years matters proceeded in precisely
the same way.

In I ^'41, however, a movement was set on foot

in order to secure funds for the erection of a
church, and also to maintain a clergyman, and, as
was usual in those days, the Government wr.s
expected to bear the greater part of the burden.
The English inhabitants of the town sent a
memorial to Capetown, and were granted a site
for the proposed building. A small sum of money
was then collected, and the general public was
appealed to for assistance. This, however, met
with but little success, and a clergyman was not
appointed until 1847, when in the April of that
year the Rev. P. W. Copeman took up his position
here as minister of the English Church. The
Government granted ^100 a year towards his
salary, conditionally i.pon the people themselves
contributing a sum of not less than _^''75 per
annum. The Society for the Propagation of the
Gospel granted £2^ a year, so that if the parish-
ioners had been able to fulfil their part of the
contract the rector's stipend would have been
_^"2oo ; but it appears that at the end of two years
Mr. Copeman had only received £2^ from the
public 1

He conducted the services in the old Court
House for many years, but no record of the work
or progress of the Church is now extant. It
appears, however, that in 1847 the then rector
officiated at three baptisms, one marriage, and five
burials. At present the average number of b:ip-
tisms is 100, w hile there are generally about thirty
marriages and forty burials.

.Although the services were still being held in
the old Court House, the matter of erecting a
church was not allowed to drop, and a protracted
discussion took place with regard to the suitability
of a site granted by the Government. This was
the one eventually selected, but manv people
strongly objected to it at the time on the score of
its not being sufficiently central. Their contention
was certainly a reasonable one, but it was perhaps
just as well that they were outvoted, for the church
enclosure is becoming more and more valuable
everv year.

riTEXHAGE PAST AXD PRESEXT.

Thk Rix'ioKV.
On the 30th Xovember, 1853. Bishop Aniistion.i;
was consecrated Bishop of Grahamstown, and
short'i after his arrival in South Africa Archdeacon
Merriman came to Uitenhage. He evinced the
keenest interest in the affairs of the Anghcan com-
miinitv, and with the greatest generosity purchased
and presented to the church a plot of ground in
Caledon Street and litted up the building which is
now used as the Rectory as a temporary church.
Services were conducted there until the opening
of the present building in 1876.

Thk Rkv. P. \V. Coi'ii.MAX.
Mr. Copenian seems to have been a peculiarly
constituted individual. It appeared to be an
impossibility for him to agree with the Bishop or
the Archdeacon or his parishioners, and it was a
case of constant trouble and unending friction
between him and everybody else. It is not too
much to say that he literally worried Bisho]-)
Armstrong into his grave, for some of the letters he
wrote shortly before his decease show that he was
" suffering acutely from mental trouble brought
upon me by Mr. Copemaii's behaviour." This
trouble eventually killed him. Frequent references
are made to this eccentric clergyman in the
'' Memoirs of Bishop Armstrong," which were
compiled by the late Canon C. T. Carter.
On the death of Bishop Armstrong, Bishop
Gray as metropolitan took
charge of the vacant diocese.
Bishop Grey succeeded Bishoji
Aimstiong as metropolitan, and
he upheld the line taken up by
his predecessor. In 1856 he
ordained the Rev. \V. Llewellyn
and licensed him as minister of
the parish of Uitenhage. Mr.
Copeman then gave up pcssefsion
of the present rectory, but he
continued to hold services for two
years in the old Librarv building.
In 1856, however. Bishop Cotterill,
the second Bishop of Grahams-
town, arrived in this diocese, and
shortly afterwards proceeded to
adjust the affairs of the parish of
Uitenhage. Mr. Copeman was
appointed Colonial Chaplain of
Alexandria, where he ministered
for many years, and died in 1898.
Mr. Llewellyn remained as the
sole minister of Uitenhage.

Thk BiiLDiNG of the Church.
The historv of the church from 1858 to 1876 was
somewhat uneventful, but on the ist of February,
1867, the foundation stone of the present nave was
laid bv Bishop Cotterill, and the cemetery was alsa
consecrated on that date. Through lack of funds^
however, the building was not completed until
1S76. In 1874 the walls were only as high as the
bottom of the windows, and people used to say the
structure would never be finished. In March,
1876, however, the completed building was con-
secrated, and on that auspicious occasion a most
eloquent and appropriate sermon was preached by
the Rev. S. Brook, rector of St. Paul's Church.
Port Elizabeth.

The growth of the town and the consequent
increase in parochial work rendered it necessary
to procure the services of an assistant curate, and
the Rev. J. H. Truscott was appointed. His
earnest ministrations are still remembered by old
church people here. He remained in Uitenhage
during 1884 and 1885, and many will be interested
to learn that he is now Rector of St. Katharine's
Church, Hatcham, South London.

His departure created a vacancv, and in 1886
the Rev. C. B. Jecks, B..A., who was then Rector
of Christ Church, Burghersdorp, was appointed
assistant curate to Mr. Llewellyn, and when that
gentleman removedtoGrahamstown. in 1892, Bishop
Webb inducted Mr. jecks as Rector of Uitenhage.

St. Katharines chirch (Extkkiorj.

UITEXHAGE PAST AXD PRESEXT.

Owing to the rush to the goldlields, the con-
gregition fell off somewhat between 1886 and
1890, but it has steadily increased ever since, and
is now the largest in Uitenhage. This year's
census, indeed, shows that there are -2.748 mem-
bers of the English Church here, the Dutch
Reformed Church coming next with 3,133.

When Archdeacon Llewelhn left this town he
lost the Colonial Chaplaincy. He was the last of
the Colonial Ciiaplains, and the Government grant
of £100. pay.ible annually to the Rector of Uiten-
hage, ce.ised with his departure to Cradock. In
spite of this, however, the congregation succeeded
in paying off a debt of nearly A'/OO, in addition to
which an organ costing ^300 was purchased in
1894, while a large parish hill costing _^i,ooo is '.o
be erected in the church enclosure within a few
months' time.

The church ten 3'ears ago presented a verv
different appearance to what it does at present.
The altar stood at the spot now occupied by the
steps leading to the chancel — which had not then
been built — while the organ was originally placed
in the north-east corner of the nave — where the
pulpit now stands. The surpliced choir did not
exist until 1884, and even then it was but a verv
small one. It now consists of thirty-four
members.

The Ch.wcel.

Immediately after the pipe organ had been
erected, great efforts were made to raise the
necessarv funds "for building the chancel.
The sum of _A'i,ooo was collected. ^Ir. C.
Smith, of Port Elizabeth, was the architect,
and Mr. A. Gillespie secured the building
contract. The constructive work occupied si.\
months, and the ceremony of consecration took
place on Sunday, 5th June, 1896. The total
length of the choir and sanctuary is 32 feet,
and accommodation was therefore provided
in the nave for an additional 140 worshippers.
The choir is raised by two steps and the altar
bv five. The style of the new portion is in
complete harmony with the older nave, the
walls being of solid rough untrimmed stone,
reminding one of many an old building of
our Saxon and Xorman forefathers in
England. The windows are narrow pointed,
and slightly splayed and recessed inside. The
east window above the altar is in three lights,
the north wall being pierced by three windows of
a single light each, and the south wall of the
sanctuary bv two windows of a single light each.
The curtains coverin" the east wall, together with

the dossal and " wings" of the altar, which add so
greatly to its dignity, were all the gift of the Sunday
school children. The chancel and its internal
fittings cost upwards of £"1,000, and were free from
debt when completed.

The opening service was performed with great
solemnity, the Bishop of Grahamstown celebrating
the Holy Eucharist, the other clergy present being
the Archdeacon of Grahamstown (the Rev. W.
Llewellyn), Canon Wirgman, of St. Mary's Colle-
giate Church, Port Elizabeth, the Rev. c' B. Jecks
(Rector) and the Rev. \V. C. Carr. His Lordship
preached an eloquent and appropriate sermon to an
enormous congregation, which taxed the seating
accommodation of the church to its utmost limits.

Since then the chancel has been greatly beauti-
fied from time to time, a screen having been
erected and several rich altar fronts procured. In
a short time the chancel arch will be spanned by
a handsome rood beam and cross.

The Ccr.ates of St. Kaihaxi.\i:'s.

Ill iS )j the rapid growth of I'ltenliagc rendered

it necessary for the Rector to be provided with
assistance, and the Rev. L. \V. Liddell was appointed
assistant curate. He was succeeded in 1889 by the
Rev. Leonard Moxon, and in October, 1903, this

riTEXHAGE PAST AXD PRKSEXT.

g^ntlenrin, in turn, was succeeded by tlie Rev
Arthm- S. \V. Moore, who left for Eiigl lud a short
time ago after having generously presenteti the
church and parish with the sum of ^'1,000— _;^"500
of which was to be devoted to the erection of a
church at Sundays Kiver Valley to seat 150, ^300
going to tli« P.irish Hall fund, £200 U the new
organ fund, and ^100 for the interior be uititicatiou
of St. Katharine's Mr. Moore was succeeded by
the Kev. Samuel D. Turner, who is still ministering
here.

ThK P.AUISH OK UlTENll.AGi;.

Formerly the Parish of Uitenhage was of
enormous size, consisting as it did of the districts
of Uitenhage, Jansenville, Steytlerville, and
Humansdorp ; but of late it has been much reduced.
Humansdorp and Thornhill were formed into a
separate parish in 1893, while in 1900 the districts
of lansenville and Steytlerville, together with a
considerable portion of Uitenhage, were separated
from this parish, and now form the parish of
Jansenville. The services at Redhouse are now
conducted by the clergy of Holy Trinity, Port
Elizabeth, and those at Addo by the clergy of the
South African Raihvav' Mission. The only
out-stations now attached to St. Katharine's are
Despatch and the Sundays River Valley. Monthly
services have been held at the former place since
1886, and at the latter since 1893. The congre-
gations at the Valley have increased so materially
of late that it has been deemed desirable to erect
a church there. It will be named " All Saints,"
and building operations will be commenced as
50on as the necessary arrangements, which are now
being made, are finally completed.

N.\TIVE WOKK.

The native work in the parish of Uitenhage is
under the superintendence of the Rev. S. \V. Co.x,
of Port Elizabeth. In 1901 the Rector, finding
that it was impossible for him to carry on this
branch of the work, handed it over, with the
consent of the Bishop, to the clergyman mentioned
above, and services are regularly held in St. Ann's,
Bishop Street.

(iF.NEK.\L ItKMS.

On the 6th of May, 1904, the Bishop of
Grahamstown consecrated the new burial ground
belonging to the church, and which had been
purchased and cleared of bush, &c., at considerable
expense.

The acetvlene light was installed in the church
in .\ugust, 1904, and used for the lirst time on the
14th of that month. It cost over ./."150.

The church his seating accommodation for
450, and there are 200 communicants.

The Sunday School children number 250, and
the roll is steadily increasing.

There are many schemes for further improve-
ments on hand, amongst which are a new organ to
cost about X800, a new Rectory behind the Parish
Hall, a rood-beam and cross in the chancel arch,
and several more.

The Rev. C. B. Jecks, B.A., was born in
Norfolk, England, and came to South Africa in
1872, returning to the old country in 1877 in order
to take holy orders He graduated at University
College, Durham, in 1881, and returned to the
Cape the same year. He becanu deacon shortly
afterwards, and was admitted to the order of
priesthood by Bishop Merriman, of Grahamstown
:n 1882. He immediately proceeded to Bmghers-
dorp, wliere he was Rector from 1882 to 1885.
After acting as assistant curate of St. Katharine's
from 1886 to 1892, he succeeded Archdeacon
Llewellyn as Rector in 1893, and has ably and
conscientiously HUed the important position ever
since.

The Springs from which Uiten-
Water Supply, hage's magnificent supply of

water is derived are situated in
the foothills at the eastern extremity of the Great
Winterhoek range of mountains, about five and a
half miles from town. Originally the Springs were
within the boundary of the farm Saiulfontein, tlie
owner of which in the year 1829 was Mr. C.
Dalgairus. In tliat vear the Government, in the

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESEXT.

peis3ii of the then Governor of the Colony, Sir
Lowry Cole, secui-ed, by arrangement with the
owner, the portion of Sandfontein on which the
Springs are situated, and incorporated it with the
commonage of the town of Uitenhage, Mi-.
Dalgairus receiving a portion of another farm in
exchange. The w.iter, so far as Sandfontein was
concerned, was absolutely useless, as the Springs
were right on the edge of the farm, which rises
steeply away from the Springs to the north-east.

There are about 20 different eyes within a
circular area of 10,000 square yards, giving a
combined How of never less than 1,500,000 gallons
per diem of beautifully clear water.

The overflow from the Springs at this time
followed the natural course of the valley, the old
stream bed being easily traced, in all its windings,
down to and through the old farm, situated on
what was the site of the Burger Camp, the ruins of
the farm house being removed when the camp was
erected ; bending to the east it flowed across the
Graaff-Reinet Road, and wliat is now the present
railway, and continued south initil near where the
railway cottages stand ; it again crossed the Graaff-
Reinet Road to the west side and Howed down
through the bush into the Willow-dam ; crossing
the road again it reached Oatlands, and from
thence across Bay Road down the present storm
water fmrow into the rivei-.

For nine years after the transfer the water
continued in its old course, until in 1838 Mr. John
Schlemmer, the then jiroprietor of Sandfontein,
conceived the idea of diverting the stream from its
old course and bringing it into the town by an
open furrow, kept at such a level that the water
would be delivered at the highest point of the then
town.

This highly meritorious piece of work was
accomplished in 1839, for which he received as
remuneration a grant of land and water for
irrigating the same (a portion of which now forms
the Magennis Park) ; also the water power of the
whole stream for milling purposes. The water
was then distributed in a pro rnta share to the
different erven in the town as originally laid out,
which at that time totalled about 170 erven.

Stringent preventive regulations were passed
by the Commissioners dealing with all possible
sources of pollution, as the water as it passed
along the furrows was taken out for domestic
purposes. Naturallv, even the best regulations are
broken, and it required constant attention to keep
the water in anything like a pure condition ; besides,
all storm sconrings found their way into both the

m lin and tributary furrows 'o say nothing of cattle
and Kallirs fouling the stream on its long journey.

From this time Uitenhage dates its existence as
a Garden Town.

In th2 year iSjy an Act wis pissi 1 giving the
Commissioners power to levy rates, and a servitude
of 151- per erf was imposed upon all kuuh having
ih^ privilege of irrigation w.iter.

In 1871 the Comm'ssioners granted a portion of
til 3 C jaimonage, in extent 230 morgen, since known
as the Upper and Lower Railway Lands, to the Port
Elizabeth and Uitenhage Railway Company, as a
bonus for constructing the railway into the centre
of the town, as far as Market Street. The lower
lands, since known as Niven's Lands, were sold with
water rights, althoug'.i when these lands were
advertised for sals in 1875 with water rights it
caused a terrible commotion in the Commissioner's
camp, one half being in favour of granting the
water the other ag linst it, Mr. Liesching being in
this instance the great " protestor." Even in
these remote tim?-; it was held that there was not
sufficient water for i!ie erven already entitled to
irrigition water. Hjwever, after a great deal of
meetings, discussions, and counsel's opinion, it was
decided in 1876 to grant the water to Mr. James
Niven, who had purchased the ground. A great
deal of expense was gone to by the Council, and
the 7-inch pipes laid from the Drostdy down
Caledon Street, across the swamp above Oatlands,
and carried some considerable distance over the
lands on the further side of the Graaff-Reinet
Railway line, for the purpose of supplying this
water; but it was never used, owing to compl'cations
arising.

In 1874 the Port Elizabeth Municipality con-
ceived the brilliant idea of drawing a supply of
water from the Uitenhage Springs, and held that
as there was a certain amount of leakage and
evaporation between the Springs and the town of
Uitenhage they were entitled, as being the big and
powerful neighbour, to claim what Uitenhage
evidently could do without, and tried to get a Bill
passed through Parli imsnt giving them power to
]-)ipe in the water to Uitenhage, and reserve for
themselves the quantity thus saved. This rather
high-handed proceeding was, however, defeated,
the Bill being thrown out on the representation of
the erf-holders that there was not snfficient water
for the ground at th it time under cultivation.

In the same year a Bill was passed through
Parliament for the purpose of raising a loan to
enable a scheme to be carried through for piping
in the domestic water throughout the town, building

riTEXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

ill a service reservoir and filter. This scheme was
carried out, the reservoir and filter made, and a
few of the principal streets piped. But the
s;rangest part of the whole thing was that the
tillers were worked in exactly the opposite
direction to what they should have been. They
were constructed in the usual way, although of
considerable depth, and the filtering material
placed in lavers ranging from large boulders at the
bottom to fine sand at the surface. And here
comes the anomaly : the dirty water was turned in
at the bottom and allowed- to rise, and How off
from the siirfuce of the sand into the service
reservoir. It is a wonder that the inhabitants were
not decimated by typhoid or some kindred disease,
as every drop of water had to pass through the
accumulation of filth lodged among the large stones
at the bottom, to which it was impossible to get at
for cleaning purposes without removing the whole
of the overlying material. This naturally could
not be done every week. As a matter of fact it
w;is done about every hve years. It would have
been much safer to have done without the filter
.idtogether. This condition of affairs lasted until
1S98, when the water was piped in from the
Springs. The thought of what the water had to
piss through in this so-called filter is enough to
appal even the stoutest heart.

In 1876 the Railway Workshops at Uitenhage
were tirst supplied with water, a quantity from
20,000 to 30,000 gallons per day being supplied
through the town service pipes. This quantity
was subsequently increased to 60,000 gallons per
<lay, for which the Municipality received the sum
of _^i,ooo per annum.

In 1896 a bill w-as passed through Parliament
€mpowering the Municipality to raise a loan for
the purpose of piping in the water from the
Springs and building a service reservoir. Mr.
Thomas Stewart, M.I.C.E., of Capetown, was
appointed Engineer to the works, and in 1897
tenders were called for for supplying the pipes
;uid for constructing the works. The former con-
tract was secured by Messrs. Holland & Vardy,
Port Elizabeth, to deliver on the testing ground
JO,ooo i6in. cast iron pipes.

The second part of the contract was secured
by Messrs. W. F. Malloch & Co., Johannesburg,
for laying and jointing the pipes and constructing
the service reservoir of 200,000 gallons capacity
for the sum of ^4,159 14s. 2d.

Tlie work was commenced in Februarv, 1898,
and finished in March, 1899, a concrete roof over
the reservoir being substituted for the origiu.il

iron roof as specified, this work being carried out
by the Municipality after having dispensed with
the services of the Engineer ; the total cost of the
works completed being _^20,ooo.

The intake consists of an oblong house, of which
the iioor, walls, and roof are concrete. The water
Is gathered into a basin outside, from which it
passes through a grating into the interior, passing
through bafHe boards for the purpose of steadying
the How before it reaches the gauge ; it then falls
over the sill of the gauge into a pit, where it is
strained through three pairs of line copper screens
into the i6in. main, through which it Hows into the
town, a distance of 4 miles 1,200 yards.

The outlet delivers into a distributing basin for
irrigation W'ater. This basin is provided with gun
metal sills tixed in openings calculated to the
widths for the different sizes of streams. There
are eleven different streams, some of them leaving
the basins as two and three combined, being
subsequently divided at different parts of the
town. The domestic supply water is drawn off at
a point 300 yards further back on the i6in. main,
and delivered into the service reservoir, situated
on the highest part of the town, from whence it is
distriliuted throughout the town mains. The hi ;h-
Iving portions of College Hill are supplied un ler
pressure from the i6in. m;iin direct.

When the scheme was designed the main was
increased from 12 inches to 16 inches, the ide.i
being to utilize the power of the water for supply-
ing electric light to the town. Eventually it was
found that about 25-horse power onlv was available,
and as that was only sufficient to light the streets,
the scheme fell through, and the power has never
been used, although it might have brought in a
consideralile revenue.

In 1902 a scheme was laid before the Council
for the purpose of utilizing this power and
increasing the town revenue, briefly as follows : A
reservoir was to have been constructed in the river
near the pound, with a capacity of 90,000,000
gallons, Hlled by Hood water This water was to
have been pumped up to the distributing basin and
used for irrigation, thus setting free 500,000 gallons
of Spring water, which it was proposed to sell to
Port Elizabeth ; the pumps to be driven by
electric power generatecl at the 16-inch main outlet,
and transmitted by wire to the pumps at the
reservoir. The Uitenhage and Port Elizabeth
Councils had a meeting for discussing the terms, and
evervtiiing seemed favourable. However, the
I'iteuhage Council allowed the jiroposal to lapse,
and nothing further came of it. The whole scheme
in i'rle 1 sewerage and electric liglit.

t'lTEXHAGK PAST AND PRESENT.

The Proposed Sfkixgfield Scheme.

Early in 1903 the Town Engineer, Mr. W. V.
Mallocli, submitted to the Council what is now
known as the Springfield Scheme, the ground on
which the clam would be built having been pre-
viously granted free by the Government for this
purpose. The scheme was to supply Port Elizabeth
with from one to three millions of gallons per dav
of filtered water, and the surplus was to be used
for irrigation. Negotiations were again opened
with Port Elizabeth, and the water offered to be
delivered into the service reservoir in Port Elizabeth
at a cost of I 4 per 1,000 gallons, taking three
millions, or 19 per 1,000 gallons for one million.
This was considered too high a price by Port
Elizabeth, and they declined to take any water, and
closed the negotiations, preferring to proceed with
their own scheme at Sand, Palmiet. and Bulk Rivers.

After this
the character s, „;,.. , ,„^/, /„ /;„. „„■/,..

of the scheme
was altered,
and a purely
irrigation
scheme sub-
stituted, the
idea being to
p lace 3,000
acres of the
t o w n c o ni -
nionage under
irrigation : the
scheme to
stand on its
o w u merits,
the s.ile of the
land in hold-
ings of from

one to six '''•'^ '" ''"^'■'^'^'■'

acres, at a

price of £"100 per acre, being more than sufficient
to pay for the whole of the outlay.

Advantage was taken of the visit of the
Commissioner of Public Works and the newly-
appointed Director of Irrigation to the Eastern
Province, and these gentlemen visited the site of
the reservoir in November, 1903, the under-
standing being that plans and specifications
for the complete scheme should be got out
as speedily as possible and submitted to the
Department for examination and report, after which
the matter would be laid before the public for

tlieir sanction or otherwise. This work was taken
in hand at once, and entailed a considerable amount
of hard and difficult work, owing to the fact that
expenses had to be kept down to the lowest possible
limit. The work is now practically finished, and
only awaits the sign manual of the Director of
Irrigation before being placed before the public.

The Reservoir wall will be 90 feet thick at the
base, 120 feet high from the foundation, with a
depthof waterat thewall of 100 feet, and 12 feet thick
at the crest. A by-wash for overflow water will be
provided, 100 feet wide and three feet deep. This
will be sufficient to pass over the greatest tiood,
while should it rise higher than that, 500 feet of
the central portion of the wall will also be made
to allow of the water passing over the wall itself.
This wall will hold up 3,700 million gallons,
standing back for a distance of 4^ miles, the water
surface being 275 acres.

With this
m a g n i fi c e u t
work coni-
pietetl, and
w i t li i u easy
reach of the
town and Port
Elizabeth, it
should b e -
come a favour-
ite resort of
pleasure seek-
e r s . The
n u m e r o u s
creeks and
kloofs run in
all directions
foi- miles from
the main bodv,
and offer a
splendid op-
portunity for
boating and picnicking.

The water will be drawn off through a 36-injh
pipe placed in a tunnel on the right side of thewall
and cut through the solid rock. This will be reduced
to 30 inch on emerging from the tunnel, and con-
tinued at this size into the town. Bsfore rising to the
pumping station in Mitchell Street, turbines will be
placed on the main ; through these the compensa-
tion water will flow mto the river. Enough power
will be generated to supply power to all the pumps
for the high service as well as to the seweragcpump-
ing plant, and lighting the town with electric light.

L.lIELll KkseKI

riTEXHAGE PAST AXD PRESEXT.

We are indelited to the Soiilli African Directory
(:iul Adrcrliser iov 1831 for the followinsj quaintly
interesting items regarding Uitenhage during this
decade :

Resident Magistrate, Mr. W. W.
The Harding, at ^300 per annum ;

Civil Clerk, Mr. J. G. Cuyler, jun.,

Service £^-0'< Messenger, R.Gunn,jC35;

Establishment Clerk of the Pei;; and Assistant

Registrar of SI ives, £2 50 ; Clerk,
Mr. F. die, £120 ; a.ning g:ioler, T. Collins, ^45 ;
6 white constables at £28 eich, i do. as overseer
of convicts X30, 1 do. as messenger, &_-., X30. and
3 coloured constables at £20 each ; \V. Fisher,
district interpreter and translator, ^100 ; Mr. A.
Tennant, assistant protestor of slaves and agent to
Orphan Chamber, £120; C. Wentworth, district
surgeon, ;^i5o ; J. Brehm, Deputy Sheriff; Mrs.
F. Alcock, postmistress, /"30.

Rev. A. Smith was minister of the
Other Dutch Reformed Church at this period.

Officials, at ^200 per annum, whilst the following

gentlemen constituted theofficials of the
church :— Elders : Messrs. L. Janse van Vuureii,
J. Uys, and J. Landmui ; De icons : Messrs. M.
Potgieter, H. van Staden, S. Viljoen, A. Tennant,
and D. du Plessis ; Clerk, Mr. J. Humphreys ;
Sexton, Mr. J. de Kortc. Air. Thompson was
master of the English Free School at a salary of
^80, and Mr. J. Mullerwas lield-cornet at ^22 los.
per annum.

Public Buildi.ljs Tiie Public Buildings at this
In 1831. time were as follows : —

A huge building called the
Drostdy House, formerly occupied by the Lmd-
drost or Chief Magistrate of the district, and now
in possession of the Commissioner-General of the
Eastern Province : a Court House and Public
Offices, that is to say, office of the Resident Magis-
trate, office of Clerk of the Peace, office of Guar-
dian of Slaves, and office of the Clerk of the
Magistrate : a Prison, capable of accommodating
sixty persons, in which is a ro3m appropriited as
a Hospital for the sick poor : a hrase built for the
.Messenger, now converted into offices for tiie Civil
Commissioner and his Clerks : a house built for
the District Surgeon, but now occupied by the
]irincipal teacher of the English Academy : a
house built for the Secretary of the district, now
occupied by the Civil Commissioner : a house for
the public Dutch School, now occupied by the
Clergyman. Here is also a building used as a
temporary Church, originally designed for a
parsonage.

.-\n .Agricultural and Horticultural
Institutions. Society exists, and a Reading

Room, established in the vear 1825,
and now conducted on the most liberal principles.
There is also a Turf Club ; the meetings formerly
took place twice a year, but now they are annual ;
at the conclusion of the races there is a ball given
by the Club, which is numerously attended.

In the year 1822 an English Seminary for the
instruction of youth of both sexes was founded,
and which has been crcwned with the greatest
success ; the number of pupils is now one hundred
and sixty. There is also a school for the black
and heathen, where ninety children receive instruc-
tion in the English language.

The ladies of Uitenhage are
Musical Talent, al'fable and musical in a higii

degree ; hO much so, that (here
are thiiteen piauclortes :!nd one organ in the
town, upon which may occasionally be heard
jilaved the sacred pieces of Haiidtl, and oUicr
music.

The Zwaitkops The ZwartUops River is navig-
River. able for miles up for sm:dl

craft, hut a vessel of 100 tons,
ii.imed the i'ilciiluii^c Packcl, the property of Mr.
Koisten, siiled into the river, and anchored in
twenty feet water, where she remained for three
weeks. At full and change the water upon the
bar is about 12 feet. The anchorage outside the
mouth is equally good with that in front of Port
Elizabeth. This river abounds with tish, but as
butchers' meat is remarkably cheap at Uitenhage
tishing is practised more for amusement than
profit, although it is well known that a thousand
pounds' weight have been taken at one haul of the
net. Mr. Gert van Rooyen, of Uitenhage, has taken
in one haul two w.igan loads, which he calculated
to weigh two thousand pounds : we give this
gentleman's name, in order to afford tlie incredulous
an opportunity of referring to him.

About ten miles south of
Lead Mines Uitenhage are Lead Mines,

and which are not worked. These

Mineral Springs, are the only Mines of anv

description yet discovered in
the district.

Seven miles east of the Town are two mineral
springs, within a few yards of each other, on the
Estate of Mr. J. van Xieker'.v : one is hot and the
other cold ; and they have been resorted to witli
benelit bv invalids.

UITEN'HAGE PAST AXD PRESENT.

The farmer deems it an object of
Cattle Raising, the tirst consideration to be

possessed of tine cattle, more
particularly oxen. With them he ploughs and
harrows his corn fields, and transports his produce
to market. The breed in general makes good
draught oxen, and one when fat will weigh from
600 to 700 lbs. The value of a fat ox varies from
£2 to £2 5s. sterling. The cows are mostly of
a ver>- inferior kind ; they are lean, bony, and poor
milkers, rarely producing more than two quarts per
day, independently of giving nourishment to the
calf, whilst many are barely able to support their
calves.

The amount of black cattle and breeding cattle
in the district is about 64,252 ; too much attention,
therefore, cannot be paid to this important subject^
as the export of butter, tallow, salt meat, hides, &c.,
is at present very considerable, and the quantity is
daily augmenting. The supply of salt meat, for
the use of the troops at the Isle of France, has
opened an important field for the industry of the
cattle farmers of the Colony.

Marlcet The following quamt Regulations

Regulations, for the conduct of the market were
agreed to at a public meeting of the
inhabitants held on the 3rd July, 1829, and the
editor of the South AJiican Directory, from which
this is culled, having learned that these " judicious
regulations were productive of essential advantage,
as well to the farmer as to the buyer," cniisidered
it advisable to publish them through another edition
of his Directory : —

1. That from and after the publication or approval
of these regulations by Government there
shall be held at Uitenhage, on all lawful days
of the week, a Public Market, from the hours
of 8 till 10 o'clock in the morning.

2. The proceedings of the market to be under the

control of a Market-master, who shall e.xact
from the buyers and sellers a strict conformity
to the market rules. The Market-master to
prevent collusion, and not to compromise in
any way his duty to the public in his impartial
calling ; not to be a storekeeper, nor otherwise
engaged in traftic ; and to take oath for the
clue discharge of his duty.

3. .All sales held at the m:irket to be for cash only.

4. All articles exposed for sale to be put up separ-

atelj', or in one lot, as the owner may choose.

5. The Market-master, until the necessary scales,

weights, and measures can be furnished out of
the proceeds of market dues, shall proceed to
the residence of the buyers, and be present at
the discharge of the articles bought, and see
them weighed or measured in his presence ;
and it shall not be imperative on the parties
to receive or make payments unless the
Market-master shall have seen the articles so
weighed or measured.

6. It shall not be imperative on the farmer to
accept the highest offers which may be made
for his produce ; but should he withdraw from
the market without selling the same, he shall
pay the market duties for the seller's propor-
tion on the highest offer made to him.

7. The seller may remain on the market from daj-

to day for the purpose of effecting sales, if he
think tit, paying daily to the Market-master the
fees which may accrue.

8. Diiierences or disputes t > be decided by the

Market-master, or by appeal to the Resident
Magistrate.

9. A register of daily transactions to be kept by

the Market-master.

10. All produce brought for sale, which is not

previously disposed of either by positive sale
or engagement before entering the town
common, shall be brought to the market, to
prevent the present pr.ictice of hawking and
exposing commodities for sale in different
parts of the town by the country people ; and
any violation of this regulation shall suiijectthe
intended purchaser to a penalty of 25 rix-
dollars, which shall go to the Market Fund.

11. The following Tariff of Fees shall be exacted
for the purpose of paying the Market-master
a salary, and also any contingent expense
attending the establishment of the market : —
One farthing sterling on every rix-dollar under
the sum of twenty-five rix-dollars, and one half
per cent, on all sums exceeding twenty-five
rix-dollars. Half of tiie above fees to be paid
by the buyers and half by the sellers.

12. The amount of all fees and penalties, after pay-

ing any contingent expense which may have
occurred, to be paid to the Market-master in
lieu of a fixed salary, during the pleasure of
the Agricultural Society of Uitenhage, to whom
the nomination of Market-master has been
referred by Government.

UITEXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

13. The Agricultural Society shall, as soon as the
transactions of the market will show them the
degree of labour or time employed, cause a
scale of allowances to be made out for weigh-
ing or measuring commodities, and to be
received by the Market- master.

In framing these regulations the Agricultural
Society has been anxious to avoid in any shape an
interference with the unquestionable right of the

farmer or seller to dispose of his produce where,
when, to whom, and in what manner he deems
proper ; the leading principle or object in view is
to offer an inducement to the farmers to come to a
public market, the dealings of which shall be
under the control of a few salutary regulations for
the mutual advantage of buyer and seller, and
where the farmers are likelv to derive beneiit from
purchasers congregating and competing with each
other for the articles exposed for sale.

Part IV.— The Decade, 1834-1S43.

The Catholic Prior to 1838 tliere was no Catholic
Church Church or Cathohc clergyman

in any part of the Eastern Province,
and only one (the Rev. Father T. Kishton,
Cape Town) in all South Africa. In February,
1837, the Catholics of Grahamstown sent a petition
to Sir Benjamin D' Urban to be forwarded to the
Secretary of State for the Colonies (Lord Glenelg)
praying for the appointment of a Chaplain of their
Faith. Possibly the Government, in turn, made
representations to the Holy Secretary, for we find
that the following year (1838) there landed at
Cape Town, from the barque Clandiiie, Captain
Kemp, amongst other passengers ; the Right Rev.
Patrick Raymond Griffith, bishop ; the Rev.
F"ather Burke, and the Rev. George D. Corcoran,
Catholic priests.

The Bishop, after a short stay in Cape Town,
visited Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage, and left a
priest at Grahamstown, but it was not till 1840 that
he was able to send a clergyman to take charge of
the little flocks at Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage.
In March of that year the Rev. George D. Corccr.m
arrived in Port Elizabeth after a perilous voyage
from Cape Town, the little steamer in which he
sailed having been wrecked during a dense fog in
Plettenberg Bay. Father Corcoran found the
inhabitants of the two Eastern Province towns
"of a very mixed description." " In Uitenhage,"
he writes, "there were then (1840) 1900 whites, 100
Fingoes and Malays, with about 50 Hottentots —
total 2,050." Of this number only 9 were members
of his flock. He received great kindness at the
hands of Mr. van der Riet, the Civil Commissioner ;
Dr. Fairbridge, and Mr. Brehm. Deputy Sheriff,
through whose good offices he secured the use of
the schoolroom in which to celebrate Holy Mass
on one Sunday of each month. This schoolroom
seems to have been rather dilapidated. Father
Corcoran describes it as being "almost a wreck,"
and he had to spend seven pounds in having the
windows glazed and some planks procured to lay
"on the bare floor" in preparation for its use as a
temporary Church.

He said his first Mass on the 3rd May, 1840, in
the presence, to use his own words, " of a con-
gregation as varied in colour as in creed." There
were Anabaptists, Protestants, Unitarians, Malays
and Hottentots, altogether about 100. " I was
told," he adds, " that the attend;uice at every place
of worship is small here— smaller than it was this
day with me."

The number of his Hock, however, went on
increasing. In a few months it was 18. And as
the months rolled by the numbers soon necessitated
the services of a priest in constant residence.
Accordingly, some time early in the forties — but in
what precise year we have not been able to ascer-
tain— the Rev. Patrick Hartigan was appointed
Catholic Pastor of Uitenhage. He remained in
charge till 1850, when he went to live in Port Eliza-
beth, and it was during his time that the first little
church was erected — the predecessor of St. John's,
Baird Street, that now serves as a temporary
Chape! for the Marist Brothers, It was built on a
site given for the purpose to Bishop Griffith by a
member of the congregation — a Mr. Edward
O'Donnell, an Army pensioner and a native of
Limerick (Ireland).

Father Hartigan was succeeded by the Rev. John
Joseph De Sany, concerning whose connection
with Uitenhage we take the following particulars
from an article contributed in 1900 to the South
African Catholic Maga~inc by the Right Rev.
Bishop McSherry :

" Of Father De Sany's early life we unfortunately
know little, save that he had served in the army
before choosing to enlist in the " militia of Christ,"
when he became a Canon Regular of the Abbey
of Grimbergen, near Brussels, belonging to the
Premonstratensians, a very austere religious order
founded by St. Norbert, Archbishop of Magdeburg,
1 120. In 1849 he volunteered to accompan\-
Bishop Devereu.x to the Cape, and was lirst
stationed at Cradock. In June, 1850, he was
transferred to Uitenhage, which at that time had a
Catholic population of 80, but with no school, and

riTEXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

a temporary church not worthy of the name.
Father de Sany set to work resolutely at the task
before him, and enlarged and practically rebuilt
the house which did duty as a church. A small
dwelling house adjoining was enlarged and im-
proved into ' St. John's Presbytery.' " It is interest-
ing to know, and illustrative of the homely and
loving relations which appear to have been so
characteristic of the dealings of the people with
their pastors in those early days, that these altera-
tions were largely accomplished by two local con-
stables in the intervals when their duties left them
free to work. With the Dutch residents he was a
distinct favourite. They speak kindly of him to
this dav, and one prominent Dutchman still living
in 1900 was wont to conti'ibute generously to his
works.

" The following memorandum in Bishop Moran's
diary is the only account of the dedication of St
John's that the writer has been able to find : 9th
iMay, i860, the improvements (commenced in 1859)
to St. John's, Uitenhage, being now finished, the
new church was blessed and opened on this day
by the Bishop, Dr. Moran, assisted by the following
Clergyman : Rev. John J. De Sanv, Missionary
of the district ; Verv Rev. Thomas Murphv, V.G.,
and the Rev. James O'Connell, of Fort Beaufort and
Alice. There was a Pontifical High Mass. The
Port Elizabeth choir lent valuable assistance. The
cost of the improvements was ;^500, of which the
Bishop gave £2TiO.

'■ For some 17 or 18 years Father De Sany worked
in Uitenhage, when he was transferred to King
William's Town, where he died in 1869."

For his successor. Bishop Moran selected the
Rev. John Fagan, of Port Elizabeth, who laboured
here with great success for two years, when on the
22nd of June, 1819, he, too, was changed to King
William's Town, where he still resides. Short as
was the pastorate in Uitenhage of this good priest,
it was enough to win for him the respect and
affection of his congregation and of the towns-
people of all classes. During his residence
amongst us his zeal, prudence, and unselfish
devotion to duty gave earnest of that great and
eminently successful clerical career that has
rendered the Right Rev. Monsignor Fagan one of
the most respected churchmen in South Africa,
and that has endeared him to the ilock in every
mission where he has laboured.

After him the Rev. John O'Brien was placed
in charge of the Mission. Harem lined there till
2nd October, 1874, whea he w.is tiansferred lo
Port Elizabeth. The Rev. Patrick Farreilv suc-

ceeded him, but seven years later Father O'Brien,
on his return trip to Minnesota, petitioned Bishop
Ricards to be allowed to return to Uitenhage.
His request was granted, and an interchange of
Missions was effected between him and Father
Farrelly on the 29th December, 1881. Father
O'Brien remained in Uitenhage till his death in
June, 1895.

The ne.\t priest in charge of the congregation
was the Rev. Bernard Rizzonelli, a native of
Italy. During his p.istorship, in 1897, the
historic mansion at the corner of Baird Street and
Henrietta Lane, known as " Seven Oaks," was
purchased by the Right Rev. Bishop MacSherry,
and assigned by him as a residence for the clergy.
But a much greater and more important event was
the erection during this period of the handsome
Church of St. Joseph on a site in Baird Street
given by the Dominican Sisters of the adjoining
Convent of Mater Admirabilis.

The foundation stone was laid on Sunday,
the 20th of February, 189S, by his Lordshiji the
Right Rev. Bishop MacSherry, when practically
the whole of the Catholic congregation was present,
besides a large number of their co-religionists
from Port Elizabeth, and many friends belonging
to the other denominations in Uitenhage. In
attendance on the Bishap were the Very Rev.
Father Ryan, B.J., RiJtorof S;. Aidan's, Grahams-
town ; Very Rev. Father Gillet, S.J., Dunbrody ;
Rev. Fathers Riczoaelli, H ives, aad Bjurke. The

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

rising masonry was surmounted with various flags,
including the Pontifical flag, showing the papal
tiara and keys, the Lord Bishop's flag, on which
was his coat-o£-arms and motto "S/>e« iiiea in
Deo," and the national flags of England, Ireland,
Spain, and Portugal. The ceremony, w'hich w-as
a most solemn one, was carried out in the manner
prescribed in the Roman Pontifical, and at its
conclusion the Bishop preached a most impressive
and earnest sermon, taking for his text " Wherefore
I propose to build a temple to the Name of the
Lord my God." (3rd Kings, v. 5).

Some fifteen months later, on the 7th May,
1899, the solemn opening of the Church formed
another red-letter day in the annals of the Catholic
community. The congregation attended in full
force, and a large number of people from Port
Elizabeth availed themselves of the opportunity to
be present with their fellow-Catholics of the
" garden town." The ceremony of blessing the
Cliurch and dedicating it to St. Joseph was first

gone through by his Lordship Bishop MacSherry.
Solemn Pontifical Mass followed, the celebrant
being the Right Rev. Bishop MacSherry, assisted by
Father Hanton as deacon, and Father Gillet, S.J.,
as sub-deacon, and Father Schmidt as assistant
priest. The sermon was preached by the Right
I^ev. Bishop Anthony Gaughran, of Kimberley,
who took for his te.xt " I have heard thy prayer,
and I have chosen this place to myself as a house
of sacrifice. My eyes also shall be open and my
ear attentive to the prayer of him who pi ays in

his place. For I have chosen this place and
have sanctified it that my name may be there for
ever, and my eyes and my heart may remain there
perpetually." The good Bishop's sermon was
delivered in his well-known eloquent and impressive
style, and will always be associated with the
memory of the opening of the Uitenhage Church.

ST. Jo~Kl>H S Chi KLH (INTERIOR).

St. Joseph's is Gothic in style, and is built of
red brick with tower and spire. It is 80 feet long
(exclusive of chancel, which is 20 feet square) and
40 feet wide. The height to the ceiling is 38 feet.
It has a nave and two aisles, nuns' chapel, vestry,
and baptistry, and two handsomely carved
confessionals of pine. The nave is divided into eight
b.iys, and from the centre of each arch depends a
l.imp. The altar is a handsome piece of plaster
work painted to represent stone, the reredos being
in keeping. The canopy surmounting the Tabernacle
is an artistic piece of woodwork, the handiwork of
Brother Aidan of the Marist Brothers' College.
The Sanctuary from the altar rails is laid with
encaustic tiles specially imported from Venice.
The baptismal font is of similar material to the
altar. The pulpit is of imposing appearance, and
is of carved pine. Above the altar are three
handsome stained glass windows of tasteful design.
The centre window represents the Crucifixion ;
on the right is St. Michael, and the left the
Annunciation. In the left aisle there are two
stained glass windows representing " Our Lady of
Good Counsel " and the " Assumption," and
opposite there are two similar windows depicting
St. Joseph and Saints Peter and Paul. From the
porch a staircase leads to the organ-loft and
gallery, which are of ample proportions. The
church is enclosed by a handsome railing on brick
wall foundations, and on the entrance pillars are
two lamps— the entire edifice being most pleasing

UITEXHAGE PAST AXD PKESEXT.

and attractive in appearance. The architect was
Mr. G. W. Smith, C.E., of Messrs. Smith, Sons, and
Dewar, of Port EHzabeth, and the contractor, Mr
A. Gillespie, of our town, who deserves great praise
for the excellent way he carried out his work.
The windows above the altar are the gifts of Mrs.
du Pre (Crucili-xion), Mrs. Maroney (St. Michael).
Mr. J. P. Staunton (The Annunciation), Mrs.
Eaton (Our Lady of Good Counsel), Mrs. W. T.
Catton (The Assumption), Mrs. van den Heever
(St. Joseph), and the memorial window to the late
Bishop Strobino. representing Saints Peter and
Paul, is the gift of the Rev. Father Rizzonelli.
The pulpit was given by Mr. P. Clear, and the
Baptismal Font by Mr. du Pre. The benches are
in keeping with the Church. It only remains to
add that the cost of the building was i"5.500. and
there is still a heavy debt on the Church, which
the Uitenhage Catholics are striving hard to clear
oft" by means of collections, concerts, and similar
entertainments for raising money. We feel sure
their zeal and earnestness in this respect will soon
see the Church free from debt, when they will have
the final happiness of seeing it consecrated. Since
its opening St. Joseph's Church has been the
scene of many impressive Catholic ceremonies,
and notable among the memorable devotions must
be recorded the mission given in 1899 by Fathers
Cullen and Murphy, S.J., which was fruitful of
such good results.

The priest in charge at present is the Rev. Father
Daniel Flynn, late of East London, who has come
amongst us with a high reputation for zeal and
earnest work in the cause of his Divine Master.

Wesleyan On Sunday, the 28th July, 1839, the
Church Rev. J. Edwards, Wesleyan ministerof

Port Elizabeth, conducted the hrst
Methodist service in Uitenhage in the
Government school lent for the occasion,
to a congregation of forty people ; and so
encouraging were the results that a few weeks
afterwards — to be precise, the 31st August, 1839 —
a house was rented in John Street at 25 rix-dollars a
month in which to hold services. About the same time
a meeting was held consisting of the Rev. J. Edwards,
Mr. Arnott, Mr. T. Colling, sen., and Mr. Hyman,
when it was decided to take down the partition
walls and order seats to the amount of ^8, and
inaugurate a weekly service to be held on
Tuesday evenings. In the following year, however,
the congregation, hearing that Mr. Hitzeroth, the
owner of the property, was not unwilling to dispose
of it, decided to purchase it outright for the sum
of ^280. This property comprised a full erf of
ground measuring 150 feet by 750 feet, and con-
tained not only the building used as a church but
also a house at the other end and facing Cuyler
Street, which, for some years, became the residence
of the various ministers stationed here. The
trustees appointed were the Rev. J. Edwards, Mr.
T. Colling, sen., Mr. W. Hyman, Mr. R. A. Stretch.
Mr. J. Kennerlet, and Mr. W. Cawood.

From this time services were continued with
more or less regularity on a week-night by the
minister in Port Elizabeth, assisted by such lay
help as could be found.

Interesting items appear in some of the records
of those days. The first Missionary meeting was
held on the 21st of February, 1842, and under the
entry there is a pencil note : " I presided at the
Missionary meeting on my arrival in the Colony.
R. P.wxELL." Lieut. Pannell was a devoted
member of the church, and was destined to play a
large and important part in the history of its
development in L'itenhage for many years.

On the 13th June, 1844, " it was agreed in com-
mittee that Mrs. Peterson should lodge and board
the Missionary as he came up from Port Elizabeth
for the sum of twenty ri.x-dollars a month." We
are not told how long these weekly visits should
last, but no doubt the rix-dollars allowed a suffi-
ciently wide margin for the visitor to take an extra
day when he felt disposed.

In the year 1848 the church was considerably
reinforced by the arrival of one who may be
considered as the father of Methodism in Uiten-
hage. Mr. Matthias Hall was a lay preacher of
experience and ability, and having come to South

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESEXT.

Africa principally on the grounds of health, he was
requested by the chairman of the district to take
charge of the infant church in Uitenhage. For
four years Mr. Hall laboured arduously and with
a considerable amount of success. Circumstances
transpired, however, which necessitated his
removal to Grahamstown, and during the four
years he was absent the little church almost
suffered extinction. Mr. Hall fortunately returned
in 1857, and, entering into business, he, without
financial remuneration, devoted himself to the
re-building of the work of the church which had
been his care but a few years before. In addition
to church work Mr. Hall took a prominent part
in matters affecting the town. He occupied a seat
in the Divisional Council, and for a long time was
a member of the old Board of Commissioners ;
he also filled the office of chairman of the Munici-
pality with great credit to himself and benefit to
the community. Mr. Hall subsequently removed
to the residence of his son at " Vernon Hall," near
Jansenville, where on November 25, 1887, he peace-
fully passed away at the age of 78. His devoted
and saintly wife only survived him some two
months, and both were interred side by side in the
Uitenhage Wesleyan burial ground.

One of the first things Mr. Hall did on his
return to Uitenhage in 1857 was to make represen-
tations to the Missionary Committee in England
and request that a minister be sent out to reside in
the town. The following year (1858) the Com-
mittee was able to accede to this request, and the
Rev. \V. R. Longden, a probationer, was appointed
as assistant to the minister in Port Elizabeth with
instructions to reside in Uitenhage. Mr. Longden
was an estimable man both as a preacher and as a
warm and sympathetic friend, but unfortunately he
was delicate in health, and unable to sustain for
long the burden imposed upon him. At the close
of his second year's ministry he removed to Faure-
sniith, in the Orange Free State, where he subse-
quently married the eldest daughter of Mr. Hall.
His health not improving he returned to Uitenhage,
where after a lingering illness he died on the 2nd
of May, 1864, and was buried in the Dutch
cemetery.

The failure of Mr. Longden's health necessitated
a further minute, which was drawn up by Lieut.
Pannell and forwarded to the chairman of the
district, in which a plea was made for a man who
could not only sustain the English work but also
take up work among both Kafir and coloured
people. After e.xpressing the sympathy of the
church for the illness of Mr. Longden, and shewing

full appreciation of his efforts, the minute, which
is remarkable for directness of speech, says :
"You have the man we want, who can speak Kafir
and Dutjh fluently— the Rev. \V. Sargent — if he
be willing to come and you are willing to let him
come. He alone is the person we require." It
was impossible to resist such an appeal ; the
following year Mr. Sargent was appointed, and
did not belie the hopes of the congregation, for
both as a preacher and as an administrator he
gained the affection and confidence of the whole
community.

Within two years of Mr. Sargent's assumption
of office Uitenhage was separated from the Port
Elizabeth circuit, and received authority for self-
government, Mr. George Uppleby being circuit
steward and Mr. Hall chapel steward.

After four years' earnest and faithful service
Mr. Sargent, much to the regret of the whole
church, was removed to Fort Beaufort, and the
Rev. Purdon Smailes was appointed as his
successor. During Mr. Smailes' tenure of office
the property, including the parsonage and ground
on which the present church stands, was acquired.
It was purchased in 1866 from a Dr. Meggy (who
had but recently secured it from the trustees of the
estate of the late Mr. F. Hitzeroth) for the sum of
^240. Tlie ground has a frontage to John Street
of 150 teet, and runs back 375 feet towards Cuyler
Street.

The Rev. Purdon Smailes removed from
Uitenhage in 1868, and was succeeded by the Rev.
\V. Clifford Holden. Mr. Holden was a man of
wide and varied e.xperience, having spent more
than thirty years in various parts of the Colony.
He wrote and published several works on Colonial
subjects, his History of the Kafir Races and his
general survey of Wesleyan Missions in South
Africa being of standing importance.

During the ministry of Mr. Holden two events
of historic importance transpired. The first was
the commencement of the new church which had
been under discussion for years, and which was
now actually put into the contractor's hands. The
foundation stone was laid on Tuesday, the 15th of
February, 1870, " at 10 o'clock," as the record is
careful to state ; and the church was to be called
"The Wesleyan Jubilee Chapel," to commemorate
the fiftieth anniversary of the landing of the
Settlers, many of whom had spent some time in
Uitenhage before proceeding to their destination
in the Albany district. The second event was the
reniDval of Mr. and Mrs. Uppleby from Uitenhage
to Port Elizabeth. How much the prosperity of

UlTEXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

the church was due to the untiring efforts of Mr. and
Mrs. Uppleby it is impossible to say ; they had
given of their best, both in time and money, and
served the church with a devotion that was an
inspiration to all who had the privilege to know
them.

The story of the building of the new church
would take too long to tell here ; it was a period of
misunderstanding, and at times even of strife ; for
architect, builder, and committee seemed to have
been possessed alike of a very determined spirit,
and the differences that arose did not afford much
room tor charity. Three times the date of the
opening had been fixed before the ceremony came
off, and it was not until May, 1871, five months
after the time allotted to the contractor, that the
key of the church was handed to the officials. The
church is a neat substantial structure of the semi-
gothic style, splendidly ceiled, and well finished in
every respect. The actual cost was ;^i,400.

A curious entry occurs about this time which is
indicative of the spirit of Uitenhage in those days.
The congregation, it appears, were much annoyed
by the unseemly conduct of young men who were
wont to make the church-yard a favourite resort on
Sunday evenings ; and it was resolved by the
church committee to appoint a man at two
shillings a month to clear the premises of this
nuisance !

In the year 1871 the Rev. E. D. Hepburn was
sent to succeed Mr. Holden. He was a descendant
of the once noble house of Hailes, but little is known

of his early days. Ordained to the ministry of the
Presbyterian Church of Scotland, he offered himself
for mission service in South Africa, and subse-
quently he decided to transfer his allegiance to the
Wesleyan Conference. After several years' service
he accepted the appointment to Uitenhage. He
was a man of high character and singular devotion.
His scholarly and varied gifts, sustained by a
gracious and devout spirit, enabled him to e.xercise
a successful ministry wherever he went.

On the termination of Mr. Hepburn's ministry
in the year 1875, Mr. Sargent was invited a second
time, and accepted a call to labour in his old sphere,
w'here he remained until 1879.

On his retirement he was succeeded by the Rev.
W. H. Price, who had an exceedingly successful
period, and faithfully maintained the traditions of
his predecessors. An event of unusual sadness
occurred during the ministry of Mr. Price. Lieut.
Pannell passed away at the ripe old age of 85 in
the full enjoyment of his mental and spiritual vigour.
He had identified himself with every phase of the
work, and unselfishly sought by great personal
effort to further the interests of the church he loved
so dearly. A marble tablet in the church bears the
following inscription :

Sacred to th.- .Memory of

Lieut. ROBERT PANNELL

ilate of the 60th Rifiesi.

Born Feb. 9th, 1795. Diedjune 2[)th, 1879. ..Et. 85.

This Tablet is erected as a tribute of affection

by those \\-ho Icnew and lo\ed him, and deeply deplored his loss.

He faithfully filled all the lay offices of the Methodist Church, of

which he was a consistent member for fifty years.

" He being: dead yet spsaketh.**

Space prevents us from dwelling on the labours
of those who continued the ministerial succession.
We can only mention their names, and say that each
added something to the work already done, and
contributed towards the cpnsolidation of tiie work
of the church lioth in town and district.

The Rev. C. Pettman laboured from 1882 to
1885 ; the Rev. W. S. Caldecott from 1885 to
1887 ; the Rev. \V. B. Rayner from 1887 to 1891 ;
the Rev. S. B. Cawood from 1891 to 1896 ; and
the Rev. T. Roper from 1896 to 1901, when he was
succeeded by the Rev. J. W. Househam.

In tUe year 1889, during the ministry of the
Rev. \V. B. Rayner, a very handsome and
commodious school room and vestries were built
to the church, the foundation stone being laid by
Mr. A. Fowler, senior (one of the most devoted

UITEXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

and successful scliool superintendents), in the
presence of the whole Methodist Conference, which
travelled from Port Elizabeth for the occasion, and
a large gathering of friends.

It is a matter for congratulation that the church
shews abundant signs of activity. There are some
hundred and seventy scholars in the Sunday
School, an average attendance of over a hundred
at the weekly Band of Hope ; and the congrega-
tions, especially in the evening, place a severe tax
u)ion the sitting accommodation of the building.
A handsome new parsonage is in course of erection
on the site of the old house.

During the existence of the Wesleyan Church
in our midst some twenty thousand pounds have
been raised for various purposes, and two thousand
baptisms have taken place. Churches have been
built atSteytlerville. Mount Stewart, and Jansenville,
and at this latter place a resident minister has been
stationed. In view of an extension of the work
of the town to meet the growing population an
eligible site well situated on what is known as
Poplar Erf, with a frontage to Caledon Street, has
been secured, and it is hoped that before long
advantage may be taken of this position tD erect
a school church.

.,^im

Rev. J. W. HOISEH.AM.

The following are the names of the ministers
and officials of th- church for the year 1904 :

Rev. J. W. Househ.im. Superintendent Minister.

Rev. j. Whiteside, Supernumer.irv.

Hon J. F. Dollev. Senior Circuit Steward.

Mr. T. W. Mills.'M.L A.. Junior Circuit Stew.ird.

Mr. J. Coppin. Secrcl:rrv to Trust Committee.

Mr. A. Kini;. Sundav School Superintendent.

Miss O. Pannell. Organist.

Jliss A. K. Househam, Assistant Organist.

In addition to the English work, it is interesting
to note that a large and flourishing Native Church
has grown up and, under the superintendence of
the European minister, is rapidly extending its.
operations throughout the district. There are twj-
Native ministers — the Rev. J. Mkosi in Uitenha.Lje,
and the Rev. W. W. Kabane in Jansenville — two-
evangelists in Sunday's River and Willowmore
respectively, thirty lay preachers, with twenty-
three outstations, three Sunday Schools, seven
Day Schools, and a membership of nine hundred
and ninety-eight communicants.

The Moravian This Mission was established in
Mission in if^.i)- After the third Katir W.ir,

T'Zitzitiamma when the Governor, Sir Benjamin
D'Urban, marched through Kalir-
land, crowds of F.ngoes, the enslaved " Fetcani."
came to his camp and begged him to set them free.
This he gladly did, and after being recalled by the
Home Government, his successor. Sir George
Napier, who upheld all the treaties of his
predecessor, settled those Fingoes in the Colony
as they were loyal to the Government. There were
others from the north of the Transvaal who had L)^t
their homeste.ids and cattle by the ravages of
Chaka, Moselikatze, and Ding.ian, of Trekker fam^,
and who now also got a glimpse of hope for rest
under the British Hag and protection. Four
different little clans of these received a small
" reserve " each in T'Zitzikamma, near the
mouth of the river of that name, between the Long
Kloof and the sea.

There were also Hottentots, who had been
freed from slavery in 1834 and thereafter inden-
tured till 1838, whom Government also wished to
provide for. They, too, were advised to go to
T'Zitzikamma, where Government granted a piece
of land to the Moravian Missionaries for the
purpose of their work to be carried on ;imong these
nati-.es, :;ud who were expected to keep them in
order under their care. The missionaries built a
house for themselves, and helped the natives to do
the same; then they laid out garden and ploughing
ground on the Grant Land, and by the end of 1839
a settlement of 116 souls was already established.
The name " Clarkson " was adopted for the place,
in honour of Mr. Clarkson, co-worker of Sir
William Wilberforce, the great champion of liberty
for the slaves. The Fingoes in the neighbouring
reserves were also put under the spiritual care of
the missionaries, who were at the same time
expected to exercise some influence for good even
in external affairs.

ITEXHAGE PAST AXD PRESENT.

The missionaries were soon engaged with the
natives in building a meeting house for church as
well as school, and the dedication took place on
the i2th December, 1840.

It soon became evident, however, that the
Hottentots were more manageable then the Fingoes
in their reserves away from the supervision of the
white man. They thought tliey could now live on
the lines of their former lords in Kafirland, whose
herds and slaves they had been, and gave them-
selves to Kafir beer drinking and riotous dancing,
the sequel of which were quarrels, which they then
expected the missionary to settle if their chiefs
could not. Besides, they expected them to provide
change of pasture for their cattle, which deteriorated
on the sour grass of this tract of land. When Sir
George Napier visited the frontier personally in
1840 and '41, to modifv some of the conditions of
the treaties with the Kafirs, he also came to
Essenbosch, near Clarkson, and received the
missionaries in audieuce, very kindly asking them
about their work, and heard their complaints about
the Fingoes, more especially thoseof Wittekleibosch,
the remotest of the reserves from Clarkson, wiio
would lounge at their kraals and drink Kafir beer,
but were too lazy to come to hear God's Word.

There had been great scarcity already in 1840,
when a muid of wheat cost ;^3 7s. 6d., but this
had not lasted long. But in 1843 there came a
protracted drought, and locusts in destructive
clouds, so that the Fingoes of Wittekleibosch found
fault with the Rev. A. Kuster, the good missionarv,
saying that he had driven away rain by lifting the
Bible so quickly and so high after preaching to
them !

In 1843 the number of school children had so
much increased that a teacher, Niklas Oppelt, from
the Moravians' Training School at Genadendal, was
sent them.* Ever since that time educational work
has not been neglected by the missionaries, but
formed a very prominent p.irt of their labour of
love and self-denial, though some people, who
lose sight of the true motive of mission
w'Ork, still contend that missionaries should
only teach the natives to work, instead of
preaching to them and schooling their children.
There are scabby sheep among the natives as well
as among all human society, and failures in mission
work as in every other work, but where the seed
of the Word of God falls on good ground there is
manifold crop even for " the life that now is,"

°A case <if books was sciil to the lonely missionaries from (KTm.inv.
but this did not arrive till 20 years aftcrwartts, when a Port Klizabelh
merchant had at last deciphered the address.

and also " bodilv exercise that prohteth little '' will
not be wanting. So it is everywhere, and so it soon
also became manifest at Clarkson and in the Fingo
reserves. For even the Fingoes began to till the
ground, and made use of the dung from their cattle
to fertilize the meagre soil, though there was the
deep-rooted superstition that cattle will die if the
dung is taken from their kraal. But when they
saw that one of their chiefs, Mangoba, filled bag
after bag with dung from his kraal, put it on the
backs of his oxen to take it to his ploughed field, and
got abundant crops, they were astonished and
imitated the chief.

When ill 1846 Government wanted men for
another Kafir war they knew where to go for
faithful hands to help them in their transport.
So 125 men from Clarkson and its neighbourhood
were taken to serve in the " War of the Axe" till
1847. when Captain Svmons brought them back
and gave them a good testimony. Only one of
their number had fallen into the hands of the
Kafirs and was lost.

At the commencement of the work the one
house for both church and -chool had been suffi-
cient, but by-and-bye the inhabitants had multi-
plied and a separate school had to be built. But
even so the wants were not fully supplied, and a
second large school house was built in 1879,
whilst the church was renovated and enlarged for
its 50th anniversary in i8go, and dedicated on the
dav itself, the 12th of December. The last of the
former round Kafir huts had already disappeared
in the Clarkson settlement as long back as 1871,
and decent little houses, though only built of sods,
and a few of stone or brick, with thatched roofs,
now show the progress of civilization.

In Wittekleibosch a church was built and
dedicated in 1866, and in Snyklip, another Fingo
reserve, a separate school had been erected, and
after having been destroyed by fire in 1869, was
renewed of stone. Until but I'ecently the work
was carried on by two missionaries, but in 1897
one of them took separate charge of unruly
Wittekleibosch and built a house for himself there,
to the vexation of man}- of the Fingoes, who liked
rather to be left alone and undisturbed in their
heathenish customs.

There are at the present time about 400 inhabi-
tants at Clarkson, while the whole parish counts
700 souls. School children at Clarkson number
IOC, ;t Snyklip 45, and at Kafirbosch 20. Besides
the out-;.tations alreadv named, there is one at
Woodlands, 11 miles west of Clarkson, with at
little church.

riTEXHAGE PAST AND PRESEXT.

The ground is but meagre, and yields scanty
crops except it can be well manured. Still, these
people work their allotted plots of ground year by
year ; they have a few head of cattle also, but
cannot earn sufficient for their li%'elihood, so that
they are obliged to seek work in the neighbour-
hood. A number of younger folk have left the
place and settled down elsewhere, so that the
[-lopulation in this meagre part of the Humansdorp
district is not increasing.

This church is an off-shoot from the
Elliott Rose Lane Independent Church. It

Memorial was in 1841, during the pastorate of
Church. the Rev. Mr. Elliott, L.M.S. missionary

at L'itenhage, that the plot of ground
on which the Elliott Memorial Church stands was
secured for the native section of the Rose Lane
Church. These natives being chiefly Fingoes,
the first place of worship erected for their use was
long known as the Fingo Chapel. It served as a
school-room as well as a place of worship — the
Sunday afternoon services for the natives being
regularly conducted there throughout the long
pastorate of the Rev. Mr. Paterson and that of his
successor, the Rev. James van Rooyen. It was
during the ministry of the latter, in the year 1885,
that the native section of the Rose Lane Church
resolved to form themselves into a separate
congregation and church, and called as their first
minister Mr. Samuel Sihunu, a Lovedale student
who had just completed his theological studies.
He was ordained in 1886 as the first minister of
the Fingo Church (as it was then named). It was
during his ministry of 14 years that the name of
the church was clianged from Fingo Church to
Elliott Memorial Church. During his ministry
the church made great progress. He started with
a membership of less than a hundred, and when
he died there were about 300 communicants. His
lamented death took place in Xovember, 1899. A
call was then given to the present minister, the
Rev. X. Matodlana, who assumed the pastorate in
.April, 1900. The church was enlarged during the
illness of the late pastor to about double its former
size. The late i\Ir. John ALackay supervised this
work. It has a sitting accommodation of from 350
to 400. Three Government-aided schools are in
connection with it.

There are 10 outstations of this Mission Church
— all in the district of Uitenhage. The Rose Lane
Church being the oldest coloured and native
church in town, not only is the Elliott Memorial
its off-shoot, but also either directly or indirectly
the Church of England Mission, known as St.
Anne's, and the Wesleyan Xative Church owe their
existence to it.

The There are three bodies, the his-

Uitenhage tories of which when combined

Municipality, constitute the main history of
Uitenhage and district, and these
taken in order are the Dutch Reformed Church,
the Town Council, and the Divisional Council.
\\'ith the first named we have already dealt at
considerable length, and it is to the Municipality
that we shall now confine our attention.

On the 15th of August, 1836, an ordinance
providing for the erection of Municipal Boards in
the towns and villages of the Colony, on which
the local regulations of each were to be founded,
was signed by Sir George Napier, the then
Governor. Five years later, or, to be exact, on
the 2ist of April, 1841, the inhabitants of Uitenhage
decided that the town was then of sufficient size
and importance to govern itself, instead of allowing
matters to be conducted by the Civil Commissioner,,
and on this date a public meeting was held for the
purpose of formulating and adopting a set of
municipal regulations. These were sent to the
Governor for his approval, and on the 5th of June
he affixed to them his sign manual. They were
published in the Govcnimcul Gazette on the nth of
that month.

The jMunicipality.

The Municipality was virtually created on the
nth of June, 1841, by the publication in the Goveni-
iiient Gazette of that date of the regulations which
we give below.

The Fn^sT Muxicip.^l Regul.-\tioxs.

These are exceedingly interesting, although in
many respects they differ from the regulations now
in force, some of them being decidedly quaint.
But they nevertheless form the original base upon
which our present j\Iunicipal .\ct was founded, and
as such they deserve a prominent place in this
work.

The limits of the Municipality were fixed as
follows :

The town lands or commonage, bounded at
the different points by the old landmarks, included
a certain portion of land reserved by Government
from the farm Sandfontein, upon which the main
spring supplying the town lay. and also included
the farm Ongegund of the late Christian Kok, and
the reserved lands of the late Captain Ellert.

The Municipality was divided into five wards,
and five Commissioners were to be elected. These
in turn would appoint one wardmaster for each
ward, a treasurer, a marketmaster, a street officer,
a commonage warden, and an overseer of water

UITEXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

■courses. This reguhition, however, was amended
by a proclamation dated the 9th of August, 184.2,
for it will be noticed that no provision was made
for a Town Clerk, and that three officials had been
provided when one might have done their
work. Accordingly His Excellency's sanction was
.asked and obtained for the appointment of a Town
Clerk and the right to combine two or more offices
in one person.

One month after their noniination, and there-
after within six weeks after the end of March in
each year, the Commissioners were to cause a
valuation list of property to be compiled. All
places of public worship, public buildings, and
buildings occupied solely for the purposes of
charity, however, were exempted from assessment.

The Commissioners were invested with the
usual powers to constru:t bridges, sluices, dams,
reservoirs, &c., &c., and to arrange an equitable
distribution of the common water for the supply
of each erf and house.

The W.ater KEGrL.ATioNS.

These are especially interesting in view of the
many complicated questions that have been under
discussion for some time past.

In the first place it was provided that the
occupier of each whole erf should pay to the
Commissioners for the privilege of irrigation the
sum of eight shillings per annum, all other parts of
an erf, down to one-eighth, to pay in proportion ;
and smaller lots built upDn, whether cultivated or
not, to pay as one-eighth of an erf.

Any persons found washing in the water
courses or drains, or who permitted their ducks
and geese to be therein, or who in any way dirtied
the water courses or drains, were liable to pay a
fine of five shillings for each offence I The same
fine was ordered to be inflicted upon all persons
who took or kept water not assigned to them.

V.AKiois Regll.ations.

The further erection of straw and mud huts
within the town was strictly prohibited, while those
already in existence had to be destroyed.

The proprietors or occupiers of every house
whose chimney took fire from w:.uit of cleaning
were to be subject to a fine of not less than five
shillings and not more than £1.

Every proprietor or occupier of land in the
Municipality was entitled to keep 24 oxen, cows,
or horses, and 50 sheep or goats ; but this rate did
not apply to butcliers oi' persons visiting the town
on business.

It was further enacted that the Commissioners
should, during the first week of every year, fix a day
for assizing weights and measures, and cause the
same to be assized on payment of sixpence for
every measure and for ever}' set of weights and
measures assized, while any shopkeeper or trader
making use of, or having in his possession, any
unassized w'eights or measures, would be subject to
a penalty oi £1.

Dogs found in the streets without collars were
liable to destruction.

The ^I.akket.

We have already given the regulations govern-
ing the market, but those were fornuilated several
years previously. Under the Proclamation we are
now dealing with it was ordered that the market
should be held at 7 a.m. on all lawful days, but
a subsequent Proclamation limited the hours of sale
from 7 to 9 a.m. from the ist of October to the 31st
March, and from 8 to 10 a.m. from 1st April to 30th
September. A register fee of 4|d. was to be paid
by the proprietor or person in charge of each
wagon which entered with produce for sale, while
one per cent, on the amount of goods and.produce
sold was to be charged to the sellers. On no
accouat was ths market-master to dep.ut from the
rule that all sales were to be for cash payments.
Xo private arrangement made by the parties for
any particular mode of payment could be admitted
by the market-master, who was compelled to hold
himself responsible to the seller for the payment
of tlie money for which the articles had been sold,
and all purchases were to be paid for by the buyer
to the market-master only, either at the spot or at
the market office, within two hours after the
delivery of the article. Any person failing to pay
within the prescribed time might be required by
the market-master, at any further purchase he
might be desirous of making, to deposit the money
on the spot, and in the event of non-compliance
the next highest bidder would be declared the
purchaser. The seller had the right of exposing
his goods in quantities as he thought proper, but
all marketable articles not bought by private sale
at the residence of the seller, or beyond twenty
miles of the Municipality, must be notified to the
market-m ister on their arrival within the Munici-
pality, and a return made to him thereof, the buyer
paying the charge of registry. All fees and dues
received by the market-master were, without any
deduction, to be paid to the Treasurer of the
Municipality at the expir.ition of every week.
Provision was made for the delivery of a sale note

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

containing the usual details. Regulation No. 32
states that " neither the market-master nor any
person employed by him shall be permitted to
purchase produce in the market for the purpose of
trading therewith, on pain of being removed from
his situation, but he may purchase articles which
are hoiia-fiiie for his own family consumption."
The seller was obliged to deliver the goods at the
house or store of the buyer.

The next step to be taken was the election of
Commissioners, as they were then called, and this
was carried out under the direction of the
Magistrate (Mr. J. W. van der Riet) in the old
Court Room on the ist of July, 1841. The rate-
payers appeared in force, and returned as their
representatives the following gentlemen : Messrs.
J. Crowe, Thos. Thompson, R. A. Stretch, G. L.
MuUer, and O. G. Stockenstroom.

The First Ch.airm.ax.

The last-named gentleman was made Chairman
of the Board, and in communicating the result of
the election to the Lieutenant-Governor of the
Eastern Province he requested that official to
announce it in the Eastern Governiiieiit Gazette. X
reply was, however, received to the effect tliat
this journal was about to cease publication, and
that the notice must therefore be inserted in a
local paper.

The First Mektixg.

Tile first meeting of the Commissioners was
held in i\Ir. Stretch's Baird Street residence on
Thursday, the 8th July, 1841, at 10 a.m., and several
important resolutions were passed. The first was
that " this Board of Commissioners do constitute
itsc;ll a Board of Secrecy as touching anything
done or said by its members or any one of them
when in meeting assemble.!, tor the purpose of
discussing matters and things or transacting
business on account of the Municipality."

The ne.xt item on the agenda was the appoint-
ment of wardmasters, and the following were
requested to act in that capacity : Ward I., Mr.
John Luyt ; Ward II., Mr. S. H." Rosclier ; Ward
III., Mr. Alexander Cunningham ; Ward IV., Mr.
H. Potgieter ; and Ward V., Mr. M. Potgieter.

The Towx Office.

An application was made to the Civil Com-
missioner for the use of a room next to the
one then occupied by the Market-master, this to
serve as the Town Office. The first meeting of
the Board adjourned for foiu- days, and resumed
ts session at the house of Mr. Conunissioner

Thompson. It was then resolved to notifv the
public tliat the Town Office would be in a
room forming part of the Government buildings at
the corner of Market and Caledon Streets. The
main portion of this building had a door opening
into Caledon Street and was used as a school for
coloured children. The remaining portion, which
faced Caledon Street, consisted of two rooms, one
or other of which was used as the Town Office
and continued to be so used until the
present Town Hall was erected in 1882.
At the same time it was decided to lay down
certain rules for the guidance of the official who
would have under his care the superintendence of
the streets, commonage, and water furrows.

The matter of advertising this vacancy would
look curious in these days, but it was simple
enough. Notices were posted up on what were
then known as " town knowledge boards," and
these were situated at the prison, the Court-house,
and at the Dutch Reformed Church.

Muxicii'.AL Offici.als.
In the meantime the various wardmasters
were instructed to prepare valuation lists of the
property in their respective Ware's, and everything
was done to get the affairs of the town into shape.
Mr. Peter A. Rens was appointed Market-master
and Clerk to the Commissioners at a salary of £jo
per annum, while Mr. Al. J. Potgieter was appointed
Overseer of the streets, water courses, and
commonage at an annual salary of ^'75. Mr. Rens
succeeded Mr. Thos. Colling as Marketmaster, and
in addition to his duties as such he was also
requested to collect the rates, receiving 5 per cent,
for his trouble.

The W.iRDs.

The wards of the town were live in number,
and were defined as follows : —

Ward I : Caledon Street, including the church
and all erven and houses on that side of the street
to the limits of the Municipalitv.

Ward II : Market Street, including all erven
and houses on the right hand going down, extend-
ing to Biird Street, and all erven and houses on the
left hand ot Market Street to the limits of the
Municipality.

Ward III : Baird Street to John Street.

Ward IV : John Street to Cuyler Street.

Ward V : Cuvler Street to the limits of the
Municipality.

The Tre.\surer.

Mr. P. Eleniaiis w,is appointed Town Treasurer,
but he declined the position, and he was shortly

7°

UITEXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

afterwards elected as a Commissioner in the place
of Mr. Stretch, who resigned his position on the
Board to take up the treasnrership. He received
no regular salary, but was paid 2h per cent, on all
moneys received for account of the Municipality,
and 2.^ per cent, on all moneys paid out.

Mr. William Cadle was appointed Ward-master
for Ward No. 4 in place of Mr. Potgieter, who had
resigned his situation.

Th.\tch CirriNG.
At that time there were great quantities of
thatch growing within the limits of the Munici-
pality, but as it was being cut down in the most
indiscriminate fashion, the Commissioners decided
that none should be removed by any one who did
not possess a licence, and that the charge for the
same be 4 9 per wagon load.

The First Towx Clerk.
Mr. W. L. Higgenson was appointed Town
Clerk towards the end of 1842, and he retained
that position for some years.

Street Rep.airs.
Owing to the limited income of the Board
nothing very much could be done in the vvay of
street repairing, but in 1843 Baird and
Cuyler Streets were reported to be in so
shocking a condition that the Commissioners
resolved to do something in the matter.
No less than a

thousand loads .- ""

of gravel were
put down on each
thoroughfare,
and this kept
them in good
order for a few
months. In 1845
74 loads of river
stone were laid
down in Baird
Street, and 54 in
''St. John Street,"
atacostof 2S. 5|d
per load.

The FiNGo Loc.atiox.
The natives were giving considerable trouble
in this year, and the Board very wisely decided
to restrict their propensities for erecting huts on
the commonage and helping themselves to Muni-
cipal water. All Fingoes were therefore ordered
to live in the location set apart for them, and this
action brought a considerable amount of obloquy
npon the heads of tlic Couniiissioners. Tiiey

tJlTEXHAGE IX 1S44

stuck to their guns, however, and the natives soon
found that living in a location under Municipal
government was not such a terrible hardship after
all, and no doubt they soon became used to it.
The location itself was not established until 1844,
however.

The W.^r of 1846.

In 1846 war with the Kafirs broke out, and large
numbers of men left Uitenhage for the front.
Amongst them were the Town Clerk and Mr.
Commissioner Pannell, and the former gentleman's
position was filled by Mr. E. Dobson, who also
acted as market-master, at a salary of £\o per
annum.

The Protection of the Town.

The hostile Kafirs began to approach within an
uncomfortable distance of Uitenhage, and the
Commissioners became alarmed. General Cuyler
was the officer to whom they looked for protection,
but he did not seem to treat an attack on the town
as being very probable. Consequently a meeting
was held to consider the subject, and the following
letter was addressed to him :

Sir. — We, the undersii^ned Commissioners ot the Municipniity of
Uitenhage. beg respectfully to suggest to you the impropriety of drawing
out for the purpose of escorting wagons the whole or greater portion of
the Burgher force of this town, surrounded as it is in all parts by bush, a
part of which, according to the reports which have been forwarded as
recently as yesterday (the 28th July, 1846), is simply infested with numbers
of Kalirs. If they were to make an attack on the town now, particularly by
night, there would be much loss, not only of life, but destruction of property
to .1 iiii'^l .il:i!inini; e.vtent. Hitherto, we h.ave been in the hope that from
thf ini;iiL[i~L t-'^c from the Western Districts a suAicient number of men
wouid li,i\L iu(.n :ippointed here to protect the town and its district. But
now t!i:it llicy h.t\e all left, we feel compelled to make this remonstrance.
It is needless for us to point out to you the dangerous position of this place,
and we trust you will obtain a sufficient force from the neighbouring field-
cornelcies for the protection of Uitenhage.

This is a good
' ~- specimen of the

~--^, letters written to

\, the various heads

of departments
at that time.
Major - General
Cuyler eventually
submitted to the
alarmed state of
the inhabitants,
and stationed a
small force here.
In the mean-
time the Com-
missioners were
turned out of their office, which was used as a kind
of storeroom, where rations were served out to the
wives and children of the coloured men who were
lighting against the Kalirs. A room in the library
was subsequently granted for the use of the
Board, and there they met for a considerable time.
Fines.
Ill Julv, 1847. a quaint resolution was passed.
It enacted that all Commissioners be lined 3 - for

riTEXHAGE PAST AXD PRESEXT.

non-attendance at a meeting, or for not being in
time, while in the case of the chairman the fine
was to be doubled.

Mr. John G. \\'ooclward was ajipointed Town
Clerk and Marketmaster in 1848, in consequence
of Mr. Dobson having resigned. The salarj' was
raised to XSo a year, and two months later he was
succeeded by Mr. H. de la Harpe, several of whose
sons subsequently owned and occupied farms in
this Division, and are w-ell known here.

A Curious Memok.-wduii,

written in faded ink upon blue paper, will be found
in the old minutes of the Town Council. It is
pasted upon the cover and reads as follows :

This town of Uitenh.-tge succeeded in being erected into a Munici-
p;ility on the 5th day of June. 1841. of which I was the humble means of
procurinj^. and was elected the first and senior Connnissioner of the raid
Municip.aUtv.

J. CROWE.
Uitenhagc, 22nd July, iXfi4.

Convicted Feloxs.
In 1849 an agitation was in progress touching
upon the transportation into the Colony of
convicted felons, and the various towns subscribed
certain .sums in order to have the men sent back
again. The following appears in the Commissioners'
minute book :

We, the undersigned, hereby guarantee His Excellency the Governor
of this Colony to the extent of the sums set opposite to our respective
names, in regard to any expense which he may incur by returning the
convicted felons whom the Secretary of State has directed to be transported
to this Colony, either to the place from whence they embarked, or by
sending them to some penal establishment.

The sums mentioned range from 5- to ;^io,
but we cannot ascertain whether they were ever
called up.

The Co.mmissioners .\xu the Press.

In these days the Town Council makes it a rule
not to take any notice of anonymous correspondence
in the newspapers, but in 1849 the Commissioners
were so greatlv annoved and irritated by a certain
letter appearing in a Port Elizabeth journal, signed
" Antagonistus," that they drew up a strong
epistle in reply, and not only caused it to be sent
to the paper in question, but ordered it to be copied
out in full and inserted in the minute book. Its
substance is not of much importance now, but it
will suffice to say that all the charges brought
against the Commissioners by this correspondent
are replied to at considerable length, while
" Antagonistus " himself comes in for a fair share
of vituperation at the hands of those whom he had
attacked. For instance, in the Board's reply he
is pleasantly referred to as " this fire-eater " " this
bombastical hole and corner man," " this obscene

and false antagonist," and the editor also receives
a scathing rebuke for opening his columns to such
matter. There was undoubtedly a considerable
amount of feeling rife about that time with regard
to the manner in which the affairs of the town were
being managed, and several of the Commissioners
resigned their seats. But these were promptly
filled up again, and so matters proceeded for some
time. The water service formed the chief subject
of discussion, and endless complaints and verbal
disturbances arose out of it.

B.iD Streets.

The streets w-ere in a disgraceful condition,
and strong remonstrances were addressed to the
Commissioners from various sources. One from
Mr. John Centlivres Chase (C.C. & R.M) referred
in no measured terms to the state of "an avenue
running from Baird Street to St. John Street,"
which was so filled w'ith water and rubbish as to
be absolutely dangerous to those who made use of
it. The writer reminded the Commissioners that
it was in their power to levy a tax upon the
inhabitants for the purpose of repairing the
thoroughfares, and he concluded by bluntly
advising them to resign their seats if they could
not do better in future. The Government, he
said, would carry out their duties in a more
satisfactory manner.

Mr. de la Harpe resigned his position as Town
Clerk and proceeded to the front with the burghers
in January, 1851, and he was succeeded by Mr. F.
le Clus. He in turn was succeeded three years
later by Mr. W. \V. .\lexander.

The Towx Gu.ard.
The town at this time was carefully patrolled
by volunteers every night, and they used to
assemble at the old Court House in order to
receive their guns and ammunition. But certain
legal points arose which the Commissioners were
requested to decide. One of them was whether
members of the Town Guard had a right to fire
upon any person between the hours of 9 p.m. and
6 a.m. who did not respond or surrender after
being challenged three times. Mr. Centlivres
Chase, who was commandant of the town, decided
this question in the negative, and said that he
would consult higher authorities before giving a
ruling on the question of shooting a suspicious
person who w'as escaping. But the war ended
without the town being attacked, and the burghers
were eventually released from their respective
duties without any shooting taking place in the
streets.

riTKXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

SOMK (iliXEKAI. IlKMS.

In 1857 the Board was greatly in need of
money, and at one meeting it was projiosed to levy
a rate of no less than 6d. in the £ on the rental of
all immovable property within the Municipality.

The survey of the town was authorised in i860.
The work was placed in the hands of Mr. Pinchin,
and his plan is still to be seen in the Council
Chamber.

The boundaries of the streets were defined in
Julv that vear. and the beacons fi.xed. There were
only ten thoroughfares in existence then, these
being Church Street, Caledon Street, Durban
Street, Mitchell Street, Drostdy Street, Market
Street, Baird Street, John Street, Cuyler Street, and
Van der Riet Street.

Mr. Alexander resigned his position as Town
Clerk and Market-master in 1861 after sevenyears'
service, and on his proceeding to Hopetown Mr.
F. le Clus was re-appointed at a salary of ;f 100
per annum. He, however, was compelled by
ill-health to resign once more in 1864, and his
place was taken by Afr. F. C. Fairbank.

In 1864 the Market Square was enclosed by
the Horticultural Society, of which Dr. Dyer was
Secretarv, for the purpose of holding a Horticul-
tural Show.

Church Lane was so named in 1864, and at
the same time Lances Lane was re-christened
Thompson Street, but this change was never
adopted by the general public, and the old name
has been retained ever since. What is now
Victoria Street was known up to about -ten years
ago as Willow Lane. There were no houses there
when the thoroughfare was made, and at best it
was onlj- a path leading from Caledon Street to
Cannon Street. It was a picturesque walk, narrow
and fringed on either side with beautiful wi'low
trees, from whence it derived its name. The
ground was granted by Mrs. Heugli in the middle
of 1864, prior to which it had been that lady's
private property.

Mii,i'.i;i%Kv Tkkhs.

In 1864 a Mr. Welsford applied for and
obtained the sanction of the Commissioners to
plant large numbers of mulberry trees from Mr. C.
Heugh's tannery along the banks of the Zwartkops
River (towards Cuyler Manor) as far as the boun-
dary of the Municipality, and from above Mr.
Pannell's mill to near the fountain head of the
main water sluit, for the term of ten years, at a
progressive rental of from ^1 to _/."io.

Mr. E. J. Thorn, Town Clekk.

On the 4th of January, 1865, Mr. Edwin John
Thorn took office for the first time as Town
Clerk, and this position he continued to occupy
for more than fourteen years.

Rules of Order.
A new set of rules of order was drawn up by a
Committee appointed for that purpose in June,
1865, and they are substantially those under which
the working of the Council is carried on to-day.
It was decided to hold the meetings fortnightly, at
3.30 p.m., on the first and third Wednesdays of
every month. The Commissioners present at this
meeting were Messrs. Tennant (chairman),
Liesching, Luyt, and Noyce.

Penny Postage to and from Port Elizabeth.
The matter of a penny post between Uitenhage
and Port Elizabeth occupied the attention of the
Commissioners in 1865, for at that time the postage
on a letter under half-an-ounce was 2d. Mr. E.
Dobson, who was undoubtedly one of the most
useful Commissioners this town ever had, inter-
viewed the Colonial Secretary on the subject, and
reported that this official had every disposition to
grant a penny post between the two towns twice a
day, provided that it could be made to pay. He
suggested, however, that some other post might be
dispensed with in order that the funds might be
applied to the one under consideration. It was
eventuallv decided to sacriiice the Zwartkoppen
post, and the matter was eventually concluded in
the most satisfactory manner to all concerned.
Sql'.atting and Locations.

For a great number of years — ever since the
founding of the town, in fact — the inhaliitants had
suffered constant annoyance from the fact that
natives were permitted to squat on the commonage.
Thefts became more and more frequent, and it at
length became obvious that some remedy must be
obtained, for the nuisance was becoming
unbearable. Some locations had already been
established, but these only partially did awa\ with
the main evil, for the Kafirs could not be com-
pelled to live in them, and it would have been too
expensive to have the commonage continuously
patrolled.

Accordingly, in 1865 the Commissioners took
the matter in hand with considerable vigour and
determination. It was decided to extend these
locations and to add to their number. A set of
bye-laws was drawn up, and the conditions upon
which each Kitir or other person could luild

UITEXHAGE PAST AND PKESEXT.

giound in the locations were detiiied. These were
that the natives shonld elect a headman for each
location, and that the headman so appointed should
be answerable for the good behaviour of all persons
in that location. He in turn was to be allowed to
live rent and taxes free in consideration of his
collecting ever}' month the fee of one shilling per
hut, while in addition to this he would also receive
id. per month on each hut on the sums collected.
No Kafirs without passes, nor any persons of
doubtful character, were to be allowed to live on the
location.

Mr. Robert \V. Smith was appointed Superin-
tendent of the locations and town lands at a salary
of _^75 per annum, and the following report or
census was drawn up, showing the number of huts
and their inhabitants then in existence : —

Huts. luliaWtanls. .\nmi:il Revenue

(1) Lower Kab:ih .. .. 54 j.i.^ .i.« S o

(2) Upper K.ih.ih .. .. .S5 4ijS 51 00

(3) Magatees ,. ,. 13 70 7 l<^ o

(4) KaHrs and Fingoes / ,, n n

(.over the river) ( •• ■*" ■•'- 24 o o

(5) Fingo Location .. .. 37 173 22 4 o
(fi) Market Street Location . . 14 80 S 8 0

It was considered that under judicious manage-
ment the existing revenue of ^145 might be
trebled. Surveying work was now proceeded with,
and plots were marked out. The next step was to
place the natives in possession. Several applica-
tions for ground were received, and, as a whole, the
coloured people appeared to be glad of the
opportunities afforded them. The Commissioners,
however, had considerable difficulty in deciding
upon the duration of the leases. The Government
wished them to be perpetual, but this suggestion
found no favour in the eyes of the Board, for it
was pointed out that at some future date the
Corporation might desire to remove the locations
altogether, or, at all events, to some spot much
further away, in order to allow for the extension of
the town. Various pariods were discussed, and
these ranged from twelve months to twenty years.
It was eventually decided by one vote, however,
that the leases should be for a term of ten j^ears,
and this having been settled, all squatters were
given notice that they must take up their abode
within the location by a certain date. The rent of
the Kabah lots was suggested at £1 per annum,
and the rent of lots in the other locations from 12 -
to 40- per annum. Mr. Smith was eventually
instructed to report on the value of the ground, but
he failed to do so, and at the ne.xt meeting of Com-
missioners there was a violent scene which ended in
Mr. Smith's tendering his resignation on the spot

and in the gathering abruptly terminating. Subse-
quently Mr. Smith vouchsafed the information that
he had burned a hundred huts belonging to
squatters on the commonage, and had erected an
equal number in the locations.

Mr. James McMaster was then appointed In-
spector in Mr. Smith's stead, a standing Location
Committee, consisting of Messrs. Tennant and
Leisching, was formed, and from that time squat-
ting decreased, and the locations have ever
since been worked in the most satisfactorv matter.

The Town- H.all.

For some years considerable mconvenience had
been caused both to the public and to the Com-
missioners by the need of a Town Hall, where
meetings and gatherings could be held as occasion
required. The Market Square originally extended
from the river to Caledon Street. The lower part
was occupied by the pound. Above that was the
spot where the morning market was held, but in
1876 it was occupied by St. Katherine's Church and
the Railway Station. The upper part of the square
at this time was a public park, which extended
from Constitution Road to Caledon Street. In the
meantime, as we have already stated, the business
of the Municipality was carried on in a couple of
small rooms which were situated in what is now
Messrs. Heeley & Co.'s store, at the corner of
Caledon and Market Streets.

An agitation for a proper Town Hall com-
menced in the sixties, but nothing was done in the
matter until 1875, when a resolution was passed
favouring the construction of a building where the
Municipal officers could transact public business-
with less inconvenience than they were then sub-
jected to, and where public meetings could be held
without utilising the Court House for that purpose.
The requisite permission to sell the upper part of
the old square was obtained from the Government
at the end of December, 1876, but a sufficient
portion of it was to be reserved for building thereon
a Town Hall, Public Library, and Market Office.
The condition in the original grant requiring the
land to be used only as a market place was
annulled. Permission was also given to sell the
small library building and the piece of land in
Caledon Street vested in the Committee of that
institution, but these arrangements were subject to
the Municipality obtaining an Act of Parliament to
legalise them. Mr. Fairbridge was appointed
Parliamentary .\'.,'ent, and on the nth of July, 1876,
the Chairman (Mr. J. Gibson, M.L..^.) reported that
the" Uitenhage Murjicipal Buildings Act " had been

riTEXHAGE PAST AXD PKESEXT.

passed at a cost to the ratepayers of something
hke £200.

Xothing more was done until the Town Council
took otitice in 1877, when the General Purposes
Committee was instructed to proceed w-ith all
expedition in the matter of subdividing the ground
into suitable building plots. Mr. Surveyor Roselt
was commissioned to make the necessary
survey.

OpposirujN TO THic Site.

But the Town divided over this question, as it
seemed to do over nearly everything that was
mooted for the public good. A Park Defence
Society was formed, and this naturalh' caused a
Park Abolishment Committee to come into existence.
The tactics employed by the former consisted mainly
of urging the inhabitants to petition Parliament
praying that the I'itenhage Municipal Buildings
Act might be cancelled, as the town had grown
since the passing of that measure, and the public
were now unwilling to lose the beautiful park
which formed the only spot where they could enjoy
innocent recreation during the hot weather. The
petition dilated upon the cool, picturesque gladesand
the shady walks, upon the dearth of trees in other
parts of Uitenhage, protested strongly against this
"pretty little enclosure" being cut up into building
plots and sold for a sum which would inevitably be
so small as to render the erection of a Town Hall
as far off as ever. The petitioners therefore
besought Parliament to annul the Act altogether.
To this document were appended some tifty-five
signatures, but it was received with laughter and
derision. The chief source of merriment seemed
to be that the Park was little else than an unkempt
wilderness of weeds with trees scattered about it
here and there ; the paths were overgrown, the
decaying fences were falling to pieces in some
places and had already disappeared in others
snakes abounded in the long frowsy grass, horses
and cattle strayed there at night, and the place
bore such a reputation that no respectable person
would walk on that side of the street after darkness
had fallen. And yet the agitation proceeded, for
the " Defence Society" reckoned more upon what
might be done with the P.irk in the future than upon
what it was then. Still, tiiere was no justilication
for the exaggerated descriptions of its beauty.

It must be remembered that the Magennis Park,
as we know it, was not then in existence. Part of
the bush had been roughly cle ired off the ground
therein 1879, and a plantation started. But the
trees were mere saplings, the grass was long and
rank, w.ilks there were none — aiilessafew irregular

sheep tracks can be described as path- — and this
embryo park was bisected by a deep water furrow.
However, despite the furious protests of the
Park Defence Committee, the petition was laughed
out of existence and it eventually died a natural
death. The people of Uitenhage preferred a Town
Hall to a snake-infested jungle. The sale of the
land was nevertheless deferred for some consider-
able time, as the Colony was then passing through
a period of severe depression, and the prices
realised would have been too low to have furthered
the object for which they were raised.

The Site Selected.

At the Town Council meeting held on the 12th
of Xovember, 1879, the site of the new hall was
settled, but not until three different ones had been
proposed. Mr. Mayor Dobson moved, Mr.
Magennis seconding, that the hall be erected at the
lower end of the Park Lands, and that it face the
M.irket Square instead of Caledon Street, as had
originally been recommended by the Committee.
Mr. Dolley, senior, however, was in favour of
placing it at the top end of the ground— where Mr.
P. Thomson's house now stands — and moved that
it face Caledon Street. iMr. Joseph Young seconded
this. Dr. Lamb held, on the other hand, that the
hall should be built at the upper end of the ground,
but that it should face Market Street. Mr. T. W. Gubb
seconded the doctor's amendment to this effect. Six
votes were recorded for the Mayor's motion, two
for Mr. Dolley's, and six for Dr. Lamb's. The
question the Mayor had therefore to decide with
his casting vote was whether the hall should be
built at the lower end of the Park Lands and face
Market Square, or whether it should be erected at
the corner of Caledon Street and Market Street,
facing the latter thoroughfare. The Mayor gave
his casting vote in favour of his own motion, and
thus it was resolved that the building should stand
where it now does.

Pl.\ns .^nd Designs.

The next step was to call for designs, and it
was decided by the Building Committee, which
consisted of Messrs. Inggs (chairman), Gubb and
Dr. Lamb, to advertise for designs of a suitable
building, facing the Market Square, and containing
accommodation for a Library and a Reading
Room. .\ prize of £20 was to be given for the
best design and ;^io for the second best.
The Preliminaries Settled.

Three plans were considered on the 5th of July,
1880, and these were submitted bv Messrs. H. C.

uitexhagp: past and present

Huny, Richai-d E. Wright, and J. Thornhill Cook.
Mr. Wright's design received three votes, Mr.
Cook's received two votes, and Mr. Hurry's
one. Mr. Borrill was then appointed contractor,
and Messrs. Grant & Downie the builders. Mr.
Borrill subsequently left the town, and Messrs.
Grant & Downie became the contractors in his
stead.

The Fouxd.atiox Stoxe.
On the 13th of April, 1881, the foundation stone
was laid by the Mayor, i\Ir. Edward Dobson, and
it will be found at the left side of the steps leading
from the Market Square to the building. It is
interesting to note that on this historic occasion the
Mayor formed the only living link between the
Board of Commissioners and the Town Council.
In 1843 he had acted as Secretary to the former
body, all the members of which had since passed
away, while nearly forty years afterwards he, as
Mayor of the town, was laying the foundation of
this splendid pile of municipal buildings.

The Opexixg Ceremoxy.

The work proceeded rapidly, and within sixteen
months of the laying of the foundation stone the
building was formally opened. The function was
one the like of which had never been seen in
Uitenhage, and the festivities lasted for three davs.

At noon on Mon-
day, the 7th of
August, 1882, Mr
Mayor Dobson led
the way down
Market Street from
the old Town Office
at Heeley's corner
to the new building,
and he was followed
bv a procession of
Councillors and
guests. The lull
having been ofti-
ciallv declared open,
and dedicated to the
use of the public of
Uitenhage both for
M u n i c i p a 1 an cl
Library purposes, a
great banquet wa^
heldin theAssembb
Room.

The speeches de-
livered have lost
their main interest

through eftiuxion of time, but we give extracts
from two of them as showing that Uiten-
hage had not even then lost hope of becoming the
seat of Government. Replying to the toast of the
Ministry and Parliament, Mr. Joseph Reid, M.L.A.,
said they all knew that Nature intended Uitenhage
to be not only the seat of Government but the
seat of the Legislature. This would come sooner
or later, when they got either removal or separa-
tion. The hall they had opened that day would
be well adapted for the House of Assembly, and
the large room upstairs would do admirably for the
Legislative Council, which would then be literally
the " Upper House." The comfortable room set
apart for the Mayor would be excellently adapted
for Mr. Speaker.

The Hon. W. H. Pearson, M.L.A. (Mayor of
Port Elizabeth), disagreed with his colleague,
however, and said he would never advise
the people of Uitenhage to give up the new build-
ing to Parliament, as they would make a great
mistake if they handed over their Municipal Hall
to the House of Assembly. If Parliament came to
I'itenhage let another place be built for it, but let
theni never part with their Municipal rights.
Whenever the seat of Government was transferred
to Uitenhage it would be necessarv to put up a better
building than even that which had juft been opened.

UITEXHAGE PAST AXD PRKSEXT.

On tlie evening after the opening ceremony :i
great hall was held in the Assembly Room, when
some 300 people were present, while supper was
served in the Library. The festivities lasted tor
three davs, and at the expiration of that time the
people of Uitenhage resumed the even tenor of
their way. The total cost of the buildings was
£7.171 17s. id., and the sales of land on College
Hill, Graaff-Reinet Road, and of the Park Linds
amounted to ^'7,062, leaving a deficiency of ^109
■odd.

Thk Uitexhagh Agkiciltlk.al .and
hokticlltlu.\l society.

The Agricultural and Horticultural Society was
one corporate bodv in 1869, and in that year the
annual show was held in the enclosure bounded
by Chase Street, Caledon Street, and the north
part of the Market Square.

The Circuit Court.

The Circuit Court was an event which twice
every year roused Uitenhage from its lethargy, and
the arrival of the ludge and his suite was attended
by much greater pomp and ceremony than is now
the case. At the present time his lordship is
met at the station by the Deputy-Sheriff, the
Magistrate, and the Mayor, and drives quietly to
his temporary residence. But in the sixties he
was met by the Board of Commissioners, by the
Magistrate and his staff, a guard of honour was
drawn up to receive him, and a public
iiddress engrossed upon parchment and signed by
the Councillors was read by the Town Clerk.
This custom was retained for a great number of
years ; in fact it was observed from the time that
the first Circuit was held in Uitenhage. It has
since fallen into disuse, however, and the Circuit
as a general rule creates but little interest among
the townspeople.

Bathing.

The Zwartkops River has alwavs been a
favourite bathing place, at least in some spots, and
in 1869 the Board of Commissioners found it
necessary to regulate the time when bathers might
be allowed to disport themselves in the water.
Accordingly it was decreed that no bathing would
he allowed " in or near the Zwartkops River
between the hours of 7.30 a.m. and 4 p.m. from
the 1st April to the 30th September, and between
7 a.m. and 5 p.m. from the ist of October to the
31st of March. A constable was engaged at 2 -
per diem and stationed on the banks of the stream
in order to enforce this rule. But it apparently

did not give complete satisfaction, for a good deal
of surreptitious bathing went on. Mr. C. Heugh,
sen., bitterly complained to the Council that his
water was fouled for washing wool in consequence
of parties bathing in the river. For a whole day
he had been compelled to suspend washing on
this account alone. Doubtless the reason for his
corr.plaint lay in the fact that the sediment was
disturbed and rendered the water muddy. The
Commissioners then selected two bathing places,
and withdrew the regulation concerning the hours
when they could be used.

The Chairman
Up to this time there appears to have been
no definite rule regarding the election of a chairman.
Sometimes one of the Commissioners would preside
over the meetings for a month or two, and his
place would then be taken by the others in
rotation. In 1869, however, there was apparently
a feeling that a permanent chairman should be
appointed, and at the meeting held on the 3rd of
February- several proposals were made with
regard to this matter. One was that the Com-
missioners should elect a chairman as he was
wanted. Another was that one should be elected
for three mouths, and another member suggested
a time limit of six months. Eventually, however,
on the motion of Mr. Thomas D.ily, Captain
Caithness seconding, Mr. John Gibson was elected
ciiairman for one year. His appointment to the
chair, by the way, was only carried by one vote.
The Commissioners then in office were Messrs.
John Gibson, Leisching, George Caithness, C. A.
Cawood, Thorn IS J. Daly, Matthias Hall, and F.
J. Xoyce. Mr. Gibson, who was at one time head-
master of the Government school here, having
retired from that position, threw himself heart
and soul into municipal work, and rendered
yeoman service to the town. He was chairman
of the Board of Commissioners for many years,
and was afterwards returned to Parliament as
member for Uitenhage. While there he success-
fully piloted the Act of Incorporation through the
Legislature, and as a reward for his services in
thus getting Uitenhage raised to the dignity of a
Municipality he was unanimously elected the first
M ivor in 1877.

A Cotton and Linseed Co.mpany.

Many experiments have been tried for the
purpose of asjertaining whether various commodi-
ties of more or less value could be produced in
Uitenhage, but none of these appear to have been
successful. At one time part of the town com.

UlTENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

monage was leased to certain parties who were
convinced that they could make a fortune by grow-
ing silk. Mulberry trees were plentiful, and the
silk worms thrived, but through lack of patience
or, what is more likely, through lack of funds, the
venture came to nothing. Then in 1869 Messrs.
George Uppleby, B. Harvey, Fred. Lange, and
Henry W. Bidwell formed a company for the
purpose of cultivating cotton, Hax, hemp, and
linseed, and they applied for the land formerly
occupied by the Silk Growing Company. This
was ten morgen in extent, and was situated behind
Cannon Hill. It was granted to them rent free for
three years, but, alas ! the experiment failed and
the company was dissolved.

Uitenh.\ge's Cl.^im to be the Metkopoi.is.

For some time prior to this period the people
of Uitenhage had shown themselves particularly
anxious to see the Garden Town made the capital
of South Africa, and in this ambition they were
encouraged by the persistence with which their
representatives in the Town and Divisional Councils
urged these claims upon the authorities. And so
far as the various Governors of the Colony were
concerned they certainly looked upon the idea
with favour. When Sir Henry Barkly visited
Uitenhage in January, 1872, he was presented by
the Board of Commissioners with an address in
which the various advantages enjoyed by the town
were pointed out at considerable length, and the
address then continued as follow's : " From the
time of Governor Janssens in 1804 to the present,
no Governor engaged in a P'rontier war has omitted
to recommend the removal of the seat of Govern-
ment to Uitenhage. Governor Janssens' corres-
pondence of 1804, the report of the Commissioners
of Enquiry of i8ji. Sir Benjamin D'Urban's dis-
patch of 1836, the opinions of Sir Henry Pottinger,
Sir Andries Stockenstroom, and Sir H. Young (in
Sir H. Young's Blue Book of 1864) will bear out
this assertion. Most of the administrative labours
of the country have, for many 3-ears past, been
connected with this Province. Population, capital,
and enterprise are certainly and rapidly tending to
the eastward and northward, and we are firmly
persuaded that a time must come when Uitenhage
will be the centre from which the future destinies
of British South .Africa will be governed.'' To this
flow of language, however, Sn^ Henry Barkly gave
a guarded reply, for he obviously did not wish his
name to be added to the list of his predecessors
who committed themselves to so favourable an
opinion of Uitenhage's claims to be the metropolis

of the country. He said that the great importance
of Uitenhage as a frontier town in the earlier
histon,- of the Colony was not unknown to him.
Whether it was destined in the contemplated union
of South .African States and Provinces to attain, as
they with fond partiality hoped, the pre-eminence
of being selected as the political capital of the
Confederation, was a question to be decided after-
wards by the voice of the united representatives
of the South African people.

The occasion of Sir Henry's visit at this time, by
the way, was the turning of the first sod of the railway
between Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage, which
ceremony took place on the 6th of January, 1872.

Revenue.

As showing the difference between the Uiten-
hage of the seventies and Uitenhage to-day, it is
interesting to compare the revenue then and now.
In 1873 the increment amounted only to
Xi,ii3 i8s. lod. (which included the sum of X'473
derived from the penny rate) and the expenditure
amounted to ;^663 los., leaving a balance of
^^450 8s. lod. for new works.

BisHOi' Street.

The need of another thoroughfare to connect
Caledon and Cannon Streets had long been felt,
and after a long series of discussions it was decided
that the St. John Street, as it was then named,
would be the most convenient solution of the
difficulty. This ground, however, was the property
of the English Church, and it extended to the
Crown Hotel. Negotiations with the church
authorities were opened, and they agreed to give
the requisite ground for the street in consideration
of their receiving as a quid pi 0 quo the strip of
land e.xtending from the corner of Barkly Street to
the corner of Dale Street (adjoining the Muir High
School playground). This was done, and the
ground at the corner of Barkly Street to the corner of
Dale Street has since remained in possession of the
English Church. The new thoroughfare was
happily named Bishop Street, after the then Bishop
of Grahamstown, whose consent to the e.xchange
had been given so readily. This was in 1872.

.A Distillery ix Church Street.

In 1S71 Mr. F. Gerds erected a distillery hi
Church Street, and the business was conducted
there for some time. The business, however, was
eventually given up, and the premises remained in
ruins for a considerable period.

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

Thk Town Exgineek.

The tirst mention of a Town Engineer occurs
in the minutes of the meeting held on the 19th of
November, 1874. when it was moved by Mr.
Young and seconded by Mr. Leisching that a civil
LMigineer be appointed for the purpose of carrying
out the domestic water service in town. The
motion, however, was withdrawn.

Fires.

The Commissioners seem to have taken matters
very easily so far as fires were concerned. In
January, 1874, the house in Cuyler Street occupied
by Mrs. Basson was burned down, and Messrs. M.
C. Luyt and H. L. Hitzeroth wrote the Town
Clerk the same day stating that though efforts
had been made to extinguish the embers, the
building was still burning, thereby putting the
houses belonging to the writers (situate on the other
side of the street) in great danger. If thefiree.xtended
to their premises the writers of the letter solemnly
avowed that they would hold the Council liable
for damages. This communication was ordered to
be recorded, and the ne.xt item on the minutes reads
quaintly. It is the copy of a letter from the Town
Clerk of Port Elizabeth offering to sell the Commis-
sioners a hre engine, nearly new and in perfect work-
ing order, for the sum of ;^6o. Mr. Mosel moved, Mr.
Lane seconded, and it was carried iiciii. con., that
the offer be declined as the Commissioners hud no
use for a fire engine '. And the ne.xt item states that
the proposition to apply to the various Fire
Assurance Companies for subscriptions toward the
purchase of a new lire engine was negatived and
fell to the ground accordingly.

Street Nomexcl-^ture.

As a general rule the streets of Uitenhage have
been named after prominent townspeople, and
most of those who have taken part in the govern-
ment of the town have given their names to a
thoroughfare. Statesmen also figure in our street
nomenclature, as witness Caledon Street (which
was one of the first to be constructed, and which
was called after Earl Caledon, Governor of the
Colony from 1807 to 181 1), Baird Street after Sir
David Baird, Durban Street after Sir Benjamin
D'Urban (Governcr from 1834 to 1838), Barkly
Street, Molteno Street, Frere Street, Milner Street,
Sprigg Street, Rhodes Street, Scanlen Street, Dale
Street, etc., etc. Caniicn Street and Cannon Hill were
so named becai se a piece of ancient ordnance used
to stand on the latter eminence and was used for
the liriiig of salutes o;i fete days. College Hill

takes its name from the educational establishments
erected there, while the rest of the thoroughfares
are named after local men of eminence.

Nothing, however, is more confusing to the
writer of a history of Uitenhage than the way in
which streets have been re-named from time to
time. A committee was formed for this purpose in
the early seventies, and while the results of their
labours were confirmed by the Board of Commis-
missioners the new names do not appear in the
minutes. Hence great confusion is only too apt to
arise. Bishop Street, for instance, used to be
known as Upper John Street, Lance's Lane was
Thompson Street, Constitution Road was originallv
Constitution Street, Henrietta Lane was first known
as St. Mary's Lane, and later as Chase's Lane ;
Gibbon Street was Lower Kabah Street, Rose Lane
was first called Chapel Lane, Park .Avenue was
College Street, Willow Lane is now Victoria Street,
and so forth.

The Rifle Associ.\tiox.

In April, 1875, Mr. H. O. Edwards, hon. sec.
and treasurer of the Uitenhage Rifle Association,
applied for permission to erect targets at the " old
butts " near the Union Woolwashing Works, and
the sanction of the Commissioners was readily
granted.

Port Eliz.'\beth axd Uhexh.^ge W.wek Supply.

Port Elizabeth had been growing steadily, and
had made even more rapid strides since the dis-
covery of diamonds at Kimberley in 1867. Her
population and trade had increased by leaps and
bounds, but there w^is one gre«t difficulty which
had to be faced. The water supply was annually
becoming more and more inadequate for the
requirements of the town, and the position was
becoming serious. In her distress, Port Elizabeth
applied to Uitenhage for assistance. The magni-
hcent Springs here had long been the envy of the
neighbouring town, and to the residents there it
appeared both unjust and ungenerous that a sleepy
little village should hold so firmly to its daily supply
of 1,700,000 gallons — most of which ran to waste —
while the " Liverpool of South Africa" was in such dire
straits. But a feeling of jealousy had long e.xistted
between the two towns, and there was a feeling
among many of th.e inhabitants here that as Port
Elizabeth's prosperity increased that of Uitenhage
would decrease proportionately. It was not
recognised then as it is now that the interests of
both are interwoven and that prosperity to the one
meant prosperity to the other. Besides, Uitenhage

UITENHAGE PAST AND PKESEXT.

had her own " water question," and the squabbles
that arose over this were so bitter and so prolonged
and so complicated that the town was divided
against itself in half a dozen different directions.
Consequentlv an application to provide a rival town
with a daily supply was not received with any
degree of enthusiasm. Then, again, the inhabitants
were haunted with the idea that Uitenhage would
some day be the capital of United South Africa,
and that as such it would grow to a great size.
" Would it not therefore be folly," the people
reasoned among themselves, " to part with even a
part of an asset which forms one of our main
claims to future metropolitan dignity ? " That was
the case Uitenhage made out in justification of her
unwillingness even to consider the proposition of
assisting her neighbours.

Port Eliz.abeth's Position.

The case for Port Elizabeth, however, was not
an unreasonable one, and the arguments adduced
there by the Town Council were fair enough.
Writing on the 27th October, 1873, a sub-committee
of that body, consisting of Messrs. H. W. Pearson,
Chas. T. Jones, and H. B. Deare, informed the local
Commissioners that they had been deputed to
investigate the sources of water supply with a view-
to providing water for Port Elizabeth. They had
accordingly deputed Mr. Hurry, a civil engineer,
to examine and report on all the springs in the
neighbourhood, and having received his report they
were of opinion that the best source, considering the
interests of both Uitenhage and Port Elizabeth, was
that furnished by the Springs from which the former
derived its supply. From the data provided it was
evident that these springs, properly utilised, would
furnish more water than was likely to be required
for the two towns, after m.iking full allowance for
all probable increase of population. They neither
proposed nor desired that Uitenhage should receive
any less water then it did then, but it was their
wish, on the contrary, to render a very much larger
quantity available for its use. The gain from
clearing the sources, preventing waste in transit
to the village, and using the great quantity then
running to waste, would be something enormous.
In fact, it appeared that any one of these measures
taken by itself would render more water available,
in addition to that then used, than both places could
consume. Under these circumstances the writers
hoped that the Commissioners would take the
matter into consideration and endeavour to promote
an object so greatly desirable.

The Port Elizabeth Town Council at the same
time issued a notice to contractors stating that they

were prepared to enter into a contract for the
supply of water to the town, and that the
probable amount that they could disburse
for this supply would be about ;^3,ooo per
annum. There can be no doubt that such a sum
would have been more than acceptable to Uiten-
hage, as it would have trebled the yearl}- income. %
The Commissioners replied to the foregoing
communication and said that they could enter into
no agreement with any party for a supply of water,
but that the letter in question would be laid before
a public meeting of the inhabitants on the 25th of
November, 1873.

The Request Refused.
The meeting was duly held in the old Court
House, and the building was tilled to overflowing.
The Rev. Father O'Brien was voted to the chair,
and a memorial signed by a large number of natives
was read. This set forth a grievance keenly felt
by them. They stated that they did not receive
sufficient water for irrigating their plots, although
they were entitled to it and were willing to pay for
it as other people did. Mr. Dobson then attacked
the Eastern Province Herald for the statements it
had made concerning the selfish attitude adopted
by Uitenhage, and this had the effect of making
the meeting uproariously hostile towards the
neighbouring town. The following motion, pro-
posed by Mr. Dobson and seconded by Mr.
Mosel, was carried unanimously : " This meeting
is of opinion that it is not advisable to entertain
any proposal from Port Elizabeth regarding the
sale of part of the Uitenhage water."

The next resolution was one which created
the fiercest dissension. It embodied a vote of
censure on the Commissioners for their recent action
regarding the local water question, and also
recommended that His E.xcellency the Governor
and both Houses of Parliament should be asked
to protect the commonage rights of Uitenhage
against all-comers. The needs of the inhabitants
had increased since the passing of the Special
Water Act (No. 3 of 1867), and this was evidenced
by the letter from the coloured portion of the
inhabitants of the Kabah and Naabosch Locations
read that night.

X scene beggaring description ensued when
this resolution had been read to the meeting. The
ratepaj ers appear to have lost their tempers com-
pletely, for a perfect Babel of execration arose.
One of the Commissioners attacked the Town
Clerk in the roundest of terms and threatened him
with personal violence. The Town Clerk warmly
retorted, and the quick Irish temper of the chair-

UITKXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

man nuist have been sorely tried. However, the
resohition was eventually toned down somewhat,
and it was at last decided to recommend the
Commissioners to proceed with the Water Bill ot
1867. The main reasons advanced by the leaders
of the party antagonistic to the sale of water to
, Port Elizabeth were that the amount at the dis-
posal of the town was diminishing, and that
although it was contended by the Bay press that
the L'itenhage springs yielded a quantity sufficient
for a town of 300,000 inhabitants in England, the
agriculturists had to use more water for irri-
gation purposes here than at Home. There were
13,000 acres of land to be cultivated, the Railway
Company had obtained 4,000 acres, and, so far as
waste water was concerned, what escaped from
the erven on the eastern side of Cannon and
College Hills ran into a large lake on the Graaft-
Rehiet Road— and this was one of the greatest
blessings enjoyed by travellers on the whole line
of that thoroughfare.

To this phase in the history of Uitenhage we
have briefly referred on page 53, but have deenied
it advisable to supplement the general information
given there by a few of the more interesting
details contained in the minutes of the Town
Council, for the purpose of showing more graphic-
ally the real state of public opinion as it existed in
the early seventies.

Stkikk of Wokk.mex.

In August, 1874, the workmen in the employ of
the Board of Commissioners grow dissatisfied with
the meagre wages paid them, and as their repre-
sentations to this eftect had not had the desired
result, they took the bull by the horns and struck
work. They consented, however, to continue for a
week in order that the decision of the Board
niight be arrived at. The position was carefiillv
considered, and it was at length resolved that the
rate of pay should not be increased, and that the
workmen be so informed.

HicNRiirnA Stkeet Opened.

In 1875 Mr. H. X. Chase informed the Com-
missioners that he had now opened the St. Mary's
Lane (ruiming from Baird Street to John Street),
but that he had re-named it Henrietta Street. He
asked the Board to take some measures to have it
cleaned up by the convicts, but this request was
refused for the time being.

A PHOPOSED Tk.amwav.
In 1874 Mr. D. Macdonald, of Port Elizabeth,
conceived the idea of constructing a tramway here.

and he formed a syndicate for the purpose of
carrying out the work. But the Commissioners
did not manifest much enthusiasm in the proposal,
and viewed it with a certain amount of coldness
and suspicion which must have proved distinctly
discouraging to the promoters. Describing the
scheme, Mr. Macdonald pointed out that the
undertaking was in no way connected with any
of the woolwashing works. The object of the pro-
moters was to construct a road, the traffic on
which would be expected to yield a return on the
capital invested, and at the same time to facilitate
the transport of wool. It would manifestly be to
the interest of the promoters to secure as much
of that traffic as possible, and consequently the
road would be laid out so as to aft'ord the greatest
possible convenience to each of the establishments.
It was not within the scope of the undertaking to
bridge the river so as to connect the works on the
right bank with the tramway, but, short of this,
every endeavour would be made to secure traffic,
and the receiving and delivering of wool would
become a matter of arrangement with the several
washers. The terminus would be at Uppleby's
old woolwash.

This letter having been considered by the
Commissioners, it was at length resolved to inform
Mr. Macdonald that the Board was not disposed
to treat with any private party or parties for a
tramway through the commonage lands of the
Municipality. The scheme was therefore nipped
in the bud, and thus another enterprise was per-
force abandoned.

The CoMMissioxEKS .\nd the Miul.and R.miav.ay.

But if the Commissioners were not in favour of
facilitating internal traffic they were certainly
keenly interested in seeing the Midland Railway
pushed forward. Their first step was to memorialise
the Government on the subject, and to point out
the great necessity of hastening the construction of
a line from Uitenhage to Graaft'-Reinet. The reply
to this communication was to the effect th.it a
survey of the route would be commenced shortly.
Not content with this, a public meeting was called
on the 17th of October, 1873, and various resolutions
were passed. We should state that Graaff-Reinet
was mainly responsible for this endeavour to bring
matters to a head, for a Political Association had
been formed there, and one of its main objects
was to urge upon the Government the need of
expedition where this railway was concerned. The
Uitenhage public took up the position that not only
should the railway be constructed between the

UITEXHAGE PAST AXD PKESHXT.

two towns as soon as possible, but they stront^ly
emphasised the point that a direct line should be
taken between the two towns, with as few deviations
as possible. In order to secure this object they
decided to join forces with other interested centres
in the Eastern Province, and to press their
demands upon the Government with unwavering
persistence. Messrs. John Gibson and Julius Mosel
were appointed delegates to attend the conference
at Graaff-Reinet, and, in short, Uitenhage did her
utmost to hasten the railway forward, and these
efforts were eventually crowned with success.

The St.ate of the Town.

From time to time the Commissioners seem to
have awakened to the fact that many things were
not as they should be, and that if Municipal dignity
was to be upheld the Board must exercise its
authority now and then. These matters were
sometimes rectified with almost startling sudden-
ness. For instance, it is gravely reported in the
minutes that the streetkeeper was ordered to " keep
vehicles, oxen, and other animals off the footpaths,
as they constituted an annoyance to pedestrians."
No vehicle was in future to be " allowed to be
driven on the footpaths, as such a practice was
dangerous to the public." Uitenhage must have
been a charming place in the early seventies if the
inhabitants could not walk along the pavements
without the risk of being jostled into the road by
an ox or run over by a cart.

Again, the Commissioners became so irritated
by the constant stream of complaints that poured
into the Town Clerk's office anent the sluits being
polluted by ducks and geese swimming in them
that the streetkeeper, whose duties were of the
most varied description, was ordered to kill every
bird that he found disporting itself in the furrows-
He did so, and there appears to have been quite a
massacre. He faithfully tabulated each day's
executions, and presented the list to the Board.
He was then indemnihed by the usual formula :
" The streetkeeper's report was considered satis-
factory and adopted." It may have been satis-
factory to the Commissioners, but it certainly
would not be equally so to the owners of the ducks
and geese whose untimely deaths were thus
approved.

The B.^i,l.\st Hole Lixe.

Considerable quantities of gravel were required
for the ballasting of the railway, and as an e.xcellent
supply w^as obtainable in the riverbed Mr. Watson,
Chief Resident Engineer, Port Elizabeth, wrote to

the Board in May, 1876, requesting permission to
lay down a tramway from the railway through
Magennis Street to a place opposite the Red Krantz,
for the purpose of obtaining the requisite material.
This was acceded to by the Board, and the work
commenced shortly afterwards.

A Powder Magazine.
There are several references in the minutes of
the Board of Commissioners to the proposed erec-
tion of a powder magazine on the outskirts of the
town, and, indeed, a committee was appointed to
enquire into the matter. The only result of their
labours, however, was a verbal notification to the
effect that there was a suitable site at the back of
Cannon Street, but no report was drawn out. The
matter then appears to have died a natural death,
notwithstanding the somewhat alarming repre-
sentations that had been made with regard to the
extreme danger of allowing such large quantities of
explosives to be stored within the populous centres
of the town.

UlTENH.AGE IN 1876.

A redistribution of the water was begun in 1876-
under the direction of Mr. Hurry, C.E., and at the
end of that year a report showed that there were
then within the Municipality 429 houses, of which
only 62 had taken water leadings. It further
showed that the filter yielded 60,000 gallons of
filtered water per diem, of which quantity the town
took 10,000 gallons.

The Rates.
A committee, consisting of Messrs. Robert H.
Black and James Niven, brought up a report in
November, 1876, with regard to the raising of a
sufficient sum to cover the interest due upon the
principal debt, and also of setting aside yearly some
amount to a sinking fund for the ultimate reduction
of the principal. They recommended that the
following rates should be levied upon all dwellings,
hotels, trades, and manufactories requiring con-
siderable quantities of water, and having private
water leadings laid on, viz. : (1) Private dwellings,
30 - per annum ; (2) hotels and all other places of
business requiring water for such business, 60 - per
annum ; (3) and that the Railway Department,
which was then receiving a supply up to 20,000
gallons per day, should be taxed at the rate of
;^5oo per annum, which would amount to about
I 7i per thousand gallons. They further recom-
mended the levying of a rate upon dwelling-houses
of fonrpence in the £ on the yearly rental, which,
it was estimated, would realise the sum of /250.-

UITEXHAGE PAST A\D PRESENT.

Tliese various sources of revenue would therefore
yield ^850 (including j^ioo per annum from the
water service to hotels, private dwellings, etc.)
This report the Commissioners considered for a
long time, and they at length adopted it.

The L.\st ok the Bo.\rd ok Commissioxers.

The last triennial election of Commissioners was
held in the Court Room on the 26th February,
1877, when out of ten candidates the following
seven were returned : Messrs. John Gibson, M.L.A.,
F. J. Noyce, F. L. Leisching, M.L.A., Fred. Lange,
James Niven, and C. Holmes ; the unsuccessful ones
being Messrs. Tiffie Savahl, W. Aldred, and |.
van Kerken. The newly-elected Board met for
the first time on Tuesday, the 3rd of April, 1S77
at 4 p.m., when Mr. Gibson was for the seventh
tiaie elected Chairman.

The Board took office with an e.\cess of
X570 13s. I id. of assets over liabilities. The first
meeting was a stormy one, and broke up in disorder
owing to the behaviour of the Town Clerk. It
appears that he was asked to collect the arrear
rates, and when he said he would do so for one
month only, Mr. Holmes gave it as his opinion that
he should be dismissed for presuming to dictate
to the Board. The Town Clerk instantly attacked
Mr. Holmes with the minute book for " insulting ''
him, and knocked him out of his chair. Then
followed a lively scene, in the midst of which the
meeting broke up in great disorder.

The Town Clerk.

These scenes were by no means infrequent, for
Mr. Thorn appears to have possessed not onlv an
luiusually hasty temper but he was also in the habit
of levelling the most biting sarcasms at the heads of
the Commissioners. He was suspended time after
time, and on four occasions various members of
the Board (including Mr. Leisching, M.L.A.)
resigned their seats owing to his bearing towards
them. If anything were said concerning him, or if
the Board refused to take his advice on any
particular subject, he would instantly leave his
•official seat at the right hand of the chairman,
march to the other end of the table, and harangue
his superiors from there in his capacity as a rate-
)iayer. They used to argue with him in vain ; they
refused to hear him, they reprimanded him, and he
was several times compelled to hand in written
apologies. But it was all to little or no purpose.
After he had " gone for " the Commissioners as a
ratepayer he would return to his official chair and
tjuietly minute the fact that " Mr. Thorn addressed

the meeting." But with all his hastiness and his
eccentricities he was an excellent Town Clerk, for
he had the whole of the town at his finger ends, so
to speak, and accomplished an enormous amount of
work. It was probably owing to this that he
retained his position for so long.

But his bitter speeches caused his downfall at
last. In March, 1879, the new Town Council
assembled for the first time, and before the meeting
had been in progress for more than a few minutes
Mr. Aldred moved, Mr. Nov'ce seconding, that the
Town Clerk be dismissed at once, and receive
three months' salary in lieu of notice. It appeared
that he had been talking freely about the merits of
certain of the Commissioners, and had intimated
to all whom it might concern lluit he absolutely

despised them. Such language on the jiart of so
prominent a municipal officer concerning his imme-
diate superiors was more than some of them could
endure. Hence (he motion to which we have
referred. As an amendment Mr. Dolley, junior,
moved, and Mr. Dolley, senior, seconded, that Mr.
Thorn be given an opportunity to retract his
expression of despising the Commissioners, and
this was supported by the Mayor. As Messrs.
Noyce, Gibbon, Aldred, and Holmes voted against
the amendment, however, it was lost by one vote,
and the original motion of summary dismissal was
therefore carried. Mr. Graham, the Secretary of
Committees, was subsequently appointed Town
Clerk in his stead. Ot Mr. Tluun many auuising

UITENHAGE PAST AXD PRESENT.

stories are told. His temper, he being naturally of a
hasty temperament, was not improved by illness, and
it was constantly leading him into the most awkward
and embarrassing positions. But when nothing
occurred to upset him he was of a genial and
kindly disposition, and he was well liked by all
who came in contact with him, officially and other-
wise. He is still alive, and is passing the evening
of his long life in a quiet Devonshire village.

IXCOKPOK.ATIOX.

Meanwhile the Incorporation of Uitenhage had
not been forgotten, for Mr. Gibson was not the
man to allow anything that he had really set his
heart upon to drop for mere lack of enthusiasm.
His efforts to rouse the townspeople to what he
rightly considered to be a sense ot their duty to
themselves had the desired effect at last, and by the
beginning of 1877 the inhabitants had become
imbued with the idea that Uitenhage, one of the
oldest towns in the Eastern Province, and perhaps
the future capital of South Africa, would be false to
itself and untrue to its traditions if it submitted any
longer to be governed by a mere Board of Com-
missioners. Nothing would satisfy the public but
an Act of Incorporation and the creation of a Town
Council. In his Incorporation campaign Mr.
Gibbon was warmly supported by the UlU-nliagc
Times, and what with the energy of the
Chairman of the Board and the enthusiasm of the
press, the idea of a special Act of Parliament not
only struck its roots into the minds of the people
but bore good fruit as well.

On the 2ist of February, 1877, the Commis-
sioners received a requisition signed by thirty-nine
ratepayers desiring that a public meeting be
called for the purpose of considering the desira-
bility or otherwise of incorporating the munici-
pality as a borough. Mr. Gibbon moved, and Mr.
F. Lange seconded, that the meeting take place in
the Court House at 7 p.m. on Saturday, the 24th
February. The signatures to this requisition are
interesting, for, apart from its historical
importance, the petition was obviously sub-
scribed to by a representative section of the
ratepayers. Most of them, alas ! have long
since passed away, but as they took part in
forging the link between the Uitenhage of the
past and the Uitenhage of the present,
or, in other words, as they were responsible
for the first definite step which resulted
in the substitution of the Town Council,
by which the town has been governed for nearly
thirty years, for the old Board of Commissioners by

which it had been governed for thirty-si.\ years,,
their names are worthy of being perpetuated in
this particular work. They were as follow : — W.
Lemon, Cecil H. Buckland, F. J. Noyce, Charles.
Holmes, S. H. van Onselen, Thomas Pell, Henry
\V. Bidwell, \Vm. Thos. Eady, Jacobus van
Kerken, J. \V. Fleischer, F. Basson, H. O. Dusing,.
P. R. Heugh, H. W. Harper, H. G. Taute, Joseph
Basson, A. Kennedy, H. Hitzeroth, H. M. Fleischer,.
H. J. Gibbon, James Stanton, J. Padoa, F. R.
Alexander, T. Stevens, J. F. Wilson, Thos. Tun-
bridge, J. Colling, C. D. Bremner, Joseph Japtha,.
James Harford, J. de Villiers, G. H. Langford, G.
H. Cooke, W. Aldred, and A. Thompson. Onlv
eight of these signatories are now alive.

The meeting duly took place, but was badly
attended owing to the inclemency of the weather..
Mr. Holmes moved, and Mr, J. Young seconded,,
that, in the opinion of the resident householders
present, it was expedient to obtain at the ensuing
session of Parliament an Act to incorporate this-
town as a borough. Mr. J. Gibson, M.L.A., was
then entrusted with charge of the Bill, which it
was decided to ask Mr. Attorney Buckland to draw
up. This was done, and on the 8th of August,.
1877, the Act (No. 30) was promulgated.

M.^GEXNis Street.

About this time the want of another street for
the convenience of four or five wool washers sending
their bales to the railway station was greatly felt,
and it was first decided to open up the lower part
of Drostdy Street, but at a subsequent meeting the
Commissioners resolved to open up the thorough-
fare near Mr. Magennis' property, and to name it
after that gentleman. This was accordingly dene,,
and the woolwashers in question were thereby-
saved a distance of over a mile between their-
establishments and the railway station.

In May, 1877, Mr. John F. Dolley resigned his-
position as Superintendent of Locations ; nd
Assistant Clerk to the Town Office after having
tilled these and other positions for nearly ten years,
and four months later Mr. A. J. Hardy was.
temporarily appointed to the former post.

The First Town CdNcu. :Meetixg.

Under the provisions of the new .Act the first
election of Town Councillors took place on
Wednesday, 12th September, 1877.

At 3 o'clock on Wednesday, the 3rd October,
1877, the new Council assembled in the Divisional
Council Room for the first time, and there was a
full attendance. The lirst resolution passed by the

UITEXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

■Corporation was moved by Mr. Dohson and
seconded by Mr. Xoyce, and by it a Committee was
appointed to introduce a new system of book-
keeping.

The following were the committees elected :
Fiiiiina- Coiiiinilkf. — Messrs. Dobson, Catton,

and Holmes (who were also instructed to carry out

the foregoing resolution).

Board of U\)iks. — Messrs. Young, Magennis,
Noyce, and Gibbon.

]l'iilcr Works Coniiiiillcc. — Messrs. J. G. de
Villiers, Dobson, Young, and Magennis.

Geiieriil Purposes Conimiltee. — Messrs. de Villiers,
Holmes, Noyce, Young, and Dobson.

It will be noticed that no Health Committee was
appointed ; but matters now dealt with by that body
came within the scope of the General Purposes
Committee.

S.AL.-VRIES.

The salaries paid to the municipal officials in
1877 were considerably less than those that obtain
in these days.

The Town ^.-

Clerk and ' '

Marketmaster
(Mr. E. J.
Thorn) re-
ceived ;^250

per annum,
the Account-
ant and Book-
keeper and
Secretary to
Commit tees
(Mr. J. C.Gra-
ham) received
_^30o, t h e
Superintend-
ent of Loca-
tions and
Town Lands,
General Col-
lector, and
Assistant on
the morning

market (Mr. c.u.mi.n -•

Hardy) re-
ceived ;fi50, the Water Superintendent and
General Overseer of Works (Mr. Ale.xander Kennedy)
£\o per month, the Water Fiscal (C. Gindra) ^8
per month, the Street-keeper ^8 per month, and
an office boy £2 per month.

Am.alg.\m.\tiox of Committees.

The existence of so many Committees was
found to be attended with numerous disadvantages,
and at the beginning of 1877 the Board of Works
and the Water Works Committee were amalga-
mated, as were also the Finance Committee and
General Purposes Committee.

The Fikst Kate.

The first rate assessed by the Town Council
was one of a penny in the £ upon all fi.xed property
within the Municipality.

Fakmeks l.N' DiSrRESS.

The year 1877 opened gloomily, and there was
a verv considerable amount of distress in this and
in other districts. The Town Council joined with
the Divisional Council in endeavouring to alleviate
the sufferings of the farmers, and the Corporation
unanimously passed a resolution urging upon the
GDvernment the necessity of not pressing the
farmers holding Crown Lands for the payment of

their rents
until the ad-
vent of more
X prosperous

times. They
further sug-
gested that
discretionary
p o w e r s be
vested in the
CivilCommis-
sioner. The
Government
replied to the
effect that
they were not
in the habit of
pressing dis-
tressed lessees

forlheir rents

immediately

they became

due, but each

"' case would

I uiMiAiiE. stand on its

own merits.
Cannon Street.

Uitenhage has always grown upwards from the
river, so to speak, and until the seventies. Durban
Street was the principal business thoroughfare. The
town then extended, and Caledon Street became

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

the main thoroughfare. Cannon Street was gra-
dually being improved, hut the northern side of it
was nothing but bush in 1878. Indeed, in that
year it was impassible north-west of Church Street
to any but pedestrians, and in March the
Council decided to have it cleared to admit of
horsemen and carts from Cluu-ch Street to Bains
Road.

LlCHTlXG OF IHIi TOWX.

The want of lights in the streets at night had
long been felt by the inhabitants, and in April,
1878, Mr. F. J. Noyce moved that for the purpose
of lighting the town eight lamps and posts be pur-
chased, four to be placed in Caledon Street and
four in Durban Street, at the cross roads. He
estimated that the cost of each lamp and post
complete would be £^, and the cost of lighting a
half-penny each per hour. The Committee
appointed to deal with the matter, however, went
one better, and with laudable enterprise ordered no
less than twelve lamps, two dozen extra glass
globes, and three extra spirit lighters ! Uitenhage
was waking up, and the inhabitants must have
felt, when first they beheld the illuminating glare
slied over the town by the twelve lamps, that their
dreams of metropolitan glorv were approaching
realisation at last.

The Pl.ace of Meeting.

The Council met in the Divisional Council room
from its inception, and the members were much
disgusted when they received a letter from the
Secretary of that body demanding a rental of £2^
per annum for the use of the hall. They offered
£12, but this was refused. The Town Council pro-
tested, but in vain, and they had perforce to agree
to the terms demanded. This, however, had the
effect of hurrying on the work in connection with
the sale of the Park for the purpose of raising
funds wherewith to build a suitable hall.

Locomotive Cricket Club axd B.axd.

In 1S78 the Locomotive Cricket Club was
granted a piece of ground between that of the
" Southern Cross" and " Uitenhage" clubs, with the
same privileges that had been granted to others.

Permission was also granted to the " Locomo-
tive Band" to play in the Square on Saturday
afternoons and on special occasions.

A CuKious Suggestion.

Mr. Watson, the Chief Resident Engineer of
the Eastern Districts, offered a curious suggestion
about the middle of 1878. Writing to the Council,

he said it had occurred to him that the Munici-
pality might derive some revenue from the sale of
water, without any risk, outlay, or inconvenience.
He suggested that a price per thousand gallons
be fixed by the Council, and that they should
supply it to any person residing in the neighbour-
hood of the railway lines who might hnd it worth
his while to purchase it and to pay the cost of
carriage. By this means persons living at Red-
house, Coerney, or Alicedale stations would be
enabled to supply themselves with fresh drinking
water by rail. The quantities disposed of in this
manner could of course be regulated by the
Corporation, and the sale stopped whenever it
seemed desirable. Mr. Watson, in order to facili-
tate the delivery of the filtered water at Uitenhage,
said he would have no objection to its being
drawn through the railway main.

The Council seemed to be rather struck with
this novel suggestion, and appointed a Select Com-
mittee, consisting of the Mayor, Messrs. Young,
Dobson, and Captain McDonald, to bring up a
report on the subject. They went into the pro-
posal, but decided that its adoption was inexpe
dient. The matter therefore dropped.

A Strange Contretemps.

We now come to an event in the Municipal
history of Uitenhage which created a perfect storm
of anger and derision in the town. To say the
least of it, the circumstances were peculiar, and
the difficulty in which the Council found itself was
unprecdented in its nature.

The second election under the new Act was
ordered to take place on the nth September, 1878,
and requisitions had to be in the hands of the
Town Clerk by the 28th of August; but only eleven
requisitions were received before three o'clock on
the afternoon of the date specified. The other
four arrived too late, and were therefore rejected.
Consequently the Mayor declared the eleven
candidates to be duly returned. These were as
follow : Ward L, no candidates ; W'ard H., Mr.
Fred. John Noyce ; Ward HL, Messrs. Fred. L.
Liesching and Ernest Pfingston ; Ward I\'.,
Messrs. Wm. Aldred and Wm. T. Catton ; Ward
v., Messrs. J. F. Dolley and Wm. M. Gibbon;
Ward VL, Messrs. John G. de Villiers and John
Gibson ; Ward VH., Messrs. John Dolley, sen.,
and Samuel Rigg. There were thus three vacancies
in Ward L and one in Ward O.

On the i8th September the above-named gentle-
men assembled, and Mr. Gibson was re-elected
Mayor. Then the trouble began, for at the next

UITEXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

meeting Messrs. Heniy Black, James Magennis, E.
Dobson, and Captain Walter McDonald, whose
reqnisitions had been received too late, but whose
return would have been unopposed, took their
seats at the Council table. It was contended, on
the one hand, that thej" had a right to be there as
nobody had opposed them, while, on the other
hand, it was argued that as they had not been
declared elected by the Returning Officer they
could not sit as Councillors. A complete deadlock
therefore ensued, and no public business could be
transacted. Municipal business was suspended ;
leases and public documents remained unsigned,
and the locus shiiidl of the whole Council from the
Mayor downwards was questioned. The scenes
in the Corporation Chamber were of the liveliest
description, and still the difliculty
remained unsolved. Under Act 30 of
1877 no provision was made for such
a coiibcleiiips, and it seemed as if
Wards I. and II. would be dis-
franchised for twelve months, i.e.,
until the next election. The public
at length found that the credit of
the town was suffering, and farmers
refused to place their produce on
the market. A great meeting of the
ratepayers was held in the Court
House, whereat Mr. H. W. Bidwell
presided. The evidence collected
by a sub-committee of the Council
appointed to enquire into the affair
was read, as was also the report
thereon. But this was totally at
variance with the evidence, which
clearly showed that the requisitions
had been received after the time
appointed, while the report was to
the effect that they were " in order."
It was finally decided to submit the whole case to the
Attorney-General (Mr. Thomas Upington) and to
abide by his decision. His opinion was that as the
requisitions had been received too late. Wards I.
and II. were disfranchised for a year, and that the
four Councillors who had been nominated and
virtually elected, although not gazetted, had no
right whatever to attend any meeting of the
Municipality and to vote thereat. This terminated
a dispute which had set the whole town by the ears
for two months, and it is therefore all the more
strange that the concluding advice of the Attorney-
General was not followed. He strongly recom-
mended that an amendment be made to tiie Act
at the ensuing session of Parliament to prevent

similar cases again arising. Some years after-
wards a similar case did arise, with precisely the
same result. Our new Act, however, effectually
provides for such a cotitrdewps as we have
described, and there is no longer any danger of
Wards being disfranchised in this manner.

The Mi"xicii>.AL Offici.^ls.

In 1871; the question of re-organising the Town
Office was considered. The proposal to give each
of the officials three months' notice and allow them
to be eligible for re-appointment was defeated by
a narrow majority, but after the summary dismissal
o: the Town Clerk on the 5th of Mai ch, 1879, a
partial re-organization took place.

Mr. J. C. Graham was appointed Town Clerk,
book-keeper, secretary to committees, and secretary
to water accounts, at a salary of ^250 per annum,
while Mr. A. J. Hardy was appointed Market
Master, General Collector, and Superintendent of
Locations and Crown Lands, at an annual salary of
,^'200. The foregoing officials were provided with
a clerk at £$0 a year, and their appointments dated
from the ist of April, 1879.

Mk. Gibsox Resigns the M.wokaltv.

For no less than ten consecutive years the
oftice of chief citizen had been filled by ]\Ir. John
Gibson. He was elected Chairman of the Board
of Ccmmissiotiers in February, 1869, and with tlieex-

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

ception of the three months it was necessary for him
to spend in Capetown annually while he was a
member of the Honse of Assembly, he presided
over the destinies of the town for the period named.
He was only opposed on one occasion, when Mr.
Leisching, M.L.A., was nominated for the chair-
manship, but that gentleman refused to stand, and
Mr. Gibson was again returned. His strong,
rugged nature and his fund of sound common sense
rendered him eminently fit for the position, and it
cannot be denied that there were times when the
whole of his strength of character was required in
order to deal successfully with the particular
difficulties and compHcations that enmeshed the
Corporation at various periods of its existence.

In May, 1879, however, he determined
to resign the Mayoralty owing to pressure
of other engagements, although he still re-
tained his seat as a Councillor. Mr. Chas.
Holmes was unanimously elected in his
stead, and a subscription list was opened in town
for the purpose of presenting Mr. Gibson with some
tangible mark of the inhabitants' appreciation of
his long and arduous services on behalf of
Uitenhage. This took the form of a portrait of that
gentleman in oils, which was hung in the Council
Chamber.

Municipal Produce Sales.
About the middle of 1879 Mr. Rigg conceived
the idea of initiating regular Municipal produce
sales, and after the matter had been considered in
all its bearings a decision was finally arrived at.
This was that a large galvanised iron shed, 100 ft.
long by 30 ft. broad and about 20 ft. high, should
be erected in the Square for the reception of goods
to be sold by the Market Master. Efforts were
made to secure other premises before it was resolved
to construct this building, but they all proved
abortive, for the rents demanded were too high.
£120 per annum was the sum asked for a store
that used to stand at the bottom of Cuyler Street.

Accordingly in October, 1879, the iron structure
in question was erected near the spot where the
market bell now stands, and bi-monthly sales were
held there. At iirst they were well patronised.
Farmers consigned considerable quantities of wool,
hides, ostrich feathers, horns, etc., etc, to the
Municipahty, and these were submitted to public
auction by the Market Master, the Municipality, of
course, drawing the customary dues. But after
about eight or nine months the scheme, which had
looked so well on paper, and which had begun so
promisingly, collapsed altogether for want of con-
tinued support, and died a natural death.

Shortly afterwards the town was visited by a
small-po.\ epidemic, and the produce shed was
removed to the Graaff-Reinet Line, where it did
duty as a lazaretto. The epidemic over, it was
again sold to a firm of builders (Messrs. Grant &
Dovvnie), taken to pieces, and re-erected on the
premises lately occupied by Messrs. Orr & Kelbrick
at the back of the Town Hall. Here it was used
as a carpenter's shop for some time, but it suhse-
qiiently took fire, and was nearly responsible for
the total destruction of the Town Hall, for it set
the back door of that building alight. The shed
was totally consumed. Thus ended the first and
last attempt on the part of the Town Council to
carry on a series of produce sales on its own
account.

The First Tree Plaxtixg Committee

To its magnilicent trees Uitenhage owes much
of its great beauty, but our streets were not always
so well provided with shade as they are to-day.
In fact the town presented a much more barren
aspect in 1879 than it does in 1904, for many of
the trees had only just then been planted and were
still of diminutive size. One of the features of
I'itenhage used to be Baird Street, which was
lined with orange trees, and when Sir Henry
Barkly arrived here one of the first wishes he
expressed was to drive down this thoroughfare.
But the various evils to which the orange is so
easy a prey attacked the trees in Baird Street,
and they were eventuallv removed.

To Councillor Rigg belongs the honour of
having been the means of giving the first great
lillip to more extensive Municipal arboriculture.
In 1879 the Council resolved on his motion to
pluit trees in all available spaces and streets in
tlie town at the proper seasons, and to request the
inhabitants to assist the Council by seeing that the
trees received the necessary attention. This was
followed by a resolution creating a Tree Planting
Committee, the members of which were the Mayor,
Messrs. Xoyce, Dolley, sr., Rigg, and Walsh. The
l.ist-named gentleman was elected chairman of the
Committee. Mr. J. Valentine was appointed
nurseryman at X8 a month. He was succeeded
s'.iortly afterwards by Mr. S. Horneat;^io. There
are now over 2,500 trees lining the streets of
Uitenhage.

UlTEXHAGE IX 1880.

The Councillors elected to serve until Septem-
ber, 1880, were Messrs. Samual Rigg, A. Walsh,
Wm. M. Gibbon, F. J. Xoyce, C. Holmes, J. F.

LITKXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

Dollcv, Win. Altlred, W. H. Inggs, Joseph Young,
Walter McDonald, Edward Dobsoii, Dr. K. G.
Lamb, J. DoUey, sr., James Magemiis, and Thos.
W. Giibb. Mr. Clias. Holmes was again elected
Mayor. The estimated revenue for the year was
£2,6/^ from the town account and ^1,664 from
the water service. Of this sum it was decided to
spent ^'600 on the work of repairing the streets,
which, it would appear, were gradually getting
into better order.

Proposed Railw.^y SiAriox .xr O.^tl.axds.

The Graaff-Reinet Line was in course of con-
struction when it was suddenly reported that the
Government intended to erect the station at " Oat-
lands Junction." The town and district instantly
rose against this proposed deviation of trade from
Uitenhage, and a meeting of joint committees of
the Town and Divisional Councils was held in
August, 1879, to consider the question. While the
matter was under discussion a telegram sent to
the Uilciihage Times from Capetown announced
that the question of the station at Oatlands w-as
irrevocably settled, and that the proposed deviation
was to be made for the purpose of bringing the line
over one iron bridge instead of over a number
of wooden bridges.

It was at once decided to inform the members
of Parliament for Uitenhage (Messrs. Mackay and
Reid) that there was a strong feeling against this
both in the town and district. The two Councils
would at once forward petitions setting forth the
great injustice and inconvenience of the step, and,
in the meantime, they instructed their representa-
tives to question the Commissioner of Public
Works in the House.

In short, the attitude adopted by the people of
Uitenhage was so hostile to the bare idea of a
station at Oatlands that the Government wisely
decided to give in <is gracefully as possible, and
replied to the effect that the project was not
settled, but merely talked of ! Notwithstanding
this, Mr. Mackay wired advising that the petition
be sent, and on the 23rd of August, 1879, a large
public meeting was held in the Court House,
whereat the strongest possible protests were
entered against the proposed station, and these
eventuallv proved to be successful.

Small Po.\.

In 1882 a very serious epidemic of small-pox
broke out in Uitenhage, and it resulted in the
deaths of a great number of people. The Council
did all in their power to check the spread of the

disease, but for some time it seemed to resist their
most strenuous efforts. The patients were isolated
and hea\T penalties were inflicted upon all who
neglected to report a suspicious case, or who
violated the quarantine. The Sanitary Committee
(which was the forerunner of the present Health
Committee) was established at the beginning of
the outbreak. Dr. Edward Carnall was appointed
Medical Officer of Health, and he had quarters in
the temporary hospital on the Graaff-Reinet lands.
He later received ^40 a month for his services.
Special constables had to be appointed to enforce
the quarantine regulations. The receiving of linen
from Port Elizabeth for laundry purposes was
prohibited, and so great was the danger of the
epidemic spreading still further that it was resolved
that the coffins used for the burial of people who
had succumbed to the disease should be tarred
inside and covered outside with chloride of lime
and carbolic acid, while mourners had to be
fumigated before leaving the cemetery. The
epidemic was not finally stamped out until 1884,
when the members of the Sanitary Committee
were each presented with a piece of plate costing
;^5 as a recognition of the yeoman service they
had rendered to the town.

PKKCIOfS MiXERALS IX UlTEXHAGE DiSTKICT.

It would be difficult to estimate with any degree
of reliability in what year indications of gold in
Uitenhage District were first discovered, but
prospecting has been proceeded with in a desultory
and spasmodic fashion at intervals during the past
quarter of a century.

The Town Council in the early eighties deter-
mined to encourage this work by every means in
their power, for they saw that if gold or silver or
coal could be found in paying quantities Uitenhage
would speedily become one of the most populous
centres in the country. Accordingly a reward of
^100 was offered to anybody who discovered any
of the above-named minerals within ten miles of
the town. In 1883 this reward was to have been
increased to ^"300, payable on the discovery of
gold within a radius of twenty miles of the Town
Hall, while the men who were then prospecting
were to be granted a sum of X6 a month for three
months in order to assist them. But before they
could be put into force the diggers abandoned
prospecting at Kamaehs and Springlield, and the
matter dropped.

Tiie Uitenhage Gold Prospecting Company
then came into existence, and at a meeting of the
Council iield in February, 1887, the Mayor (Captain

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESP:XT.

McDonald) announced that the Syndicate had just
met with very encouraging prospects o£ success,
and said he felt sure that when matters turned out
well, as there was every hope of their doing, the
town and district would benetit to a very material
degree. Unfortunately, however, nothing came of
those prognostications, and the hopes of the
inhabitants were never fulfilled.

V.ARI.A.

The history of the town from this period
onwards has been somewhat uneventful. Improve-
ments have constantly taken place, but they have
been introduced gradually and steadily. The
introduction of the present sanitary system, the
erection of the Public Buildings, and the asphalting
of the pavements constitute the main items, but
these works were not accomplished until long after
they were first mooted. It would be profitless to
enter into details concerning all of these particular
schemes, for this article has already exceeded the
limits prescribed for it.

The erection of the Public Buildings was
another landmark in the history of the town. In
1892 the old Court House, which had been erected
in 1810, was in such a dilapidated state that it was
found to be no longer fit for use. It was described
as a constant source of danger and discomfort, not
only to the resident officials but also to the general
public who had to frequent it.

It was unreasonable to expect that a building
erected to suit the requirements of the early decades
of the century could by any possibility be con-
sidered adequate for the present time, and after
a deal of demur on the part of the Government
they at length decided on building new and more
commodious offices, and in 1897 the splendid pile
of buildings in Caledon Street was opened by ihe
Premier Sir Gordon Sprigg. We shall refer to this
event more particularly later on.

We have now traced the history of the Towu
Council to a point well within the memory of the
present generation. Prior to this the records of
the past were involved in much obscurity, and
somewhat difficult to elucidate. Gradually, how-
ever, Uitenhage emerged from its chrysalis or village
state, and as it began to extend in all directions the
work of the Town Council increased proportion-
ately ; but most of this work consisted of
small and minor details, important in themselves,
perhaps, but of no historical value whatever. The
making of sluits, water-courses, pavements, etc.,
formed the chief duties of the Council, and by-and-
bve, little by little, the town grew to be what it is
to-dav.

The l.\te George M.\cpherso\.

One of our most prominent citizens was the late
Mr. George Macpherson, who was Mayor of
Uitenhage for no less than seven years. During
his long regime several important works were
carried out, the chief of which was the piping in of
the water from the Springs. This included the
construction of a new reservoir at the top of College
Hill, and the total amount expended upon this-
scheme was ;f20,ooo. Mr. Stewart was the
Consulting Engineer. Mr. Herdman the Resident
Engineer, and the work was carried out under the
immediate supervision of Mr. W. F. Malloch.

The water service was then extended all over
the town, the requisite money being obtained by
authority of a special Act (\o. 21 of 1896). A
curious sidelight in connection with this Act lies in
the fact that through an oversight the Draft Bill
was not despatched from Uitenhage until it was too
late to be received in Capetown bv the appointed
time. The matter was so urgent that the Council
could not afford to lose a whole session of
Parliament, and the entire Bill had therefore to be
sent ;'/; exiciiso by wire.

Mr. Macpher-
son died full of
years and honour
in May, i90J,and
a handsome Ionic
cross was erected
to his memory by
the townspeople.
He was suc-
ceeded in Octo-
ber, 1901. bv Mr.
Thos. W. 'Mills,
who was after-
wards returned
to Parliament
Mr. Cradock
Parkin succeeded
him as Mayor.
Photographs of
each of the three
gentlemen last
named appear on

the cover of this work. The inscription unc'er
that of Mr. Macpherson states that he was eight
times Mayor of Uitenhage, but this is a printer's
error, as he only filled that position for seven years.
The Mayoral chair is now occupied bj- the Rev>
Joseph Whiteside, whose chief work so far has been
in connection with the passing of the new Act.

l-itp:xhage past and present.

List ok Mayors.

The following is a list of the Mayors of Uiten-
hage, together with the periods during w-hich they
Jield office :

JOHX GlHSOX Ii*77-If*79.

Charles Holsies .. .. 1879-1880.
EmvARii DoBsox 1880-1886 and 1889.

OlTAlX WaLIER McDOXALD. . 1886-1888.
JoHX DOLLEV 1888-1889.

H. W. Ixc.Gs Oct. i88g to March 1891.

James Mauexxis April 1891— Sept. 1894.

Georce M.^ci'MERsox .. .. Oct. 1894— Sept. 1899. 1900-1901.

H. J. GniBox iSi«-i9oo.

T. w. Mills 1901-1903.

CRAnocK Parkix Oct. 1903— Dec. 1904.

Joseph Whiteside . . . . Jan. 1905

(Deputy-Mayor : F. H. LUVT Jan. 1905

The Muxicip.al Se.al.

It is not generally known that the Corporation
^eal, which we have reprodnced on the cover of
this book, is nothing more nor less than the coat of
•arms of Commissary-General Uitenhage de Mist,
after whom the town takes its name. De Mist was
created a baron, and his high rank is sufficiently
denoted by the shield, coronet, visor, and crown.

Other Items.

Eor many years the streets had been in a most
disreputable condition, and even as late as 1900
there was not a square foot of asphalt upon the
pavements. The war broke out, however, and
later on the military authorities created Uitenhage
the headquarters of Area No. 4— a tract of country
which was nearly as large as Scotland.
With the money derived from the Imperial and
Colonial Governments as payments for water,
etc., the Council was enabled to lay down
about two miles of tarred footpaths, and since
then the work has proceeded steadily in this
direction. At the present time there are about
eleven miles of asphalt pavement in exis-
tence, to say nothing of the concrete shuts which
were also introduced at a comparatively recent
date.

With the Springlield Water Scheme we
have already dealt at considerable length.
This matter was the cause of the most
acrimonious controversy the town has perhaps
ever known, and it gave rise to two separate parties,
who carried the contest to the furthest possible
limits. The whole question was whether the
opinion of the Government expert should be
obtained or not. The Springlield party contended

that it should, and tlu.t the requisite amount of
money ought to be expended in prociu-ing that
opinion. The opposition party, on the other hand,
held that no further e.vpense* should be incurred on
the matter, and the general election of 1904
was contested on these lines. The required infor-
mation w-as secured, however, at a cost of over
;^i,ooo, but Mr. Gordon, the Government Irrigation
Expert, has not yet delivered his opinion on the
matter.

The New Mlxhjii'.\l Act.

The last item upon which it is necessary for us
to touch is the new Act by which Uitenhage is now-
governed. That of 1877 was found by experience
to be clumsy and unworkable in many respects,
and accordingly a new measure was framed. It
was passed this year, and it abolishes many of the
difficulties which existed under the old Act. It is
a distinct improvement, and under its provisions
the work of the town is carried on more advan-
tageously and with fewer handicaps. The greatest
change from the old system is that under the new
Act one-third of the Councillors are elected for
three years, one-third for two years, and one-third
tor one year (the term of office dating from ist
January), and the appointment of a Deputy-Mavor-
The powers of the Council were thus brought
up-to-date with regard to the making of streets,
sidewalks, the division of land, and the control over
the erection of buildings.

It also gives the Council power to carry out a
sewerage scheme, and to effect necessary improve-
ments to the town after the usual methods for
obtaining the sanction of the ratepayers thereto
have been adopted.

This brings to its conclusion the history of the
Town Council — a body that has now been in
existence here for nearly thirty years, and which,
despite the obloquy that has been cast upon it from
time to time, may fairly be said to have worked
well and conscientiously in the best interests of
Uitenhage.

The Present Cou.ncil.

We m:iy conclude the history of the Municipality
with a list of Councillors elected in November,
1904, uudei' the new Act.

Mr. W. James,

.. Val Rnherls.

„ W. K. .\:U,Kii.

.. Harry Ward.

,. H. J.Kudcili

„ Iv Howkcr,

.. W. H. Dollev.

., .A. W. Df>ws,

Mr. !•■. H. I.iiyt.

.. I) 1'. Miillins,

.. H. Austin.

J. N*ichnls(jn,

.. J. E. Butler,

„ T Whiteside.

.. J. Deacon.

UITEXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

Mr. J. Whiteside was elected Mayor for the
year, and Mr. F. H. Luyt Deputy Mayor.

Mr. K. H. Uyt
(Deputy Mayor).

The following are the Municipal Otticiais at the
present time : —

Town Clerk and Treasurer : Mr. P, Thomscn.
.\ssistant Town Clerk : Mr. D. O. X.arraway.
Market Master and ^ m \ r u .1

Locition Superintendent ) *"■■ -i- J- H^rdy.
Town Engineer : Mr. W. F. Mallocli.
.Assistant to Town Engineer : Mr. C. I.uyt .
Sanitary Inspector : Mr. C. M. Potc.
Draughtsman : Mr. J. Monckton Casi-

Mk p. Thomson, Towx Clekk.

Mr. Peter Thomson, J. P., was appointed Town
Clerk of Uitenhage in May, i8Sj, and he has con-
tinued to fill that honourable position, with credit
to himself and much advantage to the town, up to
the time of the publication of this volume (1905).
From what we have been able to gather, Mr.
Thomson is a native of Aberdeenshire (Scotland),
where he was born in the year 1848, his father
having been a tenant-farmer on the estates of Sir
William Forbes, Bart., afterwards Lord vSemphill.
Mr. Thomson was educated at the Grammar
School of Aberdeen, and thereafter at the ancient
University of that city. At both of these institu-
tions he studied with distinction. In the senior
or matriculation class of the Grammar School he
was awarded two first and two second prizes, and
at the University Bursary Competition, which cor-
responds to the matriculation at the Cape, Mr.
Thomson stood fifth among 240 competitors drawn
from all the best educational institutions in the

north of Scotland. Mr. Thomson was still a boy-
when he entered the University, and although he
carried off prizes and achieved distinction in several,
of the classes, and passed with ease the M.A..
examinations in the departments of classics and
mathematics, his health, never of a very robust
character, unfortunately gave way under the strain^
and he was obliged to give up his studies and leave
the University before the completion of his full
arts course.

After recruiting for a time Mr. Thomson entered
a lawyer's office in Aberdeen, and attended the law
lectures in the University ; but a recrudescence of
chest trouble finally compelled him to leave Scotland
and try the advantages of a warmer climate. In
pursuance of that plan he arrived in Cape Colony
in December, 1876, and in January following he was
appointed second master in the Boys' Public School,,
Uitenhage, then under the charge of Mr. F. H.
Brice, where he conducted classes with much
acceptance till May, 1882. At that time he was.
appointed Town Clerk and Treasurer of the Muni-
cipality in succession to Mr. John Graham, wha
had resigned. The appointment, which was most
congenial to Mr. Thomson, was considered an
eminently suitable one as regards the public, as it
was recognised that the applicant's previous legal
training specially fitted him for such an office.

Mr. Thomson assumed the onerous position of

Town Clerk during the Mayoralty of Mr. Edward

Dobson, J. P., a man who, as already indicated, had

made a considerable figure in the public life of

Uitenhage, and was destined to fill the civic chair

for six or seven years in succession. Appointed in

1882, when Uitenhage was little more than a country

" dorp," Mr. Thomson has had a singularly unique

experience. He has gone through some stirring

scenes in his time, and has lived (he is still in

harness) to see the little dorp of 1882 steadily grovv^

in size and importance till it now stands among the

seven largest towns in the Colony. He has served

the Council under nine of the eleven mayors who-

have held office since the incorporation of the

IMunicipality by Act No. 30 of 1877, and we have

heard him remark, not without a tinge of sadness in

his voice and a far-off look in his eve, that a strange

fatality seemed to be connected with the ofiice of

mayor in this town, inasmuch as only one

ex-mayor was still alive ; and inasmuch as several of

the mayors had died suddenly either during their

period of office or shortly after their retiral,.

that he (Mr. Thomson) had been called on, during

his residence here, to take part in the funeral

obsequies of no fewer than nine of the citizens who-

UITEXHAGE PAST AND PKESEXT.

li:ul tilled the civic chair of Uitenhage. A strange
coincidence, too, lies in the fact that each of these
nine maj'ors or ex-mayors died on a Saturday and
"vvas buried on the Sunday following.

A sketch of Mr. Thomson's career as Town
Clerk would be, to all intents and purposes, a his-
-tory of the town for the jieriod But a narrative
of that description must be left to a future occasion.
Suffice it to say that Mr. Thomson was not long
in office before his trained intelligence began to
•exercise itself to good effect in the interests of the
town and its inhalMtants. At an early stage, when
the new Town Clerk had occasion to look into the
terms of the railway water contract completed
with the Government in 1875, Mr. Thomson
reported to Capt. Walter McDonald, Mayor in
1886, that the contract was against the public good,
bad in law, and ought therefore to be challenged.
Legal opinions were obtained from Advocates
Solomon and Upington, who unhesitatingly sup-
ported that view, and ultimately the Council raised
an action in the Supreme Court and succeeded in
-establishing their case. The result of the decision
was that the Municipality was able to renew the
■contract on equal terms with the Government, and
double the price previously obtained for the water.
At a subsequent date, during the mayoralty of the
late George Macpherson, Mr. Thomson again took
a prominent part in the negotiations with the
Government that culminated in the existing con-
tract, under which the Council secures a handsome
revenue of £t;,2~,o for water supplied to the
Railway Depart-
ment. It is not
generally known,
but it is neverthe-
less a fact, that all
new and addi-
tional regulations
required by the
Municipality
from 1882 down
to 1904 were
<lrafted by Mr.
Thomson. Act
No. 21 of 1896
Avas also drafted
by that gentle-
man, and the Act
:ippears on the
Statute Book
practically with-
out a single alter-
ation on the (halt
bill.

Mr. Pktkr Th
(T..W11 tlirk).

Postal Writing in 1841. Mr. John

Communication. Centlivres Chase remarks that
" the communication by post
from one part of the Colony to another is sure, rapid,
and not expensive." The distance between the
Eastern and Western capitals (Capetown and
Grahamstown) was estimated at 650 miles of post
road, running direct through the towns of Caledon,
Swellendam, George, and thence to Uitenhage and
Grahamstown. The cart left Capetown every Friday
evening, reached Uitenhage on Wednesday,
dropped the Port Elizabeth mails there, and arrived
at Grahamstown next day. The cost of a single
sheet letter from Capetown to Uitenhage was lod.,
from Uitenhage to Port Elizabeth 2d., from
Uitenhage to Grahamstown 4d., to Graaff-Reinet
4d., to Cradock or Somerset East 5d., and to
Colesberg 8d. Letters directed to Europe paid a
postage of fourpence each for ship conveyance
exclusive of overland, and generally reached
England within eight or ten weeks. The usual
return of post between the Eastern Province and
England was tive or six months, i.e., a letter could
be dispatched from and its reply received in either
place within that period.

Uitenhage In 1841 the district of Uitenhage was
in J841. much larger than it now is, for it was

then bounded on the west by the
districts of George and Beaufort West,
•on the north and east by those of Somerset,
Graaff-Reinet, and Albany, and on the south by a
seaboard of 160 miles in length. Hence it included
what are now known as the districts of Humansdcrp,
Jansenville, Steytlerville, Willowmore, Alexandria,
and Port Elizabeth. It was then divided into
eleven wards or hundreds : its area was 8,960
square miles, and it was peopled by 11,019 souls, of
whom 4,628 were white and 6,391 coloured. The
territorial limits of the district had been most
injudiciously laid down, for, as Mr. Centlivres Chase
pointed out in his excellent work upon South
Africa, a mountain range which traversed the
division shut out a large proportion of the
inhabitants who could with ease resort to Somerset
East or Graaff-Reinet as their chief town, but they
were thus, by an arbitrary arrangement, forced to
attend the courts, the annual taxation, and all
ceremonies connected with the church at the town
of Uitenhage. Again, a considerable space — the
Oliphant's Hoek — abruptly stretched into the
district of Albany, obliging its population for
the same purposes to visit Uitenhage, when
Grahamstown was easier of access and i-.iore

UITEXHAGE PAST A\D PRESENT.

convenient. These were the main reasons
for the agitation which sprnng up for the
re-modelling of the district, and which was
eventually carried out. However, at the time we
are now dealing with the division contained :2,300
horses, 10,500 head of cattle, 146,000 sheep, and
20,000 goats, among the former of which were large
numbers of the Sa.\o-Merino breed.

The exports of the district were principally
butter, for which it had already obtained unrivalled
fame throughout the whole Colony, wool in con-
siderable quantities, tallow, soap, hides, skins,
horns, hats, aloes, grain, and great quantities of
salted beef for the use of shipping and the islands
of St. Helena and Mauritius. A large amount of
wine and brandy was also made in the district, but
it was nearly all consumed on the frontier. In
1841 the following were the declared returns for
the district : Wheat, 12,600 bushels ; barley, 24,000
bushels ; oats, 15,000 bushels ; oathay, 400,000
bundles ; wine, 4,427 gallons ; brandy, 4,236
gallons. There were then 12,000 cultivated acres,
302,000 pasture acres, and 2,000,000 uncultivated
acres within the district ; four towns and villages,
twelve places of worship, seven schools, ten
missionaries, nine mills, six tanneries, two hatteries,
one candle manufactory, and one savings bank.
In 1841 the statistics dealing with the population of
the district show that there were 460 births, 195
marriages, and 280 deaths in that year ; while 150
people were employed in manufactures and 250
in commerce. So far as the population of the
Eastern Districts was concerned, Albany came
tirst with a total of 19,777 (7-71° white and 12,067
coloured), Uitenhage came next with a total of
11,019 (41628 white and 6,391 coloured), Colesberg
being third with a total of 9,026, and Graaff-Reinet
fourth with a total of 8,292.

Religious In 1841 the returns for Uitenhage

Denominations show that out of a total popula-
tion of 11,019 there were 4,268
members of the Dutch Reformed Church, 1,000
members of the English Church, 50 Roman
Catholics (whose church was then being built at
Port Elizabeth), 2,900 " Protestant Dissenters,"
who had eight churches and eleven ministers, and
150 Mahommedans. Altogether there were then
twelve churches and fourteen ministers in this
district.

Uitenhage's The following is what Mr. J.
Greatest Centlivres Chase has to sav upon the

Ambition. town and its future. The e.xtract in
question is taken from a book written
by him in the early forties, and of which very few

copies are now extant. It was witlidrawn from
circulation by its author immediately on its publica-
tion, owing to the numerous and unauthorised
changes that had been made in it bv the printers.
They even altered his spelling ! " The capital
of the country, also called Utenhay, is planted on
the declivity of a gentle hill, flanked by a bold
ridge of mountains, on the left bank of the Zwart-
kops River, and about fifteen miles from the sea,
in a very rich and picturesque valley, supplied to
excess with water by which its fertile gardens are
irrigated. It contains 350 houses and 1,500 inhabi-
tants, but its growth has been greatly retarded by
its more successful rival, Graham's Town, the
capital of the province, on one side, and the neigh-
bouring Elizabeth's Town in Algoa Bay, distant
twenty miles, Utenhay has frequently been recom-
mended as the seat of the Supreme Government,
which it is likely at no remote period to become.
Its central position with regard to the whole
Colony, its proximity to the barbarian frontier,
whence alone danger to the possession can be
apprehended, and the consequent necessity of this
being the military station of the Colony ; its con-
venient nearness to the safe and capacious harbour
of Algoa Bay, and its extraordinary capability,
superior to every site within the comprehensive
limits of the Cape Colony, for the erection of a
noble city, all point it of necessity the most pro-
mising place of the settlement. With an almost
prophetic eye to the future fortunes of this spot,
the authorities who planned the town thirty-seven
years ago laid it out on a scale worthy of such a
destiny. It contains a very handsome church for
the Dutch congregation, just completed, a fine
court house, a clean and well-conducted gaol, with
other public buildings ; the old English Church is
being repaired, and a new one is now con-
templated.

" A lead mine exists near the Van Stadens River,
but the circumstances of the Colony at the present
moment preclude its being worked to advantage,
although it is reputed to hs very rich. On the
banks of the Bushman's River, a few years back,
was accidentally discovered a quantity of a new
species of alum. Xear the Koega River, about
seven miles from the town of Utenhay, is a hot
spring and a fine chalybeate, much resorted to by
rheumatic patients with benefit, and there is also
some slight indication to believe that coal is to be

found in the vicinity of Algoa Bay We must

not omit to mention the extraordinary occurrence
near the Koega River of immense strata of oyster
and other shells, as well as of m irine animals

UITEXHAGE PAST AXD PRESENT.

and lish, in a lirst state, at an elevation of above
sixty feet from the bed of that stream, and full
ten miles from the ocean. So plentiful is the
supply that large quantities of lime are prepared
from these shells."

The Eew people know how wide and

Divisional varied are the operations which come
Council. under the control and jurisdiction of

the Divisional Council. Hence, with
the object of rendering the following more intelh-
gible, we shall give a rapid sketch of the general
history of the institution before entering into detail
with regard to the local body.

In 1837 an Act was passed by which certain
powers and functions relating to the public pounds
of the Colony were transferred from the Govern-
ment to local boards, while in the succeeding year
another Act provided for the management of the
pubUc roads by these bodies, which were called
Boards of Pubhc Roads. Various measures dealing
with roads and tolls were subsequently enacted,
and they all trended in the same direction — namely,
the investment of the local authorities with increased
powers and wider jurisdiction. In 1873, for
instance, they were enabled to procure additional
police for their respective Divisions by contributing
to the expense thereof. In 1876 they were
requested to encourage by eveiy means in their
power the planting and cultivation of trees, and
they have done so ever since. In 1881 the manage-
ment of villages and of other communities which
were not municipahties came under the control of
the Councils. In the following year Government
were empowered to grant loans to public authorities
for various purposes, and to make grants in aid of
cemeteries. The Public Health Act of 1883 gave
the Councils power to levy special rates, and in
addition to this such items as the following come
within the scope of these institutions at the present
day : — The opening and closing of roads, the con-
trol of all main and divisional roads, police, and
native locations, fences, boundaries, tolls, pounds
the administration of the Public Health Act, of all
Animal Contagious Diseases Acts, to say nothing of
the extermination of noxious weeds.

So much then for the general scope of the
Council's operations, and we may now turn to the
historv of the local body.

The First Mkkting

of the Board of Public Roads for the division of
Uitenhage was held on the .:3rd of .April, 1845,
when there were present J. \V. van der Kiel, Esq.,

C.C. (in the chair), Messrs. J. X. Streak, W. M.
Harries, W. Hyman, and X. Hitje. Mr. F.
Alcock was requested to act as Secretary gratui-
tously until it could be ascertained whether the
Board had the power to grant him a fixed salary,
and what would be a suitable amount to pay him.
The Central Board was asked various questions
regarding the application of the moneys received
by the Board of Public Roads, and the Secretary
was further instructed to represent to that august
body the immense traffic on the roads between
Port Elizabeth and Graaff-Reinet and between
Port Ehzabeth and Grahamstown. Particular
stress was laid upon the latter thoroughfare, upon
which the number of wagons travelling was calcu-
lated to be in the proportion of 150 or 200 to one
wagon using the George road.

The Slnd.4ys River Bridge.
It was also resolved to inform the Central
Board that the bridge over the Sundays River was
a work much needed. But in those days matters
progressed very slowly, and the work that was " so
much needed" was not completed until half a
century had elapsed I The bridge was opened
by Mrs. A. H. Garcia, wife of the then Civil Com-
missioner, on the 5th March, 1893. It was built
by the Divisional Council and the Government
conjointly at a co.st of about Xi6,ooo.

Xew Ro.ads.

The members of the Uitenhage Board must
have come to their first meeting well prepared, for
not only did they recommend the construction of
a bridge over the Sundays River, but they strongly
advised the opening of a road over the Zuurberg
range to Somerset East, and they pointed out in sup-
port of this recommendation that such a thorough-
fare would prove of " incalculable advantage
to the districts of Somerset East and Cradock, and
a large portion of the Graaff-Reinet and Colesberg
divisions." It must be remembered that railways
had not even been thought of in Cape Colony at
this time, and the matter of a new road was there-
fore of much greater importance then than it is
now.

The Ce.\tr.\l Bo.\rd.

The Central Board replied to the Acting
Secrct^y's letter with regard to financial matters,
and informed him that the whole of the money
collected by his Board was to be sent to Cape
Town, and they were not to spend a farthing of it.
Even the Secretary's salary must be paid from the
metropolis. The Board appear to have taken this

L'lTEXHAGE PAST AXD PRESENT.

very meekly, for they merely wrote back and asked
if the Central Board would consent to remunerate
their Secretary with the munilicent sum of /■60 per
annum. And they very reasonably suggested that,
as they were on the spot, they might be allowed to
supervise, under the general direction of the Central
Board, the constructing and repairing of the main
roads in the division, and also to receive tenders.
They also submitted that His Excellency the
Governor should proclaim the road from Port
Elizabeth through Uitenhage to Graaff-Reinet a
main road, in consequence of the great traffic then
e.xisting upon it.

These suggestions, however, do not appear to
have been considered favourably until some con-
siderable time had elapsed.

'1"hi-; Fikst Divisional Rati:.

At the third meeting of the Board, held on the
9th of January, 1846, Mr. Hynian proposed and
Mr. Streak seconded that a rate of one penny in
the £ be assessed and imposed on all immovable
property within the division. Mr. Harries pro-
posed as an amendment, however, that a rate of one
half-penny in the £ be assessed. This not being
seconded, he raised the sum to ^d. in the £, but as
even this was not seconded, the rate of one penny
in the £, payable on the 31st of March, 1846, was
decided upon. It has never exceeded id. from
that day to this, although Jansenville and part of
Alexandria districts were then incorporated with
Uitenhage.

The Port Elizabeth — Uitenhage Roau.

The track over Jagtvlaakte between Port
Elizabeth and Uitenhage was apparentlv giving
great dissatisfaction in 1845, for in the October of
that year it was decided to offer Mr. Fleischer a
sum not exceeding £j los. for examining the
country between the two towns, and for draw ng
up a sketch showing the shortest and best line that
could be constructed. This work was duly
accomplished, and the secretary was instructed to
negotiate with the owners and the various
properties through which it was decided that the
new road should pass.

The First Secretary.

Mr. F. A. Alcock was appointed secretary
to the Board at a salarj- of £^^ per annum, and it
was also decided to hire an office at a rent not
exjeeding ;^io per annum. It must be remem-
bered that at that time the secretary only had to
attend the monthly meetings and to write the
minutes and the correspondence connected there-

with. The rates were collected by the Civil Com-
missioner.

In 1S47 the office of secretary was abolished,
and a sum of ;^"i los. was allowed to any person
acting as secretary to the meetings. In the same
year a meeting of landed proprietors was held for
the purpose of returning four members to the
Board of Public Roads. The following were
elected for three j'ears : — Messrs. \Vm Hvman,
Crowe, Stoffel van Niekerk, and the Rev. P. W.
Copeman, while Messrs. H. H. Rens and Xiblet
were appointed to suppty casual vacancies during
the same period of time. Mr. H. Tennant, the
Civil Commissioner, vi'as chairman, and he was
succeeded in October, 1849, by Mr. J. Centlivres
Chase. In the same month Mr. J. H. Tennant was
appointed secretary, which office had been re-
established a few months before.
The R.mlwav.

The first mention of railways occurs in the
minutes of the meeting of the Divisional Council
held on the 2ncl of August, 1859, when there were
present Messrs. J. Centlivres Chase, C.C. & R.M.
(in the chair), Armstrong, Brehm, Hobson, and
Paterson.

A letter was read from Mr. Joseph Lyndall,
and it is so interesting that we give it in full : —

r<> the Chairman of the Uitenhage Divisional Comicil.

SIR. — My object for visiting the Eastern Province is to ascertain ttie
views of the public generally on the question of railways. If the respective
divisions which would be traversed by a line from Port Elizabeth to
Grahauistown will agree to the requisite snivguarantee. the Eastern
Province Railway Company propose to make a proper survey and estimate
of the cost, to be re.ady by the next session of Parliament.

We feel conlident that such a line might be formed at a cost per mile
not exceeding .^lo.ooo. say for loo miles, the railway, running through the
more difttcult part of the country ; if a more circuitous line were adopted,
the cost would be considerably less. Mr. Woodifield's estimate, for instance,
is .44.476 per mile. From what I can learn I have no doubt of the line
earning six per cent.

On the question of traffic and on any other points I shall feel much
obliged by any infoimalion you may be so kind as to give me.

I regret an opportunity does not offer for a personal interview before I
proceed to Grahauistown. which I have to do to-mon-ow evening (3rd of
August), but on my return I shall visit Uitenhage.

If the Divisional Councils of Uitenhage and Alexandria would adopt
in substance something like the copy of the resolution enclosed, it would
.greatly further the carrying out of the railway.
I am, tic ,

JOS. I.YNDALL.

The following is the resolution suggested : —

'■ That this Council is of opinion that the forma-
tion of a line of railway between Port Eliza-
beth and Grahauistown would greatly in-
crease the public wealth and the prosperity
of the several divisions through which it
would p;iss, and this Council resolves to
petition the Government for an Act for the
construction of such a railway, embodying
the siime provisions as that under which the
C.ipetown and Wellington line is being
carried out."

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

The Council deliberated earnestly upon this
suggested resolution, and the minutes state th:it
the members were unanimous on the advantages
which would accrue from having railways, but
were opposed to the principle of sub-guaranteeing
the divisions.

It was eventually resolved :

1. That this Council will hail with satisfaction

the introduction of railways into the Colony
on conditions which will afford a prospect of
success.

2. That the energ}' of the British trader has

ever been found equal to the exigencies of
Commerce without the direct interference of
Government support, and for the Legisla-
ture to afford a guarantee for the loss arising
from a railway between Port Elizabeth and
Grahamstown from the public revenue, or a
lien or sub-guarantee upon private property,
is a direct violation of the rights of property
to which the inhabitants of Great Britain
are not liable, nor would submit to.

3. That this Council, believing that their consti-

tuents are averse, cannot therefore recom-
mend or approve the lixing by the Legisla-
ture of a sub-guarantee upon the proprietors
of land in this division.

4. That the Field Cornets be directed to call a

general meeting of the inhabitants of each
ward to ascertain their wishes respecting
the sub-guarantee on their property for any
loss which may result upon a railway
between Port Elizabeth and Grahamstown,
and to report to this Council.
During the ensuing month a public meeting was

held to consider this question, when tiie following

resolution was tabled :

" The inhabitants of Uitenhage, in public meeting
assembled, resolve that, upon condition of
the railway passing from Port Elizalieth to
Grahamstown being carried I'in Uitenhage
town, the inhabitants are willing to pledge
themselves to their quota of the sub-
guarantee."

But the old difficulty of " irresponsibles "
cropped u|i, for the lield-cornet, who was present
at the Divisional Council meeting whereat this
motion was read, said that he did not believe that
the Chairman or the movei or seconder of the
motion possessed landed property. He further
pointed out that the public meeting in question was
attended by about twenty people, only four of
whom were landed proprietors. They had, how-
ever, carried the motion unanimously. Yet, when
several landed proprietors were asked why they
had not been present, they pleaded ignorance of
the subject, and said they would abide b\' the
decision.

So far so good, and it only now remained for
the opinions expressed by the various Wards on
the matter to be read. They were as follow :

Cofi^ii. — The inhabitants came to no decision,
but awaited further information.

Voor Biicinan's Kloof. — No meeting took place,
but the iield-cornet reported that from all he could
learn the inhabitants were opposed to the sub-
guarantee.

Bariiiiiii's Kloof. — The inhabitants in public
meeting assembled objected to the sub-guarantee.

The matter was then postponed until the i8th
of October, when the reports of other tield-cornets
regarding the wishes of the inhabitants on the
nTatter of the sub-guarantee were read. They
showed that the public feeling was very strongly
against the introduction of railways on the guarantee
principle. The reports were ordered to be for-
warded to H.E. the Governor with a request that
they be laid before the ensuing Parliament.

This was the last that was heard of the matter
for several years.

The Jaxskxville Bkidge.

At the meeting held on the 2nd of August, 18^9,
a petition was read from the inhabitants of
Jansenville praying that the bridge across the
Sundays River should be constructed at Jansenville,
and not at Norsdoornplaats as suggested. This
petition was made on the score of economy and of
the shortening of the route, and it was referred to
Mr. Engineer Rogers for report.

The Collec;e.

The importance of establishing a college had
long been recognised by the inhabitants of
Uitenhage, but they appear to have expected too
much assistance from the Government. Eventually,
however, when the question of selling Crown Lands
cropjied up, the Council proposed to devote the
proceeds of the sale to the establishment of a
college. But the Governor pointed out that the
Legislature had laid it down at the previous session
that " local effort was a necessary precedent to the
application for a grant," and consequently, until
the inhabitants of Uitenhage had manifested their
desire for such an institution on a more practical
manner, no bill could be introduced.

The matter was not brought up until February,
1S60, when the draft of an address to H.E. the
Governor requesting him to re-submit the College
Bill to Parliament was considered. This having
been foiwarded to Capetown, it was announced at
the June- meeting tli.il tin,- bill could not be

UITEXHAGE PAST AXD PRESEXT.

introduced until the necessary requirements had
been complied with. Xothing more was done
until April, 1861, when the following minute
appears : — " The Council cannot refrain from
expressing its regret at the non-fulrilment of a hope
warmly cherished for the erection and endowment
of a college in this town. Salubrity of climate,
centrality of position, and vicinage to the great
seaport point it out as a most desirable spot.
The Council begs to observe that, unlike other
divisions of the Province, the pecuniary means of
the inhabitants do not enable them to come for-
ward as they would wish, to establish so impor-
tant an institution j but it considers, with all due
submission, that having within the last ten years
contributed to the genera! revenue of the Colonv
by the sale of the Divisional Crown Lands so
large a sum as ;^3 1,409, a portion at least might
have been devoted to the purpose."

The Council's Offices.

Until i860 the Council meetings had always
been held in the old Court House, but there does
not seem to have been an office definitely set apart
for the secretary. In July, i860, however, the
following resolution proposed by Mr. Hobson was
unanimously carried : " That a room in this build-
ing, or, if one cannot be spared, that a convenient
room be hired for holding the Council meetings in,
where all the papers, documents, books, &c.
appertaining to the Council shall be laid for
inspection of members whenever they please
to go."

A room must have been granted by the Govern-
ment, for the meetings were held in this historic
building until the new offices were erected in 1874.

Education.

At the meeting held on the 2^th October, i860,
the following important letter from Dr. Dale, the
Superintendent-General of Education, was read.
It marks an epoch in the history of Education in
Cape Colony : —

The introduction of the p.-iynient of school fees for the elementary
branches in the estabUshed schools has lately been under the consideration
of the Government, and I am authorised to ascertain the opinion of the
Divisional Council of Uitenhage on the advisabiUty of thus aboHshing the
gratuitous system of education which has so long prevailed, and further to
enquire what rate of fee the Council would think reasonable and such as
could be paid by the parents of those who usually attend the established
school, and when the Council deem it expedient for this payment to be
introduced. In explanation I take leave to inform the Council that te.achers
are permitted at present to exact a fee of £i per quarter for the higher
branches, but this fee, except in two or three schools, is not claimed. It is
proposed that the fees should be received by the head teacher, and handed
over by him to the Chairman of the Divisional Council, to be apportioned
as follows : one-third to the head teacher as an augmentation of his income
and two-thirds to the payment or part payment of the salary of an efficient
second teacher. The increase of the head teacher would thus rise with the

ss of his school, and the instruction in the elementary branches, so
urgently required, would be thoroughly imparted by a qualified under
teacher.

The circumstances of the various districts of the Colony differ so widely
that I am not able to sug,^est the adoption of a uniform rate of fee, but the
following are. respectively, the highest and lowest which h.ave been sug-
gested or approved .-

MoxTHLV Fee. Junior Deit. Senior Dept.

Highest Rate 5;-. 7/6.

Lowest Rate 1/6, 3/-.

The levying of fees will enable the efficiency of each school to be
maintained throughout both departments, but, that no one should be deprived
of the advantages of a sound education, it is suggested that the Council
should have the power to give free admission to the children of those
parents who certify in writing to the Council that they are unable either
from poverty or from the lar.ge number of their family to pay the
appointed fee.

This letter was read, as we have stated, at the
Divisional Council meeting held in Xovember^
i860, and it was resolved that a Select Committee
of this Council be appointed to report on the above
letter respecting the Government schools, and that
the Committee consist of Messrs. D. J. Aspeling,^
D. Hobson, and F. Lange. But it was not until
February that their report was read. It is so
interesting and has so important a bearing upon
the educational history of Uitenhage that we give
it in full :—

Your Committee, having had under consideration the letter addressed
to this Council on the expediency of abolishing the gratuitous system of
education in the established Government schools, subjected by the Superin-
tendent-General of Education under date of the 25th October, 1S60, beg to
report that, in their opinion, the efficiency of the respective Government
schools would be promoted by the introduction of the proposed system of
exacting fees, and that, in order to allow sufficient time to complete all the
required arrangements, and making the proposed change well and properly
understood by the pubUc at large, this system, your Committee believe,
would lead to greater interest being taken in the schools by the public, as
they cannot help expressing their opinion that among very many who
cannot afford to lea\e their children therein for any lengthened period,
little regard is paid to what might and could be attained by such children
in the schools by their co-operation with the teachei-s. Your Committee
' further beg to recommend that the elementary branches in such schools be
divided into three divisions, and th.atthe following rate of fees be uniformly
adopted :

Third, or Lowest Division— Monthly Fee . . . . i/ft.

Second Division ,. .. . . 3/-.

First, or Higher Division „ ,. . . . . 4/6.

That such fees be paid quarterly in advance, giving, however, the
Division.al Councillors the power to grant free admission to those children
whose parents certify their inability to pay the appointed fee for all or any
number of their children.

The College.

In April, 1861, the Council was finally notified
that the Government could not consider the erec-
tion and endowment of a college in Uitenhage ; but
they pointed out, in reply, that, unlike other
divisions of the Province, the pecuniary means of
the inhabitants did not enable them to come
forward as they would wish, to establish so impor-
tant an institution. They once again emphasised
their previous argument that as they had within
the past ten years contributed to the general
revenue of the Colony by the sale of Divisional
Crown Lands so large a sum as ,^31,409, a portion

L-ITKXHAC^E PAST AND PRESENT.

at lea:t. might have been devoted to the piiipose.
These protests, however, were useless, and nothing
was done in the matter.

The SKi'AKAriox Qikstion and Ckown Lands.

L'p to this time it had been the custom to
make grants of Crown Lands to farmers on advan-
tageous ter.iii. Tiiis was largely taken advantage
of, but the scheme was attended bj' many draw-
backs and abuses. Besides, the money so raised
was handed over to the Government, and most of it
was spent in the Western Province. In ten years no
less than ;4"'3i,409 was obtained from the Crown
Lands in this division, and yet the Government
declined to disburse even a portion of this on
founding a college here. Consequently, in July,
i860, Mr. E. Dobson, the acting chairman, brought
forward the following motion, which was unani-
mously carried : —

" In the opinion of this Council it is impolitic
and injurious to the best interests of the
Eastern Province to recommend or sanction
the sale or alienation of any more of the
Crown Lands in this division until such
time as a separation of the Eastern and
Western Divisions of this Colony takes
place, or a proper provision is made for the
proceeds of the lands sold in the Eastern
Province to be appropriated to Eastern
Province purposes only."

The Government replied to this by suggesting
that the Crown Lands should be cut up into small
plots for the benefit of poor purchasers, but the
Council replied stating that they did not think the
ground in the I'itenhage division was suitable for
any such scheme ; and matters then appear to
have gone on as before. In the following year
a letter was read from the Sepaiation League
urging the Council not to recommend the sales of
Crown Lands until the question of Separation was
settled, but the Council replied sa.ing that they
had already anticipated this and would continue
to abide by their former decision.

The Coincil's Finances.

The cash book for the year i860 shows th it
the road rates collected aniounte:l to ^350, tlie
pound fees to ;^iJo, while the percentage received
from Government on Crown Linds sold was ;^"i5o.
On the other side we lind that the sum of
^100 los. was spent upo.i roads, ;^I56 on tools,
mules, carts, and tents, while tlu Sjcretary receive 1
4'6o per annum.

The Railway .Again.

The railway question cropped up again at tlic
beginning of 1861, at the instance of the Port
Ehzabeth Town Council, who wrote on the subject
of obtaining water from the Zwartkops River for
the neighbouring port, and also for the construction
of a railroad between that tow-n and L'itenhage,
but we can trace no further reference to the matter
in the minutes. The members of the Divisional
Council stated that they desired to be informed of
the nature of co-operation expected from them,
and there it apparently ended. Port Elizabeth, it
must be remembered, was now beginning to grow
rapidly, and had already outstripped the mother
town in size, wealth, and importance, and a certain
amaunt of jealousy had begun to e.xist between the
two centres. In those days the prevalent opinion
here was that the more Port Elizabeth prospered
the more rapidly would L'itenhage decline. But
that was before the advent of the railway. Hence,
it is not surprising to lind that requests for assis-
tance and co-operation on the part of Port Eliza-
beth met with a decidedly cool reception in this
town.

BuKR Weed.

L'p to March, 1861, no reference to burr-weed
appears in the minutes of the Divisional Council,
but at the meeting held that month a letter was
read from a Mr. Cappen, in which he vouchsafed
the information that the w-eed was always to be
found on spots where Government mules had been
for any time, and that it arose from the animals
being fed upon imported oats. What he un-
doubtedly meant to convey was that the seeds of
the Xanthiiim Sfiiiosiiin, which is most certainly- not
a growth indigenous to South Africa, were
mi.\ed up with the forage imported for the
Government draught animals, and that the
weed w-as introduced into the country by this
means — a perfectly feasible theory.

Roads.

In the meantime the Council had not been
oblivious to the great necessity of placing the roads
in a state of proper repair. Previous to the
formation of this body the rates, &c., derived
from the Eastern Province had mostly been
e.\pended in the Western Province, and this
created a great deal of bitterness and indignation.
Now, however, the Council was able to devote tiie
funds raised in the division to the roads within
it, but until the close of i860 it had be^-n
iinpissible for them to be put into repair, owing to

UITEXHAGE PAST AND PRESEXT.

the clit'licLilty that attended the formation of any
efficient organization. Thie beginning of 1861,
however, saw the adoption of the first steps in this
direction, for a road party of twenty men, under
the superintendence of Air. M. MuUer. was placed
on the Great Wmterhojk line of road, which opened
up the country to the Baviaan's Kloof, Olifant's
River, and also the Gaorge and Beaufort divisions.
At the same time a party of twelve men, under Mr.
A. Lange, was employed on the Elands River road,
this being the lirs. occasion on which any expen-
diture had bCiii made on that line, although the
inhabitants thc-re had contributed rates for many
years. Again, another party of men, under Mr. S.
van Xiekerk, was engaged in repairing tlie road
from the western side of the Zwartkops River to the
summit of the Bush Heights on the old direct C ipe
line of road. Mr. Mackay, of Hankey, was paid a
sum of £i2^ to make good and keep in repair for
one year the road from the Missionary Institution
over the Loerie River Heights to the point where
the main hue of road impinges on that to the Cape.
The construction of a road in the B.iviaan's Kloof,
rounding Antonie's Berg and thus connecting the
Beaufort and Uitenhage lines, was undertaken the
same year, the annual sum for repairing it and
keeping it in repair being ;^i5o. These were alj
the new lines of communication the Council felt
able to take in hand just then, but they had several
works still in progress which they hoped to com-
plete, more especially the Great Winterhoek road,
which extended over 150 miles through the
district.

But there was one matter which caused the
Council a considerable amount of trouble. The
whole of the " immense traftic " of the Province to
the port of sliippnig passed through the Uitenhage
division, and thus entailed a charge which the
Council could not meet for the maintenance of
these particular roads, which had to be kept in
order for the almost exclusive beneht of Port
Elizabeth. They were therefore of opinion that
the rates levied in the Port Elizabeth and Uiten-
hage divisions should be considered as common
property for divisional road purposes — Port
Elizabeth having but a very few miles of divisional
road to keep in order, while the value of its lixed
property had been appraised at ;^''599,69i, while the
value of fixed property in Uitenhage was rated at
;^530,6o2 — some ;^"69,ooo less There was, as even
the Eastern Province Herald admitted, " a good deal
of truth in the assertion, and justice in the demand ''
that was made to Government on this score, but no
notice was taken of the petition.

On the i8th of May, 1862, the Great Winterhoek
road was completed at a cost of ;^5oi 17s. 6d. It
commenced near Prentice Kraal and extended to
Dobellar's Kloof — a distance of 60 miles. Fifty
miles of Elands River road were repaired at an
expense of £17],, and a whole field-cornetcy was
thui thrown open to easy and safe intercourse with
the towns of Uitenhage and Port Elizabeth. In this
way were the foundations of our roads laid, and
to-day they may be compared favourably with any
in the Colony.

OcrSP.AXS AXD ACCOMMOD.iTIOX HoUSES.

In 1859 the Government issued a notice
regarding the erection of houses of accommodation
on outspan places along the different lines of
communication, and these were placed under the
supervision of the Divisional Council. A small
charge was allowed to be made in cases where the
keepers of such houses made, at their own expense,
dams for the convenience of travellers. One can
easily imagine what a boon and a blessing such
hostelries would be in so sparsely populated a
division as Uitenhage then was, and what oppor-
tunities there would be for the enterprising inn-
keeper to make money from the travellers
proceeding to and from the port of the Eastern
Province. Here is the first list of accommodation
house licences granted by the Divisional Council in
1862 : — W. Cressy, Blue Krantz, on Graaff-Reinet
road ; H. Allison, Roode Wahl, on Graaff-Reinet
road ; W. Clark, Versch Kraal, on Graaft'-Reinet
road ; H. Cadle, Witteklip (Van Staaden's River),
Cape Road ; C. J. Wayland, Gert Kraal, Voor
Baviaan's Kloof and George.

Sep.ar.\tiox.

For many years the vexed question of Separation
had been on the tapis, and it will be remembered
how the Divisional Council had refused to recom-
mend or sanction the sale or alienation of any more
Crown Lands in this division until Separation had
taken place or until proper provision was made
for the proceeds of such lands sold in the Eastern
Province to be appropriated for Eastern Province
purposes only. In 1862, however, the Coun.il
expressed its regret that the Government would
not grant permission for the Crown Lands to be
leased, as was the case in the Beaufort district, as
the Treasury was thus deprived of an important
branch of revenue. About this time a proposal to
extend the powers of Divisional Councils came up
for consideration, but this was interwoven with the
Separation question, 7nd Uitenhage was as staunch
as ever, as the following resolution will show :

UITEXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

■" This Council h:is seen that it has been proposed
in the present session of ParHament to
enlarge the jurisdiction of the several
Divisional Councils, and by this mode
attempt to satisfy the cravings of the
inhabitants of the Eastern Province for
Local Self-Government; this Council, for its
constituents and itself, hereby puts on record
its abjuration of all desire' to accept any
more extended powers which shall in any
way impede, procrastinate, or prevent either
the removal of the seat of Government or
Separation of the Eastern from the Western
Province."

A New Vill.\ge.
In the early part of i86i an application was
made to the Government by a large number of the
inhabitants residing on the banks and surrounding
neighbourhood of the Groote River (the upper
portion of the Gamtoos River) in the field-cornetcy
of Great Winterhoek, about loo miles north-west
of Uitenhage, for a grant of Crown Lands, known
as " Mantatee's Kop," for the purpose of founding
a new village. This application was formerly
reported on both by the Divisional Council and by
the Civil Commissioner, and the Government was
requested to direct the survey and laying out of
this fresh nucleus of Spiritual and secular improve-
ment, and to direct the sale of erven, retaining
■certain jilnts for religious denominations.

Blkk Wked Ag.aik.

The question of eradicating this noxious weed
occupied the attention of the Council so far back
as the middle of last century, and to-day it is
frequently discussed. But from the time the
Council began to take cognizance of it the neces-
sity of doing something in the matter became more
and more obvious, while the debates on the ways
and means to be adopted became correspondingly
earnest. The Chairman of the Alexandria Divi-
sional Council, writing in 1863, pointed out tint
the weed was growing in great abundance along
the main road between the Bushmaus and Sundays
Rivers, while it was also stated that the com-
monage was being over-run by it. The Commis-
sioners and the Municipality were therefore urged
to have the weed destroyed before seeding time,
but nothing was done. Later on, Mr. Field-
Cornet Tnnbridge, of Coega, wrote stating that
although the Xniilliiiiiii Spiiiosiiiii was growing in
great abundance on most of the farms in his ward,
particularly on those through which the main road
passed and along the banks of the Sundays River,
the average cost for eradicating and burning tiie

same on each farm would be about 25 -. This
may seem a ridiculously low average, but the
re.ider must remember that we are now dealing
with the " good old times " of forty years ago. On
S3m-" of the farms mentioned by Mr. Tnnbridge it
wouH now require hundreds of pounds to get rid
of the pest.

For fourteen years Mr. J. Centlivres Chase, a
gentleman widely known and universally esteemed
in this part of the Colony, had presided over the
deliberations of the Divisional Council. In
October, 1863, however, he took the chair for the
last time, and was succeeded by Mr. J. G. L.
Rawstorne, who v^'as acting C.C. & R.M. for two
months, and who in January, 1864, handed over
the office to Mr. J. Rose-Innes. Everybody who
has dwelt in Uitenhage for any length of time has
heard the name of John Centlivres Chase. His
descendants are flourishing in various spheres
here to-day, and many of them are still domiciled
in Uitenhage, Mr. Attorney Harry Chase being
the Deputy-Sheriff for this district. As Mr.
Chase may justly be considered as one of the
landmarks of Old Uitenhage, we make no apology
for dealing with his eventful career at some length
in this column.

Born at Westminster in 1795, he came out to
South Africa with the settlers of 1820, and entered
the Government service. .-Vfter filling various
positions under the Crown he settled down in Port
Elizabeth and became a partner in a business
which embraced in its sphere the somewhat

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

incongruous items of " whaling and sheep farming."
The style of the tirm was Korsten & Co. In the
year 1847, when he was 52 years old, Mr. Chase
re-entered the public service and was appointed
Secretary to the Eastern Province Government by
Sir Henry Pottinger, and later on he served under
Sir Henry E. Young as private secretary About
this time the proposal to separate the Eastern and
Western Provinces became a burning question.
Mr. Chase took the matter up with characteristic
zeal, and from then until the time of his death in
1877 he very stronglv advocated Separation. The
movement, however, came to nothing in the end.
We reproduce here a photograph of the seal of the
Eastern Province Government, which is now in
the possession of Mr. Henry Chase, and which in
itself is a veiy valuable curiosity. It is made of
silver, and on the back of the frame containing it
is an inscription bv Mr. (. C. Chase, which we also
reproduce.

Tun Sl-AL o

E Eastern Pkovixce.

Towards th: close of 1S47 Sir H;u-ry Smith
arrived in Cape Colony and the of^ce of Lieu-
tenant-Governor was abolished. In the following
year, however, Mr. Chase was appointed Civil
Commissioner of Albert, and while acting in this
capacity he found it expedient to recommend the
annexation of the territories between the Storm-
berg Spruit and the Kraai River, as well as between
the Kraai River and the Wittebergen. This sug-
gestion was adopted, and resulted in the founding
of the first town on the banks of the Orange
River. It was named Aliwal North as a kind of
memento of the great victory which was won by

the British in 1846 by Sir Harry Smith at Aliwal,
India. From Burgersdorp f'Aliwal District) Mr.
Chase was transferred to Uitenhage, where he
acted as Civil Commissioner for no less than four-
teen years. He finally retired in 1863 at the age
of 68, and a well-earned pension was granted to
him in consideration of his thirty-eight years
service under Government.

Immediately upon his retirement from the civil
service Mr. Chase took up politics, and after serving
for a brief period in the House of Assembly he
entered the Legislative Council in 1869, where for
many years he rendered yeoman service. He
fought hard for the advancement of the Eastern
Province, and remained in harness until he was
considerably over 70 years of age.

i>4i/Le fiitrc/ Vfift^

C^ ^tLL. -fe^Ct^ -^-T-**- -- •-^v^..^-'-^ -— .rt^ - . ' /

<^ /Ai. <«~<- V£-«^ a^n^ H-X-U fry ■-<-i u.'-'^

' ^ ^-l^ / £J^ m-^ -^^ ^ /•

\.JiL,

He died at Cradock Place, near Port Elizabeth,
on the 13th of December, 1877, at the ripe old age
of 82, leaving behind him a large number of
children and grandchildren, many of whom are
still living in Uitenhage.

Mr. John Centlivres Chase was thoroughly
popular with every section of the community, and
his genial presence was sorely missed when death
terminated his career. He was the author of
several geographical, historical, political, and other
books and pamphlets, and many of them are still
looked upon as authoritative works on South
Africa.

UITEXHAGE PAST AXD PRESENT.

Some Othkk Distixguisheu Uitenhageks.

Is it necessary for us to meiitiou that
Sir James Rose-Iunes— a son of our former
magistrate — was born here, and that, after holding
various high places in the Cape Mniistry, he was
appointed Chief Justice of the Transvaal ? Uiten-
hage, it is interesting to note, has given South
Africa another eminent judge in the person of Mr.
Justice Lange; but we shall refer to the subject of
eminent Uitenhagers later on. Mr. J. Innes was
Chairman of the Divisional Council here from
January, 1864, until the middle of 1867. A curious
coincidence may be noticed in connection with his
departure. The Council, on the motion of Mr.
Mosel, Mr. F. Lange seconding, passed a resolu-
tion which testilied to their high sense of Mr.
Innes' great ability and of his unwearied usefulness
and efficiency as the Chairman ot that body. It is
strange that the son of Mr. Rose-Innes eventually
became Chief Justice of the Transvaal, and the
son of the seconder of this resolution — Mr. Lange
— became Judge of the High Court of Griqualand
West.

MixoK Changes.

At the beginning of 1864 the Council resolved
to assemble in the Court Room at 10 a.m. on the
first Tuesday of .every month. They also decided
to appoint the Secretary (Mr. J. I. M. Gie) Treasurer
of the Council, and instructed him to deposit all
monies collected in the " Standard Bank of
British South Africa." His salary was also raised
from X60 to ^75 per annum.

The Divisional Council Abolished.

We now come to an important period in the
history of the Uitenhage Divisional Council, but in
order to render intelligible the action of the
members in abolishing the institution it will be
necessary to explain the reasons which prompted
them to take so drastic a step.

The money collected from the " road ratepayers,"
as they were called, had to be forwarded to Cape
Town, where it was spent at the discretion of the
C.overinnent. Most of it was devoted to roads in
the Western Province, and the districts from
whence it came received but little benefit. This
went on for many years, in the face of strong
protests from the Eastern Province. Farmers and
others who visited the metropolis always returned
to this part of the country with the same tale,
namely, that the roads of the Eastern Province
were mostly in a disgraceful condition, but that as
one travelled further west they gradually improved.

until, when one approached the Cape District, they
became as near to perfection as could be desired.

.A.t last the people of L'itenhage would stand
this neglect no longer. The amount of money
placed at the disposal of the Divisional Board was
too small to do any appreciable good, and a public
meeting was held on t.is 12th of July, 1853. This
was really convened for the purpose of electing
members in the place of Messrs. H. Reus, S. Crowe,
and S. van Xiekerk, who were retiring, and of Mr. J.
Niblett w-ho had died. The vacancies were filled
by Messrs. H. Reus, W. Hyman, J. Brehm, C.
Rademeyer, J . Streak, and C. Smith. Mr. Hyman tlien
proposed, and the Rev. P. W. Copeman seconded
that the meeting stand adjourned until the 25th of
tile month for the purpose of receiving a full
account of the proceedings of the Board during
the past nine years of its existence. This was done
and after the transactions of the Board since its
inception had been explained, and the receipts and
payments during that period examined, Mr. Hyman
moved, and Mr. E. Dobson seconded, the following
motion, which was carried unanimously : —

"This meeting is of opinion, after taking into
consideration the numerous lines of branch
road under the supervision of the Divisional
Board, and the limited income at their dis-
posal, that it is a waste of public money to
keep up an establishment of paid officers
whereby the small income of the Board is
frittered away without any benefit to the
public. L'nder these conditions the meeting
resolves not to elect any more Commissioners
for the present."

The Council Re-Established.

The interval that now ensued lasted for no less
than fourteen months, during which time the
affairs of the district w'ere managed by the Central
Board at Capetown. No othe.- course could be
adopted, for the people, as we have seen, refused
to elect representatives. Uitenhage set an example
to the rest of the Colony, and the agitation for
Separation became stronger and stronger. At
length the Government became increasingly
alarmed, and as a means of pacifying the indignant
public they introduced legislation with powers,
in some respect, similar to those possessed by the
old Courts of Heemraden. This somewhat cleared
the horizon, for it was evident that the day was
not far distant when the Councils would be allowed
to spend the money themselves upon their own
districts.

The first meeting of the new b ja.d took place
on I Ik- 7lh of November, 1855. -"^^ ^^'1' l''^' 'f'"-"'"

riTEXHAGE PAST AXD PRESENT.

beied, the original name of the institution was the
Board of Public Roads. This was altered later on
to Divisional Road Board, and it w-as not until the
re-establishment above referred to that the present
name was adopted. The chairman signed as
President until the end of 1856. From that time
until now there has never been a break in the
history of the Council. The members present at
the first meeting in November, 1855, were Messrs.
Armstrong, Humm. Smith, Muller. and Bellingan ;
Mr John Centlivres Chase was the president or
chairman, and Mr. J. P. Tennant secretary. The
latter official was appointed collector of the rates
due to the late Road Board at a commission of
2h per cent., and the first Wednesday in each
month was selected as that upon which the usual
meetings should take place. The members of the
late School Committee, together with the Rev. Mr.
De Sauer and Mr. J. Gibson, were invited to
associate with the Council in all matters connected
with schools and education.

A B.4TTLE OF Rates.

The year 1855 had opened gloomily, and as
month succeeded month the general depression
deepened. X severe and protracted drought had
brought ruin upon a great number of farmers, the
crops had failed, the losses amongst horses and
cattle had been enormous, money was scarcer than
it had ever been before, and the natives were
causing a great deal of trouble. In fact there was
every disposition on their part to invade the Colony
again under the leadership of Kreli, and the
Burgher Act was put into operation. In the midst
of all this distress the Divisional Council came
into being once more, and one of the first questions
to be considered was the collection of arrear rates
owing to the late Road Board. These would have
amounted to a sum so considerable as to have been
most welcome to the Council, especially when one
considers the quantity of work to be done. But
the members had then, as they always have had,
the real interests of the people at heart, and in
January, 1856, they accordingly passed a motion
which set forth that in their opinion all arrears of
road rates due to the late Divisional Board and
still owing to the Divisional Council should be
totally cancelled owing to the general distress
arising from losses of cattle and horses during the
past year, and to the general failure of crops that
season. Having thus generously written off the
outstanding debts owing to them, they imposed a
rate of one penny in the £ on all immovable
property in the Division, and at the same time

recommended the Central Road Board to authorise
the compilation of a new- assessment roll, as the
one then in use was taken in 1843 — fifteen years
previously — and was now' incorrect as regarded
the present value of property. This last recom-
mendation, however, was not adopted by the
Central Board, as it could not be done without
special legislative enactment. Three months later,
i.e.. in March, Mr. Bellingan moved and Mr.
Muller seconded that the resolution of the Council
remitting all arrears of road rates be rescinded as
being illegal, unjust, and impoHtic I This was
carried by a majority of one — two voting in
favour of it, one voting ag?.inst, and two declining
to vote at all. But the matter did not end there.
In August Mr. .Armstrong again brought it up, and
succeeded in inducing the Council to cancel its
last resolution. He made a lengthy and eloquent
speech, which was considered to be of such
importance that it is reported in full in tlie minute
book, and occupies several pages. Finally, at a
public meeting held on Christmas Eve, 1856, for
the purpose of discussing the desirabiUty of voting
a rate of id. in the £ for the year that was then
drawing to its close, Mr. Bellingan proposed that
it was unnecessary to vote a new rate while such
considerable arrears of the old rates remained
uncollected. This was carried by an overwhelming
majority— presumably of townspeople — and accord-
ingly at the next meeting of the Divisional Council
(in January', 1858) it was decided unanimously that
the arrears of the rate levied for 1858 be not
collected, but that the amoimt collected, in part,
for that year be returned to the payers, while all
arrears between 1856 and 1858 were to be collected
forthwith.

The Contkol ok the M.aix Ro.^ds.
The control of roads passing through a division
forms one of the main duties of the Council, but as
we have already shown this did not always come
within the scope of that body. In February, 1856,
however, the Colonial Secretary wrote asking
when the Council would be prepared to take over
the main roads, but the reply despatched to Cape
Town was that the Council did not consider that
it embodied the requisite machinery or the
capabilities necessary to an efficient surveillance
and repair of the main roads of the district, as this
class of thoroughfare included the unfinished
Zuurberg Mountain Pass, extending to a much
greater length in this than in almost any other
district. At the same time every assistance was
offered, and in the event of the Government being

I04

UITEXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

determined to relieve the existing Central Board ot
the " road duties" in this part of the Colony, the
Council recommended the establishment of a
similar Board in the Eastern Province for the
performance of main road duties there.

An Echo of the K.\kir W.a.k.
Sir George Grey was undoubtedly one of the
best and wisest Governors this country has ever
had, and when he arrived in South Africa in 1854
lie lound that the Cape was just recovering from a
lengthy and bitter war witti the Kahrs. One of
his schemes for restoring peace and hastening
prosperity was to make the natives work. Accord-
ingly 111 f'eDruary, iciso, the Uitenliage Divisional
Council considered a letter received four monttis
previously trom ttie Colonial Secretary, and passed
a resolution to the ettect that, as it was the object
of His Excellency to attord employment to the
natives ot K.ahrlaucl who might be willing to work,
the Civil Commissioner of the district should De
requested to call the attention of persons residing
in the town and ward ot Citenhage to this method
of obtaining labourers and servants. It was further
suggested that parties desirous of engaging Kahrs
— single or in tamilies — should leave tneir names
and addresses at the Civil Commissioner's Ottice,
to be torwarded to His E.xcellency with a recom-
mendation to use his luHuence in sending out
people tor distriDutiou. I'nis plan woiKed excel-
lently, and large numtsers ot Kahrs came to the
L'lteiihage district, boine ot them are here to-day,
as are also tneir descendants.

The Bukghek acv Exfokced.

As we stated in a previous page, the Katirs were
adojUing a most hostile attitude in 1855. In
Januar)-, 1856, the war spirit, which was thought to
have been effectually crushed tour years previously,
flashed out again and me Burgher Act was put into
operation. Much 01 the work of superintending
the working of the Act lay with the Divisional
Council, Whose duty it was to see that tiie t'leid-
cornets served the requisite Burgher notices upon
all the eligible men within their wards, to consider
and deal with apphcations for exemption from
service against the enemy, etc., etc. The Uiten-
liage Council, under the presidency of Mr. J.
Ceiitlivres Chase, did its work thoroughly, for
aitiiough large numbers of people claimed exemp-
tion On various grounds, very few were successful.
Some of the excuses were decidedly quaint. One
peace-loving individual pleaded unavailingly that
he really could not go to the front because he was

a churchwarden I Another bef»gtd to be let off
because he was the interpreter to the Circuit Court.
It was pointed out, however, that no Circuit Courts
would be held during the war, so that an interpreter
was deemed a ht and pioper person to defend his
country. Those who pleaded " bad leg," " bad
hand," rheumatism and pthisis, were not exempted,
but were put down for ganison duty. " Loss of
one eye" was advanced as a reason for exemption
in quite a number of cases, but in none did it meet
with the desired result.

The election of Burgher officers was authorised
on the 20th May, but it was ordered to be done in
the most convenient and economical manner. The
Divisional Council therefore instructed the Field-
cornets to have the notices served upon the
Burghers by footrunner. The " service" would be
completed if the notice were exhibited to the
Burgher, or to any member of his family in the
case of his absence. The runners were to be paid
3 - a day, but as it was necessary to study strict
economy every care must be exercised to keep
down expenses.

BuKGHEK Officers.
In November the names of the captains and
deputies nominated in accordance with the Act
were laid on the table, and amongst them were the
following : T'Zitzikamma, Captain A. M. van
Niekerk, Deputy J. P. Moolman ; Kromme River,
Captain H. Maynier, Deputy C. S. Rademeyer ;
Zuuranys, Captain H. T. de Bruin, Deputy H. J.
Roussouw ; Zeekoe River, P. J. Human, Deputy
M. J. Moolman ; Zuurbron, Captain Jacob Ziets-
man, Deputy A. Mnnro ; Gamtoos River, Captain
C. J. Ferreira (J's son). Deputy F. A. Gerber
(F's son) ; Hankey, Captain J. Stuurman, Deputy
H. Brinkhuis ; Van Staaden's River, Captain
Theo. C. Scheepers, Deputy G. D. Smith ; Elands
River, Captain A. P. Linge, Deputy J. L. Rauteii-
bach ; Uitenhage, Captain C. G. Marais. Deputy
C. F. Miiller. jun. ; Coega, Captain E. Tunbridge,
Deputy P. L. Ferreira ; Oliphant's Hoek, Captain
J M. Scheepers, Deputy A. M. van Niekerk ;
Zuurberg, Captain J. J. Human, Deputy J. Ferreira;
Sundays River, Captain S. D. Potgieter, Deputy J.
G. Knaap ; Klein Winterhoek, G. C. Snyman,
Deputy H. Fourie ; Great Winterhoek, Captain P.
Krog, Deputy S. J. P. Erasmus. The election of
commandant took place on the 2nd December,
when Mr. Michael A. MuUer was returned as
commandant of the Uitenhage Burghers.

We have now shown what preparations were
made by Uitenhage and the Divisional Council to

UITEXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

105-

carry out the Burgher Act, and how every arrange-
ment was made to repel the expected attack on
the Colony by the Katirs. Everything was ready,
the district was being patrolled, and the invaders
would doubtless have had a warm reception had
they advanced westwards. But the anticipated
hostilities subsided in the most extraordinary and
unlooked for fashion without a shot being tired ; for
the greater part of the Amaxosa nation virtually
committed suicide I Chief Kreli had determined
to leave no stone unturned in order to ensure
victory for his people, and he lighted upon a
desperate device for goading them forward in the
face of whatever odds they might encounter. The
position of the whites had already been strengthened
very materially by the arrival of the British German
legion, which had been disbanded at the end of
the Crimean War, and also by the advent of
troops from Mauritius. That he might counteract
the effects of this intelligence upon his followers
Kreli adopted a plan which eventually not only
failed but which nearly resulted in the total
extermination of the Amaxosa race. A witch
doctor named Umhlakazi announced that he had had
intercourse, by means of visions, with the spirits of
the old warrior heroes N'dlambe, Gaika, and
Hintza, who, it appeared, had been lighting
against the British in the Crimea, and w^ho had
told him that no aid would be received by the
Colonists from their brethren across the water. In
order, however, to propitiate these mighty chiefs,
to cause them to re-appear in the flesh with all
the long-dead warriors of their race, and to obtain
their assistance against the English, it was neces-
sary that the ground should remain unfilled, that
all cattle and sheep must be slain, and every
grain of corn and mealies destroyed. Then on the
i8th of February, 1857, a fearful whirlwind would
sweep the whites into eternity ; the sun, rising
blood red, would suddenly reverse its course at
midday and descend to the east, when vast herds
of magnificent cattle, huge stores of rifles and
ammunition, and an abundance of the choicest food
would appear, while men and women of all ages
would be invested with perpetual youth, and the
whole race would become immortal. The people
believed it ! For months previous to the i8th of
February, 1857, the slaughter went on, grain was
burned, and the soil left unfilled. Famine set in.
The day at last arrived and the delusion was
discovered. Had everything turned out as Kreli
had reckoned upon, the starving savages, rendered
desperate with rage and hunger, would have poured
down upon the Colony in irresistible masses ;

their foes would have been destroyed or driven
out of the land, their flocks and herds seized, their
power broken, and that of the Ama.xosas reinstated
on a firm basis. There can be no doubt that if
the people had only fulfilled Kreli's expectations
the Uitenhage district, amongst others, would have
been the scene of fierce fighting, for it was more
fertile and better stocked than those lying to the
north. Hence, there must have been considerable
anxiety amongst our farmers as to the result of
Umhlakazi's prophecy. But all hope died in the
breasts of the famished and dispirited multitudes.
The prolongation of their own lives was now their
paramount consideration. Thousands upon thou-
sands perished from sheer starvation. They
dragged themselves painfully toward the centres
they had but a few days before hoped to enter in
triumph, and the roads were white with the
bleaching bones of those who succumbed. The
Colonists behaved nobly, and did what they could
for the unhappy wretches. The population of
British Kaffraria had dwindled down from 104,000
to 38,000, of whom some 30,000 took refuge in the
Eastern districts. An Act was passed in June, 1857,
regulating the terms upon which farmers and others
might employ those of the survivors who cared to
enter their employment. Uitenhage came in for its
full share of these homeless wanderers, and there
are not a few of them here to-day who can still
remember and describe the awful scenes which
took place in the early part of 1857. Thus was a
terrible and desperate war averted by the
aggressors themselves, and it was nearly twenty
years before the Burgher Act again came into
operation in the Uitenhage district.

L.V/.\ -AND UXWILLIXG MEMBERS.

For some time the non-attendance of members
had been so frequent as to obstruct public business
to a material degree, and matters at last came to
such a pass that the Council had seriously to con-
sider the best means of rendering regular atten-
dance on the part of its members imperative.
After deliberating on the subject it was at length
agreed that, subject to a favourable opinion from
the Attorney-General on the legality of the remedy,
" any member absenting himself from three conse-
cutive monthly meetings without the sanction of
the Council shall, through such absence, be consi-
dered as having resigned his seat." Furthermore^
in order to obviate the useless and very consider-
able expense incurred in electing persons who
were eventually found to be unwilling to perforin
the duties of member, it was decided at the same

io6

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

meeting (which was the hist held in 1856) " that no
person should be considered as a candidate, or be
voted for, whose consent to stand had not been
duly notified in writing to the polling officer."
These two resolutions are still operative.
\\.^RD Ch.axges.
The population of the district was increasing
slowly but surely, and it gradually began to be felt
that there were not enough tield-cornets to carry
on the work properly. The Civil Commissioner
(Mr. J. C. Chase) therefore suggested that the
wards Zwartruggens and Klein Winterhoek should
be divided into two parts, and that the Sundays
River ward should likewise be dealt with, each of
the four to have its own tield-cornet. This was
agreed to by the Council and eventually carried
into effect.

A New Ro.\d to Gka.\kf-Rei\et.

The matter of constructing a new road to
■Graaff-Reinet had been on the lapis for a long
time. The proposed line of route had been sur-
veyed by the Government Inspector, Mr. Bain,
but an apparently endless series of queries,
objections, suggestions, and complications arose on
the publication of his report. Mr. Stretch —
another inspector — strongly advocated that the
new road should pass from Port Elizabeth to
Graaff-Reinet via the Zuurberg, and the Central
Road Board seemed to favour the idea. The
Divisional Council, which appeared to have been
in a constant state of antagonism toward the Cen-
tral Road Board, instantly objected to the bare
notion of Mr. Stretch's suggestion being con-
sidered. The road must pass through Uitenhage
town as Mr. Bain recommended, or there would
be more trouble. The original route advocated by
that gentleman commended itself to some, but not
to others. It left Uitenhage by the Kabah, pro-
ceeded through Doornkom, leaving Sandfon-
tein and Prentice Kraal considerably to the right,
thence across the Steenboks Vlakte to Botha's
Kraal, thence along the Klein Winterhoek to
Paardepoort and Rietfontein (Government ground
to be reserved there for an outspan), thence to
Rietgat (outspan to be reserved), again to Noors-
doorn Plaats, across the Sundays River, then
through Blignaut's Bay Plaats, Ratels Kloof,
Paardefontein, Hottentotsfontein, and Kruidfon-
tein Flats. Those of our readers who know the
country will be able to judge Mr. B.iin's plan for
themselves. A road which has ever since borne
his name was eventually constructed, but after
leaving the town by the Kabah it led across to

Prentice Kraal, where it joined the present Graaff-
Reinet Road. Towards this latter the Central
Board had agreed to expend the sum of ^1,000,
but later on the Council received a letter from that
body asking what amount the Divisional Councils
of L'itenhage, Port Elizabeth, and Graaff-Reinet
were prepared to contribute towards the further-
ance of the work. Immediately this enquiry was
read to the members in October, 1857, much
indignation was' expressed. As the Secretary's
replv to the Central Board put it, the Council held
that this query virtually contained a proposition
which had never yet been attached to the making
of any main road in the Western Province, and
amounted to a departure from all precedent, viz.
that of appropriating Divisional Council rates for
main road purposes. Finding, however, that both
Port Elizabeth and Graaff-Reinet were in complete
accord with Uitenhage on this matter, the Central
Board wisely dropped it. and in October, 1857. the
road to Prentice Kraal was commenced. When
it reached that point a junction line was made
between the old and the new roads, and thus the
second route to Graaff-Reinet was established — an
undertaking of considerable magnitude half a
century ago.

.\ Dr.astic Step.

It must now be apparent to the reader that the
Divisional Council was far from being merely an
ornamental body in the fifties, but that, on the
other hand, it was accomplishing really useful work
in many different directions. But. while the
members were always prepared to stand up for
their rights when it was necessary to do so. and
while they usually acted upon the defensive, they
on more than one occasion took up a line of attack
that would cause no little astonishment and con-
sternation were it repeated to-day.

For some time past the inhabitants of the
Eastern Province had felt that they were being
more and more ignored by the Cape Legislature,
and their grievances remained un-redressed, their
just desires were pigeon-holed and left unheeded,
their very existence seemed scarcely to be remem-
bered. First they did what they could to improve
matters in this direction, but at last their indignation
degenerated into apathy, and politics became a
dead letter with them. In August, 1837, the Divi-
sional Council took the matter up with its
accustomed vigour, and passed a resolution which
no public body existing at the present day would
ever dream for one moment of considering seriously.
But the state of affairs at that time was. .is we

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

107

have explained, sucli as to warrant the adoption of
a step that is most probably unparalleled in the
annals of Cape history. The following motion was
submitted by Mr. Billingham for the approval of
the Council, and carried unanimously :

"This Council conceives it to be its duty as a
representative body to advise the Executive
of the opinion entertained by their con-
stituents respecting the position of the
Eastern Province with regard to its assumed
representation in the Legislative Council,
where recent events have proved it to have
no efficient and reliable influence, and which
has induced an indifference to the privileges
of electing members to the Legislature.
This is evidenced by the fact that no requi-
sition has been made by any part of this
division to induce representatives to attend
the Colonial Parliament in Cape Town, and
the Divisional Council believes it to be its
duty to recommend its constituents to
abstain from registering their votes at the
ensuing election."
In other words, not a single individual in the
Uitenhage division had offered himself, or had been
asked to offer himself, as a candidate for legislative
honours, and if one had been bold enough to do so
the Divisional Council would immediately have
circularised the whole of the electors and advised
them not to vote for him 1

e interesting, as they
which the old division
in value during the
i9 :

CoMP.\KATivE Value of Fixed Pkopektv

The following figures ar
clearly indicate the extent to
of Uitenhage had improved
period between 1844 and I1S5

WARD.

Uitenhage Town . . . .

Uitenhage W.ird

TZitzik.imma )

Zuuranys i

Kromnie River \

Zeekoe River )

Ganitoos River )

Zuiirlwnn

Hankey )

Van Sta.ldcns Kiver )

Elands River i

Coefia

Sundays River )

Great Winterlioek [

Klein Winterhoek )

Voor Baviaans Kloof I

Van Baviaans Kloof J " '

Zw.trt Ruggens . .

Riel River

Total Valuation for 1844 . . £173.350 1S5V . . j.'S25,8io

General Progress.

The year 1865 was an important one in the
history of the Divisional Council, for several
material changes were effected in the working of
that body. The first and most important was that

1S44.

185<I.

TiiiAr..

37.420

±ll2.4.x3 .

t" 2.433

13.61. ^

32.15.^ (
20,72.'; »

52.SS0

I3.0,TO

10.575 (

2I.110)

65.423

17,08a

34.425
c»,ooo)
4I.0.W (
14,100 )

145,535
.55.1.50

iy.3.so

42,280
40,400 )

42.280

11.780

36..300 <
28,643)

105.345

io,7<P

30.725 )
16.3.56 j

47.075

«.475

79.7.56

[ 1.300

.56,788

56,788

the maintenance and repair of the main roads was
transferred from the charge of the Government to
the Council itself on the ist of January, 1865. The
new duties in this direction had to be undertaken
at the shortest notice, and when funds were at
their lowest ebb, and a heavy outlay had to be
incurred in the purchase of carts, mules, harness,
spades, &c. — these items alone amounting to a
sum of ;^45o. At this time there were 260 miles
of main and 250 miles of branch roads to be kept
in repair. The departmental system was the lirst
to be tried, and it is a record that the result of this
plan was that the repairs had been done more
efliciently and at less cost than would have been
th'e case had the contract system been adopted.

Tolls

were established diu'ing the year at \'an Staaden's
Heights, at the Upper and Lower Zwartkops
Drifts, Coega Kamma, Prentice Kraal, and
Roodewahl. Two of these were upon branch
roads and the rest upon main roads. These
sources of revenue yielded ^255 17s. 2d. from
branch roads, and £if)'j2 14s. 3d from main
roads, giving a total of _^i,328 lis. sd. The
payment of initial expenses and salaries left a net
revenue of ^521 from tolls, but as the cost of the
erection of toll houses and gates, £26"/, would
not be incurred again, the toll revenue was
computed at ;^8oo per annum. The gross receipts
from the roads for the year were ;^4,764, while
the expenditure chaigecl to this item amounted
to ^5,415-

Pounds.

Another change was inaugurated with regard
to the pounds. Hitherto the impounded cattle,
&c., had been sold at the places where they were
confined, but by bringing them to town, and
submitting them to public auction on the Market
Square, more competition was secured, and
therefore better prices were realised. The net
proceeds of pound sales during the year was _^i55,
as against the average of ;^ioo in previous years.

CKt)WN" Land.

The Crown Land question was a very vexed
one in the sixties, and it was prolonged for many
years after once it had been started. There were
more vacant Crown Lands in the Uitenhage
division than in any other in the Colony, and great
numbers of applications were received for grants
thereof. The farmers undoubtedly had a real
grievance against the Government, for after they
had paid the requisite deposit for surveys and

io8

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

-diagrams, inspections were made in the usual way—
at the applicant's expense, of course — and there the
matter ended until years and years had elapsed,
and in very many cases the legal right of occupancy
was never given. Hence, the money spent by the
unfortunate applicant might as well have been
thrown into the sea. Judging by what we can
gather from the innumerable letters of complaint
and remonstrance received hy the Divisional
■Council from disappointed and indignant farmers,
it would appear that the regulations for the lease
and sale of Crown Lands had not been made
applicable to the Uitenhage district. The Council
were powerless to do anything but protest against
the unjust line of action that continued to be
pursued by the Government. " This unaccount-
able delay," they said in their annual report, " has
caused much disapprobation, and in no part of the
Colony does squatting prevail to so great an extent
as here. It is not to be wondered at that, under
the circumstances, cattle and sheep stealing are
the crimes which contribute most largely to the
Circuit calendar."

In the following year the Council again urged
the Government to lease or sell the Crown Lands
in the district, as it was unjust to those who had
applied and deposited expenses to delay any
longer. Coloured squatters and others were
encouraged to occupy land, their stock increased
far more rapidly than it could from natural causes,
while that of the farmer decreased accordingly.
In short, the matter was rapidly becoming a most
intolerable nuisance, for stock theft was continually
on the increase. Much discontent existed in con-
sequence, and many farmers were preparing to
leave a country where they had no protection
against that thieving which the leasing of Crown
Lands would check. The Council also pointed out
to the Government that owing to drought, cattle
diseases, etc., there was great poverty in the
district amongst persons affluent a few years pre-
viously, and further taxation would seem insupport-
able. But the disposal of Crown Lands would produce
a considerable revenue. The grievance, however^
still continued, and the Government threw every
obstacle in the way of the lands being sold or
leased; and it was with the utmost difficulty that
people who had paid heavy deposits, and who had
incurred considerable expenses under the heads of
survey, diagrams, inspections, etc., years before,
could obtain permission to take up their abode on
what was virtually their own ground. The appli-
cations were first made through the Divisional
•Council, the deposit paid to that body, and for-

warded by it to the Government, together with a
recommendation, favourable or otherwise. We
shall see later on how the matter was eventually
settled.

NivEx's Drift.

This was constructed in 1866, but was then
known as the Cuyler Street Causeway. Mr. Niven
agreed to do the work at a cost of ;^35. The
Municipal Commissioners had agreed to pay
£1"] 10s. towards this, but they subsequently
wrote the Divisional Council asking that this
amount might be foregone, as they already had in
hand the construction of another road across the
river from the foot of Baird Street, and could
hardly meet the cost of it. The Divisional Council
repHed stating that as the Cuyler Street Causeway
had cost over ;^ioo instead of ;^35 — Mr. Niven's
original estimate — the £1"] los. must be paid.
This was eventually done, but not without, a con-
siderable amount of grumbling on the part of the
Municipality.

Tk.amw.ays.

If Uitenhage was not great in size in 1866 it
certainly was ambitious, for toward the close of
that year the Divisional Council appointed a
special committee to ascertain whether tramways
could not be borrowed or purchased either from
the Government or from the Port Elizabeth Har-
bour Board. Replies, however, were received
from the Colonial Secretary and Mr. Thos.
Wormald, Secretary to the Harbour Board of Port
Elizabeth, stating that they had not at their
disposal any material for tramways.

The Circuit Court.

Retrenchment was the order of the day with
the Government in 1867, and in order to save
additional expenditure Uitenhage was omitted
from the Circuit Court list at the beginning of the
year, the session taking place in Port Elizabeth
instead. The Divisional Council petitioned the
Governor to re-instate the town on the list, but he
refused. After the judge had left Port Elizabeth,
therefore, the Council passed a resolution stating
that, as great public loss and inconvenience had
been caused by the removal of the court from Uiten-
hage to Port Elizabeth, they would take the stun
of ^75 from the pound fee fund and send it to the
Registrar of the Eastern Districts Court for the
purpose of defraying the expenses of the judge
and his staff when next they visited the town.
Mr. Mosel, a member of the Council, was dejmted
to carry out the necessary arrangements for the

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

109

circuit accommodation. The Government refused
to accept this suggestion on the part of the
Council, and the ne.xt Circuit was set down as
inckiding Uitenhage and Port EHzabeth — to be
held in the latter town. Telegrams were at once
sent to Mr. Tennant, M.L.A., and to Mr. Justice
Denyssen himself, laying the position before them,
and asking them to do all in their power to have a
day fixed for the hearing of Uitenhage cases in
this town. A deputation, consisting of Messrs.
Tennant, Solomon, and Pilkington, then waited
upon the Governor, who eventually granted their
petition.

S.\LE OF Tolls.

In 1868 the sale of tolls was attended with the
most gratifying results, and the prices realised
show how great the traffic on the roads must have
been in those days. The toll at Coegakamma
Kloof was sold to Mr. Vermaak for X219, that at
Van Staadens to ^Ir. Isaac Newton for ^340, the
one at Coegas Kop to Mr. Pearcy for ;^700, and
that at Prentice Kraal to Mr. W. Gibbon for ^410.
The total therefore amounted to no less than
;^i,669. In every case the amount realised
far exceeded the sum anticipated by the Council,
and the Committee appointed to supervise the sale
stated in their report that it was now clearly shown,
beyond any doubt, that the putting up of these
tolls to public competition was most satisfactory to
all parties, and the only course by which the
Council and the public were gainers to a con-
siderable sum.

The Sun'd.ays River Fekry.

For many years those who had cccasion to
cross the Sundays River were ferried over in a
punt, which was situated close to the spot where
the Mackay Bridge now stands. The ferrv was
leased by the Divisional Council at an annual
rental of ^300, and the lessees appear to have
done fairly well out of it for a considerable time.
They eventually became insolvent, however, and
on the "lease of the waterway," as it was called,
being submitted to public competition, it was pur-
chased by Mr. R. \V. Metelerkamp, the sum being
_^300 per annum. But the former owners declined
to give up possession and a law suit ensued. The
Supreme Court eventually granted an order com-
pelling them to surrender the waterway to the new
lessee. The old punt had to be removed and the
new one formally taken across the river by 2
o'clock in the afternoon of the jgth of September,
1869. This was not so easily accomplished as it
might have been, for the former owners fiercely

opposed every step in the operations. Mr.
Attorney D'urban Dyason conducted the proceed-
ings at the river, and from his description of the
scene it would appear that matters all but cul-
minated in a free fight. The former lessees
refused to move their punt, or to allow it to be
touched. The assistance of the road party was
then procured, and they acted as a guard while
the ferry was unmoored and removed to a spot
lower down the river. The new punt was then
got in readiness for its first passage, but the former
lessees and their men charged down on it and
endeavoured to cut the tow ropes. They were
repelled by the road party, who attempted to duck
their opponents in the water. Eventually, how-
ever, the punt swung out into midstream, with one
or two passengers on board, and legal possession
was thus established. This mode of transferring
travellers and vehicles across the river continued
until 1895, when the Mackay Bridge was opened.
The trouble did not end there, however, for legal
negociations with regard to damages, compensation,
etc., etc., continued for many months. The Ferry
Committee eventually offered on behalf of the
Council to compromise in the case brought against
that body by the insolvents, but the Council
absolutely refused to confirm their action, and
passed a vote of censure upon the Committee for
the unauthorised steps they had taken in the
matter. The members of this Committee then
left the room, and for two months no meetings
could be held, owing to their non-attendance — the
requisite quorum being five. Later on, however,
the case came to a head, the former lessees of the
ferry agreeing to pay the sum of ;^5oo (rent of
ferry and costs of suit).

The J.axsen'ville Bridge.

The matter of constructing a bridge across the
Sundays River, on the Graaff-Reinet road, was
occupying the attention of Government in 1872,
and it was proposed to erect one at Noorsdoorn
Plaats, but the Council pointed out that the banks
of the Drift there were frequently overflown during
Hoods, and rendered impassible for traific. They
suggested, however, that in their opinion a much
more suitable site would be found at Jansenville,
and they strongly recommended that the bridge be
constructed there. This action was cordially
supported by the public, but there was nevertheless
some opposition to it, owing to the fact that, if the
Jansenville site were selected, the road to Graaff-
Keinet would be diverted. The Government was
appealed to, and upheld the suggestion to carry

UITEXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

the main road througli Janseaville village, instead
of across Noorsdoorn Plaats. The Graaff-Reinet
Council concurred in this view, and in the face of
some opposition it was decided to apply for the
deviation to be made and considered as a Divi-
sional Road. In April, 1873, the Commissioner of
Crown Lands and Public Works wrote stating
that the reasons advanced by the Divisional Coun-
cils of Graaft-Reinet and of Uitenhage appeared
sufficient to warrant a change in the site of the
bridge, provided the cost of constructing it at
Jansenville would not far exceed the cost of that
originally contemplated at Noorsdoorn Plaats.
The approaches were commenced under the
supervision of Mr. Osborne, C.E., early in 1874.
District Police- Fokck.
Owing to the great increase in stock thefts and
other crimes peculiar to natives, the Divisional
Council decided in October. 1873, that a Mounted
Police Force should be organised in the district.
The Government, on being applied to, stated that
the cost would amount to £go per man, and that
the maintenance of fourteen would therefore cost
Xi,26o per annum. To this amount the Council
agreed to contribute one-third, namely, ^420,
yearly, and the force was thereupon established.
It was subsequently augmented by a number of
coloured constables, both mounted and unmounted.
The Divisional Cocxcil Offices.
In 1874 the Council purchased for the sum of
_£"i5o the piece of ground in Caledon Street on
which the offices now stand.
Police.
In October, 1874, the Resident Magistrate of
Jansenville wrote stating that although his district
contained but two tield-cornets, there were only
two Divisional Policemen there ! It was then
resolved to increase the force and to appoint the
then Road Inspector (Mr. Clarke) Inspector of the
Divisional Police as well. At the end of the year
the force was distributed as follows : Uitenhage
four mounted police, Kleinpoort one mounted and
two foot, Bucklands one mounted and one foot,
Jansenville four mounted and two foot. The
Council supplied these men with mounts, equip-
ment, and uniforms, for which £^ per month
was stopped from the pay of each man. Four of
the men were continually on patrol from farm to
farm, and they had to obtain the signatures of
the farmers and report themselves at regulai"
intervals to head-quarters. Since the establishment
of this body cases of theft. <Jcc., have greatly
diminished

A New Pontoon".

The old pont at Sundays River sank in 1874, it
having been washed down the river by a great storm,
and at the beginning of 1875 the Government
informed the Divisional Council that the new pontoon
was completed and would be sent round by the
steamer. It had been built in Capetown, and was
one hundred feet long, si.xteen feet broad, con-
structed of teak, metal sheathed, and independent
of flaps. It was, of course, dispatched in sections,
which were numbered so as to facilitate its being
put together. It was launched on the 21st of
May. 1875, '^y ^^'- Gie, the .\cting Chairman of
the Council, and was christened the C. A. Smith.
Two months later, however, the river rose suddenly
and the pontoon broke loose from her moorings.
She drifted down the river and eventually grounded
on the bar. Next morning she was found high
and drj- on the beach, about 150 vards from the
river.

A sub-committee was immediately appointed by
the Divisional Council at a meeting specially con-
vened for the purpose, and the members thereupon
proceeded to the scene of the disaster. They
found the superintendent and his assistants up to
their knees in mud getting a heavy passenger cart
on to the small pontoon, and when this had been
accomplished they rowed six miles down the river
to the spot where the pont was stranded. It was
lying on the beach below high water mark, quite
full of water, which was spouting through breaches
in her sides. .\ Government expert then arrived,
and recommended that the structure be at once
taken to pieces, as it could not possibly be
re-floated as it then was. All traffic, except such
as could be conveyed across the river on the small
pont, was suspended. The Committee then took
evidence at great length, and attributed the escape
of the pont to three causes — the treacherous nature
of the river, the immense length and height of the
pontoon, and the omission of the superintendent
to anchor it securely on the night of the disaster.

De.vih of Mk. Mosel.
One of the most popular and indomitable
members of the Council, in the person of Mr.
Julius Mosel, died in the early part of 1875, and he
was sadly missed and mourned by all who knew
him.

The Divisional Coi"ncil Buildings.

The buildings at present occupied by the
Divisional Council were completed in June, 1875,
and it was generally felt that they ought to have
been erected ten years previously, when the

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

maintenance of the main roads was placed among
the duties of this useful public body. However
an institution with an annual expenditure of from
six to eight thousand pounds, and responsible for
the maintenance of from eight to nine hundred
miles of road, could have carried on its work for
ten years without an office of its own, is beyond
comprehension.

The new building provided all the accommoda-
tion that was required for the effective and
economical working of the Council. Firstly there
is a spacious room in which the Council meetings
are held, and it is always open to those of the
public who have a right to attend the deliberations
of their own Divisional Parliament. Hitherto, as
we have already shown, the place of meeting had
been the old Court House, and, although it is
recorded that the representatives of the Govern-
ment were always courteous and obliging, the
arrangement seriously interfered with the business
both of the Council and the Government.

Next, in the present building there are offices
for the Secretary and the Inspector of Roads.
Prior to the opening, the only place where the
Secretary could transact his business and stow
away his papers was a little, ill-ventilated, and
badly lighted apartment into which obstinate juries
used to be shut and smothered into submission.
It was literally not large enough to swing a cat
round, even had the secretary had time and desire
to indulge in that kind of recreation ; and yetin this
office rates to the amount of thousands were annuallv
paid, and whenever the room was required for its
legitimate use, which was very frequently, the
secretary was bundled out with his papers, and
the business of the office was suspended. As for
the inspector, he had no office at all. In 1875,
however, this state of affairs was changed, and
both these officials were provided with spacious
and comfortable offices, where thev could arrange
their papers, and put things into that order without
which it is next to impossible to conduct an
extensive and important business.

.Another very important part of the newlv-erected
buildings was the stabling, the cart sheds, and the
store-houses. The annual loss to the Council for
want of these places must have amounted to many-
times the interest on the cost of putting up these
buildings. In the first place, the Council at that
time employed a great number of mules and Scotch
carts, and had been large purchasers of forage.
For the want of a place to store forage a system of
purchase that can only be described as a " from
hand to mouth " one had to be adopted. Now,

however, the inspector, or whoever bought forage
for the Council, was able to avail himself of a cheap
market, and to lav in a stock. The annual saving
from this source alone was very considerable.
Next come the stables. Hitherto, when mule
drivers from country road parties came to town
there was no stable for their animals, the mules
had to be turned out, and the drivers went to their
friends in the location. The result of this was the
frequent loss of mules by the Council.

Then there are the cart sheds, tool sheds, etc.
The only store-room hitherto at the disposal of the
Council was a sort of superanuated black hole in
the prison ; and although the Governmeht exacted
no rent for this place, yet it cost the Council an
annual gratuity to the gaoler, who, to a certain
extent, was custodian of as many articles as could
be bundled into this cell.

Altogether the building is a distinct acquisition
to the town and district. Foremost amongst those
who were instrumental in bringing it into existence
was the late Mr. Mosel, and it is interesting to note
that, as a mark of appreciation of his long and
valuable public services, and as a singularly
appropriate recognition of the interest he took in
the work of erecting the present Divisional Council
Offices, a sum of money was subscribed for a life-
sized oil painting of him, and this portrait now
hangs in the assembly room.

The first meeting of the Council in the new
building took place on the i6th of July, 1875, and
it has been used for this purpose ever since.

Opening ok the J.^nsenville Bridge.

The opening of the Jansenville Bridge on the
25th of April, 1875, may be regarded as one of the
greatest events that has ever taken place in the
midland districts. It was the inauguration of the
first public work of any magnitude in these parts,
and of the first bridge over that furious, dangerous,
and treacherous torrent, the Sundavs River. Statis-
tics were compiled by the merchants of Port Elizabeth
and subsequently criticised in Parliament, showing
that more traffic passed over the road to Graaff-
Reinet than over any line in the Colony, and it will
therefore be seen, even at this distant date, that
the opening of this bridge was an event that
interested Port Elizabeth, Graaff-Reinet, and the
districts beyond, quite as much as it did Uitenhage.

The structure is a truly noble one, and spans
the river just above the drift near the public
buildings. It stands so high above the banks as to
form a prominent object as one approaches the
village, and, before the water reaches it, the flood

UITENHAGE PAST AXD PKESEXT.

must rise so high that h:iH' the town of Jansenville
will be inundated.

The opening function was an interesting one,
and the structure was most tastefully decorated for
the occasion with Hags and bunting and appro-
priate mottoes. Mrs. Maskew, wife of the engineer,
proclaimed the bridge open for public traffic in
the name of the Government, and performed the
christening ceremony by breaking a bottle of
champagne.

A few facts relating to the bridge will be
interesting. The preUminary surveys were com-
menced by Mr. de Smit in October, 1873. In
December' the first working party arrived under
Mr. Laurence, and a good deal of time was
necessarily spent in building barracks for
the men and in excavating for the pier. When
Mr. Jardine took over the works in August,
1874, only half the pier had been com-
pleted. In December, 1874, a month rendered
ever memorable for its floods and the destruction
of bridges, the Sundays River rolled down its
angry waters and threatened to overwhelm the
village. But the Jansenville bridge, unfinished
though it was, withstood the stream magnificently,
although the waters dashed on and over the pier,
and while other structures were washed away
wholesale, this one stood fast. The stone
work was found to be perfectly secure,
and the only loss sustained was some ;^io
worth of tools. Then for four months all
work ceased while the bridges at Cookhouse
and Tarka were being repaired. Meanwhile, the
iron structure arrived from England, and, to the
credit of the Jansenville carrying trade, the whole
of the iron (no tons) was delivered in one
month, without a single accident or dispute, at a
cost of ;^743. The difficult job of " launching ''
the bridge was performed without mishap, and the
structure was at last completed and declared open
The cost of the bridge was ;^8,35o, which was
;f 1,700 less than the estimated expense.

Pekiouical Wool Sales.

The woolwashing industry was at its best in the
seventies, and in February, 1876, Mr. Philpott,
Chairman of the Council, moved that the time had
arrived when periodical wool sales should be held
in Uitenhage, and that steps should be taken to
establish the same. He had been told by a leading
merchant of Port Elizabeth that this was a step
fitenhage ought to take. But at that time a con-
siderable amount of bitterness, or rather of jealousy,
existed between the two towns, and the Chairman

intimated that although the Port Elizabeth people
believed Uitenhage ought to hold these sales, it
would be a long time before they hinted that such
a step should be adopted.

L'lTEXHAGE A BOKOL-GH.

At the same meeting of the Council a resolution
was passed in favour of taking the requisite steps
to incorporate Uitenhage as a borough.

The heavy rains in the beginning of 1876 did
tremendous damage to the roads, and the Council
almost despaired of getting them into a state of
proper repair again. The Inspector declared that
an additional Xi.ooo would have to be voted if the
thoroughfares of the district were to be put to
rights. At this juncture Mr. Paterson intimated
that he was willing to contract for maintaining the
whole of the roads for ^4,500 per annum, and this
offer w-as warmly supported by Mr. H. W. Bidwell,
who pointed out that this tender was ^400 less
than the cost in the previous year, and would save
them ^^1,400 in the succeeding year. His motion
that this tender be accepted was lost, however, and
the old system adverted to.

In 1876 Mr. Cooke, the Inspector of Roads,
resigned his position, after many years' service.
The reason of his leaving the Council's employ was
that the office of Inspector of Divisional Police had
been abolished, and that his income was reduced
to A'300 per annum. This, coupled with the great
amount of travelling he had to do — 400 miles per
month — and the indifferent state of his health,
rendered his resignation necessary. He was
succeeded by Mr. Judd, who had until then acted
as Stationmaster at Sandflats. He had previously
tilled a similar situation in Illinois, U.S A., and he
was selected by the Divisional Council out of twenty-
one applicants. In October, however, he dis-
appeared. The Uilenlmgc Tiiius said the prevailing
opinion was that he had postponed his return sine
die. It was to be hoped, remarked the paper, that
the Council's next selection might be made from
the ranks of local talent.

The Capital of the Eastern Pkovixce.

When the question of Separation was on the
lapis, there was one matter which occasioned a
tierce dispute, and that was the prospective capital
of the Eastern Province. Grahamstown claimed
the honour, but Uitenhage believed herself entitled
to it. The case for both was set forth with great
minuteness on either side, and here is the one
submitted by Uitenhage. It was written in 1877
by Mr. John Paterson. M.L.A. He begins by

UITEXHAGE PAST AXD PKESEXT.

stating that L'itenhage was the only proper place
for the purpose, and was placed in a situation
marked out by Xature herself. The more he
became acquainted with the geography of the
country, and all its varied relationships, the more
he became convinced that his first favourable
opinion of Uitenhage as the most suitable site for
the seat of Government was well considered and
strictly correct.

The l'iTEXH.\GE .\xi) Port Ei.iz.\beth Divi-
sional COCNXILS.

As time went by. the work of the Divisional
Council became more and more extended ; but the
records of the proceedings become less and less
interesting the nearer they approach to the present
day. The minutes consist mostly of humdrum
particulars regarding such subjects as roads,
drains, pounds, &c., &c., and, therefore, we may
now pass on more rapidly than we have hitherto
done.

In 1878 there was a considerable amount of
feeling rife as to the position occupied by the
Uitenhage and Port Elizabeth Divisional Councils.
The subsidy paid to the former by the seaport
Council had been withdrawn, and it was generally
felt in Uitenhage that this ought to be restored.
Our local body certainly had a grievance. They
commenced the business of 1879 with a debit
balance of ;^i,492 2s. 6d., while the Port Elizabeth
Council boasted a cicdit balance of over £2,000.
The length of roads under the charge of the
Uitenhage Council was 580 miles, while the length
of roads under the charge of the Port Elizabeth
Council was only 30 miles. The value of the ti.xed
property in Uitenhage district as assessed for
rating purposes was i;865,753, while that in the Port
Elizabeth division amounted to ^1,364,794. Thus
in the division of Uitenhage every ^1,492 worth
of property was chargeable with the maintenance
of a mile of road, while in Port Elizabeth every
^45,493 worth of property was chargeable with a
mile of road. Hence, the burden borne bv the
Uitenhage ratepayer was just thirty times that of
liis Port Elizabeth neighbour ! A rate of id. in
the £ in Uitenhage produced ^3,617, which,
•divided amongst the 580 miles of road, gave
£6 4s. 8d. per mile, while, on the other hand, a
rate of id. in the £ in Port Elizabeth produced
_£'5,686 I2S. lod., which, divided amongst the 30
miles of road, gave ;^i89 lis. per mile. The rates
in the Uitenhage division were extremelv difticult
and expensive to collect, for the population was a
Jittle over three to the square mile — and the district

was 6,233 square miles in e.xtent, and the people
were mostly in poor circumstances. The neigh-
bouring division, however, was only 251 square
miles in extent, the population was nearly 58 to
the square mile, and the ratepayers were mostly
well-to-do. Again, Port Elizabeth had three tolls,
or one to every ten miles of road, while Uitenhage
had only seven tolls — or one to every eighty-three
miles. Some of these latter were so unproductive
that they had to be abandoned, while the former,
being near a large centre, produced large revenues.
And after taking all these points into consideration,
we come to the point that galled the Uitenhage
people more than anything. They had practically
no interest in the roads thev were forced to
maintain under such adverse conditions, for of the
580 miles of road in the division 230 were main
roads traversed almost exclusively by wagons to
and from Port Elizabeth, by carriers who were
not even ratepayers of Uitenhage I What wonder
then that there arose a strong agitation for the
restoration of the subsidy of ^480 which the
Port Elizabeth Council had hitherto paid to the
Uitenhage Council to assist in maintaining these
roads ? But Port Elizabeth was stubborn in this
matter, and absolutely refused to restore the
subsidy.

The Rawsox Bkidge.
About two miles above the spot where the
Zwartkops pours its flood into the sea there for-
merly stood a wooden viaduct named, after
the Colonial Secretary under whose administra-
tion it was constructed — the Ra\\;son Bridge. It
did good service in its day. Half the materials of
which the then frontier towns were built crossed
it, and a great part of the permanent way of the
Xorth Eastern Railway passed over its work-worn
deck. On Xew Year's Day, 1865, the Main Roads
Act, which was said to be " part of the price paid
to the Governor, Sir Philip Wodehouse, for flatter-
ing Grahamstown by holding Parliament in that
city," came into operation, and the privilege of
keeping all the main roads in repair was conferred
upon the ratepayers or landowners of the Colon v ;
the control of them was removed from the Central
Road Board, who were accused of spending all
the revenue on the roads near the Metropolis, thus
proving themselves to be very literally a Central
Road Board to the local Divisional Councils. At
that time the Government was hard up. Many
efforts had been made to " strike oil " in new
sources of ta.xation, but without success ; and
under the advice of Mr. Rawson W. Rawson, to
whom the old bridge was indebted for its beins

UITEXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

and its name, the Grahamstown Parliament
accepted the control of the Main Roads and the
expense of that control, which by relieving
Government of the burden gave it an equivalent
to several thousand pounds per annum. This said
Main Roads Act contained one clause under which
the tolls paid to any ferry plying between two
divisions were to be divided equally between the said
two divisions. Rawson's Bridge connected the
divisions of Uitenhage and Port Elizabeth, and the
DivisiojiaJ Council of Port Elizabeth, believing that
the spirit, if not the letter, of the Act applied to
bridges as well is to ferries, invited the Divisional
Council of L'itenhage to take part with them in
leasing the tolls of the said bridge, and for many
years the revenues thus derived was equallv divitled
between the two Coiuicils.

A Law Suit.
This equable state of affairs continued until one
of the Bay Councillors conceived the idea of ques-
tioning the right, under the Act, of L'itenhage's
participating in the bridge revenue. .An ac'ioii at
law followed, the Port Elizabeth Council being the
plaintiffs. Surveyors were set to work. Old
boundary proclamations were unearthed, and Mr.
Justice Fitzpatrick, after a personal inspection of
the bridge itself, decided that the whole of the
structure was in the Uitenhage division, and, as the
plaintifts had so clearly proved that the ferry clause
could not apply to a bridge. His Lordship hoisted
them with their own petard by declaring the entire
bridge revenue to be the e.xclusivc property of
L'itenhage I

PoKr Eliz.aki; rH Appeals Sixcessfi-lly.
-At that time there was a superstition amongst
Eastern litigants that an appeal to the Supreme
Court against a decision given in a court of this
province was pretty sure to be successful. Whether
this idea was groundless or not, an appeal from Mr.
Justice Fitzpatrick's judgment to the Supreme
Court resulted in a total reversal of that judgment,
and from then onwards L'itenhage ceased to have
any share in the bridge beyond the liability to keep
its Eastern approach — an expensive causeway — in
order.

The Rawson Bridge Swept Away.
In this extremity the L'itenh.age Council were
compelled to erect another toll in their division
ne.ir the bridge. Then came a tremendous Hood— so
tremendous, indeed, that the old worm-eaten piles
5n;ipped, .ind, "with an expiiing groan like a
iannonade," as the i'iU-iili,i>;c- 'J Inns described it.

'' the old Rawson Bridge was swept, if not into
eternity, into its emblem — the oce.in." This was
in 1874.

The Railway Bridge.

The Railway Bridge near this spot, however,
was then nearly completed, and it was thought by
some that as the railway would cariT the majority
of the traffic a pontoon might serve to carry the
balance. But the Port Elizabeth Council, having
more taxing resomces and a smaller mileage of
roads to maintain than any other division in the
Eastern Province, had a large accumulated balance
in the bank, and so, after paying the Uitenhage
Council the compliment of inviting them to bear
half the cost of a new bridge (which offer was of
course declined) persistently importuned the
Government, through Mr. Mackay, until they con-
sented to reconstruct the bridge on the £ for £
principle. In other words, half the cost of the
liridge was to be paid out of the general revenue
and half out of the heavy balance of the Bay
Council.

The Wylde Bridge Opexed.

The result of all this was the splendid sttuctine
winch was opened on Saturday, the 27th of
September, 1879, and which was baptised with a
bottle of champagne by its namesake and sponser
(the then Magistrate of Port Elizabeth) "Wylde
Bridge." The bridge is a Hne iron structure 350
feet in length, and it stands on iron cylinder piers
filled with concrete. The girders are of iron, and the
deck of good, sound teak. It was designed in the
Colonv, and manufactured by Messrs Westwood,
Bailey it Co., an eminent London hrm of con-
tractors. The piers are circular in form, and are so
far apart that there is no fear of driftwood accu
mulating in any further Hoods, and so bearing against
the structure. Moreover, the pillars are carried
right down to the lied-rock, so that there is every
hope ot the bridge being able to resist any rush
of water which may take place. The engineers in
whose hands was placed the responsilile operation
of " Hoating " the massive girders into their places
were Messrs. Greer & Jarvis. This was the first
instance in which bridge girders had ever been
Hoated into position in South Africa, and it was
also the hist time that an iron bridge had ever been
designed in Cape Colony. The plans were drawn
out bv Mr. Greer. The total cost was about
^'8,000, to which sum the Government contributed
_^"'4,ooo. The opening function took place
in fnie weather, when there was a large
attendance of the public present. The com-

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

pany incliicled Messrs. Philpott (C.C. & R.M.
of L'iteiilKi.tje), R. E. Wright, C.E., Captain
R. \V. Smitli (Secretaiy of the Divisional Council of
I'itenhage), and Mr. Thornton, C.E. ; Mr. Wylde
(C.C. of Port Elizabeth), the members of the
Divisional Conncil of that place, Mr. Fforde
(Chief Inspector of Pnblic Works), Messrs,
Geard, M.LC. Paterson. Wallcer, Reid,
and .Macl.ay, M.L..\.'s, and many others.
The baptismal bottle of " Monopole " was poured
over the strncture, and Mr. Wylde then said : In
the name of the Divisional Council of Port P21iza-
beth I take over this bridge from the Public Works
Department in full faith and trust that it is well and
truly made. I declare it open, and I trust it may
be conducive to traffic and generally advantageous
to the trade of this and other divisions. Further,
by the desire of the Divisional Council, I call this
" The Wylde Bridge." The company having
paced across the bridge then returned to the
Beaconstield Hotel, where a banquet was held.

Thk C.Ai'K Road.

In 1885 Mr. P. R. Hengh was appointed Secre-
tary, and in the same year the Council took over a
portion of the newly-constructed Cape Road^
which had formerly been merely a sandy track.
It was macadamised from the top of the Gamtoos
River Heights to the western side of the Van
Staaden's Pass. Government, however, re-con-
■structed the road from Green Bushes to the eastern
side of the \'an Staaden's Pass at a later period,
and the Council has maintained this road ever
since at a cost of about X"750 per annum.

Divisional CniNcii. Police.

This boly was re-established in 1886, the staff
•consisting of a sergeant and six men, the former
receiving ^12 per month and each of the latter
;^io. Of this Governme; * paid two-thirds and
the Council one-third. The force in question con-
tinued to do excellent work until the establishment
•of the Cape Police.

The Town Roads.

The agreement which existed between the
Divisional and Town Councils until this year with
regard to the roads passing through the town was
■signed in September, i886, and provided that
certain portions should be placed under the care
of the Divisional Council, while the street portions
^vere left in tiie hands of the Municipalitv.

Grants.

The first grant made by the Divisional Council
was in 1877, when the sum of ;^"i50 was voted
toward tree-planting in Uitenhage. and was
devoted to fencing the Jubilee Park. This was the
forerunner of many grants, and assistance of a
similar nature was given annuallv to the extent of
^'100.

In the same year the Council asked the Govern-
ment to construct the unformed portion of the
Cape Road, /.t\, from Van Staaden's Pass to Green
Bushes. The Government acquiesced, and grants
were made for this purpose from time to time.
The road at present is one in which the hearts of
cyclists delight, as may be proved by the nnnibers
of the devotees to the wheel which use it on
Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

The Uipenhage — .\lenani)kia Boi\1)ai.:v.

In .\pril, 1887, the boundary between .Alexandria
and Uitenhage was altered, and this amounted to
another slice of the Uitenhage division being cut off
and given to .Alexandria.

The Elands Rivek Road.

This important thoroughfare was proclanned a
Divisional Road in lyoo, and the resolution
embodying the change added no less than seventy
miles of road through difticult country to the cares
with which the Divisional Council encumbered.

The Mlnicii'Ai. Roads.

This year (1904) the Town Council broke the
agreement with the Divisional Council with regard
to the roads passing through the Municipality, and
the result was that the Corporation took over the
control of all roads within their jurisdiction. The
Divisional Council came to the assistance i>f the
Town Council, however, and generouslv made a
grant of ^300 per annum toward the cost of
keeping those roads in a state of proper repair.

This brings to an end the history of the
Divisional Council, and we may therefore huiiigly
conclude with a list of those who are still members
of this body.

They are as follows : — Mr. E. J. Philjiott
(C.C. & R.M.), Chairman ; the Hon. J."e. DoUey,
Dr. A. B. Vanes, M.L.A., Mr. T. W. Mills. M.L.A.,
Messrs. D. P. Marais, G. L. %an Niekerk, |. C.
Aiir' .\vs_ H. P. Mattheus, Harcourt Salmon ;
. '■rlniy— Mr. Peter Heugh, J.P. ; Ro,ui Iiisptrlor—
Mr. I. Reus.

ii6

riTKXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

Mr. Peter
Robert Heugli
was born in
H u ni a n s d o r p ,
and is the son of
the late Rev. W.
F. Heugh, who
was for many
years minister of
the Dutch Re-
formed Church
there. Mr. Heugh
was sent to the
Proprietary
School, of Uiten-
hage, when Mr.
Templeton was
the head-master.
Many boys who

distinguished mk r i; nir,.H, jp

themselves in

after life were schoolmates of his, and amongst
them may be mentioned Chief Justice Rose-Innes
and Judge Lange Later, he was sent to Wood-
speen School, in Newbury (Berlcshire), where he
remained for four years. On his return to the
Colony he went to the Diamond Fields, but
afterwards left the diggings and entered the
Public Works Department, where he was clerk to
Mr. Adam Smidt. In 1875 he became Inspector
of Roads to the Uitenhage Divisional Council.
This he held until 1880, when he went farming
at Kabeljouws River. In April, 1885, however, he
again returned to Uitenhage, and was appointed
Secretary to the Divisional Council. He has tilled
this position since then, and his uniform courtesy
has endeared him to all who have ever had
anything to do with him, ofticially or otherwise.
His beautiful farm '' Kamaehs," on which is
the far-famed " Hell's Gate," is still a favourite
resort for picnickers, and we may state here
without fear of contradiction that there are few
men more thoroughly popular in Uitenhage than
Mr. Peter Heugh.

From what we can gatlier from an
Locusts. ancient diary that has been shown to

us the district suffered from a veritable
plague of locusts in 1836. The farmers were
almost in despair, and all sorts of remedies were
tried The most common was the digging of pits
behind which sheets were stretched vertically.
The pests were then driven into the trenches and
buried. It is stated, too, that they made e.xcellent
manure, and thus they were turned to some account
on the land they had laid waste.

The Accession of When the news of Queen
Queen Victoria. Victoria's accession to the

Throne of Great Britain
arrived here the event was celebrated with
every sign of loyal rejoicing. A public holiday
was proclaimed, and a race meeting held, " every
Hag in the dorp being displayed," to quote the
diary of an old Dutch resident who lived here at
that time. A fcii-ilc-joic and the singing of " God
Save the Queen " brought the proceedings to a
close.

The year 1838 was memorable for the
Floods. floods which occurred all over the

district. Greau damage was done in
many localities, and the roads were nearly all
destroyed. More than one house was washed
away, and there was some loss of life.

A Tiger in the The fauna of Uitenhage district
Drostdy. includes many species of wild

animals, but they are not nearly
so numerous now as they were in the olden days.
They were occasionally found within close
proximity of the town in the forties, and on one-
occasion a large tiger made its appearance in the
garden of the Drostdy. This was in 1843, and a
letter describing the affair states that the intruder
entered the poultry j'ard after dusk had fallen, and
seized one of Colonel Cuyler's largest turkeys. The
noise made by the terrified birds had the double
effect of rousing the household and of scaring the
animal away. He made his escape into the bush,
and was not seen again until some days had
elapsed. During this period, the children living in
town were carefully kept out of harm's way, and
many false alarms were raised. But the animal
was traced at last and duly shot.

Education Uitenhage has always been a well-
in the known educational centre, and its
Olden Time, history as such dates back to 1833,
when the first school in which the
Government interested itself was established.
This was known as " the school for persons of
colour in Uitenhage," and was held in a Govern-
ment building. In 1838 there were 39 boys and
42 girls in attendance. It was established by the
Govermnent in 1823, the object being to teach the
children of slaves. It was only held twice a week
at lirst. When in 1838 it was placed under the
control of the clerk of the Dutch Reformed Church
it was frequented by the children of the coloured
classes generally, and in 1845 it had risen to the
dignity of a day school, attended chiefly by the-

riTEXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

117

children of emancipated slaves and Hottentots.
English was used as the medium of instruction,
and it appears that the majority of the scholars
could speak fluently in both English and
Dutch. The teacher received £^-j los. per
annum and a house for his services. Later
on the •• Slave School," as it was called
for many years, was re-christened the
" Mission School." In 1850 it was known as the
Dutch Reformed Church (coloured) school, and it
is now better known as Rose Lane School. It
used to be held in what is now Heeley's Building,
but when this was required for other purposes a
new school-house was built in Rose Lane, and
tliere the establishment is carried on to this day,
its history extending over a period of eighty-oae
years.

ThK GoVEkXMEXT ScHOOF,.

Tiie next school to be staited was what was
known as the Free School, and on the ist
September, 1840, Mr. John Gibson was appointed
headmaster at a salary of ;^20o per annum,
together with ^"30 for house rent. His assistant
was Mr. G. J. de Korte, who had been connected
with scholastic matters since October, 1833.
He was also sexton and bell-ringer of the Dutch
Reformed Church. In that year (1840) the
establishment was re-named the Government
School, and in 1845 it was raised to the first class,
and the number of pupils on the roll slowly but
steadily increased. This school was tlie ancestor,
so to speak, of the Muir College.

There appears to be an opinion prevalent that
the teaching in those days was more of the
" hedge-row " order, but this was not the case. A
boy who attended the Government School in the
forties could receive quite a respectable education.
In 1844 the syllabus for the senior classes embraced
Dutch and English grammar, the analysis and
etymology of words, geography with the use of
the globes, the properties of matter, the nature and
influence of light and heat, the principles of
mechanical science illustrated by models, the
higher branches of arithmetic, and a course of
reading in British, Roman, and Grecian history.
The average attendance of pupils in this particular
division of the curriculum during the year 1844
was forty-five. The Dutch language was taught
in a separate house, and in connection with the
English bv means of translation ; but the whole of
the school courses were taught in English.

About this time several private schools for girls
were opened, that by the Misses Elliott, daughters

of the Missionary of the London Mission Societyr-
being the most largely attended. This might
almost be said to be the parent of the Riebeek
College, for it attracted so large a number of girls
that the Government School suffered considerably.
The latter institution in 1855 only had 14 girls on
its register.

It would be an impossible task to give the
history of all the private schools that sprang up
from time to time. Many of them appear to have
flourished exceedinglv, and they certainly served
their purpose. To-day there are six large
educational establishments in Uitenhage, the Muir
College, the Riebeek College, the Dolley Memorial
School, the Marist Bros. College, the Convent
School, and the Industrial School, and they
w^ill be dealt with later on, as we come to the
various periods of their establishment.

The Produce Uitenhage district is now more-
of the District, a pastoral than an agricultural
one, but in the forties large
quantities of cereals were produced. In 1844 thei'e
were 6,397 acres under crop, and the following are
the returns published for that year : Wheat 12,000-
bushels (average price 5 - per bushel), barley 24,000
bushels (2- per bushel), oats 15,000 bushels (2- per
bushel), oathay 400,000 lbs. (4 6 per 100 lbs.),,
maize and millet 8,000 bushels (3 - per bushel),
peas, beans, and lentils 400 bushels (7 6 per bushel),,
potatoes 2,500 bushels (3 - per bushel). Five
thousand gallons of wine were made, and the
average price was 90 - per legger of 152 gallons,.
i.e., about 7id. per gallon. Of brandy, 4,560 gallons,
were made, and the average price was £12 per
legger of 152 gallons, i.e., about 17 per gallon. So
far as stock was concerned, there were 550 horses„
10,500 horned cattle, 46,000 sheep, and 20,000-
goats in the district at the time mentioned, while
out of a total of 2,009,721 acres of land 57,605 came
under the head of pasture, 6,397 were in crop, and
1,945,719 were uncultivated A few more of the
average prices realised in those days are interest-
ing for the sake of comparison. Uitenhage heads-
the list for horned cattle, as 75 - a head was
obtained practically throughout the year. In other
districts 40 - and 45 - was all that these animals
would fetch. Horses realised £12, sheep 9,-^
goats 4 6, and swine 25 -. Fresh butter was 4d.
per lb. and salt butter lod. per lb. Wheaten bread
2d. per lb., beef lid.. mutton 2d., pork 7d., coftee
9d., tea 46, sugar 6d., salt 26 per 260 lbs., and.
beer 7 6 per gallon.

'ri8

UlTENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

Wagks.

The cost of labour, of course, varies consider-
;abl3- from time to time, but in 1840 domestic
servants in Uitenhage were paid 15 - per montii,

■ '■ predial " (laud labourers) 20 - a month, and
"trades" 5- per diem. Domestic and predial
labourers also received food and lodging in addition

■ to the foregoing remuneration.

M.ANTKACri'RKS.

Under this heading we find that in 1843 tiiere
were two hat factories in Uitenhage, a saddle
factory, and two tanneries, while it is also gravely
stated in the Government returns that the town
possessed one wind mill, one water mill, a saw-
mill of 5 horse power near Port Elizabeth, a whale
fishery at Port Elizabeth, one tile kiln near there
and one at Uitenhage; while there were several
wind and water mills and tanneries in different
parts of the division.

With regard to the whale fishery, it appears

that only one of these leviathans was caught in

Algoa Bay during 1842, and its value was put

• down at ;^I50. On the St. Croix, Bird and Chuan

Islands, Iving east of Algoa Bay, 348 seals were

killed during 1842. They were valued at ^348,

i.e.. £1 a piece. At this time, of course. Port

Elizabeth was in the division of Uitenhage, as

were also the islands named. St. Croix was let at

: an annual rental of _^3i los., and the two latter

•islandsat ;^33 12s. gd. perannum. They belonged

to the Government, and were rented by a small

syndicate interested in the seal fishery.

Exports i\ the Earlier Days.

While on the subject of produce, we may here

take over a few extracts from the letter book of the

firm of Heugh & Fleming, who did a general

business in Uitenhage as far back as the early

"twenties, as showing the marked difference in the

conditions of trade 80 years ago and now. This
book has but recently been placed at our disposal ;
and when we remind our readers that the figures
given below show the exports of but one of several
such firms, and that to-day and for many years
past the exports of these products from Uitenhage
have been nil, the difference of these conditions
will be the more remarkable. The letter book in
question covers the period from January, 1825, to
August, 1829, and comprises weekly letters of
advice to the lirm's agents in Cape Town, Messrs.
A. Chiappini & Co., as to the various s-hipnients of
produce in the small sailing vessels that traded
regularly along the coast in those days. We have
gone carefully through the book, and quote below
the various consignments of produce only when
given in actual pounds. In many cases the
shipments are given as so many casks of butter,
tallow, &c. But these weha%'e not included, as we
have not been able to ascertain the weight of the
casks of those days. So that the actual amount
exported by Messrs. Heugh & Fleming alone
would be considerably in excess of the figures given
below.

To Auj; ,

11*25.

:S26.

1S27

1 828.

■1829.

Total.

lbs.

Bvitltr

. . 140,728

174.254

154.507

193.317

20,106

682.1J12

T.illow

748

24.564

117,187

30,818

.5.362

78.679

Cheese

1,282

12,778

10.402

'3.503

210

.38.175

Aloes

4.660

756

3.347

95..S41

104.304

Ivorv

7,734

2.035

835

3-347

106

14.121

Gum

. . 26,672

26.672

s,«ir

. . 19,005

19,856

23,000

24-923

2.734

89.518

Besides the produce above named, Messrs.
Heugh & Fleming exported 250 seal skins, the
value of which is set down at _^i per skin, 5 cases
Cape bulbs, many thousands of sheep and cattle,
large quantities of salted beef, " mutton hams,"
hides, skins, wool, etc. One shipment is quoted
as comprising 85 casks beef, 20 kegs tripe, 7 casks
humps, II kegs tongues, and 5 shark skins at 26
each..

\r^

■^~f^^J^

Part V.~rhe Decade, 1844-185^

J J

The Uitenhage The tiist " Park, " or Public
Parks. Gardens, in Uitenliage was

situated between Market and
Chaise Streets, and appears to have extended
from the site of the present Town Hall to Caledon
Street.

In the year 1846 the Town Commissioners
obtained from the Government of that day a grant
of land for the purpose of forming a market place.
This piece of land extended from the site of the
present Railway Station to Caledon Street, and, as
it was larger than the requirements of the market
warranted, the upper portion was formed into a
public garden known as " the park." There is some
doubt as to the year when this garden was laid out,
but it appears to have existed as such until about tiie
year 1877.

In that year the town was incorporated as a
Municipality, and among other changes that took
place was the selling of the '' Park " for building
purposes. Then a move was made to the high
ground on the east side of the town (to be known
in after years as College Hill), and here was
established the present public Park.

All who have visited the Park must have
observed the grove of eucalyptus or blue gum
trees : a curious history attaches to them. It
appears that about the year 1870 the City Fathers
became impressed with the idea that the supply of
firewood was rapidly coming to an end. To
provide against such a calamity they cleared a
piece of land on the Hill (about four English
acres) and planted it with Blue Gums ! The
alarm soon subsided, and the gum plantation
became the nucleus of the present public Park.

Little progress, however, seems to have been
made until the Council secured the services of an
English gardener — Richard Home — who became
the Hrst Park Curator or '" Corporation Nursery-
man and Park Superintendent," as the office was
then styled. Mr. Home held the post till his death
in August, 1882. This worthy man was also an
earnest worker in the cause of temperance, as a
memoriai in the Congregational Cemetry, erected
by his friends, testifies.

He was succeeded as Park Cm-ator by Mr.
Robert Cruickshanks, who had charge till the end
of July, 1S81, when the present Curator (Mr. H.
Fairey) took charge.

The management of the Uitenhage parks is
entrusted to a Committee (elected annually) of the
Town Council, and the late Mr. James Magennis
was chairman of the body from its inception till
his death in August, 1897. Under his fostering
care, seconded by the able Scotch Curator, great
progress was made and much useful work done
lioth in the park itself .and the town in general.

ViKU l\ M

Previously tree planting had been carried on in
the streets in a haphazard fashion ; now it was.
done by the Town Coimcil in a systematicmanner.
In 1886 the American institution of Arbor D.iy was-

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

introduced. In June of that year a lar,t;e niunber
of trees were planted by school cliildreii on a
portion of the comnaonage, south-east of the town.
As an educational factor in tree planting it has
proved a failure, but the plantation then formed
and known as \'ictoria Park has considerably
improved the appearance of that part of the town.
The following year another addition was made to
the Uitenhage parks. To commemorate the Jubilee
of her late Majesty, Queen Victoria, certain lands
at the north-west of the town were enclosed, and at
the Jubilee celebrations in June, 1887, a large number
of trees were plante 1 by school children and
residents of the town. This park, known as the
jubilee Park, has not realised the anticipations
formed of it in 1887, but has certainly proved a
valuable object lesson in tree planting, and greatly
heautitied that part of the town.

In 1889 a considerable addition was made to
the College Hill Park by the acquisition of
several acres of land on the eastern side,
and in the autumn of 1892 a large flower garden
Avas laid out on the lower portion. Some three
years later the building known as the Horticultural
Hall was erected on a slope above the flower
.\garden. Some very interesting and successful
exhibitions have been held in it. In January, 1S96,
another strip of ground was acquired by the
Council between the existing Park and the grounds
of Riebeek College. On this ground are the lawns
•of the Park Croquet Club. The total extent of the
park is now about 16 English acres.

In speaking of the Park as a whole it may be
said that while it cannot vie with the older public
parks and gardens of the Colony, it is nevertheless
at all times interesting, both to the gardener and
the botanist.

Amongst the trees, shrubs, and flowers will be
found representatives from most parts of the world,
while the flora of the Colony is represented by
several species.

Nothing of a botanical or scieutihc nature is
attempted, but new varieties of trees, shrubs, and
flowers are constantly being tried ; and while it may
■be said that the town of Uitenhage has a climate
nearly sub-trojiical, not only do the warm house
plants of the British Islands thrive in the open air,
but many of the native British plants and others
from equally cold climates also bloom and flourish.

Thus may be seen the Deodar Cedar, from the
Himalayan snow line, side by side with the
English Elm, the British Oak, and the Pines from
•.the shores of the Mediterranean, the " Goa Cedar ''
■or Susitanian Cypress, and its relative from

California, the Cupressus Macrocarpa. " Trees and
flowers from many lands and varied climes" may
truly be said of the denizens of the Uitenhage P.uk.
Often has the question been asked, " What would
Uitenhage be without its Springs?" The great
boon of a bountiful supply of water is pliiiily
manifest in the Uitenhage Park.

The So far back as 1846 the unsatisfactory

Prison, state of the Uitenhage prison was
repeatedly brought to the notice of the
Government, but although considerably over half a
century has elapsed since then the building is still
in much the same condition as it was at that time.
In 1846 J. Saunders was appointed gaoler, and he
reports that " the building is ill-adapted for a
prison, is insecure, and does not afford the means
for a proper classiflcation of the prisoners." He
was succeeded by R. Walsh in 185 1.

In 1846 there were 4,748 whites and
Population. '),46o natives in the division, giving

a total population of 1 1,208 — or about
1 1 to the square mile. Of these, 6,078 were
employed in agriculture, 275 in manufactiues, and
270 in commerce. There were 319 births, 12^
m.irriages, and 101 deaths in the district that year.

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

In 1846 :i new postmaster was
The Postmaster, appointed to Uitenhage in the

person of Mr. S. H. du Toit,
and he certainly would appear to have been an
experienced ofticial, for he had already spent 36
years in the civil service. He received a salary of
;^20o per annum, but his duties also included those
of Clerk to the Civil Commissioner. This latter
may at first sight appear to be a strangely mixed
appointment, but it was the custom in those days,
and obtained in a large number of towns. The Port
Elizabeth Post Office, however, was still in the
hands of Mrs. Marv Biggar, who received ;^40
per annum.

In 1850 Mr. J. H. Tennant was
The Post Office, appointed Postmaster of L'iten-

hage at a salary of ^160, and
he also acted as Clerk to the Civil Commissioner,
Mr. J. C. Chase, who had been appointed C.C. &
R.M. the previous year. Harriet Alcock suc-
ceeded him in 1853. ^'^ ^^5- J- Capper was
made deputy-postmaster at Sundays River at an
annual salary of j/rio los., while G. Hawkins acted
in a similar capacity in Humansdorp at £-j los.
per annum, R. Archibald at Gamtoos River at _^I5
per annum, W. T. Pullen at .\ddo Heights (^£^4 per
annum), H. P. Meding at Jagersbosch (appointed in
1845 at £1^ per annum), George Slater at Quagga's
Flats (appointed 185 1 at ;^I5 per annimi), while Mr.
W. Metelerkamp was in the same year raised to
the position of honorary postmaster of Zuurbron,
without any salary, but with an allowance of 20 -
per annmu for stationery 1

The Maitland Frun the earliest years of the
Mines. century it has been known that

lead was existent where the Mait-
land Mines are situate, but never at any time have
the workings been of an extensive nature. Neither
have the results ever been particularly encourag-
ing Lead does e.xist, it is true, so does copper,
but the quantities so far discovered are so
small that it is doubtful whether a profit-
able industry will ever spring up in that part
of the district. Samples of copper sent
Home in 1853 were favourably reported on, but
the supply was too sm ill to be of much use.
Companies have been started from time to time to
exploit the mines, but none of them have yet
proved successful as commercial speculations. .A
few hands are still employed there, and it is of
course quite possible that one of these days ore
may be found in payable quantities. Should such

a discovery be made, it will undoubtedly prove of
great value to the surrounding districts. Indeed
as we go to press we hear of another syndicate
having been formed in Port Elizabeth to exploit
these mines, and it is the intention of the pro-
moters to sink deep shafts and work on entirely
different lines to those adopted by their prede-
cessors. It goes without saying that the syndicate
have the best wishes of all for their success.

What is now the division of
Humansdorp. Humansdorp is the tract of coast

country lying to the west of
Gamtoos River, which is its eastern
boundary, to Blaauw Krantz in T'Zitzikamma.,
the western boundary, some no miles in
extent. .At one time it of course formed
part of the Uitenhage division, and was known as
the parish of Alexander, so cdled after the Rev.
Alexander Smitli. the Dutch Reformed minister of
Uitenhage, who periodically visited the place and
held service in a building some seven miles froni'
the present village of Humansdorp on the farm
Geelhoutboom, which is to this day known as the
" Kerk Plaats."

It was in the late forties that the farmers of the
district commenced to agit.ate for a church and
district of their own, as the inconvenience of
having to travel to Uitenhage to pay taxes and for
other purposes was severely felt. Complaints
became more frequent as the population increased,
but Government paid little heed to the grievances
put forward. It was at this stage that the Dutch
Church of Uitenhage came to the rescue and
authorised their minister, the Rev. Alexander
Smith, to pay two visits a year to the place, to hold
Nachtmaal services at Kerk Plaats, then the
property of Mr. Hermanns Potgieter.

In 1849, however, Mr. Matthys Gerhardns
Human, of the farm Zeekoe River, offered 500
morgen of ground for a township and commonage
as a free gift, if Government would undertake to-
have it surveyed. To this offer Government con-
sented, and in 1853 the Government land surveyor,..
Mr. Elemans, of Uitenhage, surveyed 300 erven,,
half this ground having to be sold for the benefit of
the church about to be established (two erven
being reserved for Mr. Human) and the other half
for the Government. A few months afterwards
two-thirds of these erven were sold by Mr. William
iMetelerkamp, of Zuurbron. To this grant of land
by Mr. Human was .added a portion cut off from
the farm now owned by Mr. Vosloo, and given by
the late Mr. Jacobus du Plessis.

UlTENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

But before the idea of locating a village on the
■site now occupied by Humansdorp had been
mooted, a place of business had already been
■ established on the coast by the enterprising firm of
Jeffrey & Glendinning. This part of St. Francis
Bay was named Jeffrey's Bay after the senior
partner, and it is on record that the place was
visited several times by one of Mr. James Kemp's
Port Elizabeth vessels This was in 1849, and
Jeffrey's Bay may therefore be looked upon as the
"port" of Humansdorp district, as the ship
would doubtless carry away with her a consider-
able quantity of produce.

The town was named Humansdorp, and
building operations were commenced as soon as
the erven were sold, and among the hrst structures
taken in hand were the Dutch Reformed Church
and pastorage. Mr. Human, Mr. H. Potgieter, and
Mr. H. J. Moolman, who at the time were elders of
the church, were nominated as the building com-
mittee, and a lot of Cape boys were hired to quarry
stone and make bricks and cart them to the site of
the church. Two masons (James O'DriscoU and
Scheel Dantje) were engaged to build the walls, and
Mr. John Smith (grandfather of the late proprietor of
the l-'armers' Friend Hotel) and his son Henry
were to do the woodwork and painting. The
church was duly built, and opened in 1854. The
building contained accommodation for 450 people,
and the average attendance for the lirst few
years is given at no, the total number ot
jiarishioners being 2,000.

The tirst min-
ister of the newly-
erected church
was the Rev.
William Fleming
Heugh, father of
Messrs. Peterand
William Heugh,
now residing in
Uitenhage. Mr.
Heugh, who had
hut just com-
pleted his exam-

inations for church work, accepted
the call, and was ordained by the
Rev. Alexander Smith in October,
1854, and continued his minis-
trations at Humansdorp with
credit to himself and with benefit
to the district up to within two
or three years of his death, which
took place in 1883.

Mr. Heugh was succeeded by
he Rev. P. A. Groenewald. who
in turn was succeeded in 1893 by
the Rev. B. B. Kcet. Mr. Keet
died in 1904, when the Rev. J. D.

Horak was ap-
pointed minis-
ter. In 1892
extensive alter-
ations were
made to the
vhurch, both in-
side and outside,
whereby the
cdilice is not
only capable of
accommodating
many more wor-
shippers, but the
general appear-
ance of the
structure has
been vastly im-
proved. A little
later a new
pastorage was
Iniilt, adjoining
the church.

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

123

Thh Division of Human'sdokp.

In 1859 Hiun.insdorp was proclaimed a division,
and on the 24tli of January that year Mr. Charles
Bayly Co.\. barrister - at - law, was appointed
Resident Magistrate, and Mr. P. E. FouUces
Clerk of the Peace.

The Divisional Council was established in the
fifties. The late Mr. Roger Metelerkamp was
appointed secretary, treasurer, and road inspector
some ten years later, and these offices he continued
to hold until his demise in 1899, when he was
succeeded by Mr. J. L. M. Goedhals as secretary
and treasurer.

F.\KMI.\G IN THE DISTRICT.

A period of prosperity for the farmers set in in
the early days, and this continued for some time. In
1861 forage was selling at ^3 per hundred small
bundles, and in 1863 the oat crops were unusually
fine. There was a great deal of rust in the wheat,
but the yield was considerably above the average,
both in quantity and in quality. Many horses
died of iilemvc zicktc, but stock was otherwise doing
well. The Agricultural Society was doing splendid
work in the district, and everything, according to
the Magistrate's report, pointed to plenty of spirited
competition at the next show. The previous year
had been an exceptionally good one from a
farmer's point of view, as meal had sold freely at
50- a muid, forage realised from £2 to £2 5s per
hundred bundles, meat was quoted at jd. per lb.,
and bread fetched 6d per i lb. loaf !

Farming was therefore carried on with great
success in the district until 1864, when a fearful
drought set in, which lasted for a very considerable
period. Humansdorp was once a large sheep
farming district, but a farm which once earned its
thousands of sheep will not now support its hun-
dreds, and so the wool-growing industry that once
enriched the district is now a memory of the past.
There is no authentic reason given for the man.)'
diseases now prevalent among sheep and the
impossibility of rearing them on farms on which
they once bred freely, but many people account
for it in the general impoverishment of the soil,
consequent on the practice of grass-burning, which
still obtains. Pastoral farming in Humansdorp is
now limited to the breeding of cattle, horses, and
ostriches, and a few sheep, whilst the agriculturists
grow little beyond forage, which is exceptionally
good in some parts.

In 1865 things had taken a decided turn for
the worse, for we are told that it was the worst
season known for years, as drought, scarcity of

money, shortness of credit, and sickness in man'
and beast had been working injuriously against
the farmer. Xi this time meal was selling at
£2 los. per muid, mealies at 20 -, and potatoes at
15 - to 18 -.

Matters gradually improved, however, and the
year 1867 is described in the Civil Commissioner's
report as the most favourable one for seven years
Cereals were sown largely, and forage, which sold
the previous year at ^3 to ^4 per 100 bis., now
only realised 10/- on the local market. Aquatic
birds of every description, which had been long,
unknown in the district, now reappeared in large
numbers on the formation of large sheets of water
after the copious rains that had fallen. Sheep •
farmers at this period suffered considerably, in
many cases losing a third of their flock from a new
disease, which appeared to be water on the heart.

The Gre.\t Fike of 1869.

The older residents of Humansdorp still often
talk of the immense and destructive veld fire
which took place in 1869, and consumed in its-
course practically everything within its reach
between T'Zitzikamma and Uitenhage. Many
incidents have been related to us of human lives
lost, homesteads burned, spans of oxen roasted
whilst inspanned to wagons on the roads, and
narrow escapes of individuals, many of which are-
doubtless true ; but we do not care to record such
incidents, as of most of them there are two or-
three versions.

It was on the 9th February, 1869, when the
thermometer stood at 139 degrees in the sun, that
the fire took place, and in the course of the day
whole districts, including homesteads, crops, men,,
women, and children, cattle, sheep, and even
game were consumed. As a matter of fact there
must have been several fires occurring that day, as
it seems incredible, although there was a fierce
wind from the north-west blowing, that the flames
of a conflagration with one origin could have
travelled fast enough to devastate hundreds of
square miles of country in a single day. And
indeed this theory is borne out by the fact that
2,^oo acres of forest and other property to the
value of ;^22,5oo in the districts of Knysna and
Mossel Bay were destroyed on the same day ; and
as these districts lie to the west of T'Zitzikamma,.
it is plain that that fire was not a portion of the
conflagration raging in the Humansdorp district,
as the\vind was blowing strongly from the north-
west.

Various theories have been put forward as to ■

I -'4

UITEXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

the ori{?in of the various tires, but the most feasible
one, to our mind, is that the exceptionally fierce
rays of the sun that day, concentrating on pieces of
broken glass lying in the grass, which in itself was
so dry as to be particularly liable to ignition, con-
verted the glass into what is known as burning
glasses, and thus the tires originated. Mr. J. J.
le Sueur, jun., the then Civil Commissioner of
Humansdorp, in his report to Government on this
great tire, adopted another theorv. He says : — ■

" A very wet season about the middle of 1868
had been succeeded by drought and great
heat, which prevailed for some months
before the tire occurred. The heat had
prepared for instant ignition the grass,
shrubs, and brushwood, then unusually
plentiful, in consequence of the heavy rains
that had preceded the dry weather. Veld-
burning (that barbarous system, or want of
system, of agriculture, as it has well been
termed in a recent publication) had been
going on for some time, and on a calm
night bright dots and streaks and reflections
in the sky marked the localities where it
was being practised. The heat was most
intense on the 9th February ; a scorching
hot wind from the north, blowing like a
sirocco, withered and dried up all that came
within its influence. Ever\ thing, therefore,
combined to make ready for combustion
the plentiful grass and bushes, so that where
there fell cinders or sparks (from the fires
kindled to burn the veld), which a strong
gale of wind bore along to an almost
incredible distance, a new centre of Hame
instantly burst into destructive activity, and
this, in its turn, gave origin to many others.

" The loss of life in this district alone amounted
to twenty. Of these four were Europeans
and the rest natives. Of the Europeans
three consisted of a mother with an infant
in her arms and a child by her side, who
fled before the iiery blast till they were
overpowered, and then sank victims to the
flames.

*' The damage to property was estimated at
£^^•374' exclusive of a portion of the
Government forest calculated at ^5.000."

The fire crossed the Gamtoos River and
•extended practically throughout the Uitenhage
division, and close on to Port Elizabeth. We
have not been able to find any record of the
amount of damage done in the Uitenhage division,
but it must have been very considerable, as one
hears on all hands of homesteads, cattle, and crops
having been destroyed, and if one could but get
■ a properly authenticated list of the many hair-
Jireadth escapes related to-d;iy, of persons Hying

for tlieir lives before the fast travelling flames,
and eventually in many cases having to spend
manj- hours up to their chins in water, either in
rivers or in vleis, it would make most exciting
reading.

The Gre.\t Floods.

TlieyeariS69wasalso the period of terrible floods
throughout the midland districts, and the volume
of water in the Gamtoos River had not been so
great since 1847. The ferryman was obliged to
desert his house and seek safety higher up the
sloping banks. .At Diep River the ford was impas-
sible for 62 hours, and even then the post cart was
only .got across by attaching oxen to it and com-
pelling them to swim. The rain continued to fall
incessantly for five days, but the rainfall on this
occasion is not recorded.

Thk Gre.\t Drought of 1873.

The Humansdorp district, in common with
other divisions, particularly in the Eastern Pro-
vince, suffered very severely during 1873 from
drought, and wheat and other cereals commanded,
where procurable, next to famine prices. A
large number of famished cattle had to be
removed to a large tract of countrj^ eastward of
the T'Zitzikamma forests, bordering on the sea
coast, where grazing was to be had. Sheep
suffered to such a degree that in several instances
the farmers were compelled to destroy the lambs
in order to save the ewes.

M.\GISTERI.AL Ch.WGES.

Mr. J. J. le Sueur was appointed C.C. & R.M.
in 1S67, and held that office for about six years.
He was succeeded by Mr. A. Smythe, who was
appointed C.C. & R.M. on the ist December, 1872.

Prosperity .and Progress.

1875. however, was a more than usually pros-
perous year for farmers, both agricultural and
pastoral. Tradesmen and mechanics had more
work than they could attend to. and the demand
for skilled workmen of all classes, as well as
for labourers, was increasing.

At this time the Government was busy in the
construction of the new main line of road at
Kromme River, under the superintendence of Mr.
A. G. Smidt, while the building of the lighthouse
at St. Francis was also commenced.

The Wreck ok the " Milford."

It was a very stormy year, for we read of a
large ship (the Milford) having been totally

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

wrecked on T'Zit/.ikanima coast. The tigure-
head of the vessel still exists in Humansdorp in the
grounds of " Milford House," the residence of
Mrs. R. Metelerkamp. The captain and crew of
this vessel abandoned the ship and took to the
boats, landing safely at Kromme River mouth.
About tiie same time a fishing boat, containing
seven men, left Jeffrey's Bay for their usual day's
fishing, and were never afterwards heard of.
The Lighthouse.

The lighthouse on Seal Point, Cape St. Francis,
which had been started in November, 1875, was
fast approaching completion at the end of 1877,
and was opened in the following year. The tower
is a massive stone structure, cylindrical in form,
and stands 91 feet high, the keepers' quarters being
at the b:ise. It is fitted with a second order white
holophotal light, r.volving once in
twenty seconds, and visible seventeen
sea miles from the deck of a vessel
fifteen feet above the level of the
■water. The cost amounted to
;^20,ooo, and the contractor was ^^Ir.
Benjamin Godfrey.

.A DisASTKOL's Year.

In Humansdorp district matter-
were just as bad as in Uitenhage in
1877. The Gamtoos River dried up
entirely, and all irrigation was
stopped. The Magistrate stated in
his report that never before had the
division experienced such a series
of disasters as visited it in 1877.
Fifty per cent, of the horses died
from horse sickness, although it
was an ascertained fact, accord-
ing to the C.C. & R M., that those
which were strictly kept in the
stables and prevented from eating grass escaped
the disease. Then lung sickness set in amongst
the cattle and carried them off in hundreds. As to
the sheep, they succumbed bv the thousand.

Notwithstanding the agricultural and pastoral
disasters, the undenominational school which had
been established made such rapid progress that in
1877 it was placed on a better footing by being
raised to a first-class school, and a lady teacher
was engaged as an assistant.

ESTABMSHMEXT OF A XeWSPAPEK AND A BaXK.

In July, 1878, the first newspaper ever published
in Hum.insdorp was started bv Messrs. Sellick &
Muskett. It was called the Echo, but onlv lasted

four years, when the Rc-Eiho, which still exists,
was founded by Mr. W. S. J. Sellick. At the close
of this year the Standard Bank of British South
Africa opened a branch at Humansdorp. The
first manager was Mr. W. NichoUs, and the branch
is to-day a flourishing concern, under the manage-
ment of Mr. Philip Ferreira.

The Great Ostrich Feather Boom.
Mr. T. R. M. Cole succeeded Mr. Smythe as
C.C. & R.M on the ist January, 1879. This year
is notable for the extraordinary interest taken in
ostrich breeding. Everj-body who could command
the purchase price of a pair of ostriches, and had
a back yard in which to keep the birds, went in for
the industry, and the consequence was that the
supply was not equal to the demand, and prices
rose to fabulous amounts, in some cases as much as

Main- Street. Humaxsdori".

;^^i,ooo being paid for a single pair of birds. Two
or three years afterwards the prices suddenly
dropped to about _^io per pair. In the meantime,
for the sake of the ostriches the farmers had neglected
their more legitimate calling (sheep and cattle
raising) with the result that hundreds of them were
ruined.

Owing to the sudden death of Mr. Cole, C.C. &
R.M., .Mr. J. \V. H. Russouw was appointed Acting
C.C. & R.M. on the ist August, 1881, and in his
report foi this year Mr. Russouw said that the
farmers appeared to be paying more attention to
their stock than they had done for the previous
three or four years, and that the interest in ostriches
was declining owing to the low prices then obtain-

126

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

iiig tor feathers and the great mortality among
chicks and young birds.

The Popul.ation ok thk Disruicr ix 1882.

Mr. Alexander Bisset was appointed C.C. &
K.M. in January, 1882. The census returns for
1875, pubhshed in the Blue Book for 1882, show
the population of the district to have been 7,587,
as against 7,876 in the year 1865. There were at
this tune 13,987 head of cattle in the district, with
133,000 sheep and 1,385 horses.

The MAGisrKATEs.

Mr. Alexander Bisset, C.C. & R.M., retired on
pension, and was succeeded in 1885 by Mr. F. P.
Pett, who in 1888 was removed to Cradock. In 1889
Mr. Arthur H. Garcia was appointed in his stead.
Mr. Garcia held office until March, 1893, when he
was transferred to Beaufort West, and subsequently
to Uitenhage. His place in Humansdorp was
filled by Mr. C. W. Andrews, who retained the
position until November, 1901, when Mr. Ehenezer
T. Anderson was appointed. The present magis-
trate is Mr. H. E. Marshall, who took office in
1904.

Gexek.al Pkogkess.

From 1885 the town and district have pro-
gressed slowly but surely. There have been
seasons of prosperity and seasons of depression,
but the general trend of events taken as a whole
has been in the right direction.

Deke.nce Forces.

The First Volunteer KiHe Corps was started in
1861. In times of war Humansdorp has always
been among the foremost in sending her sons to
the front, and there are many old residents there
to-day w'ho can remember the dispaich of the
gallant " Tiger Troop" of the 3rd Yeomanry
under the command of the late Captain Chiappini
in 1879. They proceeded to Basutoland, where
they took part in the attack on Morosi's
Mountain, and where they suffered largely in the
Quithing disaster. To this we have referred
elsewhere in this volume ; but we may state here
that the monument erected in the Magennis Park,
Uitenhage, to the memory of the fallen, bears upon
it the names of the Humansdorp men who fell
during that particular war. A year afterwards the
" Tiger Troop " took part in he Basuto War.

When the Anglo-Boer War broke out in 1899
a mounted troop was raised in Humansdorp, and
thev gave an excellent account of themselves. The
rebel foices invaded the district on more than one
occasiouj but although hotly pursued by Hying

columns and headed off by the Humansdorp
District Mounted Troops, there was no actual
fighting in the division. A strong Town Guard
was also formed, and the trenches were manned
several times when the Boers were reported to be
in the neighbourhood. Humansdorp formed part
of Area No. 4 — an enormous tract of country which
was under the Administrator whose headquarters
was here.

The Muxicip.ality.

So much for war. In the piping times of
peace the place was under the control of a Village
Management Board, which was constituted on the
27lh of November, 1896, and which consisted of
Messrs. A. J. Saffery, S. van Onselen, and X.
Deschamps. In 1899, however, an arrangement
was entered into with the erfholders whereby the
Village Management Board took over the whole of
the comnionage and other rights from the Dutch
Reformed Church, on the payment of ^850. The
Municipality was established (in 1900) to give
effect to the agreement with the Dutch Reformed
Church, and this, the first Council, consisted of
Messrs. A. J. Saft'ery, H. B. Siebert, H. M.
Reynolds, Chas. Simmons, C. D. Baker, and
I. Robinson. Mr. Saffery was elected Mayor, and
has retained that position ever since. Certain
erven were recently sold for ;^4,ooo, and with this
money several much-needed improvements have
been carried out.

The BuiLDixGS.

Amongst the more prominent buildings in the
town are the Court-house and gaol, which were
built in i860, the total amount voted by Parlia-
ment for this work in 1859 being ^1,700. With
the Dutch Reformed Church we have already
dealt.

The English Church is dedicated to St. Mark^
and is a small but well appointed building, situated
at the upper end of the town. Services were
previously held in the Court Room by the Rev.
Cyril W'yche, who was succeded by the Rev. G.
Parnell. It was during the latter gentleman's
incumbency that the present church was built.

The Milxek Ixstitute.

In former times the school was held in a hall
adjoining the Dutch Reformed Church, but when
sufficient funds had been raised the Milner
Institute was erected, and it is now a first-class
luulenominational school. The headmaster is Mr.
James Ogg, and he has three assistants. There
are 100 pupils on the roll, the average attendance
being 95.

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

127

The Library a\u Rp:ading Room

is a new building with a good collection of volumes
and a regular supply of the principal papers and
magazines. This useful little institution was
inaugurated in 1877.

Tnii Park, Hijia

This is one of the most pleasing features of
Humansdorp, and is situated at the lower end of
the town. It covers a square piece of land sixteen
acres (English) in e.xtent, and was originally started
by the Divisional Council about 1865, both as a
forest plantation and w'ith a view to the encourage-
ment of tree planting. In 1878 it was laid out as
a public park, the design being drawn by Mr. W.
A. Muskett, and when Humansdorp became a
Alunicipality the Town Council took it over.

The walks are arranged in the form of the
crosses on the Union Jack, and radiate from
a common centre, where an ornamental
fountain stands. Four broad carriage drives meet
here, and four paths lead from hence to the
corners of the enclosure. Both drives and paths
are well kept, and are 25 feet and 16 feet wide
respectively. For shady walks and noble trees
Hinr.ansdorp has not many equals in Cape Colony.
Amongst the many rare trees there are a number
of species which are of divided se.xes — some being
males and some being females — the most notable
being the Caroub, which is said to bear tiner fruit,
or at all events as tine as that grown in Asia Minor,
the natural habitat of the tree. The edible brown
pods are known by the name of " St. John's Bread"
or ■' Locust Beans." Isolated trees of this species
may sometimes be found in other public and
private gardens, but being unmated they do not
bear fruit. It has sometimes been said that
the Piiiiis Iiislgnis never reaches the age of twenty
years in South Africa, but in the Humansdorp park

are trees double that age, over eighty feet high, and
bearing fertile seeds which produce self-sown trees
by the thousand. Perhaps the most plentiful species
in the park are Eucalypti and Blackwoods. The
flower beds are bright and pretty, and there are
also capital tennis courts and croquet lawns within
the Park.

The L.\st Ce.nsus.

The Census returns for Humansdorp in 1904
give the population of the district at 13,999, being
7,143 males and 6,856 females.

.\s we have already mentioned
Jeffrey's Bay. what is now the village of

Jeffrey's Bay was occupied before
Humansdorp was in existence. Messrs. Jeffrey &
Glendinning started a store there in 1849, and this
became a convenient centre for farmers having
produce to dispose of. It brought them within
easier reach of the Port Elizabeth market, for a
vessel used to pay periodical visits from Algoa Bay
and return well laden with the products of the
neighbourhood. Jeffrey's Bay — named after the
senior partner of the firm — is thus to Humansdorp
what Port Elizabeth is to Uitenhage, only on a
much lesser scale. After Humansdorp was founded
the tishing industry began to occupy the attention
of some of the inhabitants, and this is still the
main occupation in which the inhabitants of the
tiny village are engaged. A fleet of fishing boats
sails nearly every morning, and as a general rule
they return with splendid hauls. For many years
Jeffrey's Bay has been a favourite resort for picnics
and camping out, the only drawback being the lack
of accommodation. The old '• White House " did
duty in this direction for a long time, but it
passed into the hands of Mr. J. W. Regnart some
years ago, and it is now a commodious and com-
fortable family hotel. About a mile to the west-
ward a new township named Ferreiratown has
recently been established, where another large hotel
has been erected by Mr. C. Papenfus, which leaves
nothing to be desired by the most fastidious
traveller. The advent of the railway — which
passes within ten minutes' drive of Jeffrey's Bay,
will make a considerable difference to the quiet
little fishing village, and before long it will have
become a popular and widely known health resort.
The beach is all that can be desired, and bathing
is as safe there as anywhere round the coast. Good
fishing and sport are to be had, and as Humans-
dorp is within easy reach, the future of Jeffrey's
Bay as the venue of holiday makers is assured.

Part I P.— The Decade, 1 854-1863.

Fanning Half In the letunis published by the
a Century Government for the year 1854,

Ago. I'itenhage district comes second

on the list with regard to the
number of acres of waste or barren land, the
figures given being 205,804 acres, Albert standing
first with 390,654 acres and Swellendam third
with 188,750. But the district could then show a
ver\ fair amount of cultivated ground, considering
its dimension, and this is set down at 10,787 acres.
Of these 4,468 acres were placed under wheat and
produced 51,423 bushels at an average of 6 9 per
bushel, while 772 acres of barley produced 10,558
bushels at 3 -, 3,294 acres of oats produced 55,298
bushels at 4 -, 1,200 acres of mealies produced
9,249 bushels at 5 -, 68 acres of peas and beans
produced 764 bushels at 69, and 348 acres of
potatoes produced 13,229 bushels at 4. There
were also 177 acres of vines, 399 of gardens,
orcliards and orangeries, and 61 under tobacco.
Of oathay 2,746,410 lbs. were produced, 6,870 lbs.
of dried fruits at 5. id. per lb., 25,300 lbs. of aloes
at 3d. per lb., 84 pipes of wine (first quality) at
;f 18 5s. lod., although the average price through-
out the rest of the Colony was only ^18 us. id.,
and 1 16 pipes of brandy at ^14 16s. 5d.
SrocK.
At this time, too, there were estimated to be in
the district 1,524 horses for husbandry and other
uses, and 1,620 for breeding purposes, 6 asses,
46 mules, 17,039 draught oxen, 31,898 "other
cattle," 241,820 wooUed sheep, 56,082 African
sheep, 149,528 goats, 1,845 pigs.

Anni'al Pkoductions.

The returns for this year also show that the
annual productions were as follow : — Wool 337,495
lbs., butter 103,688 lbs., tallow 31,194 lbs., soap
16,655, 2,012 hides, and 30,958 skins.

AviCKAGE MaUKRT VaI.UES.

The average market values of stock and pro-
duce half a century ago are interesting when

judged bv those which rule at the present day.
'I'hey are given in round numbers as follow : —
Saddle horses ;^i8, draught horses ;^io, mules
£^X2 15s., asses ,^27 los., draught oxen ;^4, milch
cows _^4, woolled sheep 10 -, African sheep 8 -,
swine 18 -, goats 8 6, fowls and ducks per pair
2 6, washed wool i - per lb., unwashed wool 6d.
per lb., tallow 5d., soap 7d. per lb. ; hides 8 -, sheep
skins 5d., and goat skins i 11 each.

\V.\GES.

At this period European farm overseers and
head shepherds in Uitenhage were receiving £2
a month with board and lodging, and European
cattle herds and shepherds ^i 7s. ; European day
day labourers were paid 2 -i^ per diem, while as
domestic servants European males received
£\ 5s. 9d., females 134, coloured males 189, and
coloured females 96 per month, with board and
lodging. The monthly rent of a labourer's cottage
and garden in Uitenhage was 1516. These are
the daily wages then paid to journeymen trades-
men (without food) : Carpenters and joiners
(European) 7 2, coloured 57 ; masons and brick-
layers (European) 5 7, coloured 5 - ; tailors and
shoemakers (European) 6-, coloured 59; smiths
and wagon-builders (European) 9 3, coloured
7 10.

.\s will be seen from our article on
The Library the Town Hall, the plot of land

upon which the old Library stood
was sold, together with the building itself, and the
proceeds (;^'375) devoted to the fund for the
erection of the Town Hall. As a quid pro quo, the
Council placed at the disposal of the Library Com-
mittee a room in the new building, and this was the
one now occupied by the ^Larket-master, on the
right of the Market Street entrance. This arrange-
ment contin\ied until 1903, when on the opening of
the handsome new library buildings in Caledon
Street the Council paid back the ./."375 received in
1880 for the plot of land which had been sold in.
order to swell the Town Hall fund.

LIITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

129

This library oriij,'iii.illv stood on the spot now
occupied by the Criteiion Hotel, and, as will be
seen from the illustration given here, it was a most

fe.^

The Old Library.

unpretentious little building. Among the donors
to the shelves were Mr. J. C. Chase and the Kev.
A. Smith, while the Porter bequest was of e.xception-
ally handsome proportions. Between 1855 and
1882 _^'i,ooo had been received in gifts, and in the
latter year, when the change of quarters was
effected, there were 3,000 volumes under the care
of the librarian.

The inaugiu-ation of the new library and reading
room in the Town Hall on the 15th .August, 1882, was
made the occasion of an interestiuij lecture on the

I'HE Xew LlHRA

subject of " Books and their Power " bv Mr. John
Tudhope, and for some time afterwards lectiues
were regularly delivered there bv various towns-
people.

From then onwards constant additions were
made to the number of books, and in 1903 the new
building was erected by Mr. A. Gillespie at a cost
of about _^i, 500. The structure is plain and neat,,
the front portion being divided into four business
offices, which bring in a substantial rental. The
collection of works is of the most wide and varied
nature, and the reference library is particularly
complete. The number of books on the shelves at
present are: Biography, 438; History, 453; Science
and .\rt, 202; Religion, 131; Poetry and Drama,
163: Travel and Geography, 395; Miscellaneous,.
3(11; Reference, 671; Fiction, 3,556 ; total, 6,370.

The Alexandria Division was origi-
Alexandria. nally part of Uitenhage, but in
1855 a notice was published in the
GovciJinient Gazette specifying " the boundaries of
the proposed district of Oliphant's Hoek or
Alexandria." In the following year it was sepa-
rated from Uitenhage and created a Magistracy,,
the first ofticial to occupy the bench being Mr. \V.
F. Liddle, formerly private secretary to the
Governor, Sir George Grey. He was appointed
Resident Magistrate on the 8th of January, 1856, at
a salary of £2)'^o per annum. Dr. Thom (ap-
pointed in June, 1859) was the first District Surgeon ;.
Maria Deacon was appointed postmistress in 1858
at a salary of ^35, and was succeeded in January,.
1854, t>y J- L. Tilbury. The first chief constable
was W. Deacon, the senior constable and inter-
preter W. Baker, formerly messenger to the
Colonial Office, while there were also another
constable and a gaoler. The lock-up was capable
of holding twelve persons altogether.

In August, 1857, Mr. E. Philpott, who had
entered the service in 1837, was appointed Resident
Magistrate in the place of Mr. Liddle, and whem
Alexandria became an entirely separate division on
the 7th of January, 1858, he was also appointed
Civil Commissioner with an additional salary of
;^'ioo per annum.

The Divisional Council,
or more correctly the Divisional Road Board, came
into existence in the same year, and the first meeting
was held on the 14th of October.

The early history of this portion of Old Uiten-
hage is not particularly interesting. The first

DurcH Reformed Chukch
was built there in 1833 or 1834, '■"•it it was burned'
down during the Kafir war of 1835. In 1854 it
was re-established under the name of Oliphant's
Hoek, and the minister consulent — the Rev. Dr.
Adrian Roux, of Riebeek, and subsequently of
Albany — visited the parish once every three months.

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

for tlie purpose of attending to the spiritual needs
of the people. For this he received £y/ los. per
annum from Government, while his parishioners,
who numbered 900, contributed between XAo and
£^0 a year.

The church held 220 people, and the average
attendance at the principal services was estimated
.at the same number. The collections for 1857.
amounted to £12^, and the pew rents to X84.

The Vill.age.

Round the new church the village slowlv grew,
but it may be said to date its legal existence as
such from the 15th of September, 1856, when a

; proclamation was issued by Sir George Grey de-
fining its limits and its boundaries. The name of

^Oliphant's Hoek it always bracketed with that of
Alexandria in the old records, but the latter gradu-
ally ousted the former appellation until it was at
length accepted altogether.

The Pkison.

The new prison was started in 1859, and was a
much more substantial structure than the little
lock-up which had done duty before. It was not
completed until i860, when nearly £^1,500 had
been expended on it.

Drolght.

In 1861 the district suffered from a drought
more severe than the oldest inhabitants could re-
member. The consequences were disastrous, for
not one-third of even an average crop was reaped.
In many cases where the farmers had been able to
plough they had not reaped one single grain, and
the cattle had to be allowed to graze in the culti-
vated lands.

Mr. Philpott remained there until February
1866, when he was promoted to Cradock and sub-
sequently to L'itenhage, his place on the Alexandria
bench being taken by Mr. C. \V. Southev, who in
turn was succeeded by Mr. J. W. Honey. This
•ofticial in 1869 reported that a chapel for the
■coloured people was being built and would shortly
be completed. He also stated that a large and
powerful windmill, costing between ^'700 and
_^8oo, was being erected, and " would add greatly
to the appearance of the village when looked at
from one side." A steam mill had already been
in operation since the early fifties, and was capable
of grinding fifty muids a day. A second steam mill
was put up some time later, and ail three did a
•considerable amount of work. There was also a
•tannery in the village.

The Rev. J. Roos.

For years and years the want of a resident
clerg)'man had been acutely felt in Alexandria, for
the people were entirely dependent upon the
quarterly visits of the Rev. Dr. Roux, of Riebeek.
which was at least fifty miles distant. Several at-
tempts had been made to raise funds for the sup-
port of a clergTy-man, and many of the farmers sub-
scribed liberally towards an endowment, but every
attempt failed. It was not until the i6th of Sep-
tember, 1869, that the congregation had their long-
cherished hope of obtaining a resident minister
fulfilled. The Rev. J. Roos was appointed at a
stipend of ^250, together with a parsonage. He
remained there for many years, and accomplished
much good work amongst his parishioners.

The Rev. A. W. Copeman had established
Christ Church in Alexandria prior to this, and he
continued to minister there until his death. Further
reference to him will be found in our article on St.
Katharine's Church.

Education.

Education in Alexandria was long in a most
backward and unsatisfactory condition, for the
people were as apathetic in this direction as they
were in nearly every other. A second-class school
(State-aided) was started at length, and, under Mr.
Shaw, gave considerable satisfaction. A district
school was opened by Mr. J. Marriott in 1863,
there being 21 pupils on the roll, and in the same
year a mission school was opened by E. M.
Burness with 19 scholars; but neither of these in-
stitutions were very successful.

Cotton Growing.

Cotton of a very superior quality was grown in
1863 on the farm Bookanes, near the mouth of the
Bushman's River. Reporting on this to the Gov-
ernment, the Magistrate remarked that there was
no doubt cotton could be cultivated with great
success in the valley near the coast, and the farmers
were only deterred from making the experiment by
reason of the scarcity of labour.

Gener.-\i..

Alexandria cannot be said to be a progressive
town by any manner of means. Although only 70
miles from Port Elizabeth, it is out of the world, so
to speak, and it does not appear as if there were a
future before it — in the ordinary course of events.
In such a place events move very slowly, and there
is practically nothing of general interest for the
historian to record. Drought and deluge, disaster

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

131

and disease, prosperity and adversity follow one
another there as in other divisions, but little is ever
heard of them, and thus years pass by with but
few occurrences out of the ordinary routine to

mark them.

Dr. W. McMaster was ap-
District Surgeon pointed District Surgeon of

Uitenhage in April, 1855, at a
salary of £'j^ per annum, with the right of private
practice. He was succeeded by Dr. \V. Suther-
land in 1872, and after his death Dr. R. G. Lamb
was appointed on the 9th of August, 1875, and has
retained the position ever since.

The industry of woohvashing
Woolwashing in was established in Uitenhage
Uitenhage. in the year 1858, and has been

the means, together with the
railway works and market gardening, of ensuring
the prosperity of
the town. In the
early days Messrs
Uppleb)' & Co.
began a business
on the site of the
present Union
Works, with Mr.
B. Harvey as
manager, fol-
lovi^ed by Messrs.
Heugh & Flem-
ing, afterwards
F. & P. Lange,
Mr. Gubb (suc-
ceeded by his sou
Mr. T. W. Gubb),
and Messrs.
R o b e r t s h a w ,
Stratford, Niven,
Inggs, Spence, \ r

Skinner, Butler,
Grevvar, Clark, &c.

In the year 1866 the Springfield Woolwashing
Company started under the late Mr. H. W. Inggs,
and was carried on successfully for many years.
In the year 1873 ^^^^ company purchased the
Union Works, and subsequently built a new works
at Despatch. In 1882 Mr. Inggs severed his con-
nection with the Springfield Company and estab-
lished a business at Kruis River, which he con-
ducted until his death in 1892, when he was suc-
ceeded by his son, Mr. Herbert Inggs.

The price charged for washing in 1858 was a
half-penny per lb. In 1868 there were eight estab-

lishments on the banks of Zvi'artkops, and three of
them were worked by steam power. They afforded
employment for a large numlier of labourers of
both sexes, at an average rate of wages of 2S. per
day. Tlie greatest portion, or nearly all of it, was
native l.ibour, and the money earned by these
peojile in the season was about ;^630 per week,,
but it did not benefit the town as it would have
dyne if paid to Europeans, as the natives mostly
came from Kaffraria in parties of eight or ten,,
spent as little of their earnings as possible, and
hoarded the greatest portion to purchase cattle and
return to their own native country.

In 1873 there were nine establishments in the
town, all of them in constant work night and day..
They were worked by steam power, and extensive
improvements and enlargements to the machinery
were constantly being made. All maintained their
high reputation for washing wool with cleaner and

better results than
, 7-3SF5 -i ■ A«^Jti-..jtiHji i.iii I i|iiiiwiniii , V J ^yg|-£ achieved in

any other [lart of
the Colony. In
1872 there were
onJv seven in
operation, but in
1874 the number
of establishments
had grown to ten,
and were still
doing well, find-
ing constant em-
ployment for
several hundred
male and female
labourers at high
wages. There
were, at one
period, eleven
i , woolwashing

businesses on the
banks of the Zwartkops River, extending for a
distance of nine miles.

At present there are only three interests with
five wool washes. These are Messrs. Gubb & Inggs^
who have amalgamated the businesses of Messrs..
Gubb, Inggs, and the Springfield Company, and
Messrs. C. Robertshaw and A. C. Schady.

The reasons why six out of eleven woolwashes-
have closed down are not difficult to understands
Woolwashing is a process requiring considerable
knowledge and skill. A delicate fibre requires
careful handling in order to prevent damage which
would render it unlit for the subsequent process of

132

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

; manufacture. While improvements were being
made in England and on the Continent, the local

■washers were content to continue with the crude
methods then in use. On the nitroduction of the
Scab Act much difficulty was caused in washing
by the effect of the dips on the fleeces, and the
result was that the method in use was unsuitable
to the new conditions. The increased cost and the
low rates charged owing to competition rendered
the business unprofitable. The result was that one
after the other closed down and the industry was
threatened w-ith extinction The industry can be
revived by the introduction of scientific methods
of treating the wool, by which the product can be
made more acceptable to the buyers. The in-
dustry is of considerable value to the Colony, and
should receive all possible assistance from the

•Government. The importation of soaps, duty free,
is the only assistance given at present, and although
the washers have been grateful for this privilege,
it is thought that more could be done to foster the
industry nntil it is again fairly established.

A short account of the method of washing may
be of interest. In the early days the wool was

■ opened out from the bales and steeped in cold
water in a wooden trough. The natives then

washed the wool -about with their feet, after which
it was taken to the drying floors and dried

■ by the natural warmth of our climate. An im-
provement was made by having two baths, one hot
and one cold. The fleeces being innocent of sheep
dip, a fair result was obtained. The natives some-
times objected to working in the cold water in a
half nude condition, so mechanical means were
sought. The introduction of a rotary washer
worked by steam power, the invention of which is
attributed to the late Mr. Niven, and the use of
tanks in which the wool was forked by hand, was
the next improvement.

A local firm s;nt its representative to Verviers
;and imported the first set of machinery. This was
known as the " Leviathan," and was extensively

■ copied, but, strange to relate, the essential device
was omitted, owing to the dilliculty of making it
locally. About i8.}0 three sets of machines were
imported from Rochdale, but were not efficiently
• used. Messrs. Gubb & Inggs have these machines

in use, and have adopted the latest methods of
washing. In reviewing the past history of this
industry it appears that trile competition should
.be in improved methods to enable a superior article
to be produced at a lesser cost if iiossible.

In 1862 J. Isbell was appointed
The Post Office Postmaster at a salary of ^^50

per annum, with £i2 for free
delivery of letters. He continued to hold office
until 1874, when he died and was succeeded by
his wife, Mrs. E. A. Isbell, who received ,^90 per
annum, together with an additional _^5o as ofticer
in charge of the telegraph station. In 1875 C. Dak
w-as made deputy postmaster at the Railway
Station, for which he was paid £12 per annum, in
addition to the £2^0 he received as Stationmaster.
Mrs. Isbell died at a ripe old age in 1905.

Reporting to the Government in
Volunteer 1863, the Magistrate stated

Cavalry Corps that the Volunteer Cavalry Corps

was still kept up with much
spirit, and the appearance of the men on occasion
of the visit of the Governor to Port Elizabeth that
year had called forth His Excellency's highest
commendation.

The district of Jansenville is the
Jansenville. north-east part of the division of

Uitenhage, and includes a narrow-
strip of Somerset East. It was formed into a district
in September, 1874, and comprised twelve freehold
farms, in extent 15,947 morgen; 118 quitrent, 297,563
morgen; 31 pieces of land leased under Act 19 0£
1864, in extent 23,827 morgen, and 29 pieces of
Crown land, leased annually, in extent 97,370
morgen, making an area of about 1,500 square
miles. The northern part is open country, inter-
sected by ranges of low hills; the flats are covered
with karroo and vygeboschjes, in good seasons
mi.xed with grass, towards Jansenville interspersed
with norse and bush. The hills are clothed with
spekboom and other nourishing trees and shrubs.
Sheepfarming is carried on with success in this
part. The country towards the west, the Zwart
Ruggens, is flat, slightly undulating, covered with
wild pomegranate and a valuable plant called
ving>;rpol, and, in good seasons, grass. The veld is
eminently adapted for all kinds of small stock.
Angora goats especially. The southern boundary
is the Zuurberg range, where the country is very
rugged and only fit for cattle and goats. The
boundary on the east is the Riet and Sundays
Rivers. This is a cattle country, but best adapted
for the Cape goat.

V ARM ISO.

The fathers of sheepfarming in the Jansenville
district may be said to be Messrs. Hobson, Biggs,
and Xash. Their farms adjoin, and make a most

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

133

extensive slieep walk, and they were originally the
property of the late W. E. Hobson and D. Hobson,
who, by their remarkable enterprise, gave con-
siderable impetus to this pursuit. In the seventies
Messrs. A. C. Stewart & Co. were perhaps the
largest breeders of Angora goats, and under the
management of Mr. Featherstone the Angora and
ostrich industries were conducted on a large scale
on the e.xtensive tracts of land owned by this firm
in the neighbourhood of the Zuurberg. This estate
was some 40,000 acres in extent, and Mr. Feather-
stone was one of the most energetic and enter-
prising farmers in the province. In 1881 it was
proposed to form a company to secure the estate,
with the stock, and to carry on general and stock
farming, but owing to an insufficient number of
shares being taken the project fell through.

For some years, indeed, ostrich farming was
carried on very successfully in the Jansenville dis-
trict, parts of which are eminently adapted for the
rearing of this bird. Up to 1862 large numbers
ran wild in the Zwart Ruggens, and some were
still to be found there in the seventies.

Agkiculture.

The banks of the Sundays River, along its whole
course, are of beautiful alluvial soil, and in the
year the district was founded some very heavy
crops were reaped. The produce on one farm
alone was 600 muids, while the crop of forage was
30,000 bundles.

VlNEY.\KDS.

In former years the vine was extensively culti-
vated, and wine and brandy made. Through the
oidium and scarcity of labour the vineyards were
allowed to go into decay; but the industry may be
revived, for the yields w;re good and the flavour
of the grape delicious. In the seventies there were
a number of orchards along the river, but they
were neglected, and little fruit was dried for sale.

The Coc.vrKY ok ihe L.\kes.

When the late Mr. Hobson settled in the dis-
trict in 1836 he commenced a series of dams upon
the most approved principles. The one at
Ebenezer was so large that an e.xtensive piece of
land was irrigated from it in the driest seasons.
■" His praiseworthy example," says one writer in
1874, " was so generally followed that the arid
Karroo may now be described as the country of
the lakes. Mr. Featherstone has constructed seven
which hold water for his numerous flocks all the
year round. Several of these inland lakes have
been made for irrigation."

Prickly Pe.\r.

So far back as 1873 the Magistrate called atten-
tion to the fact that the prickly pear was taking in
considerable tracts of country to the south of
Jansenville, but that on the north Messrs. Hobson
deserved great praise for their strenuous and suc-
cessful efforts to eradicate it.

Lime and Stoxe.

Limestone abounds in several parts, and very
good lime is made. A quarry of excellent building
stone was opened for the bridge.

The Town.

The town of Jansenville stands on part of the
farm Vergenoeg, which was originally granted to
one Prinsloo in the time of Lord Charles Somerset.
He sold it to a Mr. Schut, and it passed in suc-
cession into the hands of J. Vivier and then into
those of John Alberts. The last-named sold half
of the farm to his brother-in-law, Mr. Petrus
Jacobus Fourie, senior, and some time afterwards
Mr Alberts sold the remaining portion to the same
gentleman. Mr. Alberts then went to the Free
State, and was soon followed thither by Mr. P. J.
Fourie, who joined the trekkers, leaving his sons
on the farm. They and their descendants are still
resident there.

The Rev. A. Smith, of Uitenhage, used to visit
this part of the country at stated intervals, and in
18^5 he persuaded Mr Fourie, who was now
owner of Vergenoeg, to sell half of the farm for the
establishment of a village. This was agreed to,
and the rev. gentleman at once proceeded to form
a separate congregation. Mr. Robert Pinchin was
meanwhile engaged by Mr. Fourie to survey the
half of the farm and to divide it up. Eighty-four
erven were laid out, and these were public^ sold
by Mr. Stephanus van Kervel du Toit, a Uitenhage
auctioneer. The new village was then named
Jansenville, after the last of the Dutch Governors.

The Kerkpl.aats.

Most South African towns evolve from a kerk-
plaats to a dorp, but this was not the case with
Jansenville, for even after it had been proclaimed
a village the church was held at the farm Verge-
noeg, adjoining the town, and upon which the
Fourie family resided and has resided ever since.
The old building used as a church is still standing,
and after serving as a school room now does duty
as a farm shed.

134

L'lTEXHAGE PAST AXD PRESENT.

Thk U. \i. Chvulh.

The congregation having been formed. Mr.
Smith visited Jansenville every three months and
administered the sacrament. Services also were
held at various centres, such as Draaihoek,
Blaauwkrantz, \'aal{ontein, etc. The parishioners
numbered 1,150. of whom 450 were enrolled mem-
bers of the Church. Forty-one children were
baptised in 1855.

In 1863 the Rev. William Fleming Hengh. of
Humansdorp. was appointed Minister-Consulent,
and he was succeeded as such by the Rev. C. T.
MuUer, of Pearston. Shortly afterwards the first
residential minister, the Rev. Mr. Muller, was ap-
pointed. Mr. Muller died in 1878, and was suc-
ceeded by the Rev. Mr. Kriel. who came from
Lydenburg, Transvaal. He, however, only lived
until 1881, and an interregnum of two years oc-
curred. In 1883 the Rev. Johannes Abraham
Joubert was appointed, and during his time the
new Dutch Reformed Church was built. In this
work the late reverend gentleman interested him-
self very actively, and it was mostly through his
efforts that the building was erected. The cost
amounted to ;f 7,000, and this sum was paid in cash
when the structure was completed. The architect
was Mr. Hager, but his plans were modified by Mr.
Reid,aPort Elizabeth architect. The contractors
were Messrs. Grant & Downie, of Uitenhage.

The congregation numbers 3,000 at present. On the
27th of August, 1894 — a day that will long live in
the memories of the inhabitants of Jansenville, the
pastor who had rendered such splendid service to
the town and district passed away, and the general
sadness was deepened when it also became known
that the chief Elder of the Church— Mr. Stcphanus
McKav — had entered into rest .about the same

time. The two coffins were carried into the church
together, and the remains were afterwards interred
amidst every sign of heartfelt sorrow and grief.

In 1895 the Rev. X. Brummer, M.A.. was ap-
pointed in Mr. Joubert's stead, and he was suc-
ceeded by the Rev, Burger.

St. S.wiolk's Chtkch.

Prior to 1896 Jansenville was visited once a
year by the Rector of St. Katharine's Church, and
services were then held in the Court House. In
that year, however, the Rev. W. Carre was ap-
pointed minister, and he continued to officiate until
1898, when the Rev. Alfred Long arrived from
England and took over from Mr. Carre. This
gentleman accomplished an enormous amount of
good work, and one of his first actions was to get
Jansenville and Steytlerville separated from the
parish of Uitenhage and formed into a separate
parish. He then set about raising funds for the
erection of a church, and in this direction his
energy was indefatigable. He procured money
from the people of those towns, and by an ingenious
scheme of descriptive letter writing he managed to
raise quite a respectable sum from his old congre
gation in Shepherd's Bush, London. The church
w.is erected in an incredibly short time, at a cost
of _^8oo. It is built of stone, has a red tiled roof,
and seats about 100 people. The architect was
Mr. White-Cooper. During Mr. Long's four years'
sojourn he managed to build no less than three
other churches— one at Steytlerville, one at Klip-
plaat, and a native church at Jansenville. He re-
turned to England in 1904. and was succeeded by
the Rev. Thornlev Jones, who is still ministering
there. The surpliced choir at St. Saviour's, Jansen
ville, dates from the arrival of Mr. Long. The
church was dedicated by the Venerable Archde.icon
Llewellyn.

WivSKKV.AX Chikch.

The Wesleyan Church, Jansenville, which was
erected in the year 1898, at a cost of ^"850, is a
handsome and commodious structure, and capable
of seating some 200 people. Its hrst minister was
the Rev. Stephen K. Samiders, a very able and de-
voted man, who was compelled through ill-health to
give up his charge after but a short tenure of office.
The present incumbent is the Rev. Austen S.
Rogers, who is doing good work both in town and
district. The circuit includes Mount Stewart,
where a pretty little church was erected in February,
1905, and Steytlerville, together with Barroe and
Wolvelontein, at which places services .are held

UITENHAGK PAST AND PRESENT.

135

monthly. The Jansenville circuit is under the
superintendency of the Rev. J. W. Househam, of
Uitenhage.

M.^GISTERI.\L.

The first Magistrate of Jansenville was Mr. \V.
W. Maskew, who was appointed in 1875. He
found the village in a very backward state, and
this was owing to several circumstances. The
chief was the lawlessness of former times, the ab-
sence of permanent water, and the main road not
passing through the place. The first of these
causes was speedily removed, every attempt was
made to remove the second, and the third was re-
moved by the completion of the bridge over the
Sundays River. The main road then led through
the village, and sometimes as many as a hundred
wagons per week passed and re-passed through the
streets.

Mr. Maskew seems to have been imbued with a
sincere desire to further the interests of the village
in every possible way, and he earned the gratitude
of the inhabitants by having their streets made for
them by convict labour. Gravelling was also done
by the prisoners — of whom there were no less than
279 sentenced during the first year of the Magis-
tracy. He also had three wells dug, one of which
was filled in again later on, and on these the vil-
lagers depended for their domestic water sup-
ply. They are still in existence, although they
are not now in use. Mr. Maskew also attended to
the bridging of the sluits, but there is much to be
done in this direction by the Town Council of to-
day, some of these furrows being dangerous to life
and limb. Several serious accidents have already
occurred. It was during this officiars ivi^liiic, too,
that the Sundays River Bridge was opened,
and he himself christened it. Mr. Maskew was
transferred to Middelburg after he had been in
Jansenville for about a year, and he was succeeded
by Messrs. Smuts, Ford, and Watson. The last-
named gentleman was appointed in September,
1875, and he remained there for no less than si.xteen
years. He accomplished a very large amount of
useful work, and served the public well from the
very beginning of his lengthy term of office. Air.
Watson retired from the service in 1899, and is
now living in Uitenhage. The succeeding Magis-
trates of Jansenville were Mr. A Gill, appointed in
1891 ; Mr. L. Neethling, appointed in 1893 ; Mr.
G. H. B. Shaw, 1899 ; and Mr. D. D. Leslie, 1904.

Fruit Growixg.

Jansenville was reported by the Uitenhage
Magistrate in 1872 to be producing fruit unsur-

passed by any in the Colony, and also grain of a
superior quality. The Midland Conveyance Com-
pany's wagons, then passing weekly through Jan-
senville on their way to Port Elizabeth and Graaff-
Reinet, offered the inhabitants an opportunity of
sending their magnificent fruit to the Bay market,
where it was always in large demand.

The Bridge.

We have already given a full account of the
fine bridge which spans the Sundays River at Jan-
senville, and this will be found incorporated in the
history of the Uitenhage Divisional ColuicII.

The PiBLic Oekices.

The old Court House still exists, and although it
may at one time have appeared to be an ornament
to the town, it certainly cannot be compared with
the offices in which all public works are now carried
on, including that of the postal and telegraphic de-
partment. This pile of buildings was erected in
1895, the contractor being Mr. .\. Gillespie, of
Uitenhage.

136

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

The Town Council.

The Municipality was established on the 15th of
April, 1875, the tiist Council consisting of Messrs.
G. M. J.Slabbert (Mayor), J. Nel, W. Byus. L-
Fourie, and J. Fourie. Mr. R. J. P. Slabbert has
been Town Clerk since 1892.

The present Council consists of Messrs. J. J.
Scheepers (Mayor), H. M. Sadler, D. J. Orsmoiid,
J. Frankel, A. McLoughlin, and J. Nieuwhoudt.
The Fiscal Division.

Under the provisions of Act No. 36 of 1879,
Jansenville was created a fiscal division from the
ist of January, 1880. Its area was roughly esti-
mated at 2,500 square miles ; there were 121 quit-
rent farms bringing in a yearly revenne of ^93*^-
45 Crown Land lots yielding £2,211, and nineteen
lots of unsurveyed Crown Land leased for short
periods for the sum ot .^'290 yearly. The income
from these sources therefore amounted to ^3,437
per annum. The value of landed property within
the division, assessed in 1880 for Divisional Council
purposes, amounted to ;^240,228. No Divisional
Council was then in existence, and the division for
such purposes still belonged to or formed part of
the division of Uitenhage. The roads were then
in a miserable state, with the exception of the one
to Mount Stewart railway station.

The Divisional Council.

The Jansenville division was divided into six
wards by procl.imation dated ist August, 1881, and
the first Divisional Councillors were Messrs. J. H.
Cawood, G. B. Hobson, D. E. Hobson, H. Nash,
O. J. Fourie, G. M. J. Slabbert, and J. Birch, Mr.

J. J. Watson, C.C. & R.M., being Chairman. The
first meeting was held on the 5th of October, 1881.
The value of property on which the first rate was
assessed was ^250,251, and the rate was id. in the

£■ _

The present members of the Council are Messrs-
D. C. J. Lotter, M.L.A., J. A. v:mi Eeden, A. J.
Fourie, E. F. Gouws, I. B. Ferreira, and W. H.
Berrington, with Mr. J. D. Leslie, C.C, Chairman.

The present valuation is ^337,430, which is
very low, and the rate is still id. in the £.
The Town Hall.

The new Town Hall was completed in 1903 at
a cost of _^ 1, 350. It is a handsome and commo-
dious building, and one that is in every way a
credit and an ornament to the town.

To\v.\ H.^LL, Jansenville.

General Progress.
The town of Jansenville has doubled in size
during the past ten years, and the valuation for
1905 was ^75,695 — an increase in four years of
;^"i5,ooo.

■ — -^-^ — ^^^^^5^"^

Part ]^II.~The Decade, 1864-1873.

The year 1864 is memorable in that
The in that year the first newspaper was

Uitenhage puhlislied in Uitenhage by the late
Times. Mr. Henry Bidwell, and that paper

(the Vilenhage Times) exists to-day,
after a successful career of over 40 years. It is not
so much on account of the journal that this article
finds a place here, but the work would be incom-
plete without some record of its founder, who was
one of the most progressive and public-spirited men
Uitenhage has ever owned as a resident.

Of the paper itself little need be said. It has
always been published in the interests of Progress,
and most of our readers are acquainted with its
career, how in the course of its evolution it has
changed by degrees from the smallest of sheets to
one of the largest published within the Colony, and
its price has similarly been leduced by degrees
from 6d. to id. It is a bi-weekly paper, and now
owned by Mr. W. S. J. Sellick, who acquired it
from Mr. Bidwell on the ist January, 1893.

Mr. Bidwell was born at Norwich in
Henry 1830, and left his home at the early age
William of 9 years to seek his own fortune. He
Bidwell. drifted to London and entered a print-
ing establishment, where he took a keen
interest in lithography, in which art he made some
■discovery of importance in the production of fine
work, and this discovery " put him on his feet."
He then went in for private study, and in 1862
came to this country as sub-editor of the Journa]. of
Grahamstown. The following year he came to
Uitenhage, and shortly afterwards started the
Uitenhage Times.

Daring the 36 years of Mr. Bidwell's residence
in Uitenhage he not only worked hard for the
public welfare, but in private life he was looked
upon as a true benefactor in many instances, and
nothing would please him better than an oppor-
tunity to push on some boy or girl in the study of
music, of which he was passionately fond.

Mr. Bidwell represented the Uitenhage division
in the House of .Assembly in 1873, when he was
appointed official shorthand writer to the Com-

mittees of the House, which post he retained for
about 20 years, when he retired on pension. In
1893 he again contested the Uitenhage seat with
Mr. John Mackay as a colleague, but the Bond
inierest was too strong for him, and he was unsuc-
cessful.

Coming to
local matters, he
became a mem-
ber of the old
Board of Com-
missioners, and -^
was elected to
the Town Coun-
cil in 1882, and
retained his seat
imtil his death
in 1899, and, but
for a defect in
his h e a r i n y .
would on maii\
occasions ha\c
been elected to
the Mayoral
chair ; and it

can be truly mk. iiKxin wn i.hm i;iiiUKLL.

said that never,

before or since, has there been a Councillor
of Uitenhage who has had the welfare of the
town at heart more than Mr. Bidwell, or one
who has done more for the public. As a member
of the Divisional Council he also did good work,
whilst one of his greatest delights was to actively
interest himself in education, and he was a member
of each of the boards of management of the various
local public schools.

As a journalist Mr. Bidwell had few equals in
the Colony, and he was not unknown as a novelist
and poet, for several novels and poems bearing his
name as the author have been published and appre-
ciated. What we have often wondered at is that
the name of such a local benefactor has not been
handed down to posterity by the authorities in the
way that many less popular men have been, by the
naming of one of the principal streets after him.

138

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

In November, 1867, the Van
The Van Staadens Staadens River Pass was
River Pass. destroyed by the great floods

which then took place,
only a few months after the thoroughfare had been
handed over to the Divisional Council. The culverts
and retaining walls were completely destroyed,
and it was not w-ithin the means of the Council to
undertake so extensive a work as the repair of the
damage.

In tiie late sixties the Government
Silk Culture attempted to induce farmers and

others to take up the culture of
siik, but the scheme was not followed with suc-
cessful results. Cuttings and seed of the white
mulberry were sent to the Magistrate, and these
were distributed among the farmers as much as
possible ; but there were very few applications
made for them, and the idea never found favour
among the people. In Uitenhage more than one
determined effort was made to start the industry
but none of them came to anything. Many of the
mulberry trees planted at that time, however, are
still in existence.

The most seasonable rains fell in
A Good Year 1870, and the crops in consequence

were abundant and all kinds of
stock in excellent condition. Trade flourished
exceedingly, too, and over the 287 miles of main
road in the division passed what was officially de-
scribed as " the greatest traffic in the Colony."

For many years the survey of
Crown Lands. Crown Lands had been pro-
ceeded with, but even although
much work had been accomplished in this direction
it could not be completed for a considerable time
owing to the great extent of the country still to be
siu-veyed by the one man engaged in the work. A
large tract had, however, already been surveyed
into farms, and in 1870 no less than 139 lots of
unsurveyed waste Crown Land had been let for
one year in lots averaging from 1,000 to 4,000
morgen each, yielding a revenue of £2^22,1 for the
twelve months. A portion of these lands was
leased in May, 1869, also for one year, for ^1,238, so
that in that month a sum of ^3,469 was added to the
revenue from lands which, had previously yielded
nothing whatever, but had been occupied by
squatters of all descriptions, to the great annoy-
ance and serious loss of neighbouring farmers.

Although a very large portion of
Coat Farming this district is unsurpassed by any

in the Colony for goat farm-
ing, the scheme initiated by Messrs. Blaine and
others of importing large numbers of Angora goats
from Asia Minor was not taken up by the farmers,
as was anticijiated: they preferred the ordinary
description of goat as being larger for slaughtering
purposes.

If the year 1870 was good from
Fabulous Prices, a farmer's point of view, the
year 1871 was better still. Un-
precedented prices were realised for produce, but
this operated in an opposite direction upon the in-
habitants of the town. Meat, meal, vegetables, and
indeed all the necessaries of life were nearly double
(in some instances more than double) the price
they were in 1870, and a further advance in prices
was considered most likely. Slaughter stock had
become so scarce that butchers could hardly keep
up a supply of meat. The great demand for
draught oxen, consequent on the immense number
required for transport of goods to the upper dis-
tricts and to the Diamond Fields, tended con-
siderably to the scarcity of stock for slaughter.

Some of the prices realised here in this phe-
nominal year may be interesting. Wheat reached
los. a bushel, the average price for the Colony be-
ing 6s. 8 {d.; barley, 6s. per bushel, average price
for the Colony 3s. 9d. ; rye, 7s. 6d., average price
for Colony 4s. id. ; mealies, 7s. 6d., average price
for Colony 4s. 9jd. ; potatoes, 6s. 6d. per bushel,
average price for Colony 5s. 2d.

Transport was then scarcely obtainable even at
enormous rates, and the advent of the railway was
looked forward to with the keenest impatience.
Those were halcyon days for transport riders, and
many a fortune was made before the steam engine
put an end for ever to this method of acquiring
great wealth.

One result of the enormous
Tiie Destruction amount of transport passing
of tlie Roads. through the district was the

destruction cf the roads. In
some places they were destroyed faster than
the means at the disposal of the Divisional
Council could repair them, for the wagons,
carrying from 8,000 to 10,000 lbs., ground
all the metal to powder, which was swept away in
tons bv the hiL'h winds.

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

139

In 1 87 1 a steam Hour mill was
Waterford. erected by Mr. Heiibsch at the

village of Waterford, on the banks
of the Sundays River — the centre of a country
capable of producing grain of very superior quality
in large quantities if proper provision for irrigation
were made. In this case Mr. Heubsch pumped
the water out of the river by machinery, and irri-
gated with it a large extent of ground upon which
soft wheat, that made excellent flour, was grown.

As the months went by the ser-
The Servant vant difficulty to which we have
Difficult/. referred became so acute that, in

the words of the Magistrate, " a
regular panic was created." Efforts were made
to supply the deticiency in Uitenhage and in Port
Elizabeth by obtaining immigrants from St. Helena.
It is evident that while native labour was 4s. 6d. a
day menial labour would be scarce.

As was anticipated, the year 187J
A Prosperous was even more prosperous than
Year its predecessor. Farmers realised

absolutely unprecedented prices
for their produce and stock of all descriptions; meal,
oat hay, and grain of all kinds were treble what they
were a few years previously, and the same might
be said about the necessaries of life.

The high rate and the ever increasing demand
for produce still continued, and was one of the
causes of the great scarcity of slaughter stock, so
many oxen being used in the carrying trade.

But little progress had been
Labour Difficulties, made with the works of the

railway between Port Eliz-
abeth and Uitenhage, although the hrst sod
was turned by the Governor in January, 1871.
This was attributed to the very great scarcity
of labour, which was experienced in every
branch of industry to an alarming extent. Public
and other works were almost at a standstill in
consequence ; neither farm, domestic, nor day
labourers could be obtained, and the few who
would work, principally natives, were receiving
most exorbitant wages.

Kafirs, Basutos, and others of the frontier
tribes, came into the neighbourhood in small
parties, worked for a few months, accumulating
considerable sums of money, with which they re-
moved to their own country. These parties con-
sisted of men only, and would work merely on day
wages, principally at the woolwashing establish-
ments, where they e.irned from 2s. 6d. to 4s. 6d.
per day.

Landed property also rose rapidly in
A Rise in value, and the leasing of waste Crown
Property Lands for twenty-one years gradually

but surely tended to improve the
district. Land in the Karroo, which was formerly
considered of little if any value, and only inhabited
by squatters of all descriptions, was being occu-
pied by industrious and enterprising farmers, who
erected good houses and constructed large and
substantial dams. Cultivated lands and gardens
might now be seen where formerly the only vege-
tation was the Euphorbia or the Karroo bush.

There was another very tangible proof of the
wisdom of leasing these lands on such terms. In
the sixties the Uitenhage district could not defray
its own expenditure without drawing on the
Colonial Treasury. In other words, it could not
pay its way without help from Government. But
in 1872 there was a different tale to tell, and in-
stead of being a financial burden, it now added
verj' considerably to the general revenue of the
Colony, and was shortly afterwards destined to
add much more, for while in 1872 there were fifty
of these farms about to be leased, there were a
hundred erven already surveyed, which were
leased in 1873. Even then a large tract of country
was still unsurveyed.

On all sides were evidences
Rapid Progress of prosperity, and with pros-
of tiie District. perity came enterprise. The

position is generally reversed,
for prosperity usually follows enterprise. But
the farmers were stimulated and cheered by the
good times, and they extended their respective
spheres of operations. Ostrich farming was more
largely taken up, and the Angora goat began rapidly
to take the place of the common goat. This step
was followed by gratifying results, and on most
farms large Hocks of merino sheep were introduced.
This, too, proved successful, for the northern part
of the district is admirably adapted for this class of
stock.

But the year was not alto-
An Epidemic of gether one of unalloyed pros-
Horse Siclcness. perity. During the early part

of it great losses were experi-
enced by farmers and others from horse sickness,
large numbers of animals dying from that epidemic.
In many cases, too, even stabled horses were not
exempt. The increased demand caused by the
number of transport and convej-ance companies,
together with the losses by the epidemic, rendered
both horses and mules e.xtremely scarce and ex-

140

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

pensive. An animal that would realise formerly
from _^io to ^"20 could readily be disposed of at
from ^40 to ;^5o.

The Railway, as we have aleady
Communication said, was making slow progress,
With and communication with Port

Port Elizabeth Elizabeth was still carried on

by road. A passenger cart and
a coach — the latter frequently taking as many as
twenty-one passengers — plied daily between Uiten-
hage and Port Elizabeth once each way, and they
were both well patronised. The scheduled time
was three hours, but the journey was frequently
done in less time.

In addition to this, a horse wagon belonging to
the Midland Conveyance Company passed through
the town once a week each way between Port
Elizabeth and Graaff-Reinet, and it was generally
crowded with passengrrs.

Cape Colony is a land of
Severe Depression, extremes, and a feast is
generally followed by a
famine. The prosperity of 1872 was followed by
depression in 1873, and this was mainly attributable
to the severe drought which raged that year.

The usual summer rains, without which the
Karroo veld does not improve, did not fall. In
consequence of this and of the continued drought,
pasturage was extremely scarce and bad ; the
scarcity of water in the northern and western por-
tions of the division, by failure of dams which had
not been so dry for many years, if ever before, was
so great that many farmers were compelled to re-
move their stock, and in very many instances their
families also, to more favourable localities.

During November and December rain fell, but so
partial was it that some of the exhausted dams were
filled whilst others were washed away, and yet, with-
in a mile and even in sight of the same locality, the
country retained its parched and arid appearance I
Most of the crops were therefore ruined, and the
result was that the price of everything rose to a
fabulous height.

Butter, which had been sold a few years pre-
viously at from 6d. to is. per lb., was for a con-
siderable time obtainable only at 4s. 6d. and 5s.
per lb. ; meal, ^^'3 per muid ; butcher's meat rose
to 7d. per lb., while forage (oat hay) was fetching
the most exorbitant price of from £^ to ;^5 per
100 bundles at Christmas time, and was daily in-
creasing in price. It eventually reached the
almost incredible tigue of £6 los. per hundred
bundles (is. 3.i,d. per bundle), and it was not par-

ticularly good at that. These details are taken
from the Civil Commissioner's official report on the
situation to Government.

In fact it is not possible to quote anything that
had not quadrupled in price. Many of the farmers
were in consequence reaping a rich harvest for
their produce ; but many others had nothing to
bring to market. All persons with fixed and
limited means suffered severely by this state of
affairs, and many of them were nearly ruined.

Transport, upon which many of the smaller
families depended, came to a complete standstill,
and wealthy farmers who had produce to bring to
m;uket were debarred from doing so by the arid
state of the veld through which they had to travel
with their oxen.

As could only be expected, the result was that
little progress or improvement can be recorded.
The archives of the town and district are silent
upon almost everj'thing except the drought.
Scarcity and dearness of provisions caused a con-
siderable increase of crime, and the gaol at Christ-
mas time was full of criminals either undergoing
sentence or awaiting trial. An examination of the
prison books shows that the building had scarcely-
ever been so full during twelve months as it was in

1873-

A Good Templar Lodge
The Good Templars, was established here in
1873, and in his official re-
port the Magistrate states that the Society was
already " quietly working a considerable amount of
good ; but still I regret to say that drunkenness
prevails to a great extent — probably, however, not
to a greater extent than in any European town with
so large a population. Several deaths have re-
sulted from this cause. High wages and cheap
brandy, which unfortunately is the only article of
consumption that can be called cheap, are con-
ducive to this amongst a population consisting of
Europeans of all descriptions at the railway works,
and natives from every tribe on the frontier at the
nine woolwashing establishments."

Milk in Uitenhage was 6d. a bottle^
Prices of pork is. 6d. per lb., beef is., mut-

Necessaries ton 7d., salt butter 2s. 8d. per lb.,

cheese 2s., tea 4s. 6d. per lb. (tea
was 6s. 6d. in Alexandria), coffee is. 3d. per lb.,
sugar 6d. per lb., rice 5id. per lb., raisins 8d. per
lb., salt 2s. per bucket. This last-named com-
modity was no less than 12s. 6d. per bucket in
Alexai.dria, and the average price for it in the
Eastern Province was 8s. 8d., and for the whole
Colony 7s. 7d.

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

141

The nourishing town of Willow-
Willowmore. more will not celebrate its jubilee

for another ten years, for it was
not until early in 1864 that the Dutch Reformed
Church was established there, and this event may
be looked upon as the real foundation of the town
and district. The site upon which Willowmore
stands was originally part of the farm " Van
der Westhuizen's Kraal," and it was pur-
chased by Mr. William Moore in 1861 for the
purpose of laying out the township. Unfortunately
for him, however, his speculation proved unsuc-
cessful, as most of the town remained unsold, and
it was not untill 1873 — twelve years later — that he

Harrismith, Ladysmith,Graaft'-Reiiiet, Pietermaritz-
burg, etc., and it is more than probable that the
original idea was to call this place Williamoore.
The presence of the trees would easily lead people
to think that the first part of the name was Willow
instead of William, and thus the error would be
perpetuated by common usage. There was at one
time a prevalent idea that "'Uitenhage" was a
compound of three Dutch words — Uit-dcn-Ha^iic —
and that this indicated a similarity between the
site of the town and the Hague in Holland. The
theory was ingenious in the extreme, but unfortu-
nateh for its accuracy the Hague is as Hat as the
proverbial pancake.

WlLI.OW.MORE.

was able to find a purchaser in the Dutch
Reformed Church. The property was taken
over by this body, and the remaining erven quickly
found purchasers. A few houses and stores had
already been erected, and even before the church
took over the site the hamlet gave promise of be-
coming a convenient centre. Mr. B. Z. Stegmann.
the " grand old man " of Willowmore, was adver-
tising auction sales there in 1871.

The X.ame.

With regard to the name of the town, the popu-
lar theory is that it received this appellation by
reason, firstly, of there being a few willow trees on
the original site, and secondly, that the founder
was Mr. Moore ; hence Willow-moore. But the
method of naming South African towns generally
consists of using either the surname of the founder
or of some celebrity, or of combining both the
Christian and the surname, prominent local features
seldom being associated with these appellations —
as, for instance, Uitenhage, Pretoria, Kimberley,

Fiscal History.

For some years Steytlerville formed part of the
district of Willowmore, but a separate congrega-
tion was afterwards formed, and this was followed
later still by the formation of that district. It still
falls, however, within the fiscal division of Willow-
more. In 1874 Willowmore »as created a
seat of Magistracy, and a fiscal division in 1880.
This latter consists of portions of the districts of
Uitenhage, Humansdorp, Graaff-Reinet, Beaufort
West, Prince Albert, and George.

The Dutch Reformed Church.

As we have said, the Dutch Reformed Church
was established early in 1864, the Rev. van der
Riet, of Oudtshoorn, being the first consulent
minister. The Rev. P. X. Ham subsequently re-
ceived a call from the newly-formed congregation,
and he accepted it Ten months after his induc-
tion, however, he died, and was succeeded by the
Rev. George Murray, who remained there for nine
vears. .Since then several changes have ta'cen

142

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

place, the last minister being the Rev. J. A. Beyers.
He lately accepted a call to Lichteiiburg (Trans-
vaal), and his successor i* the Rev. J. Albertyn,
B.A., B.D.

The New Chukch.
Until 1879 the services were conducted in a
small building, but in that year the new church, of
which we reproduce a photograph, was erected at
a cost of about ;^8,ooo. It will seat eight hundred
people, and the contractors were Messrs. Rintoul
& Dunlop. At a later date a good organ was in-
stalled at a cost of over ;^i,ooo.

Thk M.woks.

The Board of Management was formed on the
10th January, 1882, and existed until April i6th,
1884, when the Municipality was created. The
Hrst Mayor was Mr. S. F. Rintoul, who officiated
for four months only. He was succeeded by Mr-
B. Z. Stegniann, who has acted as Mayor for no less
than eighteen years (18S4-86, 1S88-93, 1894-97,
1 898-1906), the others being Mr. T. H. Matthews
(1886-87, iS93-94, 1897-98), Mr. R. S. Dobson,
1887-88. So that in the whole of its twenty years
of Municipal existence Willowmore has only had
three Mayors.

There have been live Town Clerks, vi/,., .April,
1884, to Decemlier, 1884, Mr. S. Puth; 1884 to
1898, Mr. G. W. Muggleston ; 1898 to 1902, Mr.
F. (. Snook ; February, 1902, to October, 1903.
Mr. H. B. Colling; while the present Town Clerk
is Mr R 11 Llovd.

Town Council.

The present Town Council consists of Mr. B.
Z. Stegmann (Mayor), Messrs. P. M. Norden, J. W.
Shand, G. W Muggleston, E. H. Colborn, and P.
Lewitton. The Pound Master is H. Meintjes.

The ratable value of the town is ;^"i4i,i47, and
the valuation ;^i6i, 497, the rate levied being ijd.
in the £.

The English Church

was completed in 1881 and was consecrated by
the Bishop of Cape Town the same year.

* •.??.??»«, , Pakllamentaky.

Willowmore was included in the
electoral division of Beaufort West
until the last Redistribution Bill was
passed, and it now forms, with Jansen-
ville, a separate electoral division
, under the designation of Jansenville

\ — this notwithstanding that Willow-

more has a larger population, a larger
number of registered voters, and a
higher ratable valuation than Jansen-
ville.

Public Institutions.
There are now three Churches
(Dutch Reformed, Anglican, and
Wesleyan) and two good schools for
Europeans, three native schools in
town, and fifty within the division.
Willowmore is a great business
centre, and boasts of twenty-
three retail shops, two hotels, and two banks. It
possesses a Chamber of Commerce, a Town Hall,
and the Library is an excellent one. This last-
named institution was started in 1881, and even
then contained over 1,000 volumes. Since then it
has been considerably enlarged and is well
patronised.

General Progress.
The town is now connected by rail, and is situ-
ated on the Klipplaat-Oudtshoorn line. It is 92
miles from Oudtshoorn, 123' from Graaft-Reinet,
and 165 from Uitenhage.

Water-boring has been extensively carried out
with great success during the past few years, and
some holes are yielding 62,000 gallons per diem.
The present'C.C. & R.M. is Mr. J. D. Hugo.
A bi-lingnal paper, called the Karroo Xiii's, is
published weekly.

There are two Good Templar Lodges — one for
Europeans and one for natives.

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

The Makket.

Willovvmoie is noted for its mohair, wool, and
ostrich feathers, and there is a good market for
all kinds of produce, vegetables, &c. It is held
daily at 7 a.m. in summer and 8 a.m. in winter,
pi oduce being sold daily if required.

The returns for the year ending 30th June, 1904,
are : Morning market, ;^7,343 4s. ; produce
market, £16,626 15s. 3. ; total, ^23,969 19s. 3d.
Those for the year ending 30th June, 1905, are:
Morning market, ^7,430 5s iid. ; produce market,
;^I3,646 igs. 3d. ; total, _^'"2 1,077 5^- -d-

Morning M.^hkkt, Willow.njokk.

Population.
The census returns show a total population of
2,167 in town and 21,889 in the district.

The foundation and subsequent
Uitenhage growth of the Government Railway
Locomotive Workshops in Uitenhage synchro-
Works, nising with the development of the

Colony and the opening up of nor-
thern territory and the gold fields, it is imperative
that some details of the inception and progress of
the Midland System, of which it is the most im-
portant railway centre, should be touched upon.

We are not sure of the year, but sometime
during 1869 or 1870 a body of gentlemen resident
in Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage decided that it
was time better facilities were afforded to meet the
growing needs of the travelling pubhc living in the
sister towns. Important as this consideration was,
there was a greater^ -and that we are informed was
the rapidly-growing industry of wooUvashing in the
Zwartkops Valley ; at any rate, whatever the mi.xed
motives were they had a solid foundation in a
business sense, and the promoters received strong
support. The Chairman was Mr. Macdonald, a

Port Elizabeth merchant, and the members of the
Board included the late Mr. Mosel, Mr. Frederick
Lange, and Mr. Gubb (the father of our es-
teemed townsman); and the late Mr. Bidwell, who
founded the Uitcnliagc Times, represented us in
Parliament, and will be remembered as one of the
best and most public-spirited citizens we Uiten-
hage people have had the honour to number in
our midst. The promoters were offered a substan-
tial inducement by the townspeople.

.At that time the town affairs were in the hands
of Commissioners, who preceded the Town
Council, and about November, 1870, ninety-two-
residents approached these gentlemen with a sug-
gestion that the Governor's consent should be im-
mediately obtained to offer some land as a sort of
bonus to any Company who would undertake the
construction and, presumably, working of a rail-
way between Uitenhage and Port Elizabeth ; and
after the usual discussion, correspondence, pre-
parations of plans, &c., the grant was made under
conditions set forth in detail in an interesting pam-
phlet published in 1884 dealing with the water
rights on these same lands, a compilation which
was the work of Mr. Abraham de Villiers.

Construction commenced at the Port Elizabeth
end during 1872. Sir Henry Barkly, who was
Governor of the Colony at the time, turned the
first sod on January 9th, the place where this
ceremony was performed being on the corner lead-
ing from the main line at the Zwarkops Junction.
Before the line was completed to Zwartkops the
Government took over the work, buying out the
Company, with bigger schemes in view, embracing
extension beyond Uitenhage to Graaff-Reinet, and
in the other direction to Grahamstown and Cradock.
It came about, strangely enough, that the Midland
main line was opened to Addo two months before
the work was completed to Uitenhage, the latter
being opened in September, 1875.

The first Locomotive Superintendent on the
Midland System was a Mr. Edwards, who, acting
under Mr. Devonsher Scott, the Resident Engi-
neer, erected the buildings that are now used as
engine sheds at the North End, Port Elizabeth.
This block as it stands represented up to about
1875 what was considered needful in the way of
accommodation for engine ami carriage and wagon
repairs ; when, however, the line was worked
through to Uitenhage and the Government decided
to extend in the direction of Graaff-Reinet and
Cradock, a bigger scheme had to be devised, and
the Uitenhage Shops were commenced.

The lirst completed block provided adequate

144

UlTENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

.-accommodation for repairing three locomotives at
a time, and the Carriage Shops had room for half-
-a-dozen of the short four-wheeled vehicles
then in use. The only portion that still re-
mains intact is the Running Shed, and this has
been reduced to the extent of one-third its original
•.size. Small as the Workshops were then, there
was one architectural feature since made away
with, the handsome brick chimney, that we saw the
last of within the past few years.

Trains over the main line to Addo, then the
terminus, and Uitenhage were hauled by engines
that are still doing good work shunting at Port
Elizabeth. The first three imported were tank
• engines, these having tenders attached a year or
two later. At the end of 1877 there were eighteen
locomotives working. Of these seven were the
property of the contractors, being taken over by
.the Government after the line was completed to

but a great improvement on the shorter vehicle.
There is an old photograph showing a train stand-
ing in Uitenhage Station, composed entirely of
short coaches, being the first train that ran through
to Graaff-Reinet.

The progress of construction is recorded in the
dates of opening for traftic from point to point —
Kariega in February, 1877, Mount Stewart in
August, 1878, Aberdeen Road in February, 1879,
Kendrew in March and Graaft-Reinet in August of
the same year, the first through train from Port
Elizabeth running on the 26th day of that month.

.At the same time work was going on along the
main line ; Coerney was reached in March, 1876,
and Sandllats in April, Alicedale in August, 1877,
Commadagga in February, the branch from Alice-
dale to Grahamstown on September 3rd, and Mid-
dleton on the 17th of the same month in 1879. In
March, 1880, Cookhouse was reached, and Cradock

•Sandllats, and four of these engines are still em-
ployed shunting in the railway yard. A year or
two later eight engines with tenders arrived, built
by Messrs. Kitson, of Leeds. These worked the
main line trains for many years, and those that re-
main are still working as shunting engines in the
Port Elizabeth goods yard, the tenders discarded
and water carried in saddle tanks, a transformation
that makes it difficult to identify them. Year after
year more engines were imported, until in 1888 we
had about ninety locomotives belonging to the
Midland System.

The wagons and carriages running on the rail-
way were all four-wheeled vehicles ; it was not
until about 1884 that the longer type of Bogie
■carriage and wagon was introduced. The old
short coaches were then mounted two together on
■ one long Bogie frame, and so transferred into
Bogie coaches, still narrow and low in the roof,

in June, 1881 ; extensions had proceeded to Ros
mead (then called Middelburg Road) by April, and
Colesberg in October, 1883. Finally the junction
with the Western System at De Aar was completed
on the last day of March, 1884. The three termini,
Graaff-Reinet, Colesberg, and Grahamstown, and
De Aar Junction, were then and for some years the
boundary limits of the Midland System.

From 1884 to 1890 there was no material increase
in the number of vehicles or engines. Times were
bad, and owing to this the Cape Government were
able to assist the Imperial Government during the
Soudan campaign of 1885, when they were hard-
np for rolling stock. A few locomotives and
wagons were shipped from the Colony to Egypt,
and rafted down the Nile to Wady Haifa, where
they were landed and put together by one of the
Fitenhage foremen, who saw a good deal of the
lighting, and returned to the Colony rather broken

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

145

in he.iltli witli the liaidships he had experienced.

In 1887 the Workshops occupied less than a
third the area they do now. On the town side
Drostdy Street was the boundary, and the ground
now used for wagon repairs, then occupied by Mr.
Dobson, was under cultivation, a large conserva-
tory of the Crystal Palace order of architecture being
a striking feature in the garden, whilst a relic of this
building is the fountain now standing in the Town
Hall grounds. In the other direction the boundary
was at the town tnd of the Loco, cottages in Con-
stitution Road ; the main line to Graaff-Reinet cut
through what is now the centre of the Workshops,
and a large area now covered with buildings on
the Bay Road side was then a fine plantation of
gum trees, which shaded the line for some distance
and completely hid the Wool Shed.

Thanks to the opening up of the Rand in 18S7,
a big increase in trade first made itself felt about
the end of i888, and
to meet the needs of

a steadily growing ■ " ^'^

traffic extensions
have gone forward
almost without a
break, the last of the
series being the new
Carriage Works,
now in course of
erection. First in
order of importance-
is the present smiths'
shop, built in 1890- ' - - - - - -

91 ; and in the same
year the Institute

was opened, this replacing an old wooden
building formerly used as the office of the
Engineer (Mr. McEwen, now General Manager),
which stood at what was then the bottom of Drostdy
Street, below the block of Railway cottages now
used by the timekeeper and clerical staff as offices.
At that time there was a right of way for pedes-
trians from the Constitution Road side across the
line to the Bay Road. When Mr. Dobson's
property was taken over an arrangement was made
with the Town Council to close this passage for a
consideration, and now the only exit from the
Shops to the Bay Road is by the footbridge erected
for the convenience of employers. The wagon re-
pairing staff were provided with a new yard on the
town side of Drostdy Street, and the carriage
builders took their places in the old yard and shed.

From the commencement regular and con-
tinuous improvements have been made in methods

of work. Electric power has displaced manual'
labour for lifting the locomotives and moving them
about the Workshops, and the wood-working ma-
chinery used in the wagon-repairing department
and the lathes and other machines used for the
work of repairing the hundred and one brass fit-
tings used on locomotives are all now driven by elec-
tricity. Another departure is the extended use of
compressed air, this displacing to a very large ex-
tent manual labour in the boiler shop ; it is also
utilised for engraving the patterns on the large
glass windows of the saloon carriages.

The growth of the shops has engendered a
large increase in the labour employed. In 1888
there were only about 250 men and boys employed
in the works, and now there are 1,130 on the books,
and 1,419 employed on the Midland System as
drivers, firemen, and mechanics in the running de-
partment al'iiic. With this increase the outlay has

i£i I ' Tr-i'^i^- '

Types of Engines.

increased from the comparatively small sum of
;^ioo,ooo in 1888 to nearly ^^700,000 in 1903, and
the wages paid in the Workshops alone run up to
_^i 1,000 a month. In 1888 the distance covered
by Midland locomotives, hauling trains, was one
million three hundred thousand miles ; last year
it reached four million and sixty thousand miles..
This increase, large as it is, does not represent the
actual increase in the volume of traffic hauled, for
in 1888 the type of engine in use over the whole
system could pull less than one half the load the
new engines can haul. A comparison is always
of interest : the tw-o first engines imported in 1874,
named " Pioneer " and " Little Bess," each weighed
14 tons, and a third engine, " Mliss " (named after
one of Bret Harte's charming heroines), imported
about the same time, weighed only eight tons.
These were used for construction, and were the
pioneers of the locomotives over the greater part

146

rrrp:xHAr.E past axd present.

of the Midland Sj-stem. Then came the lirst
engines used for working regular trains carrying
.passengers and goods, large in comparison, and
•weighing about 28 tons. Now we have a type of
•engine working the main line trains that weigh
nearlj' 96 tons !

helped to develop the gold industry. The Ciovern-
nient of late years have recognised the necessity
for a minimum standard of education in the case
of all lads admitted, and an e.xcellent Primary
School is provided for all lads who have not passed
the 5th Standard. This is supplemented by the
technical classes held three evenings
a week, where the apprentices can
acquire a good elementary know-
ledge of the scientific principles that
underlie the trade they follow.

.A comfortable recreation room,
luiving a properly equipped stage,
jMOvides means for concerts and
theatrical entertainments, whilst a
large reading room and tirst-class
library, billiard, and card room, are
available for recreation in connection
with the Railway Institute, that re-
ceives some small support from
Government, the balance of ex-
pense being met by a monthly
subscription of ninepence per
member. The benefits of this
Institute the wives and fami-
lies of ciiiploycs enjov in
common.

In the same way the coaching
stock has increased in length and
accommodation. The first short
•coaches were fourteen and a half feet
long, accommodating very few pas-
sengers. These in time were replaced
with Bogie carriages of 47 feet and
more in length, and later came the
■saloons of the same length. The
■wagon stock has increased in size in
like manner, from the old short
vehicle on four wheels fitted with
chain brakes carrying a load of 6
tons, and weighing 3^ tons, to the
latest type of wagon that will take a
load of 30 tons and weighs i2i, tons
— vehicles fitted with the automatic
vacuum brake, which assures safe
travelling.

A Workshop such as this is of
material benefit to the town. It
has given an outlet for a large
number of youths who have been trained into first-
class mechanics ; many of the old apprentices have
remained in the service, but a far larger number
have migrated North, where their services have

These are bad times just now, but so long as
the Midland System of the Cape Government Rail-
ways continues to exist the Uitenhage Workshops
will flourish.

UITHXHAGE PAST AXD PRESEXT.

147

The political history of L'iteiihage
Uitenhage might be so written as to till a volume,
Politics but we question whether it would be

a particularly interesting volume.
There have been many keenly-contested lights
here, and innumerable speeches of varying
merit have been delivered upon questions
which have long since lost the slightest vestige of
attraction for the people of to-day. Perhaps the
historians of the future may care to reproduce some
of them, and to enter into details regarding the
circumstances which were responsible for their
production; but these questions are so numerous
and their natures are so widely different that it
would require the expenditure of a very con-
siderable amount of space to give the reader an in-
telligent idea of even a few of them, and we doubt
whether an article of so heavy and ponderous a
description would justify its existence. We shall
therefore touch lightly only upon the more im-
portant phases of Uitenhage's political history mcl
leave undisturbed the records of the less momen-
tary issues, embrowned as they are with the dust
of a quarter of a century and forgotten even by
those who were actively engaged in them.

Prior to 1880 political life scarcely existed at
all. The Cape Parliament represented not so much
the people of the country as the personal ambitions
of the members. Taxation was too indirect for
South Africans to interest themselves seriously in
the welfare of their country or to remind the
majority of them that there was a Government; and
taxation, after all, is the soul of the people's politics.
Again, there were scarcely then as many miles
of railway in existence in the country as there are
hundreds to-day ; the cable was non-existent.
Consequently, owing to the length of time occupied
in the transmission of news, Uitenhage was the
centre of a little world of its own and politics were
practically a dead letter here — as in other parts —
for many, many years after Responsible Govern-
ment was granted. The earlier members of Par-
liament were duly elected, and once they were re-
turned the public at large troubled very little about
their doings in the House. Mr. Gibson, for instance,
adopted as his battle-cry, " Vote for Gibson ; he
will oppose a tax on wool ! " Now, nobody had
ever suggested such a thing as a ta.x on wool; but
some excitement had to be roused to induce people
to vote, and the ruse was successful !
The Rise of the Bond.
It was not imtil after Majuba that a change came
over the scene, and the sympathies which culmi-
nated in the recent war were then being aroused.

Means of communication between Coloni:il centres--
had vastly improved, newspapers and postal
facilities had increased, and the country began to
awaken in real earnest. The British had despised
the Boers, and now the tables were being turned.
Had there been that haimony between the two-
peoples that there should have been, there would-
have been no Majuba in 1881, no war twenty years
later, and no race-hatred to-day. It was at this
stage that the Bond was founded — largely as a
reply to British contempt and Imperial blundering.

The Boxi) ix UirENH.Aoi:-
The local genius of the Bond was Mr. R. \V.
Mohr, then a young teacher on the Hon. P. S.
Bellingan's farm, and comparativelv unknown.
Possessed of untiring energy and a gift for organi-
sation, he soon established the Bond throughout
the district, and his influence shortly became more
than local. He was one of the central figures in the
yearly congresses, and for a time the general secre-
tary.

The first election iu which the Bond voted was-
a queer contest (in 18S4) between General Xixon
and Messrs. Tudhope and Slabbert. The gallant
General, as a Jack-o'-both-sides, was quite safe.
He had made his peace with the Bond (then not
quite as difficult as now), while as a British ex-
General his Imperialism was beyond dispute. The
fight was between the two latter, and was practically
a dead-heat, with, however, a declared advance in
favour of Mr. Tudhope. Had the Bond been as
" flush " in those days as now, it is quite probable
that an election petition would have reversed the
declaration. But, alas ! there were none of the
" benevolent millionaires " Professor Fremantle
now boasts of, and an election petition was then,,
as now, too costly a luxury for the private citizen
with merely an axe of his own to grind.

The Railway Vote.
An influence, on the whole hostile to the Bond,,
now began to rise in Uitenhage — the Railway Vote.
.Although the district was unsuited to small stock,
it was most valuable for cattle rearing, and much
of the road transport to Kimberley and the North
was done by Uitenhage teams, the usual freights-
being 30s. per loo lbs., or ;^i5o per wagon load
per trip. Uitenhage farmers frequently had several
spans each on the road, and, as four or five jour-
neys could be made in the year, they soon became
wealthy men. They spent the bulk of their money
in Uitenhage, and, together with the woolvvashers,.
were the mainstay of the town. With the exten-
sion of the railway, transport riding grew unprotit-

148

riTEXHAGE PAST AXD PRESENT.

able. Gradually it ceased, and tiie district became
impoverished.

In the town the Railway Workshops more than
compensated for the loss the district had sustained.
■'• Ou nooi's wagen " (as the trains were nicknamed
by transport riders) was far from popular with our
country cousins. The effect of the new vote be-
gan to tell. The railway employes were as little in
symjiathy with the farmers as the farmers were
Avith them. They were almost to a man Old
Country born. There was little to connect the
new-comers with the old ; on the other hand, there
w-as much to divide them, and the advent of the
new power was one. The influence of the Bond
was much too sudden. A longer apprenticeship
to the responsibilities of power would have given
those who led it maturer and broader views and a
spirit of compromise then distinctly wanting and

• even to-day not quite satisfactory.

The wave of civilisation was with the new-

• comers. Gradually the carrying trade became a
town industry, and enriched the town to the loss

■of the country.

How THE Bond Won its Spuks

In 1885, however, an episode occurred which
placed an entirely different face upon the matter.
We refer to the great question of removing a por-
tion of the Loco. Works to Cape Town.

The Bond took the matter up with the
greatest keenness, and the local branch was inde-
fatigable in its endeavours to prevent the sug-
gested removal. At first the Government proved
•obdiuate, but so well was the campaign w-orked
that, thanks to the cordial co-operation of the
Bond, Colonel Schermbrucker eventually visited
Uitenhage and declared on behalf of the Govern-
ment that the Railway Workshops would not be
removed from the town. The good work the Bond
had done was promptly recognised. A Municipal
invitation was sent asking them to hold their next
Congress in Uitenhage, and this they agreed to do.
The Council placed the Town Hall at their dis-
posal, while the townspeople made them their
guests during the whole of their stay — the first
time such hospitality had ever been extended to
them. There was no question of race-hatred then ;
on the other hand, there was a friendship, sincere
and mutual.

In 1891 an election of members of the Upper
House took place, the candidates being Messrs.
Wilmot, John Dolley, and Brister (Progressives),
and Mr. P. S. Bellingan (Bond). It was the lirst oc-
■casion on wliich tlie Bond had .ittempted a seat in

the Circle, and some dit^culty w'as experienced in
getting a candidate to come forw^ard. .At first the
choice fell on a Mr. Moolman, of Somerset East,
who accepted the request and was for a time in
tiie held. Later on he withdrew. Mr. Bellingan,
who had been selected as the alternate candidate,
was then called upon. .Although it was thought a
forlorn hope, Mr. Bellingan promptly responded,
and after a gallant hght was returned at the head
of the poll. The strong man was undoubtedly Mr.
Brister, of Port Elizabeth; but victory is not alwaj-s
to the strong, and it was the strong man who was
defeated, the Honourables Bellingan, Wilmot, and
Dolley being the elected. The Hon. John Dolley
generously volunteered to resign in favour of Mr.
Brister, but this Mr. Brister would not allow. Mr.
Belli ngan's victor}' was well earned, for he had
rendered splendid service to Uitenhage in its time
of distress, and this was not forgotten in 1891,
while his return was all the more popular with his
friends after the weak withdrawal of Mr. Moolman.
A big dinner was given in honour of the event in
the Town Hall, and this was attended by not only
the Hon. J. H. Hofmeyr, but by manv of the Pro-
gressive Party.

At the general election of 1893 there were four
candidates — Dr. Arthur B. Vanes, Mr. G. F. Rauten-
bach, Mr. John Mackay, and Mr. H. W. Bidwell.
The lirst two stood in the Bond interest and the
latter in that of the Progressives. A spirited con-
test ensued, and resulted in the election of Dr.
Vanes and Mr. Rautenbach. The former obtained
1,858 votes and the latter 1,828, while Messrs.
Mackay and Bidwell received 1,083 ''■^^^ ^'^53 '"^"
spectively. The electoral division then consisted of
the districts of Uitenliage, Humansdorp, Alexandria,
Jansenville, and the Stey tlerville part of Willowmore.

The Jameson Raid took place at the beginning
of 1896, and from then a change commenced which
there was no mistaking. A great cleavage ensued
between the two parties, and this was the beginning
of the end.

RliDlsrKIBlTION.

For some years previously- to 1898 there had
been a growing agitation in favour of fairer repre-
sentation of the people. A Committee selected
from both sides of the House drew up a report on
the subject, and Sir Gordon Sprigg's Government
brought in a Bill to give effect to the suggestions.
Mr. Hofmeyr, who had been perfectiv agreeable
to these suggestions throughout, suddenly dis-
covered that they would probably entail a Bond
minority at the next election. The Bond was
therefore instructed to ojipose the second read-

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

149

iiig of the Redistribution Bill, ;uid the mem-
bers did so, with but live exceptions.
Amongst these live was Dr. Vanes, senior
member for Uitenhage, who had until then been a
member of the Bond Party. He refused to vote against
the Bill, and for this crime he was practically com-
pelled to resign his Party membership. He then
entered the i'rogressive ranks.

A vote of no confidence in the Government
was carried, a dissolution followed, and at the en-
suing election the Bond had all the luck. Sir Gordon
resigned, and Mr P. W. Schreiner reigned in his
stead — the first Bond Prime Minister there had
been.

Though both the Vryburg and one of the Stel-
lenbosch seats were for a time held by Progres-
sives, Uitenhage was the only permanent victory of
that part)', and the victory was as unexpected as
it was complete. In 1894 the Bond majority was
nearly 800, while in 1898 the progressives won by
279, and the figures are so remarkable that we
give them in full. It will be seen with what
solidity the parties voted throughout, and we believe
that such polling as this is unique in the history of
South Africa. The returns show the position of
the candidates at intervals throughout the counting
of the votes :

E VILHEKS.

i;0LU5.

l.KE.

361

3i>)

.i34

471

¥V

702

746

745

1013

1066

1069

11S5

1336

1566

'552

i5.5y

HXX)

1642

1641

2019

iSSg

1812

211.S

Neither Mr. Rhodes nor anyone else out of
Uitenhage had anticipated this result ; it came late
in the day, when the Progressives were desjiairing.
Shortly afterwards it ensured the passing of the
Redistribution Bill, the motion which authorised
this far-reaching measure of justice having been
carried by the official vote of the Speaker. Mr.
Rhodes always insisted that it was the steadfast
perseverance of the Uitenhage Progressive Party
that saved the position, and, judging from the
temper the Bond have since displayed, that body
w-as, and is, of the same opinion. An election peti-
tion was filed against the return of the victors, the
offender-in-chief being Dr. Vanes (a non-smoker).
The charges of corruption were somewhat quaint.
One free and independent voter had been bribed with
a roll of tobacco and another with sw^eets ; but the
cream of the joke was that yet another staunch
and loyal Bondsman had been induced to " vote
Rhodes " by the offer to him by Dr. Vanes of a
deaconship in the Dutch Church ! In the long
run the petition was withdrawn.

The result of the election was a majority of five
Progressives in the Upper House, to which the old
members— the Honourables John DoUey, Wilmot,
and Bellingan — had been returned, all as Pro-
gressives, and a Bond majority of one in the .\s-
sembly. Practically it was a drawn game. Neither
side had any material advantage. In the Lower
House the Bond had only won by a significant
change of policy.

War broke out in 1899 and continued
until 1903. When hostilities had ceased a
general electior took place, and again Uitenhage
was successful in returning its old members
(Dr. Vanes and Mr. Lee). Their opponent
on this occasion was Professor H. E. S. Fremantle,
one of the editors of the South African News,
but he was defeated by 137 votes. There
were some lively and exciting scenes wit-
nessed at this eleetion, but they were not to be
compared with those that took place on the pre-
vious occasion.

At the ensuing session a Bill which provided
several additional seats was carried, and this gave
to Uitenhage another seat in the Lower House and
to the South-Eastern Circle an additional one in
the Upper House. Messrs. Pyott and Wilmot had
been elected to the Legislative Council in
1904 in the Progressive interests, while the
Hon. P. S. Bellingan was returned as the Bond
member, thus defeating Mr. R. F. Hurndall.
The Additional Representation Bill having been
carried, however, a contest ensued for the vacancy
in the Upper House and resulted in the Hon. R.
F. Hurndall defeating Mr. H. P. Mattheus, the
Bond candidate, by ^,885 votes, the totals being :
Hurndall 6,263, Mattheus 3,378.

About a month later the election for the newly-
created seat in the House of Assembly took place,
the two candidates being Mr. Thos. W. Mills
(Progressive) and Professor Fremantle (Bond), and
resulted in a majority for Mills of only 18 votes.
A petition w-as lodged against Mr. Mills' return, but
after a lengthy trial the Supreme Court gave judg-
ment in that gentleman's favour.

HUM.\N"SI)3KP, .•\LEX.\\I)RI.\, .\\d J.wsexvili.e.

In the meantime Humansdorp was separated from
Uitenhage in April, 1899, under the Redistribution
Act, and returned as its member Mr. J. M. Rade-
meyer, who was unsuccessfully opposed by Mr,
Samuel Hawkins (the Progressive candidate). The
figures were : Rademeyer (Bond), 541 ; Hawkins
(Progressive), 337.

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

Alexandria (taken from the Uitenhage electorate
and added to Albany) returned Mr. Thomas, and Jan-
senville (with which is included Steytlerville and
Willowniore) returned Mr. C. J. Lotter, who
contested the seat with Mr. Molteno (Bond) and
Messrs. S. B. Hobson and B. Z. Stegmann as Pro-
gressives, the votes recorded being as follows : —
Lotter, 983 ; Molteno, 916 ; Hobson, 460 ; Steg-
mann, 40S.

In the old days executions were
Capital public, and they never failed to at-

Punishment tract considerable crowds of sight-
in seers. The scaffold was erected on
Uitenhage. the veld some little distance from
town, but afterwards it was placed
immediately behind the prison. The steps which
led up to the structure were, we are told, when not
" otherwise in use," employed by bathers who
vi'ere in the habit of swimming in the pond at the
corner of John Street, when getting in and out of
the water.

In the seventies a coloured man was sentenced
to death for the murder of another, and in due
course Edouard von Witt, the public hangman,
arrived in Uitenhage and inspected the instrument
upon which the malefactor was to pay the penalty
of his crime. This was stored in the gaol. As
soon as he .saw it he unhesitatingly condemned it as
cruel and barbarous. It appears that the actual
gallows had been made by a local man in the days
when executions here were performed by either
one of the gaolers or by a convict. It consisted of
a long hollow cylinder, inside of which a pole was
placed. This pole had a small platform on the

top, and in order to work the apparatus the pole
was pushed up through the cylinder and fastened
by a bolt. The criminal, standing on the platform
with a rope fastened round his neck and tied to a
beam above his head, would feel his floor sink
gently under him — for the pole fitted tightly — and
finally leave him suspended in the air. As there
was no " drop," death resulted from prolonged
strangulation and not from a broken neck. This
ingenious instrument, as we have said, was con-
demned by Von Witt, and he was soon occupied
with the construction of a gallows upon more up-
to-date principles. This took some time, and the
new instrument was not ready for use until a week
after the day originally appointed for the execu-
tion. Two days prior to the final act being car-
ried out a reprieve arrived from Cape Town, and
the prisoner's sentence was commuted to penal
servitude for life. He was subsequently released,
after serving seventeen years, returned to Uiten-
hage, and was eventually found dead in the bush
at the top of what is now Park Avenue.

Executions, of which there have been several
here, now take place within the females' exercise
yard in the prison.

After the Circuit Court had finished its
Public sessions in Uitenhage the prisoners

Floggings sentenced to be flogged were, in the

seventies, tied up to triangles erected
in the middle of the Market Square. The sight
was a repulsive one, and the yells of the men could
sometimes be heard at long distances. This pub-
licity was also abolished, and these unpleasant
episodes now take place within the prison walls.

Part nil.— The Decade, 1874-1883.

The drought continued unabated
Continuous until September, 1874, with the in-
Drought evitable results. The farmers were

growing desperate over their losses,
and the position was becoming more and more
serious every day, when rain set in. In other parts
of the Colony extensive Hoods took place and
-wrought havoc. But Uitenhage fortunately escaped
this crowning disaster, and the rains, though plenti-
ful, did but little damage.

The prices of stock were still high, oxen readily
fetching £2\ los. and milch cows £2().

The coloured people at this period
Improvement began to awake to the possibilities
Among the of improving their jiosition, and it

Coloured soon became noticeable tiiat the

Classes better classes frequently attended

auctions. They were spirited bid-
ders at stock sales, and many of them acquired
property of their own by honest and industrious
habits. Trade commenced to improve about the
«nd of the year, and the Oriental and Standard
Banks appear, from their reports, to have clone good
business.

The servant difticultv had still to be
A Serious solved, but by 1874 '' '^'"^^ become so
Question. serious a matter as to form the subject

of Parliamentary debate. The people
of Uitenhage were no better off than their neigh-
bours, and it seemed as if servants could not be
obtained either for love or for money. Complaints
as to their scarcity were on the increase, but it was
hoped that the liberal provisions made by the
■Government for aiding those who wished to intro-
duce immigrants from Europe would in course of
lime alleviate the evil.

The year 1875 was one of steady pro-
The gress in the division after the cruel re-

Railway verses of the past three years. The
Opened. great event, of course, was the opening

of the railway to the town on the 23rd
of S.'pt-m'jjr, and passenger traffic increased

rapidly. To the people of Uitenhage the arrivals
and departures of the trains were a source of
never-ending interest and amusement ; many of
them had never seen a locomotive before. For
many weeks the station was always thronged with
sight-seers when the time approached for the de-
parture or the arrivals of the train. The transport
riders looked upon the innovation with unfriendly
eyes, and prophesied the ruin of the country ; but
this was only to be expected.

Buildings for workshops in connection with the
Railway Department were begun on a very exten-
sive scale this year, as Uitenhage had been re-
ported on as being the most desirable locality for
the purpose. With this matter, however, we have
dealt fully in the proper place.

The first effect of the more rapid and
Effects easy communication between Port

of the Ellizabeth and Uitenhage was the

Railway, increase in the prices of all articles of
consumption : vegetables, butter, eggs,
and, in fact, all articles realised higher prices on
the Uitenhage market than in Port Elizabeth, while
the great demand for labour caused by the con-
struction of railways considerably increased the
difficulty experienced in obtaining domestie and
other servants. The farmers in particular com-
plained of want of labour.

The demand for houses was so great
that not a dwelling could be procured, and
consequentlv rents, even for inferior dwellings,
were exorbitantly high. A very large number of
building plots were sold at exceedingly high prices,
and good houses began to be built.

It is always interesting to watch the
Population, gradual growth of a community and

to compare the statistics compiled at
appreciable intervals, and in order to see how
Uitenhage was jirogressing thirty years ago it will
be necessary to take the totals of two enumerations,
/.t-., the census of 1865 and that of 1875.

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

Ill the former year there were 18,148 people in
the town and district altogether (7,206 Europeans
and 10,942 others). In 1875 there were 21,392
people altogether (9,385 Europeans and 12,007
others).

In 1865 the town contained 3,342, and 3,693 in
1875 — a ditierence of only 351 in ten years.

There were 674 houses uninhabited and build-
hig in both town and district that year (1875), and
1,900 inhabited houses and 2,044 huts. In the
town itself, however, there were 408 houses, 230
huts, and the population was made up of 1,932
males and 1,761 females — 3,693 in all.

With regard to the amount of land
The cultivated, the differences are often

Agricultural somewhat startling. In 1865, 4,319
State of the morgen were cultivated, and 4,370
District. in 1875. Of these wheat occupied

1,440 morgen in 1865, and 1,212 in
1875 ; barley occupied 369 morgen in 1865 and
183 in 1875, rye 13 morgen in 1865 and only one in
1875, oats 1,936 in 1865 and 1,441 in 1875, maize
235 in 1865 and 881 in 1S75, peas and beans
^^ as against 53 in 1875, tobacco 13 as
against 9 in 1875, potatoes 166 as against
293 in 1875, while in the ten years the
number of morgen devoted to orangeries and
orchards had risen from 47 to 225 — nearly a four-
fold increase. There were 61 morgen under vines
in 1865 and 58 in 1875, the difference in produc-
tion beiug36i,7oo vines in 1865 and 104,295 in 1875.
In town there were twelve woolwashes, one
sawmill, one brewery, two aerated water manu-
facturies. and one brickfield, while there were 15
corn mills in the district.

The following returns of stock are in-
StOCk teresting as showing how some had

Returns. increased and how others had

decreased within a decade. Horses in
1865 numbered 5,313, and in 1875 3,5-t4 ; mules
and asses had decreased in this period from 895 to
556, while the number of draught cattle had risen
from 19,529 to 24,017. Other cattle had increased
from 23,940 in 1865 to 26,151, Angora goats from
2,247 to 60,635, while '' other goats " had dw iudled
from 298,613 in 1865 to 256,702 in 1875. Of
ostriches Uitenhage possessed 883 and Humans
dorp 230.

Of mohair 15,322 lbs. were produced in 1879,
while in Uitenhage the yield of ostrich feathers
was 268 lbs., and in Humansdorp 52 lbs.

Uitenhage must have suffered con-
The Effects sklerably from the commercial de-
of the pression, for the number of liquid

Depression civil cases disposed of by the Magis-
trate in 1875 w-as second only to that
of Cape Town, amounting as it did to 159 actions
for ;^'2,758, Cape Town coming first with 231 cases
for ;^4,iii. The same offtcial also disposed of 370
criminal cases in the twelve months, those at
Humansdorp for the same period being 172.

Little of interest took place in 1876
Railway be\ ond the progress of the railway.
Progress, and the rapid and energetic way in

w-hich the extensive buildings for the
workshops were pushed forv^'ard. These, in fact,
were nearly completed, " together with seven good
houses, w-hich made fourteen excellent dwellings
for mechanics." The line had reached the fortieth
mile post, and was opened in the early part of
1877 as far as Glenconnor, where a neat station
had been erected.

The advantage derived by leasing waste
Waste Crown lands became more and more ap-
Crown parent every year ; large tracts of desert
Lands, land were now occupied by English

farmers of a superior class, dams were
constructed, lands were cultivated, and comfort-
able houses nestled amid gay flower gardens, where
formerly nothing was seen but dreary clumps of
euphorbia and the wretched huts of squatters.

Many Kafirs and Fingoes began to hire land
from the farmers, and were becoming wealthy.
Some of them possessed large flocks of goats and
sheep, and also cattle and horses.

Uitenhage headed the entire list of
The Colonial cities and towns in 1876 so far

Savings as the Government Savings Bank was
Bank. concerned. The amount deposited

during the twelve months was ^1,845,
of which ^'224 was withdrawn, leaving ^'1,621
due. The next in order was Cradock with X'889
to the credit of the depositors. To the railway
construction this was no doubt largely attributable,
for the population had largely increased. Indeed,
2,303 persons were paying house tax in this year.

Uitenhage has seldom, if ever, experi-
A Fateful enced such a fearful period of depres-
Year sion as she did in 1877. It is one of the

blackest years in her history. The
crops failed in all parts of the district, the dams
were baked dry, the veld was withered and

UITEXHA(iE PAST AND PRESENT.

153

scorched, terrible yales, liut as from an oven, fre-
quently raged for days without cessation, bush iires
occurred, and rendered the fierceness of the heat
almost insufferable by man and beast. The months
passed slowly by, davs of humiliation and prayer
were held, but still the veld blackened under the
sun and the cattle lay down and perished by the
hundred. Sheep and goats died by the thousand.
The air was heavy with the stench of the carcases,
and still the drought continued unabated. Then
came the dreaded horse-sickness. Farms situated
on the breezy highlands, where this disease was
never known before, became infected and suffered
equally with those lying lower down. The horses
sickened and died by scores, and each morning
saw others infected. Great numbers of the farmers
were left without a single horse to ride, others lost
the whole of their stock — ostriches, cattle, mules,
sheep, goats, horses, crops, everything ; others^
only slightly less unfortunate, were compelled to
leave their farms in search of pasture and water for
the miserable remnant of theif once large flocks.
Springs that had never been known to fail dwindled
and shrank and gave in altogether. The Sundays
River, which Hows through the length of the dis-
trict, and upon which great tracts of fertile land
are almost wholly dependent for irrigation, became
so low as to render'irrigation out of the question.
The inhabitants of villages and farms on its very
banks were put to great straits even to getsufticient
water for drinking and washing purposes.

The great ostrich leather boom will
The Rise of long be remembered by most people
Ostrich in South Africa with feelings of a

Farming. somewhat mixed description, and it

may be said to have begun in 1878.
Little if any progress can be reported with regard
to industries in the Uitenhage district, except in
the case of ostrich farming, for the drought had
practically ruined everything, and this part of the
country would naturally take a long time to recover.
When the rains did come they arrived too late
for much to be done, and the farmers began
to turn their attention more seriously than before
to the advantages of the feather trade. As time
went on there were iew farmers that did not pos-
sess their, numerous ostrich camps, for it was
speedily discovered that this class of farming was
much more prolitable than agriculture, or even
sheep farming. All breadstuff's and the necessaries
of life, however, were exorbitantly dear in 1878,
but the feather boom had begun and, despite the
heavy cost of such a procedure, mealies were even

imported to feed the ostriches. We shall see how
the industry rose by leaps and bounds and then
suddenly declined.

Trade generally was in a terribly depressed
condition, and very little was done anywhere. The
railway, however, reached Mount Stewart this year,,
and it carried with it a certain measure of pros-
perity to some.

The Catholic Native Mission Station
Dunbrody of Dunbrody, situated some six miles
Mission from Bluecliff and twelve from Coer-
nev, consists of two farms, Geelhout-
boom and Grass Ridge, the joint area being about
7,000 acres. These farms were purchased by
Bishop Ricards in 1878 for the Trappist Monks,
whom he brought out to South Africa two years
later, and he christened the property Dunbrody,.
after an ancient abbey erected by the Cistercians-
more than 500 years ago in the county of Wexford.

P"or two years and more did the Trappists re-
main at Dunbrody, and during their stay they
laboured with their well-known skill and energy
to biing the soil under cultivation. But their
efforts were for the most part thrown away, the
drought during this period being e.xceptionally
severe in the Sundays River \'alley, and finally the
Monks, despairing of ever being able to carry on
successful agricultural pursuits in a region so arid,,
decided to abandon the place and direct their
steps to Natal. Before they left Dunbrody was
sold to the Jesuit Order, and on the 8th December,
1882, the first Jesuit Fathers and Brothers arrived
to take up their abode at the place.

When the Reverend Father Weld purchased
Dunbrody he had a twofold end in view. In the
first place he intended that this should be the resi-
dence and home of studies of the younger mem-
bers of the Order who were preparing themselves,
for the priesthood and for future mission work
among the natives of the interior; it was also his
intention that Dunbrody should itself be a mission
station for Katirs, Hottentots, and any other
coloured people who might elect to settle on the
place. A few years sufticed to show that the first
part of the scheme could not be carried out ; for,.
mainly owing to years of almost uninterrupted
drought, Dunbrody proved incapable of support-
ing the .students of the Zambesi Mission, who, to-
gether with their Professors, numbered about forty
souls. All possible means were tried to make both
ends meet, but, spite of every endeavour, it became
more and more evident that the place was unsuited
for a home of studies, and in the year 1888 it was-

154

riTEXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

liniilly decided to send the students to Europe for
the completion of their course of studies. The
fine Hbiary of theological, philosophical, scientific,
and historical works which still remain at Dun-
brody speaks eloquently to visitors of the inten-
tions which the droughts of Sundays River Valley
frustrated.

When the Jesuit missionaries hrst came to
Dunhrody only one or two native families resided
■on the property. By degrees others came from
"the towns or surrounding districts, and the
work of converting them to Christianitv began.
-All new-comers were asked if they were willing to
■ attend religious instruction and to send their
■children, if old enough, to school. They were
:given to understand that certain heathen practices,
•.such as polygam}', immoral dances, witchcraft,
&c., would never be tolerated at Dunbrody, and
further, that people who settled on the farm might
he dismissed for bad conduct, or if, after a reason-
.-tible lapse of time, they shovv-ed no sign of willing-
ness to abandon their pagan ideas. The condi-
tions of settlement and the reasons for imposing
4hem were clearly explained, and it was only when
Ihey were freely and willingly accepted that native
families were admitted and allotted ground for
their habitations and land to till.

Mission work was started bv the formation of
a small school for boys, while coincidently
with this instruction in the rudiments of Chris-
tianity was given each Sunday in Cape Dutch to
all who would attend. For some time, as
■was to be expected, progress was slow ; but by the
■end of 1885 twenty-two natives, the majority of
them children, had been baptised ;it Dunbrody.
During the succeeding four years there was an
annual increase of about twenty converts to the
faith.

After the last of the students had left for
Europe, in 1890, the Reverend Father Corboy,
who was at that time the Superior and parish
priest of Dunbrody, was able to devote a great deal
■of his time to the work of instruction, and the
number of those who were admitted to baptism
rose steadily each year. The work in the schools
likewise attained greater .-.nd greater proportions.
The schoolboys were at first taught and looked
.after by one of the Jesuit students of Dunbrody.
Shortly after the students left for Europe a Gov-
-ernment grant was secured for the boys' school
and also for that of the girls, and the lads were
prepared for the annual inspection by one of the
Fathers, while a Brother had charge of them out of
school iiours. The girls were lodged and boarded

in premises specially built for them, autl situated
about lialf-a-mile from the main block of mission
buildings, and they were taught and looked after
by two ladies who had come to South Africa from
Germany wtth the special intention of assisti-ng in
mission work among the blacks.

The number of scholars, among whom wei e
several children whose relatives lived in Grahams-
town or Port Elizabeth, increased little by little
until there were about a hundred boys and girls in
the two schools, and the existing accommodation
had become much too limited. Accordingly early
in igoo Father Gillet, who four years earlier had
succeeded Father Corboy as Superior of Dunbrody,
designed a neat building which should for the
future serve as the home for the boys, and this
was completed before the end of the year. Another
eighteen months saw the completion of an exten-
sive addition to the building, in which the school-
girls and their teachers are lodged. It may here
be mentioned, by way of parenthesis, that both
these schools, as well as most of the other buildings
to be seen at Dunbrody, were constructed by a
Belgian lay-brother of the Order, who for close on
twenty years plied the trade of blacksmith, wheel-
wright, carpenter, and mason on this mission sta-
tion. He died here in August 0/ last year (1903),
deeply regretted by everyone.

The two Dunbrody schools have been subject
to the usual visits of the Government Inspector
since 1891, and the reports have invariably been
most satisfactory. Over and above their school
work a certain number of boys are every afternoon,
Saturdays excepted, taught shoemaking and tailor-
ing in the workshops attached to the place ; the
remainder work in the garden.

Visitors to Dunbrody always express themselves
very favourably impressed by the appearance and
cheerfulnes.-. of the children, especially of the girls,
who, in addition to their lessons, are taught to sew
knit, wash, iron, and perform other domestic duties.

At the present time the Christian congregation
at Dunbrody numbers a liltle over 250 men, women
and children. If a good annual rainfall and regu-
lar summer crops could be depended upon, the
place would be capable of supporting a much
larger population, as there is plenty of alluvial soil
on either side ot the Sundays River, which flows
through the property. But the rainfall at Dun-
brody is most uncertain, and the summer heat in
the valley is terrific, the consequence being that
time after time the people have cleaned, ploughed,
and sown their lands and got nothing at all for
their labour. Employment is given to all the men

CITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

155

and older boys who apply tor it ; but as the means
of the Mission are limited and there are many ex-
penses connected with the up-keep of a large es-
talilishment such as this, it would be impossible to
provide regular work for more than a certain num-
ber. Were there anything like a thousand souls at
Dunbrody the majority of them would be obliged,
whenever a bad year came, to go elsewhere in
search of work. For a considerable time now the
Fathers have been paying wages amounting to
^500 a year ; besides this they feed and clothe
nearly a hundred children and support a few
destitute families, for whom there is no one to earn
the means of subsistence. When to this is added
the sum required for the support of the Fathers
and Brothers themselves and the annual cost of
keeping up and developing the farm and garden
work, as well as many other incidental but neces-
sary e.xpenses, it will not be difficult for the reader
to believe that whatever money Dunbrody receives
goes out almost as quickly as it comes in, and that
it has often been for the one in charge of the in-
stitution a real difficulty to make both ends meet.

This brings us to the main source of Dunbrody's
income — the farm, together with the vineyard and
garden. From the very first it was the intention of
the authorities that the mission should be self-sup-
porting, and to this end the farm was stocked with
cattle and ostriches, and farming operations were
vigorously set on foot. Years of drought and the
many other evils against which the Colonial farmer
has to contend have greatly retarded the develop-
ment of the farm ; yet in spite of all drawbacks a
surprising amount of work has been done. The
entire property — by far the greater portion of
which is unlit for anything save stock rearing — is
enclosed by an excellent wire fence, similar fences
intersecting it and forming breeding camps for the
birds, and larger enclosures for both cattle and
ostriches. About eight years ago Dunbrody could
boast of a herd of some 300 head of cattle, but two
or three e.xceptionally dry seasons ensued, result
ing in very heavy losses and reducing the number
to 120, at about which figure it has remained ever
since. Both cattle and ostriches are under the
charge of one of the Brothers, who directs all farm-
ing operations, and we are able to state that the
feathers of the Dunbrody birds are well known on
the Port Elizabeth m.irket.

Though, as has been said, the greater part of
Dunbrody is more suitable for stock than for agri-
culture, there is a considerable area of rich soil
which, if well watered, would undoubtedly yield
lirst-class crops. Unfortunately the funds of the

Mission have up to this been insufficient to cover
the outlay necessary for any extensive irrigation
scheme ; still a fair amount has beem done on a
small scale, and use is made of the water of the
Sundays River and its tributary — the White River.
On the left bank of the former stream stands a
bucket pump and a two-and-a-half-horse power
oil engine, by means of which water is all through
the year pumped up and led on to land which has
been carefully levelled. The White River fre-
quently stops flowing for months and months, but
more than one of its pools contain water except in
times of especially severe drought. This stream
flows close to the plateau on which the Mission
buildings stand, and hard by it a deep well has
been dug which remains full for months after the
river has ceased to run. By this well is a power,
ful windmill, which pumps the water up into a
large circular tank in front of the homestead, and
thence it is led out into one of the gardens and
vineyards. Further up the stream is a second
bucket pump, which in favourable seasons is
utilised to irrigate about twenty acres of arable
land.

The bucket pump on the Sundays River is kept
constantly at work winter and summer, and a
supply of lucerne and forage sufttcient for the
horses, ostrich chicks, and a few of the milch cows
is thus obtained. The oil engine, a small but very
serviceable machine, stands higher up the river
and irrigates a large fruit and vegetable garden and
a young vineyard adjoining. This garden is under
the special charge of one of the Brothers, who has
reason to be proud of the appearance it usually
presents. From it the Dunbrody community and
the school children are supplied with vegetables
all the year round ; barley and mealies are also-
grown here, while an abundance of apples and
guavas is obtained from the fruit trees, and the
strawberry beds yield goodly store of luscious
berries in their season.

The vines, which adjoin this garden, have only
been put into the ground during the last three
winters, but the young stocks are healthy and
vigorous, and promise an excellent harvest of
grapes in the near future. The old vines, which
number about 3,000 and have been bearing for
some fifteen years, are in a garden close to the
homestead and are irrigated by means of the wind-
mill. Last summer fifteen hogsheads of wine were
made from the crop of grapes gathered in this
vineyard, and the vintage of the preceding year
was even heavier. The wine is made by one of
the Brothers, who received a special training at

156

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

the Constantia Government Farm, and is of ex-
cellent qnality. A striking tribute to its excellence
was paid this j-ear by the late Dr. Macdonakl, of
Bayville, who within a fortnight of his death re-
•commended it for an invalid in preference to any
wine that could be purchased in the Colony. Most
•of the wine made at Dunbrody is sold, eitlier
bottled or in small casks, and helps to support the
institution

In conclusion, it may be mentioned that for the
Agricultural Show which was held on the Sundays
River Valley Estate last March Dunbrody sent ten
■exhibits, and these carried off four first and two
special prizes. The Secretary of the Agricultural
Society of Port Elizabeth, who presided over the
Show, publicly declared that the haanepoot grapes
sent by Dunbrody were as fine as any he had seen
.grown in the Eastern Province.

During the ministry of the Rev.
^teytlerviile. A. Smith the parish of Uitenhage

extended in one direction beyond
Baviaans Kloof, which now forms part of the divi-
sion of Willowmore, and the reverend gentleman
had at least once a year to visit this station for the
purpose of holdmg services. For more than ten
years his successor, the Rev. A. I. Steytler, had
periodically to undertake the same long journey;
but as the population increased he felt the absolute
necessity of establishing a new congregation some-
where in this direction. Outside stations for hold-
ing services at least once a year were established
all over this extensive parish, and one of these
stations was at Verschfontein, the farm of Mr. C.
J. Hayward, and another was Rietfontein, the farm
-of the late Mr. H. J. Senekal. It was from this
latter farm, situated at the foot of the Great
Winterhoek mountains, that the two reverend
..gentlemen proceeded partly on foot and paitly on
horseback over the mountains, and so reached
Baviaanskloof.

" W'icKEu Sodom."

Between the farms Verschfontein, 107 miles,
Tuid Rietfontein, 127 miles from Uitenhage, was
a Government quitrent farm called Doorschpoort,
in extent 5,885 morgen, through a portion of which
runs the Groot River, known as the Kariega where
it runs through the district of Aberdeen, and as
the Buffels River through the district of Murrays-
burg. This farm was in those days what is
generally known as a " Gouvernements leg-plek "
(a free Government farm), and was a regular resort
for farmers of the nomadic class during a severe

drought, as there was alw ivs plentv of water in
the Groot River. The nomad win had hrst
pitched his tent on the banks of the river gener.illy
considered himself the " baas," with the result
that fearful quarrels ensued not only between the
herdsmen but especially between tlieir employers.
At other limes, again, when a " bo.olauder " with
his bran ly wagon paid this p irticulir spot a visit,
the men had a " high old tim; " of it; and with no
one to chejk the drinking and hilarity it is not
difficult to guess what were tlie morals of these
" roud trelckers " (nomads). In fact. D.50rsch-
ponrt was n it oiilv known as the '" G Kivernements
leg-plek," but :ilso as " U'icked Sodom."

DfrcH Chi'K'ch Esr,\BMSHi-;D.

The Rev. Mr. Steytler, on his peiiodical visits
to Verschfontein and Rietfontein, gradually intro-
duced his scheme of establishing a new congrega-
tion somewhere in these parts, and when he ulti-
mately found the people willing and ready to sup-

port him llic only diftijultv was in liiuliiig a suit-
able spot for a vill.igc. Mr. C. |. H ivw.ud, of
Verschfontein, suggested the G jvciinnent Ontsp.ni
at Mantatees Kop, abjnt foni- miles froin his f.uin ;
but he soon found himself in ,1 niiiioritv, as the

riTEXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

157

majoritv favoured the " Gouveniements leg-plek,"
Doorschpoort. Notices were sent round that a
service would be held on a certain date in 1875 on
the banks of the Groot River, at Doorschpoort.
At this gathering it was resolved to buy Doorsch-
poort for _^3,8oo and establish a new Dutch Re-
formed congregation and lay out a village some-
where near where they were then assembled, and
;i rough outline of the boundaries of the new con-
gregation was also agreed upon, to be submitted to
the Presbytery of Albany for approval. At a subse-
quent meeting held in the beginning of 1875, at
which were present the Rev. A. I. Steytler, of
Uitenhage, and the Rev. G. \V. Stegmann, of
Adelaide, it was notilied that the Presbytery of
Albany had sanctioned the establishment of a new
congregation, with the farm Doorschpoort as a
centre. It was then resolved to begin at once
with the building of a temporary church, the services
ha\ing hitherto been held in a large tent, and,
furthermore, that the meeting at once proceed to
select a name for the new congregation and future
village. All present agreed that they had thus far
been successful, and that in selecting a name it
would only be fair that such a name should be as-
sociated with the name of the Rev. Mr. Steytler,
to mark their appeciation of the services rendered
by him in establishing the new congregation. The
first proposal was that the village should be called
Steytlertown ; another proposal was for Steytler-
burg, and another for Steytlerdorp. The Rev. Mr.
Stegmann then rose and expressed as his opinion
that they all had failed in proposing the right
name ; for, to begin with, the first name proposed,
viz., Steytlertown, savoured too much of " toon "
{toe) and would not sound well ; the same could
be said of Steytlerburg, it savoured too much of
Scotch ; and as to Steytlerdorp, the " do p '" may
become a " stad " (city) and the name w.nild then
have to be altered again to Steytlerst id. " No,"
remarked the reverend gentleman, '' vou are all
wrong ! Surely you all must admit that Mr.
Steytler was all along determined that a new con-
gregation shall be established and a village laid
out here, and as his indomitable it'/// has s r-
mounted all dirtijiiltie.^. say now Steytler ' Wil'
{Steytler Wills)," and by acclamation the proposal
of the Rev. Mr. Stegmann was carried that the new
village and congrcg itio:i should be known froni
henceforth as Steytlerville.

Oa the 17th July, 1876, the lirst Rerkeraads-
ir.eeting w.is held at Steytlerville in the newly-
linisliecl tenipor.iry church. .At this meeting the
R-jv. A. I. Steytler jiresided, having been appointed

the lirst Coiisulent bv the Presbytery of .\lbany,
and the following gentlemen were appointed
'members of the Kerkeraad, viz. : — H. J. Senekal,
sen., aii'l \ M, du Picsaiiie as Ekiers ; and C. J-

The PAKsoNAijE. Steytlerville.

Hay ward, sen., J. Kilian, sen., T. Kleinhans, and
C. W. de la Harpe as Deacons. From these
gentlemen Mr. Elder H. J. Senekal was elected to
represent the new congregation at the Synod of
the D.R. Church to be held at Cape Tow . in
October, 1876.

I^.AviXG Orr THE Tow.\.

.At a meeting of the Kerkeraad held on the 3rd
August, 1880, it was resolved that the services of
Mr. B. Z. Stegmann, agent-at-law and auctioneer,
of Willowmore, be secured to draw up certain
" conditions of sale of erven " in the village of
Steytlerville, similar to the conditions reserved by
the Kerkeraad of Aberdeen, Tarkastad, Hanover,
snd other church villages, and, if necessary, to im
prove upon such conditions. Furthermore, Mr.
Roselt, of Uitenhage, was engaged as surveyor to
sub-divide the farm Doorschpoort into two por-
tions, the one portion to the west and away from
the river to be used as a farm, 3,000 morgeu in ex-
tent, and the remaining portion, through which
the Groot Rivjer flows, to be reserved for the vil-
lage and commonage of Steytlerville — the com-
monage to be 2.000 morgen, and the remaining
885 morgen to be used for the survey of erven, but
that Mr. Roselt be instructed to survey as a start
only about 200 erven.

In September, 1880, these erven were offered
for sale by public auction, and about 60 were sold,
ranging in price from j^8o to ,^30 an erf. Since
then the village of Steytlerville has grown with
r.ipid strides, so that it has novi' become an im-
portant town, beautifully situated at the foot of a
range of mountains covered with high bush and on
the bulks of the Groot River, at the entrance of a
jioort. X iture has indeed favoured the place with

158

UITEXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

beautiful scenery and good soil, the onlv diaw-back
being the want of running water. The gardens
are dependent on water from the wells, the result
being ihat windmills of various makes are to be
seen all over the town.

Portion- of Maix Streei. STEVTLERVii.i.t

The Town.

The town can boast of a beautiful Town Hall,
with library and assembly room, a branch of the
Standard Bank, a substantial public school build-
ing, Dutch Reformed parsonage, Episcopal Church,
a Wesleyan Chapel, a native Congregational
Church, and the new Duch Reformed Church now
in course of construction at a cost of _^i5,ooo, a
photo of which we give on page 156.

From 1876 to 1887 the Dutch Reformed con-
gregation was served by a Consulent, i.e., a minister
of a neighbouring town, who visited the village
once every three months during the Xachtmaal
services.

On the 16th
June, 1887, the
congregation
brought out its
first call for a
resident minister,
which was ac-
cepted by the Rev
J. E. T. Weitz,
who, fresh from
the Theological
Seminary at Stell-
enbosch, was at
the time officiat-
ing at Uitenhage
after the resigna-
tion of the Rev.
J. Hofmeyr. Mr.
Weitz has grown
up with the place,
and has seen it
develop from a small village into a town.

J li

He has

identified himself with everv effort made for the

advancement of Steytlerville. He was the first
Mayor of Steytlerville, and has again for the last
live years occupied that position ; has been chair-
man for the last seventeen years of the Public School
Committee, and was at various times chairman,
secretary, and treasurer of the Public LibraiT.
He took a great interest in the Agricultural Society,
and was elected vice-president and subsequently
president of that Society. Through his efforts
one of the most beautiful churches in Cape
Colony is now being built in the centre of the town
and facing the Dutch Reformed parsonage, for
which he personally collected from house to house
throughout his parish, in two-and-a-half months,

Business .at Steytlerville.

The first storekeepers to establish business in
Steytlerville were Messrs. C. W. H. de la Harpe,
J. C. Bosnian, John Ward, W. Richardson, and
others. Messrs. Middleton Bros, have since taken
over and largely extended the business of the late
J. C. Bosman, and their store is now one of the
largest and most up-to-date establishments in the
Midlands.

V.AKiovs Items.

Various attempts have been made to supply the
village with water. A furrow has been dug from
a weir in Groot River, and boring operations are
being carried on

Two very successful agricultural shows have
been held. The village forms the centre of a good
ostrich and Angora goat country, and the entries at
the two shows were 460 and 1,100 respectively.

During the last session of Parliament Steytler-
ville was declared a Fiscal Division, and the pro-
clamation declaring the boundaries of the new divi-
sion is daily expected. Steytlerville is 116 miles
from Uitenhage, 56 miles from Willowmore, 36 miles
from Jansenville, and 16 miles from Barroe Station.
It is a verv rich district and an important trading
centre.

The beautiful koodoo is still found here, even
on the commonage, and it is estimated that there
must be fully 700 koodoos in the district.

The principal products of the district are mohair
and ostrich feathers.

The town, on account of its picturesque situa-
tion and clean and stylish houses, makes a very
favourable impression on the visitor. The only
and very great drawback is that Government has
not yet seen its way clear to span the Groot River
with an iron bridge. During heavy rains the river
is frequently impassable for many days, and the

UITENHAGE PAST AXD PRESENT.

159

risk ill crossing it when the stream of water is at
all strong is very great. It will indeed be a red-
letter in the annals of Steytlerville when Parlia-
ment votes ^25,000 for the construction of an iron
bridge over the Groot River, at Steytlerville, so
thatthedanger of crossing the stream will be a thing
of the past.

The condition of the Uitenhage dis-
Hard Times trict was not materially altered even
in 1879, for it would naturally take
some time to recover from the effects of the great
drought. Fortunately, however, rain was fairly
constant until September, and large tracts of land
were brought under cultivation. Then, after Sep-
tember, drought set in once more, and incessant
gales of hot wind swept over the country, drying
up the veld in an almost unprecedented manner,
destroying by far the greater part of the crops.
The resultant sc.ircity of green food was responsible
for the deaths of great numbers of young ostriches,
so that the unfortunate farmers had certainly cause
for thinking, as some of them did, that the land
was under a curse.

The work of railway extension, however, jiro-
•ceeded steadily, and in 1879 Uitenhage was linked
Avith Graaff-Reinet, Grahamstown, and Middleton.

This, as we have seen, was one of the
The staple industries of the Uitenhage divi-

Wool sion, and even to-day it is bv no
Trade, means one of the least. But in 1879 it
had declined considerably, owing, of
•course, to the depletion of the flocks, the ravages
of scab, and also to the fact that the minds of the
•farmers were mostly too much engrossed with the
more remunerative occupation of ostrich farming
■to pay the same attention as before to wool grow-
ing.

In 1865 the Uitenhage district produced 767,789
lbs. of wool, and 666,729 lbs. in 1875 — a dcrease
of 101,060 lbs., or i6'i6 per cent. Washed wool
fetched is. 3d. per lb., and unwashed 6d There
were 337,198 woolled sheep in the district in 1865,
.and 248,676 in 1875 — a decrease of 88,522. While
there were only 6.oig "other sheep"' in 1865,
however, the returns show that there were 7,411 in
1873, and a good woolled sheep was worth ;A'i is.
and an .Africander sheep about ^"i 5s.

Although the Uitenhage Volunteer
Uitenhage Rifles did not e.xist prior to the year
Voluntepr 1892, yet there was a body of Volun-
rtifles. teers in Uitenhage known as " No. 6

Company," and attached to I rince
Alfred's Guard, whose headquarters were, and are, at

Port Elizabeth. No. 6 Company P.A.G. was formed
and members enrolled at Uitenhage on the 9th June,
1880, the strength being about 100 men all told ;
the officers were Capt. H. R. Thornton, Lieut. J.
M. Thornton, 2nd Lieut. W. G. Back. The Prince
Alfi ed's Guard at this time was under the com-
mand of Major G. R. Deare.

In September of the same year (1880), when
No. 6 Company was formed, 200 men of the P.A.G.
were called out for active service, 50 of whom had
to be supplied by No. 6 Company. Lieut. J. M.
Thornton was in command of the Uitenhage con-
tingent, and Major Deare in command of the 200.
This detachment embarked on the s.s. Lapland, in
Algoa Bay, on the 25th September, 1880, and sailed
for East London, where they disembarked and
jiroceeded by rail to Queenstown, whence they
marched to Aliwal North. From Aliwal North
they marched through the Free State to Wepener,
on the borders of Basutoland, where the force
joined the column under Colonel Clark, the whole
numbering about 2,000 men.

This column moved into Basutoland and took
part in many engagements against the Basutos
during the latter part of 1880 and the early part of
1881.

the detachment imder Lieut. Thornton, after
taking part in most of the engagements, returned
to the Colony on the 19th February, 1881, and
they were replaced by the remainder of the Com-
pany, wlio were sent up under the connnand of
Lieut. W. G. Back.

The following list gives the names of all that
are now left of the 100 in Uitenhage, and thev are
employed in the Loco. Workshops : — Major
Thornton, Quarter-master Sergeant J. Kydd,
Privates W. E. Jarvis, J. Coppard, T. Brophy, C.
Durban, and W. Wahl. Private G. H. Chiuery
was not a member of No. 6 Company, but be-
longed to one of the Port Elizabeth companies of
the P.A.G.

On the 30th October, 1882, Capt. H. R. Thorn-
ton was removed to Cape Town, and Lieut. J. M.
Thornton was appointed captain in comm.md of
the Company. Mr. Cresswell Clark, the present
Chief Traftic Manager, joined No. 6 Company as
sub-lieutenant* in January, 1883, and resigned in
March, 1884. on being promoted to a captaincy in
No. 3 Com)->any, Port Elizabeth. Mr. N. M. Dur-
rant, iiresent Works Manager at Bloemfontein,
was also a lieutenant in the corps, and joined in
April, 1884. The members of No. 6. Company in
the vear 1889 agitated for separation and to be
allowed to form themselves into a corps of their

i6o

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

own, and on this being disallowed they resigned
in a body, after nearly nine years' service. Then
for two years there was no volunteer corps in
Uitenhage. In 1892 some of the old members of
the Company, wishing to revive the movement,
approached the members of Parliament, Dr. \'anes
being strongly m evidence, with the result that the
Uitenhage V^olunteer Rifles was formed on the 4th
February, 1S92, with J. M Thornton as captain and
Messrs. G. McGrath and H. J. Gibbon lieutenants.
The strength of the corps was about 100 all told.
'l"he members tried to get a dark green uniform,
but the Military Secretary being desirous of hav-
ing all the X'olunteers in red, the following uniform
had to be adopted : Full dress, scarlet tunic with
blue collar and cuffs, blue shoulder straps, white
helmet, blue cloth trousers with scarlet stripe on
outer seam. Undress : Blue serge tunic. Glengarry,
blue clolli trousers with scarlet stripe.

Ill April, 1895, '' military camp of instruction
was held at Grahamstown, and the following corps
were present : The P.A.G., U.V.R., istCity Volun-
teers, and the Grahamstown Volunteer Artillery,
under Major Nelson. Col. Southe> , the Comman-
dant of Volunteers, was in command of the com-
bined forces.

It was 111 1893 that Capt. Thornton conceived
the idea of erecting the Drill Hall, so with that
object in view he husbanded the hnances of the
corps from that time forward.

In April, 1894, a camp of instruction was held
at Cradock, at which about 1,000 Volunteers at-
tended, including the P.A.G., U.V.R., ist City
Volunteers, Knnberley Regiment, East London
Volunteers, Queenstown Volunteers, and some
others. This was the largest volunteer camp ever
held outside the Cape Peninsula.

On the 9th November, 1894, Lieut. H. J.
Gibbon, having failed to pass his examination
within the prescribed period, resigned his com-
mission.

On the 1st November, 1895, Capt. Thornton
resigned his commission, and Lieut. McGrath was
promoted- to captain and took over command of
the corps on the following day.

On the I2th October, 1896, Capt. Mctirath re-
signed, and on the following day Mr. J. G. Mac-
kenzie was gazetted captain, and took over com-
mand of the corps from that date.

During the year 1896 the erection of the Drill
Hall was commenced, and in the following year it
was completed. The Drill Hall cost about _^"2,ooo,
half of which was paid out of the capitation grant
and the other half was advanced by Government.

The opening ceremony took place on the jjiid
June, 1897.

On the 31st August, 1897, Capt. J. G. Mackenzie
resigned, and on the following day Capt. J. M.
Thornton was gazetted to take command of the
corps.

In August, 1899, the uniform was changed
from sca'rlet to khaki, and on the loth October
Lieut. Gent was promoted to captain.

On the nth November, 1899, the U.V.R. were
called out for active service, and Capt. Thornton
not being allowed to go on account of his railway
duties, Capt. Gent took command of the corps and
was gazetted major on the 28th December.

The U.V.R. and the Anglo-Boer \\'.-\r.

A record of the services of the corps at this
juncture will be of interest. The men were ordered
to mobilise on the nth November, 1899, and were
placed on the lines of communication at Cook-
house and Witmoss tunnel. From thence they
were sent to Cradock, and afterwards one company
was sent to Rooispruit and two companies to
Thebus, at that time occupied by a column under
General Knox. Subsequently they were relieved by
the 9th Battalion King's Royal Rifles and pro-
ceeded to Schoombie, ultimately being transferred
to Colesberg. After the re-occupation of Coles-
berg by the British they at different times supplied
detachments for duty at Steynsberg, Henning, and
Kroomhoogte, as well as at Arundel and Rensburg.

Two companies were mounted and equipped
at Cradock and sent forward to join General
Clement's column at Arundel, under whom they
fought theiv way to Bloemfontein, where they were
incorporated with the First City Mounted Volun-
teers, the whole being re-named " Marshall's
Horse.'' They were engaged in the general ad-
vance under General Liii Hamilton, taking part in
all the engagements up to Pretoria and Diamond
Hill, under Generals Hart and Barton, from the
27th July to the 19th December, 1900. They were
also present at the re-capture of Potcliefstroom
and operations round Frederickstad, Krugersdorp,.
Magaliesberg Range, &c. A detachment escorted
i convoy to Pliili|ipolis in November, 1900, and
came in touch with the Boers, but, being outnum-
bered, had to retire on Colesberg Bridge to await
reinforcements ; but liefore these arrived the
enemy had disappeared. They escorted a convoy
to Hamelfontein, where they engaged the enemy,
being cut off by De Wet's force, and were relieved
by Generrd Plumcr's column, who saved the posi-
tion and allowed thcin to retire. An escort ac-

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

i6i

companied the Naval Brigade during the opera-
tions on the Orange River, and on the nth March,
1901, the regiment made a forced march into the
Orange River Colony to escort and assist the Royal
Field Artillery to relieve Captain Worsley Taylor,
who, with a detachment of the 4th K.O.R.L., was
hemmed in between the hills of Boschfontein, ten
miles on the other side of the river and to the right
of Colesberg Bridge. The twenty-two miles to
Botha's Drift were covered in full marching order
in the space of seven hours. The Lancashires
were relieved with small loss, after which the corps
returned to Colesberg. The headquarters were
then removed to Cookhouse, on the lines of com-
munication.

The corps
remained in
the field until
the cessation
of hostilities,
30th June,
1902.

The follow-
ing is the list
of men belong-
i n g to the
U i t e n ii a ge
\' o 1 u n t e e r
RilK-s who
subse quentlv
transfeirccl to
Marshall's
Horse: — L .
Back, G. An-
derson, I'.
Channer, J.

Cook, H. Roberts, H. Don, J. Stumke,
Goodluck, F. W. Thorne, \V. Kydd, W
Turner, .A. Litham, .\. McQueen, G. J. Baker,
F. Schlcmmer, G. Catton, E. Powell", A C.
Hoare. H. Bryant, G. Peters, W. Roberts, J. A.
Cowie, H. Kingston, J. H. Gibbons, B. Skiller, T.
Kirkham, S. Watson, H. Tee, D. McPhail, G.
Morris, \\\ Norton, W. H. Molten, J. Rossman, M.
Leber, .A. C. Tinuiis, C. Penfold, R. Rabeau, f.
Coonan, .-\. P. Tawse, ]. \V. Discombe, A. Moseley,
J. Hoare, A. W. Tibbs," A. E. Wilson, A. W. Web-
ber, R. Macpherson, J. Perring, W. T. Green, vS.
Briscoe, D. O. Narroway.

The Corps Re-okg.\xised.

When hostilities ceased, and the active service
detachment was disbanded, the Uitenhage \'olun-
teer RiHes were re-organised under Captain Thorn-

J-

ton, who was gazetted Major on the ist January,
1903. In April of that year Mr. Gee was ap-
pointed lieutenant, and advanced to the rank of
captain in February, 1905, and on the same date
Mr. F. C. Rose, who had been a captain in the
active service detachment, was appointed lieutenant.
In January, 1906, the corps consisted of 145
men of all ranks, made up as follows : — Major
Thornton, Captain Gee, Lieut. Rose ; Regimental
Sergt. -Major Condon, Quartermaster Sergt. -Major
Bates, Colour Sergt.-Majors Handkins and Kydd,
Sergeants Woodhead, Tetley, Walker, Murray,
Reece, Moore, French, and Gibson ; Corporals
Summerton, Potter, Hopkins, Molton, Cock, Gill,
Broadway, Neilson, Marsh, Saunders, Bridge, and
Lobjoit (bugler) ; Lance-Corporals Hawkins, John-
son, Rule, Anderson, Lewis, and Norton ; and
Buglers Holton and Handkins.

The regimental band consists of 21 members,
as follows : — Sergeant J. Henwood, cornet ;
Corporal J. Saunders, cornet ; Lance-Corporal T.
Lewis, cornet ; Privates J. Chinnery, bombardon ;
Meiring, bass ; J. Jewell, horn ; H. Slack, horn ;
W. Molton, clarionet ; Millbank, cornet ; |. Reus,
big drum ; Honorary Members : A. Bremner,
bombardon ; A. Chittenden, euphonium ; C.
Shrewsbury, baritone ; Walker, trombone ; G.
Meyer, horn ; Asplin, baritone ; H. Erich,
clarionet ; H. Jennings, clarionet ; J. Enrich, cor-
net ; M. Fish, cornet ; F. Henwood, side drum.

When, during the term of office of the
The Hon. John Gordon Sprigg's Ministry

3rd in 1878, the Disarmament Act was

Yeomanry, passed, it was felt that with the

limited number of Colonial troops
then existing there may be difficulty in enforcing
the provisions of the Act, especially as the volun-
teer corps consisted of infantry only, it was de-
cided to raise three regiments of cavalry. This
was done, and the regiments were named the ist
Yeomanry, with head-quarters at Cape Town ; the
2nd Yeomanry, with head-quarters at East Lon-
don; and the 3rd Yeomanry, having its head-
quarters at Uitenhage. The commandants of the
three regiments were Colonels Brabant, Southey,
and Minto respectively. As this is a history of
Uitenhage only, we must necessarily confine our
remarks to the 3rd Yeomanry, and more particularly
to those troops raised in the I'itenhage division.
In all the regiment consisted of five troops, namely,
A Troop, Uitenhage ; B Troop, Humansdorp ; C
Troop, Graaff-Reinet ; D Troop, Sonrerset Eist ;
and E Troop, Thornh'll. Of these A, B, and E
Troops consisted solely of Uitenhage district men.

l62

UITEXHAGE PAST AND PRESEXT.

Tlie terms of enlistment were for three years,
each man to provide his own horse, with the fol-
lowing rates of daily pay : — Captains 15s.,
lieutenants ns., sergeant-majors qs., sergeants 8s.,
corporals 7s., and troopers 6s.

The uniform was blue with buff facings, and
the men were armed with carbine, revolver, <\nd
sword.

There was no difliculty in getting men to join
this force, and within a very few days of tlie notice
being issued that men were required the ranks
were filled, practically all the recruits being young
farmers who could ride well and were adepts in
the use of the rifle, and together they formed as
tine a body of lighters as could well be desired.

A Troop (Uitenhage) was oflicered by Captain
R. Smith and Lieutenants Bremner and W. 'Cat-
ton ; B, or the " Tiger Troop " (Humansdorp),
Capt. A. L. Chiappini and Lieutenants H. Maynier
and C. Hudson; E Troop (Thornhill), Capt. G. D.
Smith and Lieutenants P. R. Heugh and C. J. van
Niekerk.

We have said that the Yeomanry formed as line
a body of lighters as could well be desired ; and
they very soon proved themselves. Before the
various troops were well f ormed — before, in fact,
they had had an opportunity of being drilled, or
were nniformed or armed — they were called out
for active service. They immediately mobilised at
Uitenhage and marched to Grahamstown, and
thence to Fort Beaufort, where they were quartered
for about ten days. In the meantime they had
received their arms and uniforms, and attended
drill when occasion offered. Thence they were
ordered to Queenstown, and finally to Aliwal
North. On arrival at Aliwal the wisdom of tiie
Government in raisingthe Yeomanry was apparent.
It was notified that a section of the Basutos under
Chief Morosi had refused to pay taxes, and had
practically declared war by attacking the town of
Quithing, where they had burned down the Magis-
trate's residence, the mission house, and other
buildings, and were, in fact, in a state of rebellion.
Skkvice i\ Mokosi's Country.

Tlie Yeomanry were at once ordered off to
quell this disturbance, and they performed their
duty to some purpose, for they quickly overran the
whole district, capturing all the stock and driving
the rebels before them. The natives all made for
Morosi's Mountain, the chief's stronghold, which
they soon rendered practically impregnable. At
this time the Yeomanry was the only force engaged
in these operations. But the surrender of the in-
surgents was then but a question of time, for the

Yeomanry besieged the Mountain, rendering it im-
possible for the enemy to break away, although on
one occasion they made a desperate attempt to do
so, which, although happily frustrated, proved dis-
astrous to our men, for several of tlie Humansdorp
Troop were assegaied whilst sleeping in their tents
when the enemy made their midnight raid on the
camp at Quithing. Reference is made to this in-
cident in our article on Humansdorp. Soon after-
wards the C.M.R. relieved the Yeomanry, who re-
turned to their homes, leaving nine of their num-
ber in soldiers' graves in Basutoland. The siege
was maintained for some time longer, when the
Mountain was stormed by the C.M.R. and some
Volunteers, Morosi being killed. And so this cam-
paign ended.

At this point we would pay a tribute to tlie men
who comprised the Yeomanry for the good work
they did — a tribute which the then Government
failed to pay to the most deserving body of men
that ever carried arms in their behalf. The Gov-
ernment never really appreciated their services,
which were gladly rendered immediately it be-
came known that men were wanted. Many well-
to-do young farmers joined, who, if they had
studied their own interests alone, would have re-
mained at home and looked after their farms. And
they, practically alone, succeeded in denuding the
country of stock and driving the natives together
to the mountain and hcmmini' them in, and this in
the face of continuous fighting and great privations.
They were for months without tents, and the only
shelter they had from the weather was what they
could find behind boulders or bushes. They
were eight months in Morosi's country.

The B.iSL'io C.a.mi'.\ig.\'.

The Yeomanry were not allowed to remain long
at their homes, for war broke out generally in
Basutoland in the middle of 1880, the cause being a
refusal to obey the mandate to disarm, and the men
were again called out for service in the field. On
this occasion they were nine months in the field,
taking part in over twenty engagements. In this
war, of our local men Capt. Bremner and several
troopers were killed

On their return home the men subscribed
among themselves and erected the handsome
granite obelisk that now- stands near the Cannon
Street entrance to Magennis Park in memory of
their fallen comrades, whose names are inscribed
thereon. The widow of Captain Bremner was also-
presented with a house by the comrades and otiier
friends of her late husband.

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

163

One of the best known educational in-
The stitutions in the Eastern Province is the

Riebeek Riebeek College for girls, and, since
College its foundation more than quarter
of a century ago, it has continued to
hold a prominent position among the principal
schools in Cape Colony. Up to 1877 the facilities
afforded in Uitenhage for the better education of
girls were decidedly meagre on the whole. Either
the young ladies had to go to some private school
— and there were many of them in Uitenhage — or
they had to attend the mi.xed school over which
Mr. John Gibson -presided. But that gentleman,
" grand old man " though he was, had long since
fallen behind the educational requirements of the
day. He possessed a violent and uncertain temper,
and the parents of those girls who were placed
under his control grew more and more dissatisfied
with the results. Several were removed each
quarter and sent to other schools, of which that
kept by the Misses Elliott was perhaps the largest.
And so matters drifted on until the jiosition became
intolerable. Then it was that the Dutch Reformed
Church stepped into the breach ; and although it
was inevitable that such a step must eventually
be taken by some public body, the gratitude of
parents was not only due but was readily and
heartily accorded to the Rev. A. I. Steytler, who
was responsible for the line of action adopted by
the Church over whose destinies he presided.

Consequently in 1877 tiie first step was taken
in the direction of establishing the Riebeek College,
and from then until now the Dutch Reformed
Church has been actively interes'.ed in its welfare.
It must not be lost sight of that the school was not
at the verv beginning of its career a chiuch school
proper, as so many people imagine. It >as onlv
after Mr. Steytler found it necessary to convert the
establishment into a Dutch Reformed Church
school that it became a denominational institu'ion.
The congregation then became the sub-guarantors.
In 1882 things were beginning to go wrong, and
financial aid from Government was applied for.
As a result of this appeal a grant of ^80 per an-
num was forthcoming, and the Kerkeraad was
allowed to nominate the whole of the Committee —
■which was to consist of five. The only conditions
were that two of them were not to be members of
the Kerkeraad, but were to be chosen from the
public. Tiie first two elected under these condi-
tions were the late Mr. E:lward Philpott, C.C. cS:
R.M., and the late Hon. John 'I'udhope. Subse-
quently the Committee was increased bv two mem-
bers.

In 1884 the condition of the school became
hopeless. It was about ^500 in debt, there were
only thirty-nine scholars on the roll, and an un-
fortunate selection of two teachers — one of whom
had been in a lunatic asylum and was not quite
sane at the time of her appointment, while the
other turned out to be a maniac and had to be de-
prived of her liberty — did not tend to improve
matters. Mr. Steytler was succeeded by the Rev.
J. H. Hofmeyr, who, working conscientiously and
honestly in the interests of education, decided to
have the school brought under the direction of the
Educational Department in order to obtain grants
and make the institution a financial success.

He had some correspondence with Sir Lang-
ham Dale, then Superintendent-General of Educa-
tion, on the subject, and at a public meeting held in
the Town Hall the principle of equal representation
was laid clown bj- the Superintendent-General of
Education himself. In this the public agreed, and
four members of the Committee were therefore
elected by the Kerkeraad and four by the general
public.

Until 1894 the school was held in the block
of buildings on the town side of Cannon Street
— /.t'., where the boarding department now is — but
in that year the matter of increased accommoda-
tion became more urgent, and a new school build-
ing was decided upon, the erection of which was left
to the School Building Committee, which was a sub-
committee of the Kerkeraad. The corner-stone of

L'lTK.\H.AGE.

the new building was laid by Mrs. Pienaar on the
1st June, 1896, and the ceremony took the form of
a most interesting public function. The Educa
tion Department granted a general holiday to all
the schools in town, and most of the children, to
the number of nearly 1,000, took part in the pro-
ceedings. There were 200 girls of the Riebeek
College, all dressed in white and wearing the

164

riTEXHAGE PAST AXD PRESEXT,

College Lolours. ;iboiit 200 boys from Ihe Muir
Acade.iiy, the pupils of the Dolley Memorial and
Industrial Schools, and the private schools also
sent their quota.

The formal opening of the building took place
on the 16th December, i8y6, the actual opening
ceremony bemg performed by Mrs. Frederick H.
Lange, the hrst lady princiiial of the school, who
took oHice in 1877

The structure is a very handsome one, occupy-
ing a space of 155 feet by 85 feet, and contains
the great hall. 70 feet by 30 feet, seven large class
rooms, si.x music rooms, and private rooms for the
lady principal and the committee, besides cloak
room, lavatories, corridors, &c.

The building cost about ;4"5,ooo, Mr. J. F. Car-
ton being the contractor.

The following are the numbers of pupils on the
roll at various periods, and it will be seen from
these tigures how steadily the institution has grown :
There were 120 pupils in 1888, 172 in 1889, 186 in
1890, 175 in 1891, 183 in 1892, 211 in 1895, 209 in
1896, 241 in 1897, 262 in 1899, over 300 in 1900,
and 340 to-day.

The Pkixcip.^ls of the College.

The first head mistress of the Riebeek College
was Miss Hearson (afterwards Mrs. F. H. Lange),
who filled that post from 1877 to 1880. At one

Misv K. L. V, liuii

time there were only si.x pupils on the roll, but this
number speedily rose, and when Miss E. L. Y.
Brown took over the principalship at the end of

1880, or rather at the beginning of 1881, there were
60 pupils there. In eight years this number had
doubled, and to-day it is nearly six times as
great. Miss Brown continued in office until 1900,
and during her twenty ye us' connection with the
institution no less than 1,500 pupils passed through
her hands. She retired in 1900, after having ac-
complished an infinite amount of good work, and
is now living in London. She was succeeded by
Miss Houliston, who remained there until 1905,
when Miss Pollard was appointed head mistress.

A Pakllameniakv Enquikv.

In the spring of 1900 an enquiry was ordered
by the Legislative Council to be held respecting
the management of certain public schools of lirst
and second-class grades, whereon tiie Boards of
Managers were assigued to uieuihers of a
church as such. The committee consisted of
the Hous. Sir H. ' Stoclceustrom, Messrs. Pre-
torius. Van Rhyn, .Vla.is.lorp, De Smidt, Brad-
field, Xeethiing, Herholdt, and Wilmot (Chair-
man), and the first meeting was held in the
House of Parliament in September, 1900. The
Rie K'ek College was the first selected for investi-
gation, and after a considerable amount of evidence
had been taken regarding certain anomalies in con-
nection with the amount of control exercised ov«r
the College (a public and undenominational in-
stitution) by the Kerkeraad, the Committee recom-
mended that it was " desirable in the public in-
terest that the Riebeek College should be taken
out of the abnormal position it occupied and be
placed under the regulations affecting undenomi-
national schools." The Committee also drew at-
tention to Dr. ]Muir's evidence, which showed that
there was an existing contract entered into in the
year 1885, when the school was changed from the
denominational to undenominational system.

Nothing was done, however, until 1906, when
under the School Board Act the position was alto-
gether changed.

Educational matters concerning
The Wlulr hoys' schools have been frequently

High School, touched upon in this work, the

last reference to the subject being
on page 117, whicli brings us up to 1855. Matters
proceeded quietly for several years, and the Gov-
ernment School was perhaps an average type
of its class. Many are the curious stories
told of Mr. Gibson, the head-master, and as
lime rolled on it would scarcely appear that he kept
p.ice witli the growing educational requirements

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

i6S

of tlie day. Tiie okl-f,islnoned plan of drilling
knowledge into boys by the aid of the " tawse" —
or strap — -was very largely resorted to, and the
methods of instruction to which Mr. Gibson clung
speedily became antiquated even for those days.
Another school was started in opposition, and this
was conducted by the Rev. Dr. J. Templeton. This
was the genesis of the Muir Academy, and it was
known as the Proprietary School. It was carried
on in the block now known as the Crown Hotel. The
present billiard room there was at that time the
assembly room. Dr. J. Templeton was head-
master, Mr. Sam Mitchell being his assistant. In
1867 Dr. Templeton removed to Grahamstown, and
was succeeded by Mr. Brice, who retained that
position for several years. He conducted the
school in what is now the Riebeek Boarding
House until 1875, when the new building was
erected. Dr. Templeton died in 1891 in the
Addo Bush under painful circumstances while
on his honeymoon. The school succeeded in a way,
but education here was in an unsatisfactory
condition for a long time. At length an
attempt was made to reconstruct the entire system
upon a proper and a business-like basis. An
undenominational school was started under the
auspices of a Board of Management, and in 1874
Mr. Cecil H. Buckland, the secretary, applied to
the Commissioners for two pieces of land
situate on what is known as College Hill. The
first w.is 12 i-ioth morgen in extent; the
second was iJ, morgen, and was bounded
by Cannon Street, Park .-Avenue, Dale Street,
and on the west by the erf e.xchanged bj'
the English Church authorities in return for their
grant of land for the construction of Bishop Street.

The object for which these pieces of ground
were required was the erection of a suitable
building to be used in perpetuity as a public
undenominational school, to be vested either in
the Civil Commissioner of Uitenhage for the time
being or in such other way as the Government
might direct. The smaller plot, which was ih
morgen in e.xtent, was to be used as a site for the
school building itself and for the playground, and
an absolute grant of this plot was requisite. The
larger piece would be sold and the proceeds
applied to the erection of the establishment.

This application was supported by the Com-
missioners, and three months later a fetter was
received from Government stating that His Excel-
lency the Governor had been pleased to sanction
the transfer of the property in terms of the jietition.
This was a most liber, d grant on the part of the

Commissioners, and one would go far before he
found one equally generous. The necessary
diagrams were drawn out in June, and delivered to
the Commissioner of Crown Lands by Mr. Julius
Mosel. The title deed was signed by Sir Henry
Barkly on the 25th of September, 1874, and shortly
afterwards the lands had been sold and the streets
in that neighbourhood constructed by the Board.

In April, 1875, the Town Clerk reported that
the School Committee had not thought it necessary
to ask the permission of the Council to name the
land given to them, nor to name the streets there,
but had selected such names as they thought
proper, calling the site of the school " College
Hill," and the adjoining thoroughfares College
Street, Barkly Street, etc., etc. The Commis-
sioners, without taking the names of the streets
into consideration, resolved that the name of the
hill upon which the school was to be built be
allowed to remain College Hill.

The building and dwelling-house were erected
in 1875 at a cost ot _^3,ooo, the contractor being
Mr. Mackay, of I'ort Elizabeth. Mr. Brice was
the tirst head-master, and he retained that position
for some years. But the school was by no means a
success under his regiiiu', and instead of progressing
it steadily lost ground. The discipline was la.x in
the extreme, the boys did not distinguish them-
selves at the University Examinations, and man}- of
them were removed from the school altogether;
and it became a second-class institution.

Mr. Brice was succeeded by the Rev. G. Y.
Jeffreys, who had in the meantime been conduct-
ing a small school with some success. But when
he took over the reins of the Muir Academy the
institution failed to improve with the rapidity that
was anticipated. Children were taken away and
sent to other schools, and the Committee scarcely
knew what step to adopt next. At length the
guarantors had to meet a call, and this quicky
brought matters to a head.

Then in 1886 the Divisional Council
stepped into the breach, and with two town
nominees (the Rev. D. J. Pienaar and Dr. A. B.
Vanes) assumed entire control of the Academy.
Mr. Mitchell, of the Normal School, was appointed
head-master in the year 1886, and a complete
change for the better immediately took place.
The discipline of the boys had always been lax in
previous years, and this was the first matter to
receive Mr. Mitchell's attention. In a short time
he had accomplished wonders, and step by step
the school began to recover lost ground, .^t this
time there was an idea prevalent that the reasoa

i66

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

-for the Academy's making such a poor appearance
at the University examinations was that the boys
themselves were too stupid to do anything brilliant;
hut Mr. Mitchell quickly disproved this. They

■ bad to 7i'ork, and the result was that within an
incredibly short space of time the name of the
Muir stood high in the lists of examination

•successes. To cap this, one boy actually came

•out first in the Colony in the Elementary ! This
acted as a spur, and as an encouragement to every-
body concerned, and the next improvement was
in the direction of entertainments. Hitherto the
townspeople had, with a certain amount of justiti-
•cation, looked upon the Muir boys as an undisci-
plined rabble. The palm for accomplishments
Avas unquestioningly awarded to the Riebeek
College; but before he had lieeu long in Uitenhage
Mr. Mitchell invited the public to the usual prize
distribution, and to an entertainment. People
were sceptical about the entertainment, but they
•were astounded when it began. The discipline
■was perfect. The scholars rose noiselessly at a
:sign from the head-master, and went through
■various songs, recitations, and evolutions with a
precision that caused the utmost astonishment
amongst those who had for many years been

• convinced that nothing could be done with such

• boys as those who attended the Academy. From
this time the success of the institution was assured,

• the registers speedily tilled, and everything went
with a gratifying swing until Mr. Mitchell was
appointed School Inspector— a position he still
tills with the "reatest credit.

Mr. Scott was then appointed, but he resigned
in 1895, and in the same year Mr. John Sutherland,
M.A., accepted the position offered him. This
jjentleman has retained it since then, and under
his capable and efficient resiiiiic the .-Vcademy has
made rapid strides. It always stands high on the

University Pass and Honours Lists, and on
several occasions has secured the first place in
Cape Colony. In 1904 a new building, of
which we give a photograph, was erected, the
old one being altered and retained as a boarding
establishment. By. Dr. M uir's suggestion the name
of the institution was altered in 1904 from Muir
Academy to Muir High School. There are many
schemes on the tapis, and when they are accom-
plished facts there can be no doubt that the Muir
High School will be one of the finest educational
institutions in South Africa. Recently a gymnasium
and swimming bath have been added to the estab-
lishment. The pupils on the roll to-dav number
278.

During the year 1880 rains were fre-
The quent and general throughout the dis-

Corner trict, fair crops vi-ere reaped, stock was
Turned. in good condition, and remunerative
prices were realised. It was evident
that the wheel of fortune was beginning to turn
in a favourable direction once more — after a lapse
of seven years of grinding adversity.

Ostrich farming increased rapidly, and an
" Ostrich Farming Company " was established un-
der the brightest prospects on some farms in the
Winterhoek. These were admirably adapted for
the purpose, and shares in the venture were greatly
in demand at a considerable premium.

The population, too, had increased, and a large
number of houses were built, many of them of a
superior class, and ornaments to the town.

Wages in 1880 were high, as may be gathered
from a brief perusal of the following figures :—
European farm overseers and head shepherds were
receiving ^10 a month, while natives hlling similar
positions received ^8. The average for the Colony
was ;^3 16s. and £2 respectively.

.As farm servants or cattle herds, Europeans re-
ceived £2 los. per month, natives _^i los., the
average for the Colony being £1 6s. and 17s. re-
sjiectivelv. European day labourers were paid 4s.
a clay, with food, and natives 3s., the average be-
ing -'s. 8d. and is. lod. respectively.

As to domestic servants, Europeans readily ob-
tained ^^3, European females £2 per month, with
board and lodging, although the averages for the
Colony were only £2 8s. and £1 6s. Coloured
domestic servants, on the other hand, received £2
per month (males) and ^"i los. (females), including
board and lodging, while the averages were ;^'i 7s.
and 16s.

Skilled labour was also well paid, European
carpenters getting us. a day (the highest wage

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

167

paid to this class in the Colony, tiie average being
8s. yd.) ; masons and bricklayers received 12s. —
also the highest figure in the Cape returns, the
average being only 8s. lod. Mechanics obtained
13s., the average being 9s. 2d., painters los. (aver-
age 7s. gd.), wagon makers 13s. (average 9s. 6d.),
tanners lis. (average 7s. 8d.), while tailors and
shoemakers received los., the average for the
Colony being 8s. 2d. The monthly rent of a
labourer's cottage was, however, £t, a month, the
general average being £1 4s.

On the lyth day of August, in
Congregational year 1881, a meeting was held
Church. in the Divisional Council room

to consider the question of es-
tablishing a United Congregational Church in
Uitenhage. The following seven gentlemen were
present at this meeting:— The Rev. Thos. J. Pater-
son, of the L.M.S. Mission, Rose Lane; Messrs. T.
W. Gnbb, T. McEvven, ]. Young, C. Robertshaw,
P. Thomson, and H. Dean.

At the request of this gathering a church was
formed on the congregational basis, and named
the " United Church." The meetings of this new
body were held in the Divisional Council room,
and within a month of its formation the Rev. Geo.
Y.Jeffreys was called to the pastorate of theChurch.

In May, 1882, the erection of a church building
was already under discussion, and it was agreed
to purchase the site on which the church now
stands. On the above-mentioned date fifty persons
pledged themselves to sums the total of which
amounted to ^"500. From this time on till the date
April 29th, 1884, the Committee was for the most
part engaged in accepting, rejecting, and modify-
ing plans and specifications for the new church.

The above is a red-letter date in the history of
Congregationalism in this town, for then a proces-
sion, headed by all the civic dignitaries, wended
its way from the Divisional Council Chamber to
witness John Tudhope, Esq., M.L.A., the chairman
of the Fmance Committee, well and truly lay the
foundation stone of the new church.

The building was opened for public worship
on the 28th September, 1884, when the Rev.
Robert Johnston, of the Presbyterian Church, Port
Elizabeth, conducted the services. The building
itself, which is of an unpretentious character, was
built from considerably modified plans drawn by
Mr. S. Stent, architect, Grahamstown. The modi-
fications were the result of a strongly-worded desire
to keep the cost under ;^2,ooo, and the same desire
finally reduced the sitting capacity from three to

two hundred sittings. The work was carried out
by the lirni of Grant & Downie, whose tender was

During the earlier years of the churcii's iiistorv
the minister and the treasurer were too uiuoh in
evidence. How to maintain the financial positioui
was a problem frequently left for their solution

In the year 1886 Mr. Jeffreys was appointed
head-master of the Undenominational Public School,,
and owing to the decrease in the congregation caused
by many removals, and consequentreduction in salary
owing to the same cause, he felt it incumbent upon
him to resign the charge. Though ceasing his con-
nection with the church as minister, Mr. Jeffreys,
nevertheless during the whole of his residence in
Uitenhage remained a consistent member and a
faithful worker for the church.

In the month of July, 1886, the Rev. Aubrey L..
Matson was called to the pastorate. Mr. Matsoii
was distinguished for his lecturing tours, conducted
for the purpose of increasing the church finances.
It appears that money was thereby raised, but the
price paid for his itinerant lectureship was more
than the fellowship could bear, for soon we find
Mr. Matson combining in himself several incom-
patible ofiices, among them both treasurership and
secretaryship.

In the year 1888 Mr. Matson was appointed
lecturer in connection with the Independent Order"
of Good Templars, and on taking over this work
he resigned the pastorate.

During the earlier part of the year 1888, and
under Mr. Matson's ministry, a considerable seces-
sion took place. This section of the church,
held services for a time in the Town Hall under
the ministry of the Rev. Dr. Cowper Grey. There
are many indications that this portion of the fellow-
ship made a strenuous attempt to do things-

i68

riTKXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

decently and in order. Its lirst important act was
to take over from the Congregational Union of
South .Africa the building hitherto known as the
" United Church."

It thereupon drafted and agreed to a somewhat
elaborate constitution, and decided to be hence-
forth known as the Congregational Church, Uiten-
hage. This step became necessary, for already the
Congregational Union had become owners of the
church property, and had for some time aided the
church with generous financial help. This definite
act of corporate union was decided on in January
of the year 1889.

In March of this same year Dr. Grey was called
to the pastorate of the church. It now appeared
as if the church, under the leadership of Dr. Grey,
was about to experience a period of prosperity.
In the active work of the church the names of not
a few familiar figures in the civic life of the town
appear, among them being H. W. Inggs, Mayor of
the town ; Peter Thomson, Town Clerk ; George
Macpherson, Councillor ; Dr. Eraser, School In-
spector ; and Mr. Mitchell, head master of the
jpresent Muir College. This spirit of hopefulness
•was doomed to have no larger realisation, for in
May of the year 1891 we iind that Dr. Grey re-
signed his connection as minister.

In December, 1891, the Rev. F. J. Ecclestone,
who had for three months filled the vacancy, was
invited to accept the pastorate of the church. The
slow growth of the church may be gathered from
the fact that there were only 68 names attached to
this call, though it represented the unanimous de-
sire of the church.

On the 6th of July, 1892, Mr. Ecclestone, who
liad received a call to the church at Burghersdorp,
resigned his charge. Considerable progress must
have been made during Mr. Ecclestone's short
stay in the town, for on the 2nd November, 1892,
a call was presented to the Rev. G. P. Ferguson,
M.A., to which there were attached no less than
102 names.

The lirst seven years of Mr. Ferguson's pastorate
were years of uninterrupted progress. Soon the
whole debt on the church was paid off ; a vestry
was built, a chancel for the organ and a pipe organ
erected, and a cluirch manse built on Cannon Hill.
Mr. Ferguson would be the lirst to acknowledge
that not a little of this progress was due to the
splendid enthusiasm and well-known generosity of
Mr. M. M. Steytler, at whose sole charge ihe vestry
and chancel were built and the organ erected.

And then followed a lime of anxiety and sorrow
lo both cluircj) and minister. In lanuarv of the

year 1900 it became evident that Mr. Ferguson's
health would for a time at least render him unfit
for the active work of the ministry.

In March, 1902, the 21st anniversary of the
founding of the church was held, and as a voyage
to England had not secured to the minister the
hoped-for strength to continue his work he resigned
his charge in April of that year.

In September of the year 1902 the Rev. William
Angus, of Mill Hill, Blackburn, Lancashire, ac-
cepted the call to the church. During Mr. Angus'
pastorate there has been the most encouraging
signs of success. In the year 1901 the idea of a new
hall had been moted, and during the whole period
of Mr. Ferguson's illness the idea had been bearing
fruit under the fostering care of Mr. Steytler, who
had himself collected all the funds. The founda-
tion stone of this hall was laid by Mrs. M. M.
Steytler, and it was opened for use in June of the
same year.

There had f/ggf^^sT'^'i^TlS. — ~1^
been much dis-
cussion about
the uses to
w h i c h this
hall would be
put. Not a few
had asserted
that the time
had not come
tor the church
to be saddled
with such an
expensive ad-
junct to its
w o r k . M r .
Angus set the
minds of all at
rest on this
score by evolv-
ing a net work

of institutions under the general name "Cliurcli
Guild." In connection with this organisation there
were soon more than 250 members, with over a
a hundred workers. The Guild gatherings occu-
pied every night in the week during the winter
session, and its ramifications included sections de-
voted to literary, musical, and social gatherings, a
Bible class, temperance society, lield club, a flow'er
mission, and a nourishing g\-mnasium.

The Guild also includes educational classes for
the study of such subjects as photogra]iliy, Dutch^
ICalir, shorthand, and ambulance work.

The social section of the Guild w.is lurtiinate

Rev. William .\ngi"

UITKXHAGE PAST AND PRPISEX'T.

169

in securing for its lecieation centre a full-sized, and
also a three-quarter-sized, billiard table, the gifts
respectively of Mrs. M. M. Steytler and Dr. Bo-
berg.

As early as the opening of the year 1904 it be-
came evident that the seating capacity of the
church wa.-. not adequate to the needs of the con-
gregation. All the sittings were let, and the ar-
rangement that seat-holders should be in their
places rive minutes before the hour for com-
mencing the service did not give general satisfac-
tion. It was therefore decided to extend the
building so as to accommodate at least 160 more
worshippers. This work was commenced in April,
1905, and the church re-opened for worship on
Sunday, ist October, 1905.

As the work proceeded it became evident that
more than extension was intended. The building
has undergone complete transformation, and does
credit to the generosity and sacrifice of those who
longed to see the House of God a place of beauty.

In spite of the depression in trade
The Banks, and the general stagnation which

existed in i88i, the statements
of the Standard Bank and the Bank of
Africa were indicative of progress rather than of
depression. Uitenhage had evidently not been
backward in its endeavours to augment its business.
In 1868 the Standard was the only bank in the
district, and to illustrate the strides in business
taken during the twelve years we lay before the
reader a comparison of the chief items : —

186K, 1881— both b.iiiks.

Bills under discount A'lo.ooo i5.=,9oo (incre.ise of £45,900)

Fixed deposits 4.500 loy.yyo (increase of 105.200)

Floatinj; deposits 12,000 39.200 (incre.ise of 27.300)

From this it appears that the discounts had in-
creased four times, floating balances had more than
doubled, and the fixed deposits were then more
than twenty-four times the amount they were in
1868. This looked like progress !

In December, 1881, the deposits fixed and float-
ing in the two banks totalled ;^'"i49,869, viz., Stand
arc! Bank _£'i33,29o, and Bank of Africa ^'15,599.

In 1S82, however, they figured at ,^144, 146,
viz.. Standard Bank ;^I30,440 and Bank of Africa
;^i3,7o6, the falling off being ^"5,723. But at this
time great numbers of buildings were springing up
all over the town, and idle and previously unpro-
ductive town commonage land had been converted
into small and productive private holdings at
considerable expense, and this no doubt
accounted in a great measure for the deficiency.
The Colony, too, was passing through a crisis, and

the fact that bills under discount showed a reduc-
tion of _^i4,6oo indicates that the business of the
banks had not diminished but had been conducted
with greater caution. Even in hard times, how-
ever, Uitenhage has always held her own, and has
progressed. During the year 1885 buildings to the
value of ;^22.3oo were erected.

Any work dealing with the
" Sleepy Hollow." history of Uitenhage would
A Retrospect. be incomplete without some

reference to the sobriquet by
which the town was known for many years —
Sleepy Hollow, to wit. There can be no doubt
that at one time the appellation was deserved, for
the place was admittedly among the quietest in
the Colony. But it was a case of giving a dog a
bad name, for long after Uitenhage had awakened
and had become one of the leading centres in the
Cape the opprobrious epithet still clung to it. In
the early eighties it was considered one of
the smartest and most original things in the world
to call Uitenhage " Sleepy Hollow," and the more
the joke was repeated the more original its perpe-
trators seemed to consider it. There are even
now some profound wits who cling to the mot with
an affection truly classical.

But if the title w'as undeserved in the eighties
it is still more in.ippropriate to-day. At the time
of which we speak there were within the precincts
of the town the ten largest woolwashing establish-
ments in the Colony ; and here, too, was the then
largest engineering establishment in the Colony,,
furnishing employment for over two huudred
and fifty skilled artizaiis (there are now over
eleven hundred employes), besides surveyors^
civil engineers, draughtsmen, &c. Here were
executed all of the repairs and much of
the construction of the rolling-stock for
nearly 500 miles of railway. The agriculturists
kept hundreds of acres of the most fertile soil in a
high state of cultivation, supplying even in the
times of fiercest, drought the vegetable, fruit, and
floral demands of every spot within reach by rail,,
from Port Elizabeth to Cradock, Graaff-Reinet,
Grahamstown, etc. Three newspapers — the L'ileii-
hagc Times, the Uitenhage Chronicle, and the Uiten-
hage Advertiser — w-ere published regularly at offices-
where some of the neatest printing in the
Colony was turned out. The fixed property had
doubled in value in eight years, without taking
into account the Government and other public
buildings, or the numerous cottages built by the
Railway Department for their workmen. So that

UITEXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

if so far back as 1882 Uitenhage could aft'oid to
.let the very wide-awake ones enjoy their pon-
derous old joke about '" Sleepy Hollow," which was
first dragged into existence, so far as we can trace
it, somewhere about the late thirties, she can do so
with all the better grace to-day.

This society was inaugurated at a
The meeting held at Mr J. B. Evans'

Zwart residence, Rietfontein, on Wednes-

Ruggens day, the 18th July, 1883, and the

.Farmers' objects of the Association were

Association stated to be the full discussion of

all matters affecting the interests of
farmers, whether political or otherwise, and the
free interchange of ideas on the best methods em-
ployed in the various branches of farming in Cape
Colony. The society was modelled on the lines
laid down in the rules of the Upper Albany
Farmers' Association. These, in fact, were adopted
as they stood, with one or two slight modifications
to suit the district. The meetings were to be held

quarterly, and four members had jiower to sum-
mon a special meeting. Thirty-tive members were
enrolled at this meeting, and the officers elected
for the year were Messrs. J. B. Evans, president
and treasurer ; J. H. Featherstone, vice-president ;
E. Hannan, secretary.

This useful institution was finally
The inaugurated at a meeting held in

Great Steytlerville on the 15th September,

Winterhoek 1883. The purposes of the asso-
Farmers' ciation were stated by Mr. Bosnian,

Association who was voted to the chair, to be
the advancement of all farming in-
terests, and to assist the industrial farmer to bring
to justice thieves or -lagabonds, and to aid him in
other ways.

The following were the first officers appointed:
J. Kirkman, F.C., president ; C. J. Hayward, vice-
president ; X. J. Hayward, treasurer ; and G.
Groote, secretary. Twenty-five members were
enrolled at tliis meeting, and the inauguration of
the society was celebrated by a dinner.

Part IX.— The Decade, 1884-18Q3.

A pretty little church was built in the
Thornhill V.m Staadens Ward, near Thoru-
Church. lull, iu 1884, at a cost of ;^2oo. The

ground was given by Mr. Isaac New-
ton, and a iucal committee were chiefly responsible
for raising the funds. On St. Thomas' Day (21st
December), 1884, the opening service and induction
of the Rev. Arthur G. Raynier to this special charge
took place. The service was conducted by the
Rev. H. J. Batts, of Port Elizabeth, and during its
course Messrs. George D. Smith and Isaac Xewton,
on behalf of the congregation, formally received
their pastor, whose work during the past five
months they referred to in the most favourable
terms. The attendance was good, there being
nearly 120 present, all residing in the neighbour-
hood, with the exception of some half-dozen
visitors from Port Elizabeth. The service con-
cluded with the singing of Jackson's Te Dciim, and
since then the little church has proved a blessing
to the parishioners of Thornhill.

Most people, not only in South Africa
A but also in Great Britain, the Colonies,

Famous and on the Continent, have heard of the
Baboon, famous working baboon of Uitenhage.

This statement may appear at first sight
to be a far-fetched one, but it is not so, for para-
graphs relating to this animal persistently went the
rounds of the British news and illustrated periodical
press, and whenever thisoixurs it is but a step to the
continent and to our sister colonies. From the
year 1884 passengers who reached Uitenhage by
train were spectators of a sight that would have
gladdened the hearts of Professor Darwin
and the members of the British Associa-
tion. The signal man at the station, James
Wide by name, had the misfortune to lose
both his legs in an accident near Kleinpoort. and
his powers of locomotion were therefore hampered.
Consequenth he trained a large baboon to assist
him in the discharge of his duties as pointsman.
This animal would fit the trolley on to the line in the
most ingenious manner, harness a large collie dog
to it, and assist the latter in the work of moving the

vehicle, with their master seated upon it, along the-
rails as far as the cottage where they dwelt. The
baboon would also perform sundry offices for Mr.
James Wide with the fidelity of a man Friday ;
but the cleverest thing he did was to work the
lever which set the signals. This he did with an
imitation of humanity which was as wonderful
as it was ludicrous. He put down the lever, looked
round to see that the correct signal was up, and
then turned to the train, gravely watching its ap-
proach, and catching the various offerings thrown
to him by the passengers. He knew the difference
between the " home " and the " distance " signals,,
and also the engine whisdes; and although he was
always under the eye of his master, he never made
a mistake or required telling twice. " Jacko " was
one of the sights of Uitenhage for many years, and
his astonishing feats of intelligence was the wonder
of all who witnessed them. Both the animals
eventually died violent deaths.

With the close of the year 1884
The Progress we come the end of the eighth
of Uitenhage. decade, and in order to see clearly

the progress of each decade we
take the following statistics. In 1864 the valuation
of fixed property was ;^i 12,000, in 1874 it was
;^I72.6^3, and in 1884 it was nearly treble what it
was in 1864, and nearly double the valuation for
1874 — ;^s25,ooo. So far as revenue was concerned,,
the net income was .^674 in 1864, ^1,412 in 1874,
and ^4,966 in 1883. Regarding salaries of Muni-
ciparofficers, they amounted to X439 in 1864, to-
_^"5i8 in 1874, and ^1,115 los. in 1884. These
figures show us the progress of each decade, and
we now give the statistics foi the intermediate
years, as they will show more clearly the rate of
progress, and when the place took a start, as well
as helping us trace the cause of such progress.

Proportion ot

salaries to

I'e.ir.

VaUmtion.

Xet Reven

ue.

Total Salaries.

revenue in the

i■M^..

..±"112.000

i'674 <^

±439 12 4

:3s. 6-1

iSfiy..

.. 112.000

775 0

443 0 0

II 5

[S74..

.. I72.«3

1.412 0

518 0 0

7 4

iSy.S. .

.. 233..«5

^.oSS 0

944 0 0

5 7

[S8?..

.. 292.843

4.966 0

L.^I.i 10 0

4 6

.S.S4..

.. 320,x8l

—

\^2

UITENHAGE PAST AXD PRESEXT.

These tigures are very suggestive, hut peiliaps
j^onie further details may be pointed out.

The railway to Port Elizabeth was opened in
September, 1875, aud from that moment progress
seems to have set in. In the year 1878 a valuation,
made two years aud three months after the event,
siiows tiiat the ratable property hid liseu from
^172,633 to ^233,335, an increase of i'60,902, or
ne.irly one-third, and this without taking any of the
workshops, stations, or cottages erected by the
Riiiway Department into consideration. From
1874 until 1884 tiie increase was from ;^i74,633 to
£325,000, showing an advance of .£'52,367, or
nvithin .£"20,266 of doulile the amount.

There is no doubt that it is always difficult to
forecast what will be the e.\act effect of
such a revolutionary agent as a railway upon a
community. Judg'ng from speeches delivered,
letters written and reminiscences preserved, there
were those amongst the greatest thinkers of Uiten-
hage's former inhabitants who thought the railway
would ruin the place ; there were those who held
strongly opposed views, and had it not been for
the latter the railway would not have come when
it did. But though the railway doubled the amount
of assessable property, and probably the population
also, thus advancing the progress of the commu-
nity generally, it does not follow that it benefited
the community in its individual members. Less
does it follow that it benefited every individual
member of the community, as so many thought at
the time it would. Collective prosperity and pro-
gress very often mean more individual sacrifice
than is seen upon the surface. The groans of those
stricken down in the battle are drowned in the
shouts of the victorious. The individual husband-
man who, full of strong faith in the future
harvest, sowed the seed of coming prosperity,
may be shunted into obscurity and poverty
by the rush of reapers. And there were instances
in this community of those who suffered
from the unfairness of fate, so to speak,
where persons who did most to prevent the railway
coming were the greatest gainers from it, while
those who did most to forward it were in many
cases great losers. These reflections are the
natural outcome of the figures and facts before us,
for it is difhcult for those who were not here when
the railway arrived to understand how its advent
brought prosperity to the town and adversity to
the individuals.

Then in 1877 tire old rags of a common Muni-
cipality were thrown aside, and Uitenhage blos-
somed forth as a full-fledged Corporation, with

Mayor, Town Councillors, corporation se.il, etc.
The Town Hall was built during the decade, aud
the Railway Workshops were erected. The schools
also made great strides about this time, and, in short,
it is from then that the town may date its real
start. The ligmes we have quoted arc aloiTC suf-
ficient to prove the truth of this assertion, and we
question whether any centre in the Colony could
show as much proi^rcss within the same period.

There are few more beautiful or fertile
The spots in the Eastern Districts than the

Sundays Sundays River Valley, and in order to
River reach the heart of it one has only to

Valley. travel to Bluecliff Station, some forty-
three miles from Port Elizabeth and
twenty-two from Uitenhage. The name of the late
James Somers Kirkwood will ever be associated
with this portion of our district, and we shall refer
to this gentleman more fully later on.

The Valley itself is about twenty miles long,
and stretches from the "ebb and flow-" to Kor-
haans D.ift. It is connected with Port Elizabeth-
by two lines of railway — Bluecliff Station on the
Midland being not far frcn-i the upper end, and Com-
mando Kraal (Addo), on the north-eastern, being
close to the town portion. As between these two
stations the railway may be said to run nearly
p.uallel with the valley, no farmer is more than
from four to ten miles from a station.

The soil of the Valley is alluvial deposit, rich in
organic matter and fine as flour. With water and
solar heat it produces a semi-tropical vegetation. It
needs little or no manure, for tlie flood water led
over the lauds fertilises them. An old resident
(Mr. Piet H. MuUer, of Malmaison) stated to the
Irrigation Commission held in April, 1883, that the
soil was too rich for manures, and that since taking
i.p his abode in the Valley in 1856 he had. never
once given his land manure. Notwithstanding
this, he had seen mealie stalks growing to a height
of seventeen feet ! Another advantage possessed
by the farmers is the fact that they have access to
three different kinds of veld — (/) the rich karroo
soil in the V'alley ; (;7) the grass veld on the Zuur-
berg ; and (/;;) the brakbosch veld on the Uiten-
hage side, where cattle feed in the winter time.

The part most suited to cattle and ostriches is
watered by Bezuidenhout's River, and the Midland
Railway runs through its greatest length. It is
some 15,000 acres in extent. The middle portion
is just on 20,000 acres, or over thirty square miles,
and may be described as forest, bush, and grass
country. It is well watered by riveis ;ind perma-

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

173

ment springs. In the Valley crops can he raised
without irrigation, as in other parts of the Zuur-
berg, and in the kloofs are yellowwood trees several
feet in diameter. Sneezewood and olive wood
pules are in thonsands. The irrigation area of the
Valley measures about 39,000 acres or 60 square
miles. Some 15,000 or 16,000 acres can be brought
under water, the ricli alluvial soil varying from
twenty to forty-four feet in depth. The river
winds through the plains for lifteen miles, and
gives them a water frontage of about thirty miles.

The Sundays River Valiey was originally par-
celled out between 1824 and 1834 to certain
parties who were known as the " grantee farmers,"
and with the usual wisdom and foresight which
always characterised the actions of the old trekkers
they led the water from the river at the best avail-
able spots. Indeed Mr. Gamble, the civil engi-
neer who examined the Valley most minutely in
the eighties, recommended these two places as the
most suitable for the irrigation scheme which was
then under consideration. The ancient furrows
and weirs are still visible. The grantee farmers
carried on agricultural farming with great success,
but of course they did not possess the markets that
are now available. A grist mil! was worked at
Malmaison for many years.

As time passed by the population of the Valley
slowly increased, and bit by bit vacant Crown land
was purchased and cleared. It was estimated by
M;r.' Kirkwood in 1884 that as the cost of clearing
a morgen of ground in Oudtshoorn cost from £2
los. to ;^5 per morgen, the cost of cleaning, plough-
ing, levelling, and preparing for tillage at Sundays
River Valley would be about the same.

The Valley affords exceptional facilities for irri-
gation, and there are few spots in the Eastern
Province more admirably adapted for extensive
works of this nature. The Sundays River and its
numerous tributaries drain an immense area of
country, as is evidenced by the depth and frequency
of its floods, and as the Valley lies just to the south
■of the Zuurberg it receives the immediate drainage
which the river brings with it after twenty-fne or
thirty miles passage through the mountains, when
parts higher up are suffering from drought. Again,
the fall of the ground and of the river from the
upper to the lower ends of the estate average ten
feet per mile, and this affords facilities for irriga-
tion in every direction by gravitation, and also
provides a driving power for machinery for sawing,
grinding, pumping, etc.

Having now dealt with the earlier historv, such
as it is, and the potentialities of the X'allev, we

come to the time when Mr. Kirkwood endeavoured
to float a Limited Liability Company for its
purchase and development. This took place in
the beginning of 1884. Up to this period the place
had been in the hands of a few farmers, who were
merely looked upon by others as having secured
an excellent locale for their operations, but no
attempt had yet been made to exploit the place on
a large scale.

John Soniers Kirkwood, however, was a man
of big ideas, and he had long realised the enormous
possibilities of the X'alley. He was originally head
of the auctioneering firm of Kirkwood, Marks &
Co., Port Elizabeth, and had always been known
as a keen and clever business man. In 1877 the
Legislature passed an Irrigation Act (No. 8) which
was designed to encourage schemes of irrigation
and immigration, and offered much to associated
enterprise and self-help. The idea was to assist
such groups of farmers who united for the purpose
of forming what were to be known as " irrigation
districts," but those who inhabited the Valley could
not be persuaded to take adventage of the Act in
anv shape or form, for it was difficult to find men
equally circumstanced, willing to associate for an
object of this kind, common to them all in its
effects, without some mistrust on their part. This
was the main hindrance to the usefulness of the
Act, and Mr. Kirkwood, finding that his efforts to
persuade the Sundays River Valley people to com-
bine were utterly useless, determined to solve the
problem of exploiting the place on a large scale by
adopting the Joint Stock Company principle. He
went quickly to work, and between 1877 and 1S83
he purchased at various times, in his own name,
no less than twenty-one blocks, the aggregate area
of which was 35,280 morgen 491^ square roods
(over 74,000 acres, or 1155 square miles). Twelve
of these were bought from farmers and others, and
nine from Government, while there were also
twelve homesteads standing on the ground. This
tract of country was large enough to come within
the provisions of the Act mentioned above, and
once the lands which it was projected to include
in the block having been purchased, the estate
was complete. Nothing now remained to be
done but to float the Company ; but this was
the rock that wrecked Mr. Kirkwood's career and
eventually caused his death. A provisional com-
mittee was formed, and consisted of Messrs. Trenly
Birch, Jeremiah Edwards, the Hon. J. Geard
(ex-M.L.C), Joseph Walker (ex-M.L.A.), Wm. A.
Oxenham, and Charles Lovemore, all of Port
Elizabeth ; J. S. Kirkwood, of Bluecliff, J. Pullen,

174

uitp:nhage past and present.

of Alexandria district, and Donald Macdonald,
C.B., of London ; Mr. Charles Cowen was the
temporary secretary.

The capital was to be _^"6o,ooo, divided into an
equal number of £i shares, the first issue to
consist of 45,000 shares and a reserve of 15,000.
The price of the estate to the Company was fixed
at _^\5o,ooo, but these were already mortgaged to
the extent of A" 15,000, which the Company was to
take over as part of the purchase jirice, the balance
of ^'35,000 to be paid to the vendor in that number
of fully paid up shares, while the ;^io,ooo to be
subscribed by the public was for working capital
and payment of transfer expenses. This amount
would effect only a partial development of the
alluvial area, and further irrigation works could be
undertaken with Government aid under the Act of
1877. The profits were to come in the first
instance from the annual revenue, and secondly
out of the very considerable difference between
the original cost of a pastoral acre with the cost of
expenditure for improvement added, and the
market value of the same acre when so improved.
When a thousand acres were under irrigation
their capital value at the rate of ten years' purchase
on the rental (at £^ per acre per annum) would be
worth ^'50,000, and so on with each succeeding
area so improved until the maximum capability
was reached. The rents at this time (1884) only
amounted to ^500 per annum, but these were to
be increased very considerably. The shareholders'
security lay in the land and in the improvements
made thereon.

All this sounded very well and very convincing,
but the shares were never taken up. The lists
closed on the 21st of January, 1884, and the results
were thoroughly discouraging. The fact of the
matter was that the public had been thoroughly
captivated by the ostrich farming boom, and as
many who are still living in Uitenhage to-day
know to their cost, ostrich farming companies were
springing up all over the district, shares in which
were applied for several times over. Mr. Kirk-
wood's prospectus scarcely mentioned ostriches at
all, and ostriches were the only things th;it people
would touch. None of the companies succeeded,
by the way, and most of them turned out to be
financial failures. With the chances of growing
cereals, tobacco, and vines on a large scale nobody
troubled himself, and consequently the " Sundays
River Land and Irrigation Company, Limited," fell
to the ground in the most dismal fashion. There
can be no doubt that if it had been named the
" Sundays River Ostrich Farming Company, Ltd.,"

the shares would have rapidly been at a premium.
But agriculture and irrigation were at a discount
in those days, and this magnificent tract of country
was allowed to pass into the hands of the bond-
holders— the Guardian Company of Port Elizabeth.
Mr. Kirkvvood never quite recovered from the
disappointment : he became insolvent, and shortly
afterwards passed away. To this day his friends
aver that he literally died of a broken heart.

The Guardian Company managed the estate
for several years, and as time passed by it grew
more and more prosperous. The dams constructed
from time to time in the river bed, however, were
never satisfactory, and they were frequently washed
away. Disputes over water rights were of frequent
occurrence, but, on the whole, the farmers there
did well, and still do well.

About three years ago the Guardian Company
disposed of their rights to the Strath-Somers Estate
Company for, we believe, _^"25,ooo. The late Dr.
Macdonald was the first chairman of this Com-
pany, and at his death Mr. J. Whyte was elected
in his place, Mr. Cruickshanks being secretary.
Although at the time of going to press transfer had
not been made to the new Company, they took
over control of the estate immediately after the
purchase negociations were concluded, and under
their regime considerable improvement in the
irrigation works have been made, and the holders
have now a sufficiency of water, which they never
had before. These improvements have been so
extensive that the value of the land has been
doubled during the past three years.

There is one drawback to this fiourishing
settlement, and that is the difficulty of access from
and to the railway. We understand that this will
be remedied when the present owners obtain
transfer of the property, as it is anticipated they
will construct a light railway to the main line, and
a bridge over the Sundays River.

The village of Bayville is a thriving one, and it
undoubtedly has a future before it. Many are of
the opinion that this part of the district will in the
distant future be separated from Uitenhage and
become a unit by itself. The population is steadily
growing, and the farmers are a thrifty, hard-work-
ing community. The shows that are held in
Bayville at regular intervals are always charac-
terised by that success which is achieved by
strenuous labour only, and, in short, the future
history of Bayville and of the Sundays River
N'alley, when it comes to be written, will be a
rccortl of indomitable perseverance on the part of
the people and of steady e.\pansion.

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

175

By the generosity of the Rev. Arthur S. W
Moore, late curate of St. Katharine's, L'itenhage, a
sum amounting to _^i,ooo has been placed at the
disposal of the Anglicans there for the erection of
a church to be named " All Saints." There have
already been several ve.xatious delays in connection
with the building of it, but it has been com-
menced, and will be completed about the
end of April, 1906, and when the edifice is
erected it will prove a great blessing to the inhabi-
tants. Services are held there once a month at
present.

We cannot conclude this history of the Sundays
River Valley without briefly referring to the fact
that chiefly through the instrumentality of the late
Dr. Macdonald, one of the most prominent farmers
there, a movement was recently started to alter the
somewhat clumsy name of " Sundays River Valley"
to the more euphonious one of Strath Somers — a
graceful tribute to the memory of one who did so
much for this beautiful portion of our district —
James Somers Kirkwood, to wit.

As showing the enormous quantities
The Wool of wool washed in Uitenhage in 1885,
Trade in the following table will be interest-
1885 ing :— March 5,448 bales, April 8,226

bales. May 10,955 bales, June 15,146
bales. The total weight of this was 6,342 tons, 7
cwt., 21 lbs., and produced a revenue to the rail-
way of ^6,774 6s. lod. for these four months.

l'itenhage, twenty years ago, was in
Twenty the throes of an agitation to retain the
Years Workshops here, and a Vigilance Corn-
Ago, niittee was formed for the purpose of

watching the interests of the town in
that direction. The existence of the Committee
was recognised by the Town Council, and both
bodies worked loyally together i>ith the one
common object of doing all in their power to
prevent the removal of the Loco. Shops. As
showing the importance of these shops to the
town, the following details, compiled by the
Vigilance Committee for the editication of Colonel
Sjhermbrucker, the then Commissioner, will be
interesting : —

The number of workmen and apprentices
employed in the locomotive and carriage depart-
ments was 280 ; including officers and clerks the
number was over 300, apportioned as follows :
Locomotive 200, carriage 100. The average
monthly wages of the two departments was _^2,ooo.
The total number of men, women, and children

connected with the Railway Workshops was over
700 viz., men 300, women 140, children 260.

The estimated cost of the workshop building
and machinery was ,^240,000, the consumption of
coal 1,500 tons per annum.

The number of houses built by the Government
for employees was 22, the ratable value being
^9,600. The number of houses built by employees
was 19, rated at ;^8,5oo. The ratable value of
property built in consequence of the existence of
the Workshops was ^11,000. The area of ground
covered by the works was about 26 acres. This
was granted by the Municipality, and its estimated
value was _^2,ooo. The value of the land given
by the Municipality to the Railway Company was
;^7,ooo. The value of land sold to build the Town
Hall was about _^7,6oo, the whole of which ground
was cultivated.

The amount borrowed to improve the water
service in consequence of increased population
was ;^i2,5oo. The value of immovable property
in Uitenhage in 1874 (previous to the erection of
the Workshops) was ^172,653, and in 1885 it had
risen to _:^'324,o4i — exclusive of workshops,
churches, schools, etc.

The number of houses — exclusive of shops and
stores — was 306 in 1874 ; in 1885 it was 625.

The number of coloured people, i.e., washer-
women, domestic servants, etc., depending on the
railway employees was estimated at 200.

The estimated amount expended by the Cor-
jioration between 1878 and 1885 to improve the
town was ;^30,ooo, apportioned as follows : Water
service ^12,500 ; streets, planting, etc., ;^io,ooo ;
Town Hall ^7,500.

The amount of direct income to the Corpora-
tion from the Workshops was ^625, and the
indirect revenue from the same source consisted
of rates and water rates from ^'12,000 worth of
of property.

So far as could be obtained, the religious
census of the people connected with the Work-
shops was : —

Church of England 130

Roman Catholic 100

Wesleyan ... •■• ••■ ... 60

United Church 50

Dutch Reformed 15

Independent (native) .-• ••■ 10

Salvation Army ... ••• ••• 10

Plymouth Brethren 21

The number of children connected with the
Shops attending school was estimated at 100, the
number having materially diminished in conse-

176

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

quence of the rumoured removal. The reduction
or removal of the Workshops would seriously
affect the revenues of the Church of England.
Roman Catholic, Wesleyan, and the United (Con-
gregational and Presbyterian) Churches, while the
reduction or removal of the carriage department
would involve the Roman Catholic School in an
annual loss of over £t)0, and would necessitate the
closing of the Marist Brothers' College, which had
been established at a cost of over _^"2,5oo.

Various lodges, i.e.. Masonic, Oddfellows,
Foresters, Good Templars, etc., had been estab-
lished, and valuable property erected, all of which
would be seriously crippled by the removal.

Colonel Schermbrucker was surprised when all
these details were shown to him and when he saw
for himself how greatly the prosperity of Uitenhage
dejiended upon the Workshops, and, as everybody
knows, they were not removed.

This picturesque dam was constructed
Willow by Inspector Fairbanks many years ago.
Dam Prior to this the site of the dam was a

level green sward, a favourite place for
picnics in dry weather, but in wet seasons it
formed the outlet for surplus water. In those days
the main road ran several yards lower down.
Mr. F"airbanks constructed the present road, and
to avoid the steep dip he carried an embankment
across the declivity, thus damming up the outlet.
Willows were then planted on the embankment,
and the sight of their bright, drooping verdure
waving over the clear sparkling water has cheered
many a weary traveller across the arid country
between Graaff-Reinet and Uitenhage. It was
almost the first glimpse of the cool, limpid element
he got after leaving the Gem, and was a sort of
earnest of the beautiful and well watered town he
was just about to enter. So clear and beautiful
was the vi'ater that not only travellers from the
desert but residents of and visitors to Uitenhage
used to lave and swim in it. Many a team of
horses and cattle have refreshed themselves at its
margin, and it was the spot made for by outgoing
and incoming wagons. "Some years ago," says
the UiteiiJuigc Times, " when the public mind was
occupied with the storage of water, an engineer
was sent to take the levels and otherwise test the
capability of that spot. It was found that by
raising the embankment a few feet higher the
water might be thrown back so as to form a lake
several miles in extent, and that from this level
might be irrigated, at a trifling cost, all the lower
lands of the town."

But nothing came of it, and Willow Dam
remains to-day one of the most beautiful spots in
Uitenhage.

The Uitenhage Vineyard Company
Uitenhage was started about the j-ear 1886 by
Vineyard Messrs. T. W. Gubb, of Uitenhage.
Company, and W. Hume, of Port Elizabeth,

for the purpose of testing the soil and
climate of Uitenhage for the growth of grapes and
the [iroduction of light wines. They commenced
on some plots of grounds situated on the north-
eastern slopes of Cannon Hill, and planted a large
number of vines. Being satisfied with results in
the early stages of the undertaking, and desiring to
e.xtend its operations, they induced some gentle-
men in Port Elizabeth to join them, and a small
private company was formed, which bought up the
adjoining plots of ground extending to the Graaff-
Reinet Road, making altogether about 100 acres of
excellent land. Here for three or four years the
preparation of the ground and planting of vines
was proceeded with. The first wine was made
about 1890, and consisted chietly of " Stein," a wine
of hock character, and also some claret made
from grapes from vines which originally come from
the celebrated " Chateau Lafiti" vineyard. Some
good brandy was also distilled. These wines
turned out to be of excellent quality. About the
year 1895 one of the gentlemen who had taken
the greatest interest in the management of the
concern having left the country, the others decided
to sell the property to Messrs. Smith Bros., the
well-known fruit growers and nurserymen of
Uitenhage. These gentlemen abandoned the
making of wine and gradually transformed the
place into a fruit-growing and horticultural farm,
rooting out the great bulk of the vines. Their
success has been great, and the vineyard is now
one of the show places of Uitenhage. It seems a
pity, however, that the production of wine was
given up, as we have been assured by e.xperts that
the wines made were of unique character, and
would probably have created a large demand. At
the time of the abandonment of the scheme the
number of vines exceeded 100,000.

In 1888 the Native School was removed
The from the premises at the corner of Market

Post and Caledon Streets, and that building
Office was converted into a neat edifice for the

postal and telegraphic services. The new
native school in Rose Lane was completed in 1889
and occupied for the first time on the ist of March
in thai year. It was built by the Council, who

UITENHAGE PAST AXD PRESEXT.

177

were desirous of obtaining possession of the
building above mentioned, and converting it to
greater use than a school. This old school room
was used as a post office until the present Public
Buildings were erected in 1898.

Several mining and other com-
Local panics have been at various times

Mining started in Uitenhage, but none of

Companies, them proved so successful as that

which is now known to investors
in South African shares throughout the world as

Glynn's Lydenburg.
This is a gold mine situate near Lydenburg, in the
Transvaal. The late Mr. James Xiven, who in his
life time was a well known and highly respected
townsman, happened in 1889 to discover, more or
less accidentally, splendid auriferous prospects on
the farm owned by a man named Glynn, and,
having obtained the requisite mining rights from
this individual, he returned to Uitenhage and
transferred them to a local syndicate, of which Mr.
W. H. Dolley was chairman and Dr. A. B. Vanes
secretary and treasurer. The first meetings were
held in the conservatoiy attached to the doctor's
residence in Caledon Street, and the company was
floated with a capital of ;^5,ooo, divided into 200
shares of ;^25 each. It w'as then known as Xiven's
Syndicate. Port Elizabeth was invited to join, and
some of the Bay people did so, but at that time
they were in what may be called the throes of the
Johannesburg mania, and those who took shares
in the syndicate did not find them sufficiently
gaudy to suit their tastes, and they attempted to
wreck the whole venture by selling out at a critical
period. The concern was substantial enough, but
it was not sufficiently gaudy. The local members
of the syndicate, however, invested heavily in the
shares thus discarded, and to day the Company
has a nominal capital of ;^i67,ooo, its value
being estimated at about ^350,000. This year a
dividend of 25 per cent, on the former amount was
declared.

A Pkominext Uitenh.ager.

Mr. Xiven died suddenly in 1894, and was at
the time of his death one of the oldest and most
prominent residents of Uitenhage. He came here
in the early sixties, and having secured a wool-
washing site on the river he conducted a series of
experiments in woolwashing machinery, which
culmmated in 1865 in his patenting a process
w-hich was soon adopted by people starting the
industry at a distance. For years he carried on

woolwashing at the drift which bears his name,
and eventually selling out he became Managing
Director of the Despatch Woolwashing Co. The
hardships he endured w-hile prospecting at the
mine which afterwards turned out so successfully
brought on an ailment to which he succumbed in
1894 ; but when the enterprise W'as ripe he pro-
ceeded to England and purchased all the
machinery for the working of the mine. He
served the community for many years as a
Divisional Councillor and Municipal Commis-
sioner.

The M-alm.a\i Quicksilver Syndicate.

This Company was also started in Uitenhage
by Messrs. Mills and Mohr and Drs. Cuffe and
Vanes, and its object W'as to work some quick-
silver mines near Zeerust, the rights of which had
been obtained by the syndicate above mentioned.
Xegotiations were opened w-ith an English com-
pany, and an expert named Ogden was sent out
from London. This company was on the point
of taking the mine over for a sum approaching
half a million (;^20 shares were finding a market
at X300) when something went wrong and the
entire project collapsed.

The Maitl.and Mines.

Reference will be found to the Maitland
Mines on page 121, but since that article was
written we have become possessed of supplemen-
tary details of this mining venture, which may well
be inserted here.

After two unsuccessful attempts in Port Eliza-
beth, the Maitland Mines were floated in Kimberley
in 1890 with a capital of ;^25,ooo, Mr. Grove being
the managing director. The Kimberley directors
were Messrs. Rubinow (chairman), J. J. Michau,
C. A. Blackbeard, D. Skirviug, and W. Haddock
(secretary). Sir Charles Metcalfe had already
visited the property, and had spoken very highly
of its prospects. There was certainly ground for
hope, as an assay of 6h lbs. of dressed ore had
shown 24 oz. 2 dwts. silver and 54 per cent, of
metallic lead, to which 10 per cent, could be added
for unsaved metal. The purchase price of the
farm (Buftelsfontein) was ^6,500, on which there
was a mortgage of ^4,000, which could be trans-
fered to the shareholders and allowed to remain
on the farm. The property, worth double the
money, was purchased on these terms in January,
1890, and the office of managing director having
been abolished, Mr. Cadwell was appointed
manager. The mines were formally opened on

178

UITENHAGE PAST A\D PKESEXT.

the 27th of September, i8yo, Mrs. Seaman,
proprietress of the farm, naming the five-stamp
battery " Violet."

The machinery consisted of a i6-horse-po\ver
engine, a 20-horse-po\ver boiler, two patent
griggers, two ore dressers, a centrifugal pump,
four tanks and strip cleaners. The crushing power
was 15 tons per diem.

But, alas ! " the best laid schemes of mice and
men gang aft a-gley," and despite its splendid
prospects the Maitland Mine failed to realise the
anticipations of those who expected so much from
it. Whether it was properly conducted is an open
question, but it is very unlikely that the property
will remain idle much longer. It is to be hoped
that the next syndicate will manage it better, for
the minerals are undoubtedly there. It is said by
some of the older inhabitants that for some reason
the original owners of the farm erected buildings
over the main lode, and perhaps the hint would be
worth taking. Speaking in 1890, Sir Charles
Metcalfe said : " If silver — lead can be smelted on
the mines to pay, there is an unlimited supply of
iron and lime for flux, and if iron is found in
abundance, does it not occur to one that Uitenhage
is destined to become a great mining centre ?
Already the Government has workshops there,
but the iron is brought from Home. It is pre-
mature to predict a great future for that place, but
if the Maitland Mine prove as rich in iron as it is
in galena, and if Balmoral or any other estate
carries a good seam of coal, I believe Uitenhage
and Port Elizabeth will have every reason to
support their local industries and make important
mining centres of what are now towns requiring a
little more sinew. I hope the residents down
there will ponder over their chances and take a
good look round both for coal and for petroleum.
It would be impossible to say how deep the galena
lode extends, or how far it carries along in length,
but from what we saw we certainly believe there
is an immense body of stuff only waiting to be
mined. I think I am right when 1 say that a
Uitenhage sub-editor was the genius who first
praised the long-deserted mines, and that after
losing at Springfield over gold prospecting. It is
admitted by most men that the galena will pay
handsomely, but I believe that gold in paying
quantities is out of the question."

About this time Mr. Hancock brought into
town several specimens of galena from Pahnict
River, which, on being assayed, were found to
contain a considerable percentage of silver, namely,
from twenty to thirty ounces per ton. But the main

lode could not be discovered, and the lumps were
only found scattered sparsely about the veld. The
formation of the country is slate and sandstone,
with quartz scattered through it, and these reefs
strongly resemble the auriferous quartz reefs of
Australia, and are what are called " Hoat reefs."

There can be no doubt whatever that there are
large quantities of galena (lead and silver ore) in
the Uitenhage district, and as the price is steadily
mounting up, and is now half as much again as it
was fifteen years ago, its discovery in workable
quantities will have a very great efiect upon the
fortunes of the district

Othei^ SvNuic.vrES.

Several other comjianies have been started here,
and some met with varying success. The Eastern
Province Railway Company, Ltd., did well for a
time, but the venture was eventually absorbed by
the Government. With the Silk and Cotton
Syndicates we have already dealt in a pre-
vious portion of this book. The only com-
pany of any pretensions floated here in recent
years was the Cordes Anti-Friction Co.,
Ltd. This was to exploit an invention which
would save a coal expenditure of 85 per cent, in
steamships by the application of ball bearings to
the propellor. But although considerable sums
were invested in it locally, the company died a
natural death, and those who had placed their
money in the concern found themselves poorer
but wiser men before many months had elapsed.

Uitenhage is one of the chief educa-
The Dolley tional centres in Cape Colony. It
Memorial has laid claim to this title for many
School. years past, and there are now no

fewer than si.x large ;uid flourishing
schools in the town, with an unusual number of
private establishments as well. The Dolley
Memorial, as a scholastic institution, has more than
realised the expectations of those who were
responsible for its foundation, and although it has
only been in existence since 1890, its establish-
ment has proved a veritable blessing to many
hundreds of children who could not otherwise
have enjoyed the advantage of a thorough ground-
ing in the rudiments of knowledge.

The need of such a school had long been felt
by the poorer section of the community, and in a
town like Uitenhage, where so many of the
inhabitants are of the working class, that section is
by no means an inconsiderable one. In i88y,
however, the late Mr. John Dolley and Dr. X'anes

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

179

took a kind of educational census of the town and
found that there were over a hundred children of
a school going age who were receiving no educa
tion at all, owing to their parents being unable to
afford more than a few pence per week for this
purpose. As these children could not therefore
attend any of the existing institutions, the idea of
establishing a school for the education of boys and
girls thus unfortunately circumstanced was origin-
ated, and it proved to be the pioneer of its class
in Cape Colony.

It was to be a branch of the Public School, and,
contrary to the general rule in Uitenhage, children
of both sexes were to be admitted But against
its successful working was the total absence of
funds, and this proved to be the initial difficulty
with which the founders had to contend.

Once the idea had been started, however, it
was taken up energetically by a number of those who
were interested in education, and applications for
grants were made to the Town and Divisional
Councils. These bodies readily agreed to contri-
bute _^70 per annum between them, and when the
Government undertook to supplement the sum
thus obtained the difficulty was overcome.

The School Opened.

A Committee of Management was then elected,
and consisted of the Mayor (Mr. J. Magennis), Dr.
A. B. Vanes, the Rev. D. J. Pienaar, Mr. E.
Dobson (ex-Mayor), Mr. H. W. Inggs (ex-Mayor),
Messrs. J. F. DoUey, T. Nicholson, and A. Fowler.

By the efforts of these gentlemen a teacher
(Mr. Cyril G. Miller) was appointed, and the school
was opened. on Monday, 20th January, 1890, in a
room at the corner of Bishop and Caledon Streets,
where twentj'-five years previously had been
established the propiietary school. This room is
now part of the Crown Hotel, and is used as a
store for barrels and bottles. On the opening day
there were present forty-three children — 18 girls
and 25 boys. The circumstances of each of these
children were carefully inquired into by the
Committee, and they were only admitted as
scholars after it was shown that they were suitable.
At first the fee for each child was twopence per
week, but after a time it was found that the school
could not be run financially on these terms, and the
fee was slightly increased. Manv free scholars,
however, were admitted.

Steady Progkess.

The number of scholars steadily increased
during the succeeding six months, and at the
breaking up for the winter vacation there were

sixty-nine on the books — 25 girls and 44 boys.
Three months later — in September — the work
became too much for one teacher, and Miss Edith
Gray was appointed assistant. At the end of the
first year the number of pupils had increased by
nearly 120 per cent., for there were then 92 on the
registers — 33 girls and 59 boys.

Beiter AccoMMOD.^riox Secured.

It now became plainly evident to the Com-
mittee that better accommodation was needed for
the successful carrying out of the school, and
every effort was made to obtain a room both
larger and more adapted to the requirements, but
these efforts were unsuccessful for some time.
In the meantime the number of scholars continued
to increase, and something had to be done to meet
the demand for space, as the little room in which
the school was built was becoming too overcrowded
altogether.

At last, in September, 1891 (fifteen months
after the opening of the school) the Committee
hired a room in Cuyler Street, which had once
been used as a Rink. The numbers had now
swelled to 103 — 43 girls and 60 boys. The change
of room, however, was an unfortunate one in some
respects, for the roof was of galvanised iron, and
the heat transmitted through it in the summer was
almost intolerable, and caused the greatest discom-
fort to teachers and pupils alike.

At the commencement of this quarter Miss
Gray resigned, and was succeeded by Miss D.
Basson, who in turn was succeeded by
Miss Wide. It was found to be impos-
sible to cany on the work of the school in the
Rink, owing to the great heat, and the Committee
decided to move it to a building at the back of the
Rink which fortunately possessed a ceiling. This,
however, was the only advantage over the Rink it
possessed. It was thoroughly cleaned and put in
passable repair, but it was not free from serious
disadvantages, one of which was a cement floor,
which rendered the place cold and unhealthy in
winter.

The New Building.

During the latter months of 1891 and the com-
mencement of 1892 unceasing efforts had been
made by the Committee to induce the Education
Department to provide a suitable school room, and
towards the end of 1892 a sum of ;^500 was
obtained, ;^25o of which was a grant from Govern-
ment, and the other half a loan, guaranteed by the
Divisional Council.

i8o

UITEXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

When this sum of money was obtained another
diflicnltj' presented itself — the want of a building
site on which to erect a new room. Mr. John
Dolley, sen., who was Mayor when the idea of
establishing such a school was lirst mooted, had
died suddenly, and the institution was named after
him. No convenient site for the proposed building
being available, Messrs. W. H. and J. F. Dolley
offered the committee the plot of ground upon
which the present building stands, and this was
accepted. With funds and site in hand, tenders
were called for, and that of Mr. Gillespie,
contractor of this town, for ^740, was accepted.
Building commenced in April, and the opening
ceremony took place a few months later in 1892.
The dimensions are : Length 74 feet, breadth 30
feet, with two class rooms each 14 feet by 12 feet.

The Divisional Council, as we have said, had
generously given a grant in aid of the institution at
the time of its foundation. Some j-ears later the
legality of this action was questioned, and the
further payment of the money stopped. The
matter came up in Parliament in 1894, when Dr.
Vanes brought in a Bill to legalise such expendi-
ture by Divisional Councils. The Bill was lost
by two votes only, the whole of the Bond voting
against it, and one or two Progressives. Mr.
Rhodes, however, was Premier at the time, and on
the defeat of the Bill he gave its promoter a gentle
hint to tell the Divisional Council of Uiteuhage to
pay out the grant as before. " If there is any
more bother about it," he added with characteristic
impetuosity, " I'll refund the amount out of my
own pocket. But you will find everything will be
all right." And so it proved. Later on (in 1894)
a house was erected for the principal next to the
school. The success of the establishment is
undoubtedly due to the indefatigable efforts of the
headmaster, Mr. Cyril G. Miller, who has tilled
that position since the school was started.

For a considerable period there was
Kleinpoort. a large portion of the Uitenhage

district situated equidistant from the
then existent courts of justice, and the farmers
living in this belt suffered much inconvenience by
the length of time it took to reach either of these
courts. The more remote portions of the district
liad the privilege of coming under the jurisdiction
of the periodical court at Steytlerville, then in the
Willowmore district, but there were still consider-
able numbers who had to travel to Uitenhage, and,
so far as justice was concerned, these residents
were very disadvanlageously situated. Ti)e estab-

lishment of a periodical court in some central part
was therefore considered to be a boon worth
agitating for, and a petition was sent to
the Colonial Secretary in the early part of 1890
recommending Kleinpoort as a suitable locality.
Mr. Stewart, C.C. & R.M. of Uitenhage, strongly
supported it, and the result was that in
the year 1890 Mr. Stewart took his seat for
the first time on the bench in the Kleinpoort Court
House. The building was originally the school
room on Mr. John Grewar's farm, and that
gentleman also erected a lock-up close by, placing
it at the disposal of the Government, together with
premises for the gaoler's and constable's quarters,
and also a room for Mr. R. \V. Mohr, the issuer of
process.

On the day of the opening the proceedings com-
menced by the Magistrate reading the proclamation
establishing the court and administering the oaths
to Mr. Mohr as Issuer of Process, and Mr.
Atkinson as gaoler.

Mr. Mohr then read an address from the
residents of Klein and Groot Winterhoek wel-
coming the Magistrate most cordially, and asking
him to recommend Government to appoint a
Special Justice of the Peace in order that punish-
ment might the more speedily follow the commis-
sion of offences. This, by the way, has not yet
been done, but the court is held every second
Thursday. The first prisoner tried was one
Tollman Witteboy, who was fined £1 or a month's
hard labour for failing to enter the service of
Nicholaas Els, of Brandsleisure. The Uitenhage
Times, describing the opening ceremony, stated
that " the prisoner seemed quite elated with the
honour of being the first to be tried and convicted
in the new court 1"

Uitenhage is what might be termed
Clenconnor the mother town of three distinct
Railway classes of schools in Cape Colony —

School. those to which the Dolley Memorial,

the Glenconnor Railway School,
and the Uitenhage Industrial School belong.
All these were experiments, ■ and when
once they had succeeded similar establish-
ments were started in other parts of the country.
We have already seen how the Dolley Memorial
came into existence, and may now trace as briefly
as possible the circumstances which led to the
founding of the school mentioned at the head of
this article.

As Railway Medical Oflicer, Dr. A. H. Vanes,
who had aUv.iys taken a keen interest in education.

UITEXHAGE PAST AXD PRESEXT.

i8i

frequently came in contact with people — gangers,
and so forth — living at various points up the line.
Many of these had children who were receiving
practically no education at all, and who could not
be sent to school in Uitenhage, not so much
because of the fees, but because of the expense of
boarding. Accordingly he joined forces with Mr.
Inspector Edwards and Mr. Pierce (Station-master of
Glenconnor), and these three gentlemen succeeded
not only in establishing a little school at Glen-
connor, but in inducing the Railway Department
to allow children living on or near the line to
proceed thither and return by train once a day
free of charge. The Education Department was
never in sympathy with the movement, and placed
every possible obstacle in the way. At last,
however, a grant of £^o per annum was forth-
coming, but it was hedged round with such a
multiplicity of regulations, and the bands of
red tape were drawn so tightly round the little
school, that progress was only maintained under
the most disheartening conditions. These regula-
tions had to be circumvented, and in order to
render the venture in any way practicable the
teacher (Miss Rumsey) had to sign an agreement
accepting the whole of the grant and of the fees on
the one hand wherewith to meet the expenses and
to pay her own salary, and, on the other hand, to
free the committee from all liability. The school
was opened in 1893 and closed down in 1894.
After that, however, it was re-opened, and farmers'
children were allowed the same privileges as those
of railway people. The subsequent progress of
the school proved that it was filling a real want,
and the result is that there are institutions of a
similar nature wherever they are found to be
requisite in Cape Colony. And thus Uitenhage's
second attempt at pioneer work was attended by
success and that sincerest form of (lattery,
imitation. There are between 20 and 30 scholars
now in attendance, and the fees are in proportion
to the means of the parents.

For many years Uitenhage had felt
The Public the great need of convenient public
Buildings offices, for the existing buildings

were cramped and by no means
commodious. The post office was in the building
at the corner of Caledon and Market Streets, now
occupied by Messrs. Heeley & Co., while justice
was dispensed, and the public service carried on,
in the old court house next the prison, which was in
a very dilapidated and unsafe condition. At length
the agitation to have proper .jffices erected was

successful, and the present magnificent pile was
erected in 1897. The ground was a barren, tree-
less plot, covered with small shanties, and having
been purchased by Government, the contract
for building was placed in the hands of Mr.
Gillespie. The opening took place with great
eclat in January, 1898, the ceremony being per-
formed by Sir Gordon Sprigg, the then premier.

The buildings are exceptionally handsome, and
will bear comparison with any of the same kind in
the Colonv. We reproduce a photograph of them.

The square, massive clock tower, one hundred
feet high, was named the Victoria Tower, and it
is a prominent landmark. Built of brick, and
tastefully relieved by cement coping, the buildings
are an ornament to the town and source of pride
to the inhabitants. The Post Office is situated
at the corner facing Church and Caledon
Streets, and the box lobby is large and
spacious. The sorting and telegraph rooms are at
the back, and are fitted with the latest contrivances.
The entrance to the Court-house is from Church
Street, and the hall where justice is dispensed is
one of the finest in Cape Colony. Indeed, it
greatly excels the Eastern Districts Court House,
and even the Supreme Court, in appearance. The
lofty white pillared walls, and the handsome bench
with the Royal arms suspended over the teak
canopy, together with the furnishings of the hall,
combine to make it one of the handsomest build-
ings of its kind.

CITEXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

The Magistrate's offices down stairs are equally
well fitted up, and are models of what they should
be.

Up-stairs are a number of apartments, including
an A.R.M. Court, which are now occupied by the
staff of the Cape Police, and which were formerly
devoted to the military. The Record Room is
also situated here, and through it one passes to the
tower, where may be seen the archives of the
town and district, and the clock itself. From the
windows here a magnificent view may be obtained,
and the building is well worth a visit.

The clock (which has four faces), bells, &c.,
were provided by the Town Council at a cost of
over ;^5oo, and the winding and attention gener-
ally required by this clock, as well as that of the
Dutch Reformed Church, is also defrayed by the
'Council, and amounts to £2!\ per annum

Following up the brief history of
Port Elizabeth Bethelsdorp, mention must be
Saltpan made of the important industry

Company. of that village, and that is the

well known Bethelsdorp Saltpan,
which is close to Zwartkops River. The saltpan,
at the time when the London Missionary Society
was established at the village, which was their
distributing station, was a source of revenue to the
Mission and inhabitants of the village. It was then
worked in the most primitive manner, the natives
simply gathering salt from the banks of the great
lake as the water evaporated. The lake is tw'o miles
long and a mile wide, and is capable of yielding an
unlimited supply of salt. The process of winning
the salt is very interesting, and during the summer
months the pan is like a great ice lake covered
with the whitest snow ; the sight is magnificent and
well worth seeing.

With the advance of civilization the Mission
Station moved northward, and with its departure
the village of Bethelsdorp gradually assumed its
original wild and uncultivated state. The grand
houses, church, and w'orkshops were allowed to
decay, and w-ere replaced by the merest hovels ; the
Hottentots lived on what they could get from the
once cultivated lands, and the sale of the salt
gathered from the pan.

It was only some years after this that the salt-
pan w-as leased by a Company, who considerably
improved the salt industry, and foinid employment
for the natives.' But, unfortunately, after spending a
considerable sum of money, and in a few years
creating a big industry in salt, their lease lapsed,
and the Hottentots, being misled by some of their

"lay lawyers," thought they woull make more
money for themselves, and refused to renew the
agreement with the old Company. Consequently,
after a few years, the Hottentots saw the folly of
their action ; they allowed the pan to become
flooded, and the cleaned area and workable
beddings soon became mud banks, and the output
instead of being 40,000 bags a year fell to about
• 4,000 bags a year. However, a new start was
made a year or two ago, and the whole pan taken
over by the Port Elizabeth Salt Pan Company
(for whom Messrs. W. R. Jecks & Co. are
agents), who have spent, and will continue to
spend, a considerable sum of money to bring the
celebrated saltpan back to its former productive
condition. So far, results have proved very satis-
factory, and the samples of salt produced are the
purest and whitest in Africa. Up-to-date machinery
will soon be erected at the pan, and the finest table
salt will be produced thereby. There is absolutely
no reason why South .Africa should import foreign
table salt when such excellent and pure salt is at
their very door.

.Another noted saltpan of this district
Zwartkops is that situated on the high ground
Saltpan about two miles to the east of

Company. Zwartkops River, and known as the
Grootpan. This saltpan is specially
rel'en ed to on page 25, where we give an e.xtract
from Mr. John Centlivres Chase's book on the
subject, written in 1843. It was then the property
of the Dutch Reformed Church, and was farmed
out at an annual rental of £200. It subsequently
came into the possession of the late Mr. Hitzeroth,
but when, we are unable to say. The pan had
never been systematically worked, and therefore
its capabilities had not been full}' realised up to
the time of Mr. Hitzeroth's death. Soon after the
decease of the owner the property w"is put up
to auction (in 1888), and declared not sold on a bid
of X 10,000. It was subsequently sold privately to
Mr. T. W. Gubb for ;^io,5oo, when a limited
liability companv was formed under the style of the
Zwartkops Saltpan Company. That Company very
quickly put such energy into the affair, and worked
the pan so successfully, that the shares rajiidly
increased in value, and excellent dividends were
paid. Messrs. Hirsch, Loubser & Co., of Port
l"21izabelh, are the agents for this Company.

I'pon acquiring possession the company obtained
the best scientific advice available for the working
of the deposit, and .the result is the present
admirable system. The shape of the pan is an
almost perfect oval, about 1,500 yards long and

UITEXHAGE PAST AXD PRESENT.

183

1,000 y;ircls wide. At its deepest it is about two
feet when full and after heavj- rains. The sources
of supply are heavily charged sahne springs, and
these by their continued action have covered the
whole bed of the pan with a thick incrustation of
salt some two inches thick, and firm enough to
bear the workmen and the carts used for trans-
porting the salt. The system of working is
extremely simple. When full of water to its
utmost edge the jian is of course unworkable, but
immediately evaporation commences and the water
recedes working can be begun. The water as it
evaporates deposits upon the permanent salt floor
of the pan the precious mineral. The extent of
this deposit may be estimated when we say that
the density of the brine is 23 lbs. of salt to the
cubic foot, and we may incidentally remark that it
is estimated, taking the average depth of brine
over the surface of the pan at six inches, it would
yield 600,000 bags, or 60,000 tons of pure salt. To
continue our expLmation : as the water evaporates
the salt deposited on the floor is scraped off with
iron straight-handled spades ; it is then washed by
being worked backwards and forwards in the
shallow brine with solid wooden rakes, and then
raked beyond the edge of the brine and piled into
mounds some 4 to 5 feet high. In this position
the salt rapidly dries, and in course of a few hours
it is loaded on to wooden handcarts and wheeled
into the drying sheds on the margin of the pan.
On entering the shed the foreman samples the
load and declares whether it shall be considered
as of lirst. second, or third quality ; the load is then

put in its proper position according to quality, and
in the sheds the salt rapidly loses all moisture,
being ready for bagging in the course of three to
four days. The grain of salt varies from coarse to
extra fine, undergoes no crushing, but is simply
sifted if required for table use or salting of butter,,
and thus the original crystal is retained. The
chief grades for the market are course, medium,,
and fine, which are distinguishable by the letters
C.B.A (extra coarse for cattle feeding), C.C., or
extra fine A. A. The salt is brought into the market
in bags containing 200 lbs. net weight of salt, and
every bag is marked with the Company's specially
registered trade mark. This is really the whole
process of the pan ; the work which is carried out
in the salt mines of other countries at enormous
expense is here performed entirely by natural
processes. There is required no artificial evapora-
tion, no expensive machinery for the purpose of
refining : the whole work is done by Nature. The
supply, as we have before said, is practically
inexhaustible, and when in full working order the
pan can put out something approaching 300 tons
of salt a day. The ease of collection will be under-
stood when we say that one gang of workmen,
generally consisting of four, can in one hour collect
as much salt as they can ride during the remainder
of the day. If the work is not interrupted by
stress of weather, the sheds are heaped up to the
roof, as we saw them during a recent visit. Of
these there are twelve large sheds, capable of
storing about 220,000 to 250,000 bags, or 22,000 to
25,000 tons of salt.

Part X. — The Decade, iSg^-igoj.

From the earliest times Uitenhage
The Uitenhage has been a centre where music
Musical has found favour in the eyes of

Society. the inhabitants, but much greater

interest was taken in it in past
years than is now the case. There are many still
amongst us, however, who can remember the
•days when the Uitenhage Choral Society flourished,
waned, died, and was subsequently succeeded in
the nineties by the Uitenhage Musical Society — an
institution which, alas, has gone the way of its
predecessor.

The leading spirit in musical circles was the
late Mr. H. \V. Bidwell, and he it was who trained
the first chorus that ever sung in Uitenhage. This
was as long ago as in the early part of 1865. From
this time may be dated the commencement of the
rise and progress of music in Uitenhage. In the
early part of 1865 a terrible storm had swept across
Table Bay. which was not then protected by a
breakwater, causing shipwreck, poverty, and suffer-
ing. The Rev. A. I. Steytler, then minister of the
D. R. Church here, and now the head of that body
in South Africa, called upon Mr. Bidwell with
another clergyman and asked him to get up a
concert in aid of a fund for the relief of the widows
and orphans of the men who had been drowned.
He consented, and several ladies and gentlemen
placed their voices at his disposal. They met for
practice in the London and South African Bank,
now the residence of Mr. James Lane, at the
corner of Caledon and John Streets. They had
very little time, and therefore their efforts were
very modest. They consisted of such simple
•choruses as " See our Oars with Feathered Spray,"
" Glorious Apollo," and so forth. Mr. Bidwell
always used to enjoy relating a little anecdote at
the expense of the Rev. Mr. Steytler who, it
appeared, had some scruples about singing
'■ Glorious Apollo," because it was a hymn in praise
of a heathen deity ! But they managed to over-
come those scruples in the end, and they had the
benelit of his magnilicent bass voice. Humble as
the effort was, and small as the pojuilation of

Uitenhage was, comparatively speaking, the public
crowded to the Court House, and the result was
that after all expenses had been paid a very
handsome sum was contributed to the relief fund.

From this modest beginning they developed
into a really good Choral Society, and
in 1869 they were working at such music as
Handel's " Messiah," and " Judas Macabaeus,"
Mendelssohn's " Hymn of Praise," " Hear my
Prayer," and " Athalie," Haydn's " Creation." and
the glorious Masses of Mozart. The Society
became a great educating power. It awoke a
latent talent for good music, and in the course of
time brought forward some really excellent voices.
The Society had a most successful career, but
suffered from the usual vicissitudes entailed by
various of its members leaving the town, or being
removed by death. Afterwards it ceased to exist,
but it sprang up again later on under the name of
the Uitenhage Musical Society. Mr. Bidwell was
elected permanent president and Mr. M. M.
Steytler, brother of the first president, was the
conductor. In 1S94 Mozart's Twelfth Mass was
performed, « ith full orchestral accompaniment,
and during the existence of the Society many other
famous works by the greater composers were
rendered.

Many causes, however, contributed to the
dissolution of the Society, chief amongst them
being the demise of its leading spirit, Mr. H. W.
Bidwell. No association of this nature exists here
at present, but efforts in the direction of establish-
ing one have not been wanting lately.

We may fittingly close this brief history of the
rise, progress, and decline of concerted music in
Uitenhage by referring to a scheme which had its
inception in the fertile brain of Mr. Bidwell, and
which, after publication by him in the Uilciihnge
Times, was taken up warmly by leading musicians
in all parts of the Colony, especially by the late
Dean Williams, of Grahamstown. This was nothing
less than a Choral Union for the whole of Cape
Colony. It was found that, even then — i.e., in the
seventies — there were at least 2,000 good voices in

CITENHAGE PAST AND PKESEXT.

the Cape alone. The idea was to meet annually
and to give festivals, changing the place of meeting
every year. The scheme, as we have said, was
eagerly taken up all over the Colony by those
interested in music, but there were no railways in
those days ; and a difficulty that could not be
overcome was the travelling from place to place in
this countrj- of long distances over bad roads.
Now, however, all that is changed : railways run to
practically every centre, congresses meet all over
the country — Farmers' Associations, Teachers' Con-
gresses, Medical and Press Congresses, Bond
Congresses, and Congresses of Poisoning Clubs —
and we believe that had not death removed him
all too soon from his sphere of usefulness Mr.
Bidwell would eventually have succeeded in making
a Congress of Musicians an accomplished fact.
If ever the idea is taken up in the future there can
never be any doubt hut that it was initiated many
years ago by the conductor and subsequent presi-
dent of the Uitenhage Musical Society.

To the Rev. D. [. Pienaar prini-
The Industrial arily belongs the credit of having
School. established the Uitenhage Indus-

trial School for poor whites, as it
was through his unremitting efforts to found such
an institution that it eventually became an accom-
plished fact. The idea was first mooted in 1893,
and from the very beginning the school may be
said to have been under the :egis of the Dutch
Reformed Church. The Graaff-Reinet Presbytery
consists of eight congregations, and Uitenhage is
one of them. When Mr. Pienaar took the matter
up, four alternative proposals were made : (i)
That the School should be started on ilie same
lines as the Riebeek College ; (2) that it should be
run in connection with the Bovs' Public School, and
either be placed under the direct supervision of
the Divisional Council or in Ihe control of a
committee of twelve members ; (3) that it should
be started by the Graaff-Reinet Presbytery, or (4)
that it should be conducted on the same lines as
the Normal College or the Tiieological Seminary,
i.e., by the Dutch Reformed Church of Cape
Colony.

This last proposition was the one adopted by
the promoters here, and the Uitenhage Congrega-
tion expressed its willingness to purchase a suitable
site for the purpose, present it to the whole church
of Cape Colony, and allow the requisite building to
be erected by that body. This site was situate in
the Graaff-Reinet Road, and consisted of four
erven which could be purchased for ^500. This

was in July, 1893. After some corresjiondence had
been exchanged, however, the authorities of the
Dutch Reformed Church rejected this proposal
and advised that the matter should be taken up by
the Graaff-Reinet Presbytery, of which Uitenhage
forms a unit, as a similar institution was about to
be founded in the Western Province.

It is a noteworthy fact that just about this
period the Government was collecting data to lay
before Parliament with the intention of starting
schools of this class in various parts of the country,
so that the offer above referred to coincided in
point of time with the efforts that were being made
by the Ministry in the same direction. Dealing
with the subject in its editorial columns, Oiis Lniul
admitted that Uitenhage would form an admirable
centre for the establishment of such an institution,
but pointed out that it was unreasonable to expect
the burden to fall upon the shoulders of one
congregation, and advised that it should be borne
by the whole church. However, the whole church,
as represented by the Synodical Committee,
declined to accept the responsibility, and, as we
have seen, referred it to the Graaff-Reinet Pres-
bytery with its eight congregations.

The First Steps.

Mr. Pienaar then set to work in downright
earnest, and in a remarkably brief space of time
he had everything in train. The first committee
consisted of the Revs. D. J. Pienaar, Chas. Murray,
and S. Cavvood ; Messrs. A. H. Garcia, C.C. &
R.M., Jas. Ayliff, Thos. Grewar, C. Saayman, J. M.
Thornton, and L. J. van Vuuren. Mr. Pienaar
presided at the first meeting of the committee, and
Mr. van Vuuren acted as hon. secretary. The Rev.
C. Murray was elected president, Mr. Garcia vice-
president, and Rev. D. J. Pienaar hon. secretary. In
his efforts to raise the necessary funds Mr. Pienaar
was indefatigable. He preached up and down the
country, he appealed to every congregation in the
Presbyierv, he collected privately, and in a few
weeks there was in hand a sum of no less than
-/CsjO. This afterwards swelled to nearly ;^i 000.

The question of vesting the property was
settled by a resolution proposed by Mr. Garcia,
who contended that as the idea had been first
mooted by the Dutch Reformed Church, and as
the funds had been raised by the church, the
property should be vested in the church. This
was cordially supported by the other members of
the committee, and carried. The trustees were
the Rev. D. J. Pienaar, of Uitenhage; the Rev.
Chiis. Murr.iy, of Graaff-Reinet; and the Rev. B. B.

1 86

UITEXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

Keet, of Humansdorp. Mr. Pienaar is to-day the
only survivor of the original trustees.

The site at the bottom of Lower Ciiyler Street,
upon which the building stands, was purchased,
together with the existing buildings, for ;^700, and
this cannot be considered in any way excessive,
for the grounds, which were then being cultivated
by Mr. (ames Taylor, are about ten acres in extent.
The property thus purchased passed into the
possession of the church on the hrst of January.
1894.

E.AKLV Misr.AKiis.

The first real difficulty that had to be sur-
mounted was the appointment of a competent
principal. As will be readily understood, this is a
matter of vital importance to an institution like the
Industrial School, but, unfortunately for the
establishment, the committee's choice was by no
means a happy one. Mr. Doege was a capable and
efficient artisan, but as a superintendent he was
unsuccessful. The discipline was lax where it
should have been strict, for the boys w-ere of a
rough, untamed class, and the great majority of
them required to be governed with an iron hand
until they became thoroughly amenable and recon-
ciled to the altered conditions under which they
had to live They defied the Superintendent,
absconded, and gave an infinity of trouble in many
ways. Mr. Doege resigned in 1897, and the school
up to that period cannot be said to have justified
the hopes of those who were responsible for its
foundation. .Another mistake was made, and this
lay in the committee's admitting too large a
number of youths to the establishment at once.
They began with forty-three, and most of these
kicked over the traces before they had been
there very long.

Mk. W. McJ.a.vnett.

However, on Mr. Doege's resignation being
received Mr. Pienaar communicated with the head
of the Free Church Training School, Edinburgh,
and requested him to advertise for a competent
sujierinteudent and to send out some of the best
applications received. Five of these were subse-
quently received, and the final choice eventually
lay between two candidates. Dr. Muir, Superin-
tendent General of Education, gave his vote in
favour of the one who had also found favour in the
eyes of the committee — without knowing that this
was the case — and thus Mr. William Mcjannett
was appointed. The choice was justilied, for in
Mr. Mcjannett the committee found precisely the

right man for the position, and since he took over
the reins of the institution its record has been one
of steady progress and of continued success.

Steady Pkogress.

The prosperity of the school was such that
increased accommodation became necessary, and
in 1901 the buildings were largely augmented and
improved at a cost of ,^1,400. The new dormi-
tories contain 80 beds, and even now this
accommndatioii is taxed to its uttermost limits.

The school is undenominational, but as the greater
proportion of the boys are drawn from the poor
Dutch class, the majority of them naturally attend
the Dutch Reformed Church. The first master
shoemaker engaged was a Roman Catholic, and he
died in the service of the committee, while,
curiously enough, his successor, an Irishman
named French, was also a Roman Catholic, and
he also died in service.

The school is not conducted with the object of
making profits, and although there is always a
credit balance at the end of the year, this never
amounts to much. The earnings from the Indus-
trial Departments totalled for 1905 ;^2,862 3s. 3d.,
while for this ^1,850 was paid for material. The
salaries of the teachers were responsible for about
;^i,5oo (of which the Government contributed
_^7oo), provisions cost ;^822, and clothing ;^229.
The Government gives a grant of _^i5 for each
boy, and _^i8 for those sent to the institution
under the Destitute Children's .Act.

RKcn.ATroNs for .Admission.

To gain adniiitance a bov must be the son of
European parents who are paupers ; he must not
be under 13 years ol age and not over 18, and it
must be agreed llial, when (Mice lie cnleis the

L'lTENHAGE PAST AXD PRESENT.

187

school, he is solely under the control of the com-
mittee, and remains so until his indentures have
expired. Three years is the minimum period for
which a youngster can become a pupil at the
institution. The committee undertake to feed and
clothe him, to educate him until he reaches the
sixth standard, and to teach him one trade — and
all this without his parents contributing one
farthing to the funds of the establishment. Of
trades there are no less than six taught, viz.,
carpentry, cart and wat^on building, blacksmithing
and faiTiery, tailoring, and shoemaking.

The Cukriculu.m.

The boys are well cared for, and impress the
visitor by their strong, sturdy, and healthy appear-
ance. They receive instruction in batches, those
who are occupied in the technical and drawing
classes during the morning being employed at
practical work in the afternoon, while each has to
spend a certain time every day working in the
large garden, where fruit and vegetaliles are
cultivated.

The educational curriculum e.xtends as far as
the sixth standard. It is gratifying to be able to
record that not a single case of failure amongst
ex-pupils has yet come to the knowledge of the
committee. Many of the " old boys," who would
have been paupers to-day, are not only self-
supporting, but have been able to render sub-
stantial assistance to their parents. Others are
now owners of hxed property, have married well,
and are in independent positions. To Mr.
Mcjannett, the genial superintendent, the greatest
praise must be given for the results he has achieved.
To the existence of the iron hand within ihe velvet
glove much of his success is due, but over and
above that must be placed the skill with which he
and his staff have transformed the rough material
in the shape of raw and ignorant youths, fresh
from the veld, into capable and competent
artisans.

An agitation had been going on
The Mackay for over 30 years to induce the
Bridge Government to end the unsatisfac-

tory state of things by erecting a
bridge over the Sunday's River, and, mainly owing
to the stout advocacy of Mr. John Mackay when in
Parliament, such a bridge was at length decided
upon, and the structure was commenced in
February, 1894, and completed and oiiened for
traffic on Tuesday, 5th March, 1S95, by Mrs. A. H.
Garcia, wife of the Civil Commissioner of Uiten-

hage, in the presence of a large number of the
principal residents of Uitenhage, Port Elizabeth,
and .Alexandria. In honour of the gentleman to
whose exertions the building of the bridge was
mainly due, the structure was formally christened
'■ The Mackay Bridge."

The bridge was erected at a cost of ;^i4,ooo,
h.alf of which was paid by Government and half
by the Divisional Council. It is made entirely of
steel and iron, and its length is 720 feet It is
approached on the west side by about two miles
of perfectly straight and level road, and near the
bridge on either side are neat gravel footpaths.
The deck of the bridge is of wood.

For many years a pontoon similar to
The Old that at Sundays River was used for the
Camtoos conveyance of traffic across the Gam-
Ferry, toos River. The ferry was close to the

Gamtoos River Hotel, and was owned
by tlie late Mr. G. D. Smith, of Xocton Farm.
But this very primitive method of crossing a broad
tidal river was frequently a source of much annoy-
ance and delay, owing to freshets, and it often
happened that carts and wagons were delayed on
either side of the river for several days owing to
the inability to cross. As a matter of course, as
the country districts became more thickly popu-
lated the volume of trade on this, the main road
connecting the Eastern Province with the Metro-
polis, increased, and some thirty years ago an
agitation commenced for bridging the river. All
our local members of Parliament advocated such a
bridge, with the exception of Major-General
Xi.xon, who wished to see a causeway erected, so
that, in his opinion, it could be used as a roadway as
well as a means of damming the river and so irri-
gating the immense flat on the western side.

i88

LTFEXHAGE PAST AXD PRESENT.

Gamtoos Bridge.

General Nixon's idea, however, did not meet
with mnch support, and ultimately the present
bridge was decided on. It was several years in
course of construction, owing to the unf.ivourable
conditions of the bed of the river for solid founda-
tions, but was eventually completed and opened
on the 3rd December, 1895. The " christening"
ceremony was performed by Mrs. Garcia, the wife
of the Civil Commissioner of Uitenhage. who was
accompanied by Mrs. C. W. Andrews, wife of the
Humansdorp Magistrate.

The originally estimated cost of the bridge was
^20,000, but this sum was considerably exceeded
on account of the delay caused by the difficulty of
finding suitable foundations. It is a cylinder
bridge of six loo-feet spans, and is therefore 600
feet long, with 16 feet between the abutments.
The approaclies to the bridge on either side cost
■/r6,ooo to construct.

RlVKR BKUIGE.

It would be difficult to say when the
Uitenhage scheme for the erection of a Cottage
Cottage Hospital was iirst mooted, but we can

Hospital. be sure that the idea had existed in

the minds of the leading inhabitants
of Uitenhage long before it was brought forward
with any degree of publicity. When a serious
accident occurred on the railway or in the Work
Shops, or even in the streets, or when an epidemic
visited the town, the want of hospital accommoda-
tion would be talked about for a week or two and
the subject would Ihen be allowed to sink into
oblivion once more. Again, the local medical
men were never enthusiastic about it, and to this
must in large measure be attributed the indiffer-
ence of the inhabitants in treneral.

Medical Oppositiox.

It is true that in the early eighties the Magis-
trate interested himself in the project and promised
to exert his influence with the Government if the
Town Council would undertake to provide a
suitable building to which parties in the town and
district might be taken and properly cared for in
cases of serious illness or of injury from accidents.
The Corporation thereupon referred the question
to Drs. Lamb and Cuffe for report. The former
gave it as his opinion that a hospital was unneces-
sary in this town, inasmuch as, in the first place,
sufficient funds could not be secured for the
purpose, and in the second, that the spacious
hospital in Port Elizabeth, together with a resident
medical officer and a staff of trained nurses, was
always available for deserving and suitable cases
occurring in Uitenhage. Dr. Cuffe wrote in a
similar strain, and stated that, in his opinion, there
was no necessity for such an institution in Uiten-
hage. Once more, therefore, the whole matter fell
to the ground.

The steady growth of the town, however,
coupled with the ever increasing necessity for such
an institution, rendered it imperative that some
detei mined attempt should be made to establish
an intirmary where the sick could be received and
accidents attended to without taking the patients
to Port Elizabeth.

The Site Procured.

A provisional committee was formed in 1898,
and in October of that j-ear a public meeting
was called for the purpose of enhsting the aid of
the townspeople generally, and in order to take
the necessary steps for the raising of funds. The
late Mr. George Macpherson was Mayor at the
time, and he took the keenest interest in the
proposal. The Town Council considered the
matter in all its bearings, and having inspected
various eligible sites, finally decided to apply to
Government for the ground upon which the build-
ing now stands. After some trouble this request
was granted, the Council in return undert.iking to
grant a site for the erection of a new prison •
stipulating, however, that the Government should
transfer a piece of land to be converted into a
forty-foot street which would lead through the
present gaol erf from Caledon Street to the
hospital. This request was at Iirst refused, but the
Government afterwards decided to accede to it,
and the work will be proceeded with as soon as-
provision is made for the new police barracks ami
prison.

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

189

The Funds Raised.

The ladies now began to take their share in
the work, and they performed their part well.
Bazaars, concerts, and children's fetes followed one
another in quick succession, and at this period
Uitenhage must have been one of the gayest, and,
at the same time one of the most expensive towns
to live in (for those who are fond of gaiety of this
description). Subscription lists were opened, col-
lections made and donations arranged, and the
result was that before long Mrs. Cresswell Clark,
who was one of the chief organisers of these
money-raising schemes, was able to hand over a
sum of nearly j^joo to the Committee.

This body then approached the Railway
Medical Board vv'ith a request that they would
contribute a sum towards the erection of the
building, and no less than ;^i,8oo was forthcoming
from this source, the conditions being that the
Board be represented on the Committee, and that
three beds be placed permanently at its dis-
posal, and that its patients be admitted at 36 pev
diem instead of the usual charge — about 6 6.
This ;^i,8oo was really a loan bearing interest at
the rate of 4 per cent., which is payable under
certain conditions which form the basis of an
agreement between the Committee and the Board.

The Committee next notified the Government
that they had ^2,000 in hand, and as a result the
Government contributed a similar sum on the £
for £ principal.

Architects and Contractors.

With _^'4,ooo in hand the Committee was now
in a position to consider the question of erecting
the building itself, and with this object plans were
called for. Now began a series of apparently
endless disappointments, for the architects seemed
to be unable to design a building which could be
erected for a moderate sum. The plans received
were very tine, but the cost of transforming them
into bricks and mortar was far and away bevond
the means at the disposal of the committee.
Twelve designs were submitted, and the selection
was left to Mr. R. E. Wright, Inspector of Public
Works. His choice fell upon Mr. Preshaw's plan,
but when tenders were called for it it was found
that although the largest sum available was ^3,500,
or at the very most _^4,ooo, the lowest tender
vi'as for _^7,ooo. This plan was therefore
abandoned. Then the war broke out, and Mr.
Preshaw being in Bloemfontein at the time, com-
munication was only obtained with him after the
greatest difficulty and delay. This continued for a

long time, and at last the Committee were glad to
close the episode by paying the architect ^65, and
to begin (h- novo. Then Mr. Holland, of Port
Elizabeth, was instructed to draw up the plan of a
building to cost not more than ^"3,500, but the
lowest tender for this was ;^"6,ooo. Mr. Holland was
taken ill, and the matter was suspended for several
months, at the end of which period he was paid a
substantial fee, and the whole question opened dc
iiofo once more. This time Messrs. Stucke &
Bannister, the architects of the Mutual Buildings,
Port Elizabeth, were given similar instructions to
those received by the others, and so convinced
were they that they could meet the requirements
that they undertook to provide a plan which
would not cost more than ;^'4,ooo, ;nd they
promised to draw up another one gratis, should
the tenders for the first exceed the stipulated sum.
The plan arrived, and it was certainly a very
elaborate one, and the building would have been a
magnificent one. Tenders were called lor, the
lowest was _^6,ooo, and the architects' suggestion
thai only half of the hospital should be built for the
time being rejected, trouble ensued, and finally,,
after lengthy negotiations, the whole matter was
again commenced from the beginning. This time
the services of Mr. Hawthorn Thornton were
secured, and he furnished the designs for the
present building. The successful tenderer was
Mr. A. Gillespie, who erected the hospital for a
sum slighilv less than ^f^.^oo.

Uitenhage Cottage Hospital.

The Building

is situated on the breezy slopes of Cannon Hill;,
and forms a landmark visible for many miles.
Constructed of red brick, its exterior is of a plain
but neat description, while the internal arrange-
ments arc models of compactness and convenience..

190

UlTEXHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

Two large wards, one for males and the other for
females, open from both sides of the entrance
passage, while the operating theatre is close by
and on the same floor. These apartments are well
lighted and well ventilated, and are admirably
adapted to the purposes for which they were
■designed. The dispensary and kitchens are at the
back of the main block, while separated from it by
a few feet only are the native wards, the mortuary,
and linen and store rooms. The nurses' quarters
are up-stairs, and considerable improvements wiU
be made in this direction later on.

The nursing staff consists of the matron (Sister
Brawn) and live nurses (two staff nurses and
three probationers), but so far there is no
I resident medical ofhcer, the local doctors attend-
ing to their own patients, as is usual in the case of
'•Cottage Hospitals.

The grounds will shortly be worthy of the
institution, and the patients before very long will
ibe able to exchange the shelter of the stoep for
the more grateful shade of the trees.

The Committee of Management last elected
consists of Messrs. E. J. Philpott, C.C. and R.M. ;
J. Whiteside, Mayor ; j. AI. Thornton, T. W. Mills,
M.L.A., and S. Hall, as Government nominees ;
Messrs. H. O. Tutt, W. E. Bennewith,T. Urquhart,
H. Ward, J. G. Nicholl, and A. J. Sellick. elective
members ; Dr. Macpherson, member of visiting
medical staff.

On the nth of October, 1899, war was
War and declared between the Boer Republics
Martial and Great Britain. For some time
Law. operations were confined to the more

northerly portions of the Colony, but
gradually the affected sphere widened, until at
last it reached the coast districts and those adjoin-
ing them, Uitenhage included.

But before this actually happened we in Uiten-
hage had in many ways been made to realise the
fact that peace had departed from our borders.
The town had been placarded at intervals with
huge posters inviting men to join the various corps
already in the held, recruiting olHcers were to be
seen in the hotels and at other places where men
do congregate, and the Drill Hall presented quite
a busy sight, inasmuch as it was the home depot
of the Uitenhage Volunteer Rifles. As the enemy
steadily encroached upon the Colony and pene-
trated further south, and as the rebels in the
Karroo increased in number, train loads of soldiers
passed through the town on tiieir way to the
disaffected centres, and the memliers of the Loyal

Women's Guild, under the presidency of Mrs. P.
Thomson, worked strenuously in order to provide
the men with various little comforts, wiiich were
always appreciated by them. So far, however,
Uitenhage was practically out of the real pinch of
war, and the inhabitants as a body remained in
much the same condition as of yore. Matters, in
fact, proceeded as they had done in the past, and
the only way in which Uitenhage could be said to
be visibly affected by the struggle then raging in
the north was when batches of recruits left for the
front, when the Bags were hoisted in honour of a
British victory or drooped half-mast high when
the news of a defeat was received.

M.AKTI.\L L.\W PrOCL.AIMED.

But on the evening of Thursday, the 17th
January, 1901 — fifteen months after the commence-
ment of hostilities — the local authorities received
the follow' ng telegram from Capetown : —

M:trti.-tl Law proclaimed over the whole Colony, excepting the
districts of the Cape, Wynberg. Sinionstown, Port Elizabeth, and East
London.

This step was not altogether unexpected, but
it came more suddenly than had been anticipated.
It was now felt that matters, so far as this part of
the Colony was concerned, had begun to approach
a much more critical aspect than had yet been the
case, and the public looked forward with some
degree of expectancy to the new regime which now
came into force. Its nature was not well under-
stood, but a good delinition of it was given by Mr.
C. G. H. Bell, C.M.G., who was then Magistrate of
Uitenhage, and who had served in a similar
capacity in Mafeking under Baden-Powell. He
saitl : " Some people think that under martial law
they need not pay their debts or their rent, and
that they must not be out after 9 o'clock at night.
The fact is, however, martial law is the will of the
commander, and if he is a reasonable, civilised
lium.tn being, it will not be made unnecessarily
irksMue." Neither was it, although in course of
Utnc, when llie enemy were within measurable
disi.iucc of Uiteiiliage. tlic conditions enforced
ceil tiiily did bsjome r iiher irksome ; but it was
L;cner.illy recuguisetl ili.ii tills was needful and
uii.i\'oi.lable.

On the evening after marlial law was proclaimed
an exceptionally large iniblic meeting was held in
the Drill Hall, over which Mr. Mayor Macpherson
presided. The object of the assemblage was to
consider the defence of the town, and to take
steps to raise a force for defensive purposes.
Enthusiasm rose to a high pitch as the position
was explained, and the speeches delivered on that
occasion were dccidcdiv of the confident order.

UITEXHAGE PAST AXD PRESENT.

igr

From the beginning of the war I'itenhage had
sent from five to six hundred men to the front, and
a Town Guard, under the command of Captain
J. M. Thornton, had been formed in the early
stages of the war. At that time there was con-
siderable unrest throughout the Colony, and there
were many nervous people who » ere considerably
disturbed in mind by the alarming reports which
were circulated through the town. The
patriotic gentlemen who then shouldered the
rifle and formed the Town Guard were successful
in restoring confidence amongst their neighliours
b)- placing themselves in readiness for any emer-
gency. But now that matters had proceeded so
far as to render the proclamation of martial law
advisable, it was felt that the hands of the Town
Guard should be strengthened, and that a Town
Guard Defence Force should be est;dilished here.
The services of its membeis were practically the
same as those rendered by the Town Guard, but
they were paid 2 6 per drill, two drills being put
in every week, the Town Guard and its officers
being taken over by the Town Guard Defence
Force tv; bloc. Every batch of fifty elected its
own lieutenant, and every company of 100 its own
captain. They were then liable to be called out
for active service, to defend the water works, and
so on.

The Town Gu.\kd.

In November, 1899, the Commandant at Port
Elizabeth requested Captain Thornton to form a
Town Guard at L'itenhage, and this was done, and
100 men from the Loco. Shops were enrolled, and
these formed the nucleus of a force that eventually
numbered nearly 800 officers and men. This
corps remained practically dormant for about a
year, as their was nothing for them to do ; but in
January, igoi, some 69 members of the U.V.R.
returned from active service, and these were
incorporated in the Town Guard with the follow-
ing officers : — Capt. J. M. Thornton commanding ;
Capt. J. G. Mackenzie, Lients. V. Roberts, W.
Bidwell, |. Magennis, H. O. Sellick, E. Chase, and
R. G. Lamb. At the end of January the Town
Guard was merged in the Colonial Defence Force,
with a strength of 8 officers and 304 men, and
patrolling of the town at night was commenced,
and the town was surrounded with redoubts.

About 70 of the Town Guard were mounted,
under Capt. C. T. Ayliff and Lients. Parkin
and Hudson Lamb, but this force was ulti-
matelv embodied with the District Mounted
Troops, and known as Thornton's Horse, and
placed under the command of Captain \V. Hengh.

About this time, also, about 100 residents, con-
sisting of elderly men and others who had not the
time to devote to regular drills, but who were
anxious to do something in defence of their homes
if attacked, offered to join the Town Guard as a
separate body from the regular Guard, not to
attend parades, but to be simply instructed in the
use of the rifle, and told off to certain trenches, .
which they would be prepared to man whenever
the town was tlireatened. Their services were
accepted, and they were duly enrolled, the officers
being Capt. the Hon. J. F. Dolley and Lieuts. T.
\V. Mills, H. Chase, \V. T. Catton, and R. Restall.
Originally this force was called the 2nd battalion
of the Town Guard, but was subsequently merged
into the ist battalion as G Company.

On the 9th February it was reported that a
party of Boe.s had been seen in the neighbourhood
of Van Staadens, and the whole force remained
under arms during the night, and the redoubts and
trenches were manned, and about 60 men of the
mounted section, under Captain Ayliff and Lieut.
Parkin, went out in the direction of Witteklip, and
remained out all night, but did not come in touch
with the enemy.

On the 25th February the strength of the corps
was 43 officers and 749 men.

On the nth March a detachment of i officer
and 13 men were sent to Alicedale, but returned on
the i6th without having met the enemy. During
this month the Sportman's Corps came into
existence, and joined the District Mounted
Troops. A picket, consisting of about 25 men,
nightly patrolled the town and environs.

During April the whole force was armed and
equipped, and uniformed in khaki, with smasher
hat turned up on the left side and ornamented
with a purple ostrich plume. On the 13th ico
men and 5 oflicers were despatched to Jansenville,
and remained there on patrol duty until the 25th.

In May the night pickets were withdrawn, ,ind
two cyclists paraded the town at night, and a
gaol guard was formed to look after 36 political
prisoners from Jansenville, who were at first con-
fined in the Drill Hall, but were subsequently
removed to the town prison and old court-house.

In June a detachment of Thornton's Horse left
for up-country. On the 12th Capt. Schreiber, of
the Royal Engineers, staff' officer to the district
commandant, inspected the corps and reported
very favourably on them.

In August 44 men of the Town Guard and 3
officers, under Captain Gee, were despatched with
an armoured train to patrol the line as far as^

192

UITEXHAGE PAST AXD PRESENT.

Willovvmore and Rosmead Junction. They were
away fifteen days. Other detacliments were sent
to garrison Kleinpoort, Barroe, and Klipplaat,
during this month.

Dining October detachments were sent to
Mount Stewart, and in Xovember others proceeded
to Blueciiff. Glenconnor, Mount Stewart, and
Klipplaat. During Xovember the corps was
inspected by General R. Inigo Jones, and the men
were by him highly complimented on their
efficiency.

During December Captain S. B. Hobson was
appointed to command all Colonial troops in Area
Xo. 4.

The corps was disbanded on the 31st Decem-
ber, 1902.

The Co.m-m.\nu.\nts of Uitexh.xge.

The first commandant of Uitenhage was the
magistrate, Mr. C. G. H. Bell, and his knowledge

■ of warfare, gained during the historic siege of
Mafeking, stood him in good stead, until he became
seriously ill with appendicitis, and was hois de
combat for several months. He was succeeded by

■Capt.Tin (now Major) Schreiber, of the Royal
Engineers, who had been appointed staff-officer to
Lieut. -Colonel Bell.

The Ce.xsokship.

It was during his wgiiiic that the censorship
~was established, and this was perhaps the institu-
tion which people found the hardest to endure
imder martial lav;'. From first to last wo h:ul
several censors, and while some exercised llicir
authority with tact and common sense, others did
not, and there was much heart-burning in conse-
quence. As a general rule letters addressed to
people with Dutch names were opened, and if they
■contained any information or opinions which it
were better should not be disseminated, the letter
was either partially defaced or destrovcd
altogether, and the writer was fairly sure to receive
a communication of a more or less unpleasant
nature from the commandant before any lengthy
period had elapsed. The newspapers were of
■course subjected to the strictest rules ami regiila
tions, and every " proof" had to be submitted lor
inspection before the article, or paragraph, or
telegram was permitted to be published. And when
the proofs were returned from the office, duly
signed and stamped '■ Passed Press Censor," and
when at last the paper had been jiriuted and
posted, every copy not addressed to a person
holding some position in a defence corps was
kept in the local post-office lor twenty-one days

before being forwarded to its destination ! This
was to prevent news circulating in the country
before it was so old as to be useless to any of the
enemy into whose hands it might fall. The press,
in fact, had many hardships to contend with. In
more than one newspaper office the supply of
paper ran short, and no more could be obtained
for love or money, as the steamers in Algoa Bay
lay for weeks, or even months, without being able
to discharge their cargo. The Uitculmgc Times had
to reduce its size, and to cease publishing its
country edition, owing to this cause. The
exchange papers, which are sent to the editor from
other offices, were delayed for three weeks, until
at last he arranged for them to he addressed to
him in his capacity of Sergeant in the Town Guard,
and then they came through !

P.ASSES.

In the meantime several " undesirables" had
been removed from their farms and brought into
Uitenhage, where they were under the surveillance
of the authorities. In order to keep them from
leaving the town no person was allowed to go
beyond the commonage by train, cart, wagon, or
on foot, without a permit. Consequently, when
one wished to visit Port Elizabeth it was necessary
to obtain written permission from the permit
officer at the station to do so. This was made out
in triplicate, and the would-be traveller had to
give his name, address, and the business which
was taking him or her from Uitenhage. A list of
those prohibited from leaving lay at the officer's
elbow, and many were thus prevented from
slipping away. But before one could visit another
town, such as Humansdorp, or Steytlerville, or
Jansenville, for instance, a permit could not be
obtained for the mere asking. The commandant
here (at the applicant's e.xpense, of course)
wired to the commandant there, asking
whether he would receive the applicant into his
district, and there are to-day some dozens of
duplicate telegram books in the archives of the
Uitenhage public offices containing such messages
as this : " Can John Smith visit your town.
Thoroughly loyal. I recommend.'' Sometimes
Mr. John Smith might have a less envi.-.ble reputa-
tion in the town he purposed visiting than in the
one he purposed leaving, and the following answer,
which is typical, would effectually stop him :
" Cannot admit John Smith."

Tue hotels were closed at 10 o'clock at night,
and once all the bars were closed down for three
days. This was when the enemy, under the
notorious Fouche, were approaching, but as drinks

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

193

were still obt;iinahle iu Port Elizabeth, the number
of men who suddenly discovered they had
"business" to see about there increased so
materially that the trains were packed with them !

One excellent effect of martial law was the
total prohibition of the sale of liquor to natives.
After they had "got over their thirst," as they
expressed it, many of them were most unwilling
that the taboo should be removed, for they them-
selves felt that they did not wish temptation to be
placed in their way again.

By and bye the pass system was extended to
the town itself, and nobody could remain out after
ten o'clock without a permit. For some months this
state of affairs continued, and the town was
patrolled by sentries drawn from the ranks of the
Town Guard. Unless one — no matter who he
might be — could give the countersign, or produce
a pass signed by the Town Commandant, he was
haled before the lieutenant on duty at the Drill
Hall, reprimanded, and either set free with a
caution or forced to spend the night in that
decidedly bleak building and be brought before
the commandant in the morning. Fines and
imprisonment might be summarily intiicted in
canicnt. It was " the will of the commander."
When a concert was held (by permission of the
authorities) midnight passes were issued with the
programmes, and on one occasion General Inigo
Jones, who attended an entertainment in the
Town Hall, with the local officers, was gravely
handed his permit to go home, as were also his
brethren in command !

In the foregoing we have given a slight sketch
of Uitenhage under martial law, and of the various
little episodes which rendered civilian life different
in the time of war to what it is in the piping times
of peace, for these will gradually be forgotten as
time goes on, and, like the great struggle itself,
become as a tale that is told.

Capt. Schreiber was succeeded by Lieut. -Colonel
T.Tamplin, K.C., M.L.A.,and itwas during his; c^n/zt'
that most of the regulations above referred to were
brought into force. The genial Commandant of
No. 4 Area, however, made the conditions of life
as pleasant for the people under his sway as was
consistent with the exigencies of the situation —
and his " subjects" were not few, for Area No. 4
was nearly as large as Scotland. Colonel Tamplin
was in turn succeeded by Major A. F. Pilson,
D.S.O., of the Dublin Regiment, an officer who
quickly gained the respect and esteem of the
inhabitants. Just and firm, yet courteous and
obliging, Major Pilson was one in a thousand, and

if everv British officer who was vested with the
authority of a commandant during the war had
acted as Major Pilson did here, there would be less-
bitterness existent in South Africa to-day. The
staff officer was Captain K. C. Wright, of the Bed
fordshires ; the Town Commandant was Captain
W. G. Back.

Finallv, Colonel Bell recovered after under-
going more than one serious operation, and he took
over the command at the last. Peace was declared
on the 31st of May 1902, and the rejoicings that
ensued were on a scale larger even than those with
which the reliefs of Kimberley, Ladysmith, and
Mafeking were celebrated. It was during the last-
named festival, by the way, that a sad accident
occurred on Cannon Hill. Mr. C. Cross, well known
in U;tenhage, was in the act of loading an ancient
piece of ordnance there during the fcii-dc-Joic,.
when the piece exploded, and the stout pole with
which he was ramming down the charge, was-
shattered, and pieces of it shot into him. He died-
shortly afterwards.

F;xg.\gemexts in Uitenhage District.

The Boers under Kritzinger, Fouche, and'
Smuts entered this area at various times, but it is
gratifying to be able to state that they scarcely
picked up a single rebel. The actions fought
within the area were neither important nor severe,
and in practically every case the skirmishes went
to the credit of the British forces.

The town itself was surrounded by trenches,,
and these, protected by rows of sandbags, were-
manned one night when the Boers were supposed
to be advancing on the place. They are still in
existence, but they have lost their erstwhile
trimness, and are mostly covered with grass and
cactus. Yet in all probability their shapes will
long be distinguishable, and will serve as memorials
of the long war during which they were thrown
up.

Uitenhage was visited in February, 1901, by
Colonel Gorringe's Flying Column, and as it came
pouring down the Red Hill from the direction of
Humansdorp many of the townspeople imagined
for the time that the Boers were arriving in force I
However, when the peaceable intentions of the
visitors were ascertained they were most cordially
welcomed, and when the men departed they con-
fessed that they had seldom been entertained so-
thoughtfully and effectively.

Before closing this necessarily sketchy history
of the war as it affected Uitenhage, we must not
omit to do justice to the Loyal Women's Guild,.

194

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

wliich worked and still works so heartily in the
■cause of practical loyalty. Its members acquitted
themselves nobly in a hundred different wavs, and
the branch is to-day one of the most important and
Hourishing of its kind ni Cape Colony.
Memorial to the F.-\lle.\.
The memorial to the local men who fell during
the war, now standing in the Market Square, was

• luiveiled by Mr. Cradock Parkin, mayor, on the
14th Februan,-, 1904. It takes the form of a

•drinking fountain, surmounted by a life-size figure

• of a rifleman in khaki, and was erected at a cost of
about £j8o. This sum was r.iised by a series of

•entertainments, a donation of £42 by the Loyal
Women's Guild, and the balance was a grant from
the Municipality. The unveiling ceremony was a
very impressive one. A short burial service was

■cDnducted by the Rev. C. B. Jecks, and speeches
were afterwards made by the Maj-or (Mr. C.
F.irkin) and Mr. T. W. Mills, and a handsome
wreath was placed on the monument by Mrs. P.

Thomson on behalf of the Loyal Women's Guild.

The following are the names of the fallen
ins'jribed on the base of the monument : —

Lieut. J. Holt. L'.V R.

.. C: C. Giitbin. U.V.R.
St.-i« S-r^t. P;i>I.^y, U V.R.
Scrgl. E. 1'. Xeijus. U.V.R.
Priv.-ite H. McCoy. CJ.V.R.
Sergt. J. Bosm.in. M.H.
I^nce Corporal G. Cation. M.H.
Troopir H. Don. M.H.

R. E Ranerly, M.H

.\. Tavlor. M.H.

J. M. Smart, M.H.

J. R. Heuefian. M.H

Private C. Hongtiton, .4 I..H.
Lient. E. B. Cunninj'ilam. .\.LD.
Scrgt.-Major E. Turner, J.M.R.
Sergt. J. Bullin. D.G.
Corporal W. .A. Webb. B.S..A P.
Trooper G. RuJdlcsden. E.PH.

B. Coiildridge. K.H.

R. GiUson. DMT.

D. Koxcroft, D.M.T.

M. H. Rudman, D.M.T.

1 r van X-ekerk. .\ ID.

I W Couldiidge. R P.R.

A statement made in 1894 that in
The less than ten years Port Elizabeth

Port Elizabeth and Hutiiansdorp would be con-
Avontuur nected by rail would have been

Railway. received as the prognostication of

a madman ; and we do not think
the latter place had ever been mentioned in any pro-
jected railway scheme of the many that had been
brought before Parliament in the previous years.
We think we are correct in stating that it was in
that year that the disabilities of the Long Kloof as
a successful grain and fruit producing district were
first brought before the public, and an agitation
was commenced, putting forth the exceptional
capabilities of Long Kloof as an agricultural
•centre. Thousands of acres of splendid arable
land existed between Humansdorp and Kromme
River Heights, and thence through Long Kloof
to Avontuur, which was a well-watered country,
iind peopled by an energetic class of farmers who
coiilil grow the products if Ihey cotild but tind the

market. The distance was too great for them
profitably to grow foodstuffs and convey the same
to their natural market (Port Elizabeth) in ox
wagons. The freight on forage, potatoes, grain,
and like produce was in some instances more than
the selling price amounted to, and in the case of
fruit it often happened that it was quite rotten
before half the journey was accomplished.

The agitation was successful, and eventually,
after two surveys had been made. Parliament
decided as an experiment to build a light and
cheap line from Port Elizabeth to Avontuur (178
miles) to tap as many farms as possible cii route,
and so provide an easier, quicker, and cheaper
mode of transporting the produce to market. The
idea was thankfully taken up by the farmers of the
district, who heartily co-operated, and we believe
in every instance gave the Government the right
to run over their farms without demanding com-
pensation. It was said at the time that Govern-
ment contemplated building a series of farmers'
lines of railway of a light type throughout the
countrj', and that under notice was to be looked
upon as an experimental line.

The earthworks of the first section of the line
from Humewood (Port Elizabeth) were commenced
in 1890. The work was taken in hand possibly
earlier than it otherwise would, so as to give
emiilovment to the hundreds of refugees just then
at the coast and doing nothing — men who had
come south from the Transvaal and Free State
during the early stage of the Anglo-Boer war.

The railway was not definitely decided on,
however, without a considerable deal of agitation
as to what form it should take, where the terminus
should be, &c. Some advocated the broad gauge,
which would have had the advantage of allowing
the rolling stock to be used on any of the other
railway systems, and transhipping of produce for
up-country on to other trucks at Port Elizabeth ■
would not then be necessary. Some, again, in
advocating the broad gauge desired the terminus
to be at Uitenhage, so that engines, coaches, and
trucks requiring repairs could be taken direct into
the Loco. Works at Uitenhage. But neither of
these suggestions were considered favourably by
the Government, and a branch of the line to
Uitenhage was also refused. Port Elizabeth was
the farmers' natural market, and it was decided to
make that town the terminus.

The line appears quite a toy, being but j-foot
gauge, but the 5ft. 6in. sleepers keep it perfectly
steady. In fact, there is less oscillation on the
Port Elizabeth Avontuur Railway than on the ■

UITENHAGE PAST AND PRESENT.

195

main lines. ()iigiii;illv tlie steepest gradient was
I in 26, but this was reduced by the skill of the
engineers to i in 40, while the steepest curve,
originally two chains, w.is reduced to 2^ chains.
Through the Nooitgedacht farm there is one bank
14 feet higii, while through Van Staadens the
work was very heavy, some of the rock cuttings
being 20 feet high. The scenery through
the Van Staadeu's Pass from Thornhill to the
Gamtoos is very tine. There also the steepest
gradients and the sharpest curves are to be
negotiated. In April, 1903, the earth works were
completed to Loerie River Hoogte, tive miles
beyond Thornhill, and 40 miles from Port Eliza-
beth, but by this time the rails had almost been
laid to Van Staadens, which was actually reached
before the end of the month.

The bridge there is a tine specimen of engineer-
ing, and is 255 feet high, 600 feet long, springing
upwards from the depths of the valley, and form-
ing a magnificent piece of work.

There are over seventy' bridges on the line,
which was opened as far as Gedultz River on the
27th April, 1903. vVhen the line is completed it
is estimated that it will cariv into Port Eli;;abeth
12,600 tons of produce per annum, and take out
about 4,000 tons.

The six-couple engines are capable of hauling
120 tons gross over the heaviest portion of the line,
and they are the heaviest used on light railways in
the world. But it must not be forgotten that the
Port Elizabeth Avontuur Railway itself is one of
the longest of its class yet constructed anywhere.
Mr. F. Bodker was the first resident engineer, but
he was accidentally killed by being run over while
travelling down the line on a trolley in 1904. The
work of construction is still proceeding, and the
railway will soon connect the Eastern with the
Western Province by the coast route. The line
was opened to Humansdorp on the ist November
1905, and on the 1st March, 1906, to Two Streams,
about 90 miles from Port Elizabeth.

The bridges and culverts are constructed of
suflicient strength to carry trains of the broad
gauge if it is at any time found necessary to make
this change ; and we should say that in the not
distant future this will be found necessarv, for the
line is proving a paying concern, and with the
development of the country through which it rinis
further facilities for increased traffic will without
doubt be desirable.

This popular resort lies midway
Redhouse. between Uitenhage and Port Eliza-
beth, and although it is the merest
hamlet, its claim to our notice lies in the fact of its
being a favourite river-side pleasure resort for the
inhabitants of Uitenhage and Port Elizabeth. The
houses are mostly owned by those whose business
avocations take them to either town (but mostly to
the Bay) every morning, and who, being fond of
boating, prefer to be nearer the river than they
could be if they lived in Uitenhage or in Port
Elizabeth. Despite its charms as a riparian resort,
it is e.xtremely unlikely that Redhouse will ever
prove a serious rival to the Garden Town, for the
water supply is poor in the extreme, and the
villiage is at present almost entirely dependent
upon Uitenhage for what it receives. The river
is more open and less impeded with sandbanks
than it is at Zwartkops, and the tide ebbs and
flows as far as a spot some distance above the
village. Several jetties have been built, and
besides the sailing boats owned by the residents,
there is quite a little fleet at the disposal of those
visitors who care to spend a day with sail, oar, or
rod on those reaches of the Zwartkops river which
are the more readily accessible from this centre.

.ixuTHER View of Hells Gate

196

urn:.\ II AGE fast and present.

Near Redhouse is the site of the oKl halt-way

house to Port Ehzabeth, but the village itself may
• be said to have been founded — if such a term can

be emiiloyed — shortly after the railway connected
"the port with the mother town, (loot! fishing may

generally be had in the river.

The village of Zwartkops, the peace-
Zwartkops. ful rival of Redhouse as a river-side

residence for Port Elizabeth busi-
ness men, is of more general importance than
Redhouse, inasmuch as it is one of the busiest
railway junctions in the Eastern Province, for here
the Midland line strikes off from the Graaff-Reinet
line. The population of the place exceeds that of
Redhouse, and, although the situation is somewhat
bleak, the village has its advantages, which are
appreciated chiefly by lovers of fishing with the rod.
There is splendid angling to be had here, as well
as boating ; but the novice has to be very careful
■of the treacherous sandbanks and bends in the
river, for many have been the distressing and fatal
accidents to boating parties we have seen reported
from Zwartkops. Experienced boatmen, however,
are to be engaged, under whose pilotage no fear
need be entertained. There are many nice houses
at Zwartkops, and a very decent hotel, but, as at
Redhouse, tixe supply of fresh water is not by any
means adequate. Zwartkops is situated about two
and a half miles from Redhouse, and nearer the
mouth of the Zwartkops. It has been suggested
to dockise the mouth of this river, to facilitate
work in connection with the shipping, and so
minimise the dangers to which vessels at anchor in
Algoa Bay are subjected. If this great work is
•ever taken in hand Zwartkops has an immense
future before it, for the village must raj-iidly grow
seaw'ards.

We think a brief table showing the
Census population of the various districts that
Returns, go to make up the division will form

an appropriate conclusion to this work.
The census that should have been taken in igoi

was delayed until 1904 by the war which was then
raging in the Colony, so that the respectable
increase of 21,735 in the districts of Uitenhage,
Humansdorp, Jansenvillc, Alexandria, and Willow-
more cover a period of 13 years instead of 10
years. The figures we have been enabled to obtain
are as follow : —

UITEXHAGE— TOWN.

Census. Tyo.4.

Males,

Females.

Total.

Ellropc;uis

3^662

3.0I7

6.679

Col.)iired

2.S.SO

2,668

5,518

f',.il2

5,685

12,197

Census, iSyj.

Euri)pe;ius

1.0? 1

l..?.S2

3.l«3

Colou.vd

'Ai^

1,47.1

2.905

,?,o'>3

.1.0,25

6,iSH

UITEXH AGE— DISTRICT.

Census, iyo4.

M.iks.

Females.

Total.

Europcins

.vl-W -

2,674

5.8C4

Cnliiurccl

7.?.72

fi.525

13.S97

10„W2

9.1W

19.701

Census, l!-\)l.

Eiu'ttpcans

2.1 UJ

1..S61

3,ySo

Coloured

,^..W2

r..236

10,828

7.7..

7.oy7

l4,SoS

JMAX-DORP.

Census KJ04.

U.ba.

1 Areas

2.473

Rur;d Are.is i ;

i,.=;2,s

Census, iS'yi,

Urban Areas

1.193

Rural Areas K

3,6.53

WII.l.OWMORE.

Censu- i.,o4.

Tiital

inli.ihitants

ll,SSS

JAXSKXVILLE.

nlal inhabitantp

AI.EXAXDKIA.

Tot^il inhal>itanls

Increase
ToCd inere.-;se

lo,8(k,
9.978

831
21.7.35

INDEX TO ADVERTISEMENTS.

Aerated Water Manufacturers.

■Green & Co., Uitenhage ... ... x.

Architect and Surveyor.

F. E. Tomlinsdii. Uiieiihage ,,. ... xvii.

Attorneys and Notaries.

■Goedlials & Du Toit, HumaMsdur|) ... xiii.

M. E. Mackenzie, Uiteiiliage ... ... xvii.

0. J. Oosttuiizen, Uitenhage ... ... xxxix.

Roberts & Lujt, Uitenhage ... „
M. L. Krige, .J.P., Steytlerville ...

t). J. Orsmond, Jansenville .. ... „

J. J. Scheepers, Jansenville . .. „

1. . I. Naude, Jansenville ... ... „

Auctioneers.

Armstrong & Co., Port Elizabftli .. xix.

Board of Executors and Trust Co , Ltd.,

Uitenhage ... ... ... xi.

S.A. Loan, Investment and Trust Co., Ltd.,

Uitenhage ... ... ... xvii.

■Goedhals & Du Toit, Humansdorp ... xiii.

M. L. Krige, J. P., Steytlerville... ... xxxix.

D. J. Orsmond, .Jansenville ... „

J. J. Scheeper.s, Jansenville ... ... „

G. James Chick, Willowmore ... ... „

T. H. Matthews, VVillowraore ...

George W. Muggleston. J. P., Willowmore ... „

M. van Eyssen, Steytlerville ... .. „

Baker and Confectioner.

Andrew Hoare, Uitenhage ... vii.

Booksellers and Stationers.

J. C. Juta & Co., Port Elizabeth . xxxv.

Boot Stores.
F. C. Way & Co., Uitenliage ... .. xviii.

Bis.seker, George & Co., Uitenhage and Port

Elizabeth ... ... ... xxxiii.

Bottle Store.

Black Store, Uitenhage ... ... xx.

Brewers.

Castle Brewevj' Company, Port Elizabetli ... xliv.

Builders, Contractors, &c.

H. B. Siebert, Humansdorp ... ... vi.

T. 0<borne Silk, Uitenhage ... ... ix.

A. Gillespie, Uitenhage ... ... xxviii.

J. Bailey & Sons, Uitenhage ... ... xl.

National Butchery Company, Uitenliage
L. Evans, Uitenhage

Chemists and Druggists.

A. T. Bmler & Co., Uitenhage ...
A. M. Will, Uitenhage
Willet & Co., Uitenhage

Commission Agents.

W. R. .Jecks & (.'o , Port Elizabeth

Drapery, Clothing, &c.

Barnes & (!o., Uitenhage

Cash Trading Company, Uitenhage

Wilson & Deans, Port Elizabeth

T. Bi rcli & Co., Port Elizabeth ...

Bisseker, George & Co., Uitenhage and Port

Elizabeth
A. Harris & Co., Oitenhage
J. L^nnard, Uitenhage and Port Elizabeth...

General Merchants.

M. M. Steytler & Co., Port Elizube'li
J. U. Wills, Ltd., Port Elizabeth

General Storekeepers.

R iilemo3-or & Saffery, Humansdorp
J. & H. du Ples.sis, Huniansdor-p
Deschamps & Haskings, Humansdorp
Aliddleton Bros , Steytlerville ...
Joseph & Co., .Jansenville

Grocers.

Fennell & Austin, Uitenhage ...
L. Evans, Uitenhage
Robert Ord, Uitenhage
Black Store, Uitenhage

Hairdresser and Tobacconist.

J. E. Coates, Uitenliage

Hardware and Carriag3 Dealers.

Geard & Co, Port Elizalietli ...

Hotels.

Criterion Hotel, Uitenliage
Central Hotel, Uitenhage
Th-rnhill Hotel. Thornhill
Loci-ie River Hotel, Loerie River
Cuyler Street Hotel, LTitenhage

House Furnishers.

Conldridge k, Co., L'itenhage ...
Hoy & Griffiths, Port E!izal)eth
James Brister & Co., Port Ehzabeth
Co opei-ative Furnishing Warehouse, Port
Elizahctli

XVI.

xviii.
xlv.

vni.

xiii.

\xiii.

x.xiva.

xxxiii.

xli.

xlvii.

XX VII.

xxxvii.

XXII.
XXX.

XXX iv.

XXIV.

xxxviii.
xiii.

XXlll.

xxviii.

IXUEX TO ADVERTISEMENTS (Conlimtcd).

Law and General Agents.

F. E. Hutchinson, Uitenhajj^e ...
Brown & Austin, Uitenhage
A. P. de Villiers, J. P., Uitenhage

C. E. HoUings, Uitenhage

G. James Chick, Willowmore ...
'r. H. Matthews, Willowmore ...
George W. Muggleston, J. P., Willowmore
M. van Eyssen. Steytlerville
Will & Philip, Port Elizabeth ...

Life Assurance Company.

South African Mutual, Port Elizabeth
Mechanical Engineers.

D. F. Masterson, Huinansdorp ..
T. Reeve, jun.. Port Elizabeth ..
Howard, Farrar, Robinson & (Jo., Ltd., Port

EHzabeth
Mangold Bros., Port Elizabeth ...

Monumental Mason.

E. W. Gough, Port Elizabeth ...

Music Sellers.

Jackson Bros., Port Ehzabetli

Nurserymen and Seed Merchants.

Smith Brotliers, Uiienhii^e

Photographers.

Town Hall Studio, Uitenhage ...
J.is. Watson & Co., Port Elizabeth

XX ir.
xxxvii.

xxxviii.
xli.

Produce Merchant.

John Bissett, Uitenhage ... .xii.

Saltpan Companies.

Hirsch, Loubser & Co., Port Elizabeth

(Grootpan) ... ... ... xl.

W. R. Jecks & Co, Port Elizabeth (Port

Elizabeth Saltpan) .. ... xlviii.

Scholastic.

Mnir College, Uitenhage ... ... iv.

Riebeek College, Uitenhage ... ... v.

Industrial School, Uitenhage ... ... xxxii.

School of Shorthand, &c.

Miss A. Dennison, F.I.P.S.. Uitenhage ... xvii.

Tailors.

W. R. Adcock, Uitenhage .. ... xiv.

A. Harris & Co., Uitenhage . ... xli.

Wilson & Deans, Port Elizal)eth ... xxiii.-

.1. liennard, Uitenhage and Port Elizabeth... xlvii.

Trust Companies.

Board of Executors and 'I'rust. (.'o., Uitenhage xi.

y.A. Loan, Investment, and Trust Co.,

Uiti nhage ... .. ... xvii.

Watchmaker and Jeweller.

H. (". Biddle, Port Elizabeth ... ... xxxi.

ADVERTISEMEXTS.

fennell $ Hmtin,

THE Grocery men,

Proprietors of the popular "F & A"
Brand of Tea and Coffee are, as
usual, stocking the Finest Quality
of Provisions only.

Customers are waited upon
daily, and F. & A. have exceptional
facilities for the speedy execution
of Country Orders.

A Discount of 5 (, is allowed
on Current Accounts.

Price Lists may be obtained
at any of our Establishments.

Central Stores : IWarket Street.
Branches: Upper and Loioer Caledon Street.
UiTENHAQE.

ADVERTISEMEXTS.

To the
House=
wives of
Uitenhage
& District.

Postal Address: P. O. Box 71

Tel. Address: "NATIONAL."

The national Butchery Co..

Jce and Cold Storage Works,

Market Street,
UITENHAQE.

Houses, Restaurants,
and Private Families
Supplied.

Orders called for and
Van Ocjjvcrjcs Dailv.

?isb of all descriptions
packed in Ice and sent
to all parts of the country.

ADVERTlSHMEXrs.

r.-r,- \ »f«BiF» [«'<

Engine Ro

A Word

from

THE

Uitenhage

Butchery

THIS is not a Philanthropic Institute, but a busines conducted on business lines,
As such we liave tried to anticipate vour eveiy requirement in the Butchery line,
and pride ourselves on being successful in this respect.
As everyone knows Cold Storage is an absolute necessity in a climate such as ours,
and to meet the demand we have erected a Refhigeratixg Chambek of the latest model
and up to date in every respect. The average temperature in this chamber is 15 degrees
below Freezing Point. Cleaxlixess is our motto. Our premises were specially erected
to meet the requirements of a First-class Trade and are illuminated throughout with
Electricity. We kill and import onlv the very best meat and have always on hand a
libera: supply of BEEF, MUTTON, LAMB, VEAL, PORK and all kinds of Game when
HI season. Our Ice-makixg Machixery is quite up-to-date, and this commodity is sold
at very moderate prices.

We supply FOWLS, PORK, H.A^f, TL'RKEYS, DUCKS, GEESE, ready cooked at
a slight extra charge, also SPICED BEEF, etc.

The national
Butchery Co*.

Market Street,
UlTENHAGE.

AI)]l-:i'!TISEMEXTS.

. . . IDuir Colk(|C, . . .

HIGH SCHOOL FOR BOYS, UITENHAQE.

Boiird of IPana^cmcnl

Mr. E. J. PHILPOTT, C.C. & R.M. (Chairmanl;

Hon. J. F. UOLLEV. Rev. D. J. PIE.NAAR, B.A.. Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. MATTHEUS, Mr. T. W. MILLS. J. P.. M.L.A..

Rev. J. WHITESIDE, and Mr. 0. L. VAN NIEKERK.

Teaching Staff :

PRINCIPAL.— Air. JOHN SUTHERLAND, M.A. (Honours), F.E.LS., Dux Medallist of Edinburgh
University.

SENIOR DEPARTMENT.— Mr. WILLIAM GORDON, M.A., Vice=Principal ; Mr. THOAIAS
BELL, CM., Scotch Privy Council ; Mr. A. HERHOLDT, CM. ; Mr. J. KLINCK, CM. ; Miss
A. HARPER, CM.

JUNIOR DEPARTMENT.— Miss N. J. AlcLENNAN, CM., Scotch Privy Council; Miss SMITH,
CM.; ;Miss H. HARPER, CM.

TEACHER OF PAINTING. Miss A. HARPER.

TEACHERS OF DUTCH. -Messrs. HERHOLDT and KLINCK.

TEACHERS OF SCI ENCE. -Messrs. J. SUTHERLAND and W. GORDON.

TEACHER OF WOODWORK.— Mr. T. BELL.

DRILL INSTRUCTOR. - Sergeant CONDON.

BAN DM ASTERS. -Messrs. HENWOOD and SLACK.

SCALE OF fees:

KELOW STAXDAKIl
STANDARD I ..
II..

o 17 0

I 2 6

1 7 6

1 12 6

1 17 0

2 2 6
2 7 6

A reduction in the above is made for all members of a family after the lirst.

Pupils are taught up to the Matriculation stage.

Shorthand, Type-writing, and Book-keeping are included in the Sciiool
Curriculum, and are not charged for as e.xtras.

In connection with the School there is a Boarding Department under eUicient
management. Terms, tlO per quarter, which includes bed and table
linen and washing.

Fo; fiuther particulars appiv to

THE PRINCIPAL.

ADVERTISEMEXTS.

*»^»^*0*f^K^»0*^»^e^^^U'i^i«'*Jttn0vl'tt/^^fm^^%r^J>mii*'M'j.-^ft^^fvrfmiM*mi0*^^m0t0^^^ft^^^0^^

Jiiebeek Qolkge,

m^ I

Girls' Hig'h School, Uitenhag^e.

Committee of Management

Rev. D. J. PIENAAR, B.A., Chairrnan.
Rev. WILLIAM ANGUS, Hon. Secretary. L. J. VAN VUUREN,

Hon. J. F. DOLLEY. T. VV. MILLS, Esq., M.L.A.. R. H. LUNDIE, E;^., A. P.

Rev. J. VV. HJUSHHAM.

Esq., Treasurer.
DE VILLIERS, Esq.

TcachJnc) Staff.

Miss HOULISTON,

Lady PrincipaL
Miss KUPFER-
BURQER,

Vice=PrincipaI.
MissKETCHEN.M.A.
Miss PARRY i Inter.

B.A.)
Miss MILNE, P.C.
Miss NICOL iPt.

L. L.A.J
Miss JORDAN (Pt.

L. L.A.I
Miss I. M. HOLLINQS
Miss DOW ELL.
Miss R. SMITH.
Miss JOLIBERT.

Teaching Staff.

KINDERGARTEN.

Mi5sA\0RRIS0N,PC
Miss DE WET i Kin-
dergarten Cert. I

MUSIC DEPARTMENT

N\rs. Mllil L.

L.R.A.A\.
Aliss L. QUNNINfl,

Violin.
.Miss O. PANNELL,

Piano.
.Miss E. HOLLINQS,

Piano.

ART MISTRfSS.

.■Miss DORMAN.

Course of Studv.

GEXEK.AL SIBJECTS.

In the Upper Classes, the standard of work ranges from the requirements of " School
Elementary' " E.xamination to those of the Matriculation of the Cape Colony.

In the Preparatory Classes, attention a id care are sp_',-i dlv paid to detail so as to ensure
A trood foundation for a hitrher education.

FEES.

IndiuUng, Statio
Seniors' MatriciiLition Cla?
High School C
High School B
High School A
Sl.ind^ud V. ,
St.iiid.irci IV,
St.ind.ird 111.
Sl:>nd:ud II.
Sl.md.lrd I. .

FEES.

MISIC llCliS. .\dv.mccd. i2 lo. per quarle:

lic.ai liners, 25s.
SIXGIXG, iz per quarter.
HARMONY, lOi. M. per quarter.
VIOLIX. Advanced, A'l los, per qnarter :

Kc.i;inne:s, 2.^s.
P.AIXTIN'G, £1 per quarter.
HAUMOXU'M. 4:2 per cuarlcr.

The College and the Boarding Department are situated in the linest and healthiest part
if Uitenhage, and every facility is offered for a hrst-cliss education.

For terms application mav he made to the La.lv Principal or to the Hon. Secretary.

ADVERTISEMEXTS.

CABINET=,MAKINQ

and
JOINERY ....

a Speciality.

Ttio

Pioneer Ulorks.

HUMANSDORP.

CARRIAGES,
CARTS & WAQONS
made to Order.

Orders for TIMBER
executed and sent
to all parts.

H. B. SIEBERT,

••^^

Proprietor.

^tm

Being established over ^o years, and near the
T^ Zitzikannua Forest, I am in a position to obtain the

Choicest of Woods

(for 10 hie h this forest is noted) ; and employing thoroughly
practical European hands only, I can guarantee all zvork
executed.

R.W Work: donet l3y Ha.r».<l.

.%mal Ifiantin arr nnplnncD far Urpuirr. of all kinti5

GENERAL BUILDING
CONTRACTOR. . . .

Good References can
be given.

The Pioneer Workshop

Is Situated Close to the

Railway Station.

Prices can be obtained
on application.

Country Orders have
very careful attention.

ADIERTISEMEXTS.

The Largest and only
§(cam Bdkcrv in town
inhere all the Best -
Goods of all descrip-
tions are turned out
at the Shortest Dotice.

^Andrew JCoare,

market Stmt,
Uitcnbagc.

Steam Bakery,

^ ^

iUeddini}. Birthday and
Christening Cakes.
lUhite. Broinn eind n)alt
Bread turned out daily,
and supplied to all the
Larijest Estahlishmenis
in Tomn.

\i)\f.rtisi-:mexts.

"^^f^/^'x^n^'

the: paoTiiii>

Drapery. Clothing, and Boot Store.

CALEDON STREET, UITENHAQE.

Dress
Goods

Houscbold
Drapcrv.

Carpets.

Linoleums.

Rugs

and

Mats.

T/w CHEAPEST HOUSE in the Town for

Clothing

Boots.

Bedsteads.

Bedding.

rurnilure.

Portmanteaus

and

Trunks.

Our Show Jtooms are always replete with the Season s Novelties.

[.adics' ani XH-iiirerv's ■Xrim.r.e- I)y^i,.'J;i2r^, Sssbu-mes, (Loats, jyCaatles, ^Vt^-ciatasacs.
"_r.e lalest ia JiZzkyrz:Lr. C-"<2 variety ia (Lorsels aad l/aderclolhiao.

BAeiUeO„"Tlie Bee Hive," DtolM.

AD\'KRTISEMEXTS.

Tomn Hci!l StUilio,

At Back of Town Hal

Uitcnhagc. hiqhclass

PHOTOGRAPHS

S^ 3'f!

of every size and des =
cription at « =

MODERATE

PRICES.

BABIES A SPKCIALITV

Our Splendid Enliirk$emcnts

Avr ^iiMtlv ap|iiVLiatecl in
^•J tliL- Touii and District.

PHOTOS OF HOUSES, PET ANIMALS, &c.

Studio,

BdcK of Tcmn Hiill.

T. Osborne Silk,

/Irchitcct and Buiider^

J John Street,
§ Uitenhage.

Plans and €stimatcs given for all classes of j^uildings

and Repairs.

.,.. ADVERTISEMHXTS.

L. EVANS,

JSutcher and Provision JYterchant,
Constitution Road and Caledon Street,
UiTENHAGE.

GREEN & Co.,

IDanufacturcrs of Jlcrated Ulatcrs, fruit
Syrups. Vinegar, Hop Beer, 5 Ginger Beer

OLR AlANLFACTLKES HAVE STOOD THE TEST OF TIME

And are known far and wide for the Excellence of their Ouality and the Purity of their Ingredients.
THEY ARE THE OLTCOA\E OF FIFTY YEARS OF PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE.

When you get Qreen & Co.'s Mannfactures, you iret the very Best. Call for Green & Co.'s and

refuse all others !

\Vf lire iigciih for llic Xaipoliliiii he Crcniii Co., niul kiii sii/^ply In Criaiii in miy i/iidiilily

tit Reasonable Rules.

QREEN & Co.,

CONSTITUTION ROAD,
UITENHAGE.

AD] ERTISEMEXTS.

iAn Up-to-T>ate J'amily JCotet

Criterion Hotel, ■

Calcdon Sirccl. Uitcnhaac.

Cuisine Good and everything of tine Best Quality.

The Comfort of Visitors is the first consideration
of the Proprietor, and the Hotel is noted for its
Moderate Charges.

J. W. HARTIN, Proprietor.

Uitenhagc Board of Executors

ESTABLISHED

and Trust Companv* Ltd.,

DIRECTORS :
W. H. PHILLIPSON, Esq., F. O. MOSEL, Esq. T. W. GUBB, Esq.

Chairman. \V. H. DOLLEY, Esq. P. R. HEUGH, Esq.

The Company Undertakes —

Trust Business of every description, including the .Administration of Estates Testate, Intestate,
Insolvent or .Assigned ; the .Agency and I^Ianagement of the Affairs of persons resident in or
absent from the Colony, &c., &c.

The Sale and Purchase of Landed Property and other Securities.

The Raising of Loans, Investment of Capital, and General .Agency of all kinds.

Transfers, Bonds, and all other Deeds arranged for.

Wills, Leases, and all other Deeds drawn. .Auctioneering in Town and Country.

Sworn .Appraisements of Properties by the Secretary.

Monies received on Fi.xed Deposit at fair rates of Interest.

.Agents for the •' South .African Mutual," '• Law Union and Crown," " Star," and " Standard'' Life
".Assurance Societies, and for the " Royal," "Atlas." "Equitable," "Commercial Union," and
"P.E. Guardian" Fire Companies, on whose behalf proposals are received daily.

Prompt attention. Prompt Settlements.

Te,e,.apMc Address: BOARD J- J- A L B E RT Y N , Secrctary.

ADVERTISKMEXTS.

*^^^^*m^*^*^*f«^*^^^^^»^t0^^m^im0*^^^a^t0*^^^m^t0*^^^m0t0t^^^^a^^f^^^mm^^^^0a^^^^^^tii0^^t^»0t0^^^

John JSissetf,

Produce and General merchant.
Commission /Igent, &c..

dealer in all kinds of

Grain, Boer and Mealie
Meal, Flour, Forage, Chaff,
Potatoes, Onions, Poultry,
and all descriptions of
General Produce.

Imported and
Colonial Seed
Potatoes. . .

t'S

UlTENHAGE.

Telegraphic Addr
• ItlSSHTT."

■M^^Mff'M^^'WaM^^MffBM^^MPMM^^MPaM^^MfMM^^^WaM^^AfnMtfM^^MMW^^^^i^^WaM

AD]'ERr!SEMEXTS.

PLEASE

isfw^grsi^-^i-fir^jri!

Hosiers and Outfitters.

iUe arc
The Drapers t

Cash Trading Co..

Market Street,
UITENHAGE.

Goedhals 8 Du Toit,

/Ittorncys. notaries and - ■
JIuctionecrs,

Q. L. M.QOEDHALS, J.P.,

Sworn Appraiser, Deputv
Sheriff, and Secretar> to the
Divisional Council.

F. D. DU TOIT.

Hunian$dcrp«

Undertake Sales of flovable and Immovable Property,
Raising of Loans, Administration of Estates, etc.

ADVERTISHMEXrS.

I I

I THE Tailor and J

Prices as lom as pcssibic

coniniensuratc w itli

Good Style, Superior n)atcriai
and Ulorkmansl>ip. -

A Record kept of every .Measure-
ment taken during the last
Ten Years.

W. R. ADCOCK,

Market Street, UITENHAGE.

For.

Varied, Sood,
and Cheap
Sroceries !

*"'y-.„

R^i^^i't Ord, "- 1;-

ADVERTISEMEXTS.

Couldridge §>

Complete JCouse furnishers.

Our ShoiD-rooms

are icplcte with all the

Latest and IDost Up-to-date
House rurnjshin^s

which, being bouj^ht tor cash
in the World's Best Markets,
we are enabled to otYer at

tvccptional Prices.

Specialities in

BEDSTEADS, CARPETS,
LINOLEUMS, MATTINUS, BED =

ROOM SUITES, DINING

and DRAWINQ = ROOM SUITES,

STOVES, OIL and WOOD;

PIANOS and ORGANS.

WALL PAPERS

Largest Stock in Town.
20,000 Rolls to select from
at LOWEST RATES.

Note the Address :

Market St.,
Uitcnhage.

Houses Furnished on
the HIRE SYSTEM.

Furniture Made and Repaired
on the Shortest Notice. =

UPHOLSTERING in al! its Branches.

AI)]ERT1SEMEXTS.

ADVERTISEMEXTS.

J. E. COATES,

LADIES

■ & GENTS' HAIRDRESSER, II

Dicholson*

s BuilJJiikSS, Caledon
Uitcnha^e.

Sired.

Priz'atc Sulo 'ii for
Toild Ri;ii sites

ssortmad of
Requisites in
S/oct.

F. E. HUTCHINSON,

GENERAL AGENT.

^tul-o,.r. .ss.HAMc. Picholson's Buildjnis$,

c»'"n,""„u'tua; r~° I — Uilcnhaijf.

F. E. TOMUNSON,

ARCHITECT & SURVEYOR,

Caledon Street. Uilenhaije.

BROWN

& AUSTIN.

' li-- GiiiintI Ai^ciils.

P.O. Box 7Q,

UITENHAGE.

A. P. DE VILLIERS J.P.,

Holder of University Certifcate in Law
and Jurisprudence. -

LEGAL PRACTITIONER, SWORN TRANS-
LATOR AND APPRAISER TO SUPREME
COURT. • . • LAW ADVISER TO THE
D. VISIONAL COUNCIL.

UITENHAGE .^

UITENHAGE SCHOOL OF SHORTHAND
AND TYPEWRITING,

Dicholson's Buildinijs.

UITENHAGE.

Prill, i p,il :

Miss A. DENMSON, F.I.P.S..
< Diploma London. )

M. E.

ATTORNEY

MACKENZIE,

& NOTARY PUBLIC.

Caledon Street.

P.O. Bo

X 08.

Uitenha^e.

THE SOUTH AFRICAN LOAN,
INVESTMENT, & TRUST CO. LTD.,

UITENHAGE.

THE COMPANY UNDERTAKES

Thf Investment of C.lpital, the Administration of Est.-ltes.
the Sale or Purch.ise of Landed Property. &c.. acting as
Executors, Trustees. Curators, Guardians and .Mministrators :
liaising of Loans, Eflecting of Transfers and Mortgage Bonds,
the I)ra\ving-up of Wills and Contracts, and Clrrving on
Agency, Estate, and Trust Business in all its branches.'

Agents for Kire. -Accidents, and Life Assurance Companies.

The C.irporation offers to its Clients continuity of appoint-
ment in all c.nses <.f Trust and .Administration. '

It provides absohilc secviritv. and direct. irs and ofticers of
cxptiiencc administer the whole of its business.

Telegraphic Address :

•TRUST."

P.O. Box 3.S.

Offices :
LIBRARY BUILDINGS,
CALEDON STREET

I. W. POHL,

Miiiiniiiiiii Dmrlor.

C. E. HOLLINGS,

ACCOUNTANT, LAW & GENERAL AGENT,

Caledon Street.

( Oft'ositc Diviswiuil L\<iiiieil Oftuesl.

UITENHAGE.

ADVERTISEMEXTS.

EVERYONE would do well to call on

CENTRAL PHARMACY,

Caledon Street,

Uitenhage,

High in
Quality,

Yet iDithin the
reach of all. is
the kind of stock
ipe keep.

PROPRIETARY
ARTICLES,

jManufactured by leading
English firms, assuring
thereby the finest Drugs
and Chemicals being

TOILET

REQUISITES

in great \ariety, includ-
ing fresh stocks of Tooth
Brushes, Puffs, Powders,
Perfumes, Hair Oils, and
Soaps.

Where
there's

a
WILL

'S -"& -fTx 'T9.5'«

There's

a
WAY.

XoU'il for our fitiiious

Ladies' "Oceana" and
"n)ona" Bar and l.ace

Shoes.

BOYS' SCHOOL BOOTS
A SPECIALITY ._^
"Anglo Saxon," "Hold =
fast" Brands, etc.

Catalogue st'iil /«/ /«■■ on afflicalioii.

F. C. WAY «& CO.,

Importers of
HiaH-CLASS BOOTS
and SHOES from
EngLand, America,
and the Continent.

COUNTRY onOtHS
RECEIVE PROMPT An

Caledoji Street,

ADVERTISHMEXTS.

Armstrong & Co.,

Auctioneers,

•f>

Sales of Slaughter Stock every
Thursday, Milch Cows, Horses,
Oxen, &c., every Saturday.

Commissioned Sales every
Saturday.

Furniture Sales at Private
Houses.

Landed Property Sales in Town
or Country.

Cash Settlement or Remittance
immediately after Sale.

<f>

NOTE. Farmers are
particularly requested
not to send any Stock
for sale here before
first inquiring the
state of the Market.

Poilnl AdcirciS :
P.O. BOX I02.

TekHrafh Ailihas :

"ARMSTRONG.

Port Elizabeth,

AI)]KRTlSKMEXrS.

a#iwta^^M*M^^^^«M^*a^^M**^*a^M4*«^i^^M^BM^^M«nMi^^^4^«M^NMPaMi^APaM^^MpaM^^M*«Mtfa

CENTRAL
HOTEL,

Is W

D. BRUNTON,
Proprietor.

Caledon Street,

Uifenhage.

SPECIAL TERMS
TO BOARDERS, =
Weekly or Monthly.

Billiard Room.
Good Stabling.

Terms Moderate.

1x7^

<;^

P^0^,tt^^0^f0t0^0^,^i0^0^m0*0^fmfmt»0*^m0i0t^»i0fi^^*^»^*^>^»*^*^**^»^*^*^»^^'^*

TRY.

Sroceries
of all
JC'inds,
and Wines
and Spirits.

The Black Store,

Caledon Street,

ad\ertisi-:mexts.

RADEMEYER
& 5AFFERY,

General
Importers,

HUriANSDORP.

bf.

PROVISIONS. HARDWARE, DRAPERY.
OUTFITTING, AGRICULTURAL IMPLE=
MENTS, BUILDING MATERIAL.- ^.o*.

dealers in all branches
of Colonial Produce.

Standard Life Assurance Co. and
Commercial Union Tire Insurance.

ADVERTISEMEXTS.

BESPOKE

CLOTHING

SPECIALITY.

3. ^ H> Du Plessis.

General Merchants,

twain Stmt. Humansdorp,

Always have on hand
a well°assorted stock of

GENERAL HOUSEHOLD DRAPERY and FANCY GOODS-
BOOTS, SHOES, and SLIPPERS. = MEN'S, YOUTHS', and
BOYS' CLOTHING. - HARDWARE, LEATHER GOODS.
GROCERIES, &c. AT LOWEST PRICES. ....

AD] ERTISEMEXTS.

y',<, ', '.

Lincoln, Bennett

s, - ... g^,.^

K.-..^:..:-:

& Co.'s Hats.
Every requisite

»., „ ,, ..X

, .J

for a Gent's

complete
Outfit.

Ulilson $ Dcans^

s^^

Cabin Trunks,

Merchant Tailors and High Class

IIV Spciul
lo H.h\ The-

Kit and other

Leather

Bags.

- Outfitters, -

main Sired.

Gozciiio..

Best Quality

Goods only

Stocked.

Port Elizabeth.

Ci..»»«kj.6 THIS HANDSOME SOLID
OAK DINING-ROOM SUITE

Comprising Sideboard,
Dining Table, Dinner
Wagon, 2 Easy Chairs,
and 4 Ordinary Chairs,
in Olive Green Leather,

Complete £37 los.

FOR FURNITURE TRY

Nov ^ Griffiths,

other Designs,
£18 los. to £60.

llliislnital Fiinilsliiiig Cata-
Joiliic post fire.

PORT ELIZABETH.
BLOEMFONTEIN,
-AND JOHANNESBURG.

AD]-ERTISEMEXTS.

Mechanical Engineer & Wood Turner,

Machinery of all kinds Repaired. Wagon Wood Dressed to Order.

Wood Turning; of E ery Description.

As:ricultural Machinery, Bicycles, Sewing Machines, Guns, &c.. Repaired on the Shortest Notice.

ENGINES and PUMPING GEAR ERECTED.

TiK Tlour $ Sau) IWills and Ulood Turning Ulorhs,
HUMANSDORP.

Thornhill Hotel,

TbOrnhill, near van Staadens.

The Railway Station

is situated close to

the Front Door.

The Proprietor has recently Rebuilt and Refurnished this
Old=established Hostelry, and visitors and pleasure parties
will find every Accomodation there.

GOLF LINKS, GOOD SHOOTING IN THE UlccK-cnd Excufsjons from Fori Elizabclb.

NEIGHBOURHOOD, AND UP-TO-DATE A

SHOWER-BATHS ON THE PREMISES. Tcrms vfrv IDodcratc. ■

Q. C. SMITH, Proprietor.

ADVERTISEMEXTS.

THE

Outfitters
of the
Eastern
Province.

T> Birch

S Co>. Ltd.,

Port

Elizabeth.

Branches :

Grahamstoipn
and Johannesburg.

T. BIRCH & CO

Being Established nearly
HALF A CENTURY we
know exactly the RIGHT
GOODS to keep.

HAVING the Largest Retail
Stocks in South Africa, we
can give the best selection of
Styles, Prices, and Sizes.

Having our Home Factory
and London Office, we are able
to sell Retail at Wholesale
Prices.

SPECIAL SIZES in all Goods for
EXTRA STOUT or SLENDER
BUILDS.

CLOTHING of every
description, Underwear,
Hosiery, Shirts, Ties,
Hats, Brushware, Sponges,
Trunks, Bags, Waterproofs,
Umbrellas, &c., &c.

JUVENILE OUTFITTING A SPECIALITY.
Price Lisls free on Application.

Ai)i l■:I:TlSI■:^JEXTS.

GEARD & Co.,
Port Elizabeth

Sole Agents for

HENEY'S CARTS, CARRIAGES,

WAGONS, and HARNESS.

Importers also of
Gandy &. Cos. Cotton Belting.
"The easy" Washing Machine.
Powder Paint.
Hardware of all Descriptions.

The Best."

ADVERTISEMEXTS.

Jas. Watson & Co.,

Photographic lArtists,

studio:

CUTHBERT'5 BUILDINGS, MAIN STREET,

Port Elizabeth, and at Capetown.

By appointment to
His Excellency
The Governor.

Artistic
Portraiture.

Life-like
Enlart;emcnts.

lUcddinkj.
?amilv. and
illMctic
fi roups.

Messrs. Watson & Co.

Having secured the top floor of Messrs. Cuthbcrt's Building lor their Studio, ha%e the
advantage of an unobstructed Hght, and are able to produce Photographs which are admitted to
be the best in the Colony.

Visitors to the Bay are cordially invited to sjiend a leisure hour to visit our Reception Room,
where some of the finest sjieciniens of leading Pliotographic Portraiture are on view.

Al)\-KRTISEMEXTS.

:*^~sr-;-».->»_. ■ „ _

'uiiliJffW-

"Perfect" Cream Separators. "Osborne" Reapers and Mowers.

Large Stocks of

Timber, Building Material, and Agricultural Implements.

AD]-ERTISI-:Mli\'n

"W^^avMWta^^^MWM^^MfMM^^MPa^^^^Af^Mi^^M^M^^^Maa^^^^M^Mi^^^M^M^^^^MA^^^MiMt^^^MMi

We are Sole Agents for the Renowned

iUaldcmar Pianos.

37 Guineas, £45, £52. net.

Also the Celebrated

Carpenter r: s- Organs,

£11 17s. 6d., 13 Guis., 18 Quis.and up.

Or may be had on Easy Payments.

James Brister Sn Co.,

ComplcU House Tiirnishcrs. PORT ELIZABETH.

SPECIALITIES and STERLING VALUE in

DINING, DRAWING, & BFDROOM SUITES, ^^^^^^^g^i:^^^^!

Sole Agent for the MARSHALL. LONDON. ||.,^ , ^ „ . /,,, .

Patent Sanitary [Jedding. The finest /.i'sh\ini'l c',t'l,il,'i;:u'i

Bedding made. Write for particulars. to-ilny

lan.£ aai Estimate:

upplied fer all Icirias

of Bu,iloLin.g£, on

the shortest

aetice.

•V*

%4. Silhspie,

Builder and Conlraclor,

J3aird Street,
llitenhage.

ADVKRTISEMEXTS.

U^L

SMITH BROS.,

Practical Pomologists, Merchant
Nurserymen, Seed Merchants and
Growers, Florists, &c. = = =

will be pleased to send. Post Free, their

GENERAL ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE

and PRICE LIST of

FRUIT TREES, ROSES, PLANTS,
5EEDS, &c.

/Iddrcss :

Uitcnhagg. ■
Cape Colony.

Is THE Book on Gardening.
Price, bound in Cloth, 10/6 post free.

SMITH BROS., F.R.H.S.,

lis excellent Book in the hands of evei
book for which Aniatenri and othe

We w.int to place a cu
Amateur in South .\lrica.
have waited for ye.irs. The price for such a book should be 21s., but we
sell it at IDS. ikI., post free, to bring it within the reach of all.

£J

ADVERTISEMEXTS.

Deschamps

iind

Haskin^s,

Produce Buyers and
Direct Importers,

Humansdorp.

Fancy Prints, Ginghams, Flannellette, Shirtings,
Calicoes, Cishmeres, Lustres, Muslins, Nainsooks,
Hosiery, Felt Hats, Trimmed Hats, Caps, Tennis
Shirts, Har\ard Shirts, Gents' Clothing, Water-
proofs. Boots of Guaranteed Quality, Port=
manteaux, &c.

MOURNING ORDERS A SPECIALITY. Funerals
conducted in Town and Country.

Groceries of Tip=top Quality. All kinds of Beer,
Wines, and Seasoned Alontague Dop at Lowest
Prices. Enamelware and Hardware of every
description. Guns, Rifles, and Ammunition.
American Carts. First=c1ass Furniture always
in Stock. Building Alaterial of every descrip=
tion on hand.

Colling's Celebrated Steel Ploughs will be the
Plough of the Country.

AD\ERTISEMF.NTS.

^M««M^WaM^«MffaM^^MP*M^^M#MW^^«MM^^^*MI»^^«M«W^^I'

JC. e. twiddle,

Watchmaker, Jeweller, and Optician,

114, Main Street, Port Eliza=
beth

CALLS SPECIAL ATTENTION
|o his Large Stock of

Phonographs and Jteeords.

Country Orders receive prompt altenlioii.

Well nppoiutcil ivorkshops on the premises.
,*t ;;7;t-;t' mannfactnring is earned on mul
reptiirs nre executed by an efficient staff.

Every Article for
Houshold use and display
at the Cheapest Rates.

Complete and partial
Furnishings on the best
terms.

Fancy Goods, Pianos,
Toys, and Latest Novelties
always on hand.

HIRING DEPART-
MENT.— A conveniency
for every function and
occasion.

Special and complete
Stocks available.

»0^^mm^*f^^»ti^t^^09^m0t

CO-OPERATIVE
FURNISHING =
WAREHOUSE,

S3, QUEEN STREET,
: PORT ELIZABETH. :

H. F. MORLEY,

ADVERTISRMEXTS.

Boys*
Industrial
School,
Uitcnha^c.

\\ . McJANNETT,
Superintendent.

SHOEMAKI^Q.

Boots, Shoes, and Slippers of every kind made
to ord-r. Repairs pnnctually attended to.

TAILORING.

Suits of the latest fashion.

CARPENTRY.

Carpentering in all its branches.

BLACKSMITHING. Etc.

All kinds of Blacksmiths' and Farriery work
attended to.

MARKET aARDENING.

Vegetables in season always on sale.

CABINET MAKING.

Furniture of all kinds made of Colonial Woods
and at reasonable prices.

WAGON AND CART BUILDING.

Wagons and Carts of every descrijition built
and repaired.

This Cart complete for £17

ADVERTISEME.VTS.

O
o

r
m

(/)

m
rn
H

H
H

m
m

W
X

>
o

ADVERTISEMEXTS.

IDiddkton Brothers,

Direct Jmporfers and Produce J^uj/ers,

— STEYTLERVILLE.

Highest Prices given for Ostrich Feathers, Wool, Mohair, and Skins.

Stocks of Forage and other Agricultural Produce always on hand at

Lowest Rates.

IU( a\was$ bold carefully selected Stocks, and are
prepared to ^ive verv best values in the follominij
departments :

General Drapery

Furniture.

Fancy Goods.

Building

Dressmaking.

Material.

Tailoring.

Arms and

Boots.

Ammunition.

Groceries.

Agricultural

Hardware.

Implements.

Agents
for

'' Sun ''

?irc

Office.

ADVERTISEMEXTS.

P"^

"V^

Pianos,
Organs,

and

Music,

UlriU 10

Jackson Bros.,

Jytain Street, J*ort Clizabefh.

Steinway
House,

Aiicnh for all the L-Mtlin^ Piano anil
Orfia,i Mako-s:

liROADWOOD.
STEIXWAY.

THUKXXEH.
STKOHMEXPKH.

HKIXSMEAD.
COL LARD.
ROXISCH.

CHAPPELL.

PRICES from . . .

40 Guineas.

Sohl for Ciisli oroii our EASY
PAVMEXr SYSTEM

Drawings, with Prices, etc.,
sent Free on application. .

Lar^jcsl slocK of music and music.il Instruments in the Eastern Province. "^'^ IJow'rfa^d^I"^"'

C.-iuilfv Oul. . - V, (,; r,r ultn :i /-,..,/. <^. r,aclnis ,111,1 S,li,<,tls m,r,\- . ■./<,•, ml ,li.-;.'iinL-. : liiitc Jor (■nrlkalars at once.

JACKSON BROS., Hain Street, Port Elizabeth,

And at Ciraha mstown. East London, and Durban iNatali.

J. C. JUTA & Co., ■

J^orf Clizabefh branch, .

Educational and . .
General Booksellers.

New Books by Weekly
.Mail Boats.

Liih sail 1,-iinlarly
applkation. -'

tPancy and Ceather Soods.

The Ucii WiIiic ohtaiiHihlc in

Dressing Cases, Purses, Music Cases.
Albums, Writing Cases, etc., etc.

WATERMAN'S IDEAL FOUNTAIN PENS.

tArtists ' Material,

Fashionable Writing Papers.

Commercial and General Stationery.
Up=to-date Office Fittings.

Periodicals supplied at the Lowest Rates.

Prompt attention to Postal Orders.

Mc»lla.i^<:l^di^ JEio^lt^ri.

ADVERTISEMRXTS.

f II

Joseph & Co.,

= JANSENVILLE, =

DIRECT IMPORTERS OF

General iS)fCerchandise.

Large Stocks of Drapery, Millinery,
Dress Stuffs, Clothing, Boots and Shoes.

Furniture. Pianos, Organs, Bicycles,
Carts, Stoves.

Fencing Wire, Roughs, Bag Stuffs,
etc., etc.

Large quantities of Forage, Mealies,

Wheat, etc., always on hand at Lowest

Rates.

highest Prices paid for all kinds of
Produce.

\^ III

AD\ ERTISEMEXTS.

T. REEVE, 3unr.,

. . . differ and jySachinisf.

Repairs executed to Gas and Oil Engines, Motor Cars, Cycles, &c.
Cog Wheels Cut, Dividing, &c. = = = = = = =

17, $outb Union Stmt, Port Ciizabdb.

IF YOU WANT A FENCE - - -

COMBIXIXG ^=>i^

STRENGTH,

BEAUTY, and

CHEAPNESS,

Kitsclman ^* Duplex ^^ - - -
Uloven iUirc Tcncc r?)achinc>

ABSOLUTELY JACKAL PROOF.

Agents

*J. 1V« ▼▼ ll-*Lr*:7, JL^LU., street, EI

ELIZABETH.

ADIERTISEMEXTS.

Loerie River.

">v

Jin Ideal Place for Uleek-end Trippers*

Lovely Scenery, Boating, Tishing, Shooting, 5c>

A. P. VAN WYK'S
commodious House
has been specially
built forth
modation of Visitors,
«ho will find there
eveo' comfort at low
charges.

The Railway Station
and all T

resfi

hour to

_ within 20 yards of the Ho

Port Elizabeth stop there for half-an-

able Passengers to dine at this establishment.

A. P. VAN WYK,

Proprietor.

Hoioard. Tarrar, Robinson ^ Co*, ud.

ENGINEERS.

Steam and Oil

btiijincs,

Irrjjiition Plants,
Rcfri^jcrnlor PLhUs.
Ddirviiiij Plitnts.
Pumps. Piping,
Hose iind Tininijs.

FOR . , .

Ploukjhs.

Hiirroins.

Cultiviitors.
Rcipcrs. Binders.
n)ou»crs nnd Kjhcs.

Ch.iff Cultcrs^

':': Churns.
nun Scpnrrttors.

HOWARD'S Celebrated Oil Engines for all purpo
BOX 81,

'^=Tmo,% CANADIAN IIIPERIAL WINDMILL n.,

AND ACME PUMPS. Catalogues Free

PORT ELIZABETH.

AD]-ERTISEMEXTS.

0. J. OOSTHUIZEN,

Soli

citor. Dotarv Public, and Conveyancer,

UITENHAGE.

0. BOX 36.

M. L KRIGE, J.P.,

Attorney, Notary, Auctioneer,
and Sworn Appraiser, . .

> — — STEYTLERVILLE.

D. J. ORSMOND,

Janscnv'illc.

ATTORNEY, NOTARY, AICTIO.NEER,

SWORN APPRAISER.

J. J. SCHEEPERS,

AlloniiV. Xi>hirv. itiij' Aiulioiu-cr,
Pivkitniir, Xoliiris, en Afslitgcr,

. . . Jansenville.

I. J NAUDE,

Atloniev-al-Latv and Xotaiy,

JANSENVILLE.

6. JAMES CHICK,

Agent=at-Law, Auctioneer, . . .

. Land and Estate Agent.

Arhilrntloii!.. Iiiwk-cnl F.fhiUi. cV.

WILLOWMORE.

T. H. MATTHEWS,

LAW, LAND, ESTATE, AND GENERAL AGENT,
AND AUCTIONEER,

iUilloipmorc.

C,is« iomlmi<-il ill Kcsidciit MagistniU's C'liit.

S,i/,s llilil ill Um'ii or coiiiiliy.

Prompt nlli-iitioii lo all liiiiiims ciitnistccl to liiiii.

GEORGE W. MUGGLESTON, J.P.,

LdK' and General AgenI,
Auctioneer and Sworn Appraiser,

WILLOWMORE.

ROBERTS & LUYT,

Attorne.vs and Notaries,

UITENHAQE.

P.O. Box 21.

Telegr.iphic .Address : ■ I.K.\

M. VAN EYSSEN,

General /l^ent and iluctioneer.

STEYTLERVILLE.

ADVERTISEMEXTS.

ZWARTKOPS

Saltpan O'- LT'

GROOTPAN.

A',:^:sU-i,-J J'l.i Y .^fark nf the Cfiiif'a-.y.

The /ollo'.i-iiii; Cnuhs air Mocked :

A A" Fine Table Salt

In Pockets of loo lbs. each.

'A" Fine Salt

In Bags of 200 lbs. each.

B" Medium Salt

In Bags of 200 lbs. each.

'C" Coarse Salt

In Bags of 200 lbs. each.

HirSCh, Loubser 6 Co*, Port Elizabeth,

SOLE AGENTS.

'*tt^*^t^mfa^^^t^mfm0*0^0mtm0m0m0^^m0t^t0^fmft^*0^fim0i

AMV

ESTABLISHED 1882.

J. BAILEY & SON,

Durban Streets Uitcnbagc^

J^ainters, Srainers,

Sign-writers, ^c.

House Repairs in all its Branches.

Estimators and Contractors.

Estimates Free of Charge.

ADIERTISEMEXTS.

nian^old Brothers,

/lisricullural and General Engineers. Brass and Iron Tounders.
Importers of all kinds of n).icbinerv, ....

PORT ELIZABETH, and BLOEMFONTEIN. O.R.C.

r,/,-:,<ivim< • ■MAXGOLU:

Representing Crossley's Patent Oil Engine with Qwynne's Invincible Centrifugal Pump, as
supplied for Irrigation purposes. Hundreds at work throughout South Africa.

S^eoi^lifcio^ :.

Crossley's Patent Gas and Oil Engines ; Ransome's Portable Steam Engines and Thrashing
Machinery ; Ransome's Ploughs and Field Implements ; Walter A. Wood's Mowing and
Reaping Machinery ; " Dandy " Galvanised Steel Wind ]Mills and Pumps ; Mangold's famous
" Keystone " Well Drilling Machinery ; Robinson's Flour Milling and Wood Cutting Machinery ;
Piunps of all kinds and Engineering Re.juisilies.

PLAXS AXD ESTIMATES EURXISHEU.

CATAEOGUES OX APPLICATIOX.

.via.

ADVERTISI-lMEXrS.

Write to

E. W. QOUQH, ^o'-i'' ^icrchant.

FOR SELECT DESIGNS

Monuments,
Tombstones.
Tomb Rails.
Garden Tiles.
Mantelpieces.

OUR SPECIALITY IS

ARTIFICIAL

FUNERAL

WREATHS,

In Pure White,

vrom 2 (5 lo lOC/-
nctt. packed.

ADDRESS.

50. Queen Street. Port Elizabeth.

^^^^»^a0m^^0t*^f^^*m^^0^^m0t0k^^^^tm0k^^^m^t0*0^fm^a^*^^^m^*^h^t^mfi>MMuUtfm^^^k0*^mft^k0^0mttm0^0mt ,

Cuykr Stmt
Hotel, - - -

Ciiyler Street, Ultenbage.

J. SWITQALL,

Proprietor.

3ood
fAccommodafion.

excellent
Stabling.

■*M«^M '

ADVERTISEMEXTS.

xliii.

The South /Jfrican niutual

Life Ussurance Society*

(THE OLD MUTUAL)

Eshihlhh';! nt Cupe Town A.D. 184o.

THE premiums charged by this wealthy
Colonial Institution are LOWER and
the profits declared are LARGER than those
of any of the British or Foreign Life Offices
seeking business in this country.

All funds are invested in South Africa.

Every kind of Life Assurance and
Endowments effected.

For full details and quotations apply to

A. A. ANDRIES,

District IDana^cr.

P.O. Box 386. Port Elizabeth.

UITENHAGE agents:

Messrs. ROBERTS & LUYT,
Attorneys.

9 ''^^pO y|

(^IS

M m\

.x-liv. ADVERTISEMENTS.

South African =
BreiDcrics, Ltd.

Castle Brcipery.

Pert Elizabeth.

Castle Ales, Stout, and Lager
on Draught and in Bottle.

Can be obtained at all the Principal Hotels, Bars,
and Bottle Stores in the Colony.

ADVERTISEMEXTS.

p..

xlv.

J. A. WILLET & Co.,

CHEMISTS,

Caledon Stmt, Uitcnbagc.

Dispensers to Railway Medical Board and Uitenhage Cottage Hospital.

Specialists in Horse, Cattle, and Dog Medicines.
Sole Agents for AUSTEN'S NEU RATINE— a certain cure for Neuralgia.

Ot.-

.,^AJ

Will 5f Philip,

Jnsurance, Cstate,
Seneral ^Agents,

5, Library Building:s, PORT ELIZABETH.

DISTRICT MAXACERS for llic folhi.-iii'; Compel iiics :

STANDARD LIFE ASSURANCE COMPANY.

NORTHERN ASSURANCE COMPANY.

OCEAN, ACCIDENT, AND GUARANTEE CORPORATION, LTD.

Fire, Life, Plate Glass, Accident. Sickness, Workman's Compensation, Burglary, and Fidelity
Guarantee Insurances effected at Lowest Rates 'ind Most Favourable Terms.

Absoliile Security. Liberal Conditions.

Guaranteed Bonuses and every desirable form of Life Assurance granted.

For jiarticulars apply to the above.

AGENCY AND TRUST DEPARTMENT.

Special attention given to investment of Funds, Pmchase and Sale of Landed Properties
and Estates, Raising of Loans, Passing Transfers, Mortgages, etc. ; Collection of Rents and
Dividends, and General .Agency Work.

P.O. Box 241

Telephone No. 526.

Telegrams: "Guarantee."

.viri.

ADVERTISEMEXTS.

\j\. H/IRRIS $ cD

'Z"H3EI

I Ulcll-knoipn Uitcnba^c Tailors $ Outfittters. I

Jm porters of the best Materials for tailoring.

All Orders under the

personal supervision

of Mr. HARRIS.

Our HATS
a speciality.

Nicholson s buildings,

CALEDON STREET,

— — — UITENHAGE.

ADVERTISEMEXTS.

xlvii.

IL..Ji.I>IEIS' CJOSTUIYIEIS-

J. LENNARD,

^ain Street, Port Clizabeth,

AND

Caledon Street, Uitenhage,

HIcjh-class Tailor ^ Outfitter,

Has always on hand a line selection of

TJJ^EEDS and IWlRSTIil) SURGES

TO SELECT FROM,
At the Lowest Possible Prices combined with Style, Fit, aid Workmanship.

{The Outfitting department .....^^^^^

Is full of Up=to=date Hats, Shirts, Collars, Socks, etc.

STRICT ATTEXTIOX (illEX TO ALL LETTER ORDERS.

Measurement Forms sent on application.

HICiH — C3L..-«.SS 'i'^HL IX^OIi.

xhiii. . ADVERTISEMEXTS.

WHEN YOU WANT TO KNOW what il tvill cost to import Goods or ship Produce ;
IF YOU IMPORT GOODS ami tvaiit them cleared through the Ciistcws ami
proiiiptlv foncarded at Lon'cU Chaiges, 7vrite to

W. R. JECKS & CO.,

Commission, Landing, Shipping,
and Forwarding Agents,

P.O. Box 2ie.
Telc^riims : " 3ECKS."

Port Elizabeth.

■«M^^«M«M^^«MM«^^«MM^^^«MM^^^«MtfW^^«MM^^^«M«W^#«MM^«^*MM^|^MMM^«^*M

Port^Elizabeth^^

FINEST COLONIAL SALT.

Depots: ZWARTKOPS, REDHOUSE, and PORT ELIZABETH.

GRADES

"CC

Stock.

"A" "B" "C"

Fine. Medium. Coarse.
In bags of 200 lbs. iiett weight.
Lowest Railway Rates. Prompt Despatch. Write for Samples.
For Domestic, Dairy, Stock, and Lands there is nothing to equal Colonial Salt from the Mission

Pans near the Coast.

Sole Agents: W. R. JECKS & CO., P.O Box 249. Port Elizabeth.

"The South /Ifrican Butchers' Supply Stores

^IIAKE this opportunity of again reminding you that after 2h
_L years' practical experience of the requirements of Butchers,
they have the lai"gest, most complete, and up-to-date stock of

Butchers' Requisites in South Africa.

Scales, Weights, Steel-yards, Meat Cutters for hand and steam power,.

Stuffers, Brine Pumps. Choppers, Knives, Saws, Steels, Brushes, Skewers,

Pullevs, Pepper, Spices, Herbs, Biscuit Meal, Potato t'lour, Casings, Bungs,

Runners, Meat Preservatives, etc.

Wnic (or Calatoguc. Oiilv Ihc lU'sl Make- and the Ihst Oiitilitv (ioods slinh-nl.

W. R. JECKS & CO., Port Elizabeth.

° 000 015 050

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