Volume 2

Report from the Select Committee on Aborigines (British Settlements) with the minutes of evidence, appendix and index.

  • Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Select Committee on Aboriginal Tribes.
Date:
1966
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report from the Select Committee on Aborigines (British Settlements) with the minutes of evidence, appendix and index. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    47/316 (page 39)
    basin; and Macomo, who, in a letter written in 1833, says, that “I have lived peaceably with my people west of the Chumie River, ever since I have been allowed by Stockenstrom and Somerset to live there in my own country.” * Whatever may be the opinions of our witnesses on this and on other par- ticulars of our border policy, on one point we observe they are all agreed, in condemning and in lamenting its fickleness and inutility. This vacillation may be explicable, perhaps, to ourselves, who are aware of the variety of men and opinions concerned in the administration of affairs, and of the contradictory representations liable te be made at a remote seat of government ; but, as Lord Glenelg has justly observed, to the natives our pro- ceedings must often have assumed an appearance of caprice, and of a confusion perfectly unintelligible. In no case has this vacillation been more awkwardly exemplified than in the further transactions with Macomo, thus stated by Captain R. S. Aitchison :— 115. Have you ever been employed in removing any of the Caffre tribes out of the neutral territory ?—I have: in November 1833 I was ordered to remove Macomo, Botman and Tyalie, beyond the boundary, which I did. | 116. Who was the commandant of the frontier at that time ?—Colonel England, of the 75th ; Colonel Somerset having gone on leave to England. 117. Who was the governor !—The acting governor was Colonel Wade; after. Sir Lowry Cole’s departure, and before Sir Benjamin D’Urban arrived, Colonel Wade was acting governor. 118. Will you state what took place when you were ordered to remove Macomo and Tyalie?—Colonel England sent for me (I was absent about 30 miles from Graham’s-town), and stated that he had received from Cape-town orders to remove those chiefs beyond the boundary, and that I was named for that duty. He then, as I had been a long time in the country and understood these matters perfectly, asked me the policy of that step, and we agreed that as it was the time of the year when the Caffre corn and pumpkins were in a forward state, that if this could be put off for a few months it would be an act of charity towards the Caffres. Viewing it as I did, he did not act upon the order, but by the post of the following day wrote to say that such being the case, he had submitted again the policy of allowing the Caftres to remain until they had reaped their harvest, and hoped it would be approved of by the governor. By return of post, which was about 14 days from that date, a peremptory order arrived for the removal of the Caftres. I was named and ordered to repair to Fort Willshire, to take upon myself the command of that post, and to superintend the clearing of the country. The force that was then put under my charge was quite inadequate to effect this purpose by force. I sent for Macomo and for Botman, and as I had known them many years, I told them, and in fact they expressed great confidence, knowing that 1 had never deceived them in any way whatever, and never promised them that which I could not perform. I sent for them and explained the case. At first they refused positively to go: I then pointed out as well as I could the absurdity of objecting to go. rads said he knew very well that I could not force him ; I said of course that I must do it, but that if he would go quietly and advise all his people to do the same, Colonel Somerset might be expected very shortly and also the new governor, and that his good behaviour on this occasion would insure him my support, and that I would not fail, if he went quietly, to mention his conduct to both when they arrived. After many hours, I may say almost, of needless conversation upon the subject, he at last said that he would believe me, and would go. I gave him two days to complete the evacuation of the country, and then 1 went with the whole force I had, and did not find a single Caffre. 119. Had they left any property?—-All the corn, which was quite green, all the gardens, and all the pumpkins, and everything was left ; no animals were left. 122. In this conversation that you had with Macomo, did he claim his right to stay ? —No; but he distinctly said, which we found out afterwards to be the case, that he could not make out the cause of his removal, and asked me if I would tell him; and I really could not: I had heard nothing, no cause was ever assigned to me for the removal ; and moreover I met a boor who lived close to where Macomo was, and he said, “ Pray what are you removing these people for?” I said “ My orders are to do so.” He said “TI am very sorry for it, for I have never lost, so long as they have been here, a single beast ; they have even recovered beasts for me.” 125. Then Macomo behaved, in this interview between you and him, very well ?—At first, as may be supposed, he was very violent ; the man was very much irritated. I could not * See also Despatch of Sir B. D’Urban, 28th Oct. 1834, Cape Papers, Part II. 1835, No. 252. Pp. 103. 425. i SOUTH AFRICA. 549- P: 555» 2694 66. Capt. R. S. Aitchison.