The Settler and the Savage | Page 6

has been a bloody war with the Kafirs, which has
only just been concluded. Peace has been made only this year, and the
frontier is now at rest. But who will rebuild the burned homesteads of
this desolated land? who will reimburse the ruined farmers? above all,
who will restore the lost lives?"
The young Dutchman's eyes kindled, and his stern face flushed as he
spoke, for although his own homestead had escaped the ruthless savage,

friends and kindred had suffered deeply in the irruption referred to,
which took place in 1819, and one or two of his intimate comrades had
found early graves in the wild karroo.
Considine, sympathising with his companion's feelings, said, "I doubt
not that you have much to complain of, for there is no colony under the
sun that escapes from the evil acts of occasional bad or incompetent
Governors. But pray do not extend your indignation to me or to my
countrymen at large, for few of us know the true merits of your case.
And tell me, what was the origin of the war which has just ended?"
The young farmer's anger had passed away as quickly as it came.
Letting his bulky frame sink back into the reclining position from
which he had partially risen, he replied--
"Just the old story--self-will and stupidity. That domineering fellow
Lord Charles Somerset, intending to check the plundering of the colony
by Kafirs, chose to enter into treaties with Gaika as paramount chief of
Kafirland, although Gaika himself told him plainly that he was not
paramount chief. Of course the other chiefs were indignant, and refused
to recognise such treaties. They did more: they made war on Gaika, and
beat him, whereupon Somerset, instead of leaving the niggers to fight
their own battles, must needs send a great commando of military and
burghers to `restore' Gaika to his so-called supremacy. This was done.
The chief T'slambi was driven from his villages, and no fewer than
11,000 head of cattle were handed over to Gaika. While this was going
on at the eastern frontier, the Kafirs invaded the colony at other points,
drove in the small military posts, ravaged the whole land, and even
attacked the military headquarters at Grahamstown, where, however,
they were defeated with great slaughter. After this a large force was
sent to drive them out of their great stronghold, the Fish River bush.
This was successfully accomplished, and then, at last, the right thing
was done. The Governor met the Kafir chiefs, when it was agreed that
they should evacuate the country between the Great Fish River and the
Keiskamma, and that the territory so evacuated should form neutral
ground. So matters stand at present, but I have no faith in Kafirs. It is
their pride to lie, their business to make war, and their delight to

plunder."
"But is it not the same with all savages?" asked Considine.
"Doubtless it is, therefore no savages ought to be trusted, as civilised
men are trusted, till they cease to be savages. We trust them too much.
Time will show.--By the way, I hear that a new move is about to be
attempted. Rumour says that your Government is going to send out a
strong party of emigrants to colonise the eastern frontier. Is this true?"
"It is," replied Considine; "I wonder that you have not heard all about it
before now."
"Good reasons for that. For one thing, I have just returned from a long
trip into the north-western districts, and I have not been in the way of
hearing news for some time. Besides, we have no newspapers in the
colony. Everything comes to us by word of mouth, and that slowly.
Tell me about this matter."
"There is little to tell," returned Considine, replenishing the fire with a
thick branch, which sent up a magnificent display of sparks and scared
away a hyena and two jackals that had been prowling round the
camp-fence. "The fact is that there is a great deal of distress in England
just now, and a redundant population of idlers, owing to the cessation
of continental wars. This seems to have put it into the heads of some
people in power to encourage emigration to the eastern part of this
colony. In the House of Commons 50,000 pounds have been voted in
aid of the plan, and it seems that when the proposal was first made
public, no fewer than 90,000 would-be emigrants applied for leave to
come out here. Of these I believe 4000 have been selected, and
twenty-three vessels chartered to convey them out. This is all I could
learn before I left England, but I suppose we shall have more light on
the subject ere many months have gone by."
"A good plan," said the Dutchman, with