Dower 



Early Annals of Kokstad and Griqualand East 




THE EARLY ANNALS OF KOKSTAD AND GRIQUALAND EAST. 

-BY- 

REV. WILLIAM DOWER, 

OF 
PORT ELIZABETH. 

PRINTED BY JAS. KE^ISLEY cSc Co., 
Port Elizabeth. 


CHAPTER I. 

During a visit recently paid to the rising town of Kokstad, 
my attention was more than once called to the fact that of 
those who took part in the founding of the town 30 years ago, 
I only am left. The Eev. William Murray, who subsequently 
became, and has continued till now, to be closely associated 
with the history of the town, left the district immediately afte 
the site had been fixed on, and did not return till 11 years 
thereafter. Adam Kok, the Griqua Chief, after whom the 
town was named, Charles Brisley, his Secreta y, Edward 
Barker, who filled the position of Surveyor, and every member 
of the old Heemraad or Privy Council has passed away. The 
last of the two men who held office, as Magistrate, from 1869 
to 1872, while the town was taking shape— the late Lodowijk 
Kok, of somewhat painful memory to the present generation — 
has quite recently also deceased More than one of the citizens 
suggested that I should use some leisure moments in compil- 
ing reminiscences of the early days of the Township. The 
suggestion in some instances took the stronger form of an 
urgent request. There is always a wonderful fascination 
around the beginning of things. The dwellers in a city or 
even the merest hamlet are curious to know when, how, by 
whose thought and toil it came originally to have a local habi- 
tation and a name. I do not mean to say that there are not 
Griquas still living who have knowledge of these things. 
Members of the old Griqua Yolksraad and Field-cornets of 
Wards are still to be seen walking the streets of Kokstad, 
shorn, of course, of their authority and dignity, and mourning 
the loss of their emoluments. Some of these men have, or had, 
wondrous gifts of speech. Indeed, if it comes to speaking on 
any subject of which they think they have a little knowledge, 
I am afraid the best of us would have to take a back seat ; but 
apart from this facile loquacity, I am not aware that any of 
them has shown any literary fitness to record the early annals 
of a nascent city. 



1332289 



I lay no claim to special literary qualifications for such a 
work, but I am moved to attempt it by the clinching remark of 
my old friend, T. Coulter, 'Esi-, the Mayor of Kokstad, when 
he said to me, " Well, if you cannot, or will not place on 
record the story of the early settlement of this town, then 
most of the facts will die with you." I accept that challenge. 
What may come of my attempt remains to be seen. 

I propose to bring these Annals down to the termination of 
the Basuto War. After that, it becomes " modern history," and 
the events are well known to the present mhabitants, and 
besides are recorded in the files of the local paper. 

The story of the founding of the town of Kokstad is 
inseparably linked with the story of the settlement of the 
Griquas in East Griqualand or Nomansland, or, as the, 
Griquas first called it New Geiqualand. That, again, cannot 
be rightly understood without some knowledge of their previous 
history, and especially their political status in the 
country, which is now the Orange Eiver Colony. That, again, 
leads to questions as to their antecedents. Who are the Griquas? 
Whence came they ? The physique of the pure Griqua, and 
especially the features, show him to belong to the Hottentot, 
not to the Kaffir race. 

CHAPTER II. 

When Europeans first landed in Table Bay, there was a 
considerable variety of Hottentot tribes living in different parts 
of the country, such as the Damaqua, Gonaqua, Inqua, 
Hessequa, Damaqua, and Grigriqua. Memorials of these tribes 
remain among us in the names of districts and places. 

The Grigriquas were located along the coast, in the 
neighbourhood of what is now the District of Malmesbury. 
As the white man pushed northwards, he displaced the 
Grigriquas, who kept moving on until they crossed the Orange 
Eiver. They then moved eastwards, attracted by the rich lands 
and flowing fountains in the country, now known as Griqualand 
West. There tlrey settled down undisturl)ed, living on the 
proceeds of the chase, and the milk of their cattle. They are 
described in 1800 as " a herd of wandering and naked savages 
subsisting by plunder and the chase. Tbeir bodies were 
daubed with red paint, their heads loaded with grease and 
shinny powder, with no covering, but the filthy karoas over 
their shoulders, without knowledge, without morals or any 
traces of civilization, they were wholly abandoned to witch- 
craft, drunkenness and licentiousness." They cultivated no 
ground, they built only the maantje house — a shght basket 
frame of wattles, covered with rush-mats, which could be 
erected or taken down by the wife, while the man boiled the 
kettle. When I visited the Griquas at the Mount Currie 



Laager first in 1869, ons of these viaantje huts was still in use. 
The owner, an old widow, declined to live in any of the new 
fangled square houses. She said the old is better, and she 
stuck to it, and died in it. 

Two agencies co operated to introduce the elements of 
civilization. First, Missionary Agency, commenced about 1800, 
and next, the large influx of escaped slaves from the Colony. 
These brought with them not only a considerable admixture of 
European blood, but such rudiments of civilization as they had 
acquired from their Dutch masters. Griqualand, as we may 
call it, became, as the years passed on, to tha slaves from the 
Colony, a sort of Canada, a refuge from the storm, a covert 
from the tempest, a land of liberty. These half-caste slaves 
had something of the energy and self-reliance and " go " of 
their European fathers, while the colour inherited from their 
slave mothers qualified them for what Burgher rights existed 
among the Griquas. As time went on, the three elements, 
Griqua, slave, and half-caste freely intermingled, prodacing the 
exceedingly mixed race we now see. 

At first, the pure Griquas were the wealthier and more 
numerous, and constituted the nobility of the tribe. All the 
others were '' S'otiimar mensche," only ordinary mortals. They 
also gave a name to the whole — a name they have retained 
after the pure Griqua has almost become extinct. The 
dropping of the reduplication in the tribal name is easily 
accounted for, just as we abreviate all long common names. 
Among the Dutch of the Colony, they were long known as " The 
Bastards," a descriptive title given with greater regard to fact 
than to courtesy. 

Some time in the thirties the tribe divided, and each half 
had its elected chief. Waterboer, with one half, chiefly pure 
Griquas, settled around Griquatown. Adam Kok, or " Dam " 
Kok, as he was familarly called, with the other half, chiefly half- 
casts, settled between the Modder and the Orange Rivers, with 
the Caledon for an eastern boundary, and the line which now 
divides the Orange River Colony from Griqaaland West as his 
western border. Here they forinded the town of Philipolis, 
calling it after the late Dr. Philip of Cape Town. 

The genealogy of the Kok family is about as perplexing to 
those who have neither time nor inclination to investigate it as 
that of the Herod family of Jewish history. Considering how 
various important questions of territorial rights to some of the 
most valuable spots of this globe of ours, hinged on the relation- 
ships, status, and actions of difierent members of this family, 
and how these questions forced them from obscunty into pro- 
minence in South African history, it will not be amiss here to 
append a brief genealogical statement : — 

Adam Kok i, — i3oru about 1710. He, according to 



one tradition, ^vas cook to a Dutch Governor in Cape Town, 
according to another tradition, he was cook on boai'd a Dutch 
Eastlndiaman and escaped from tlie service, made his way north, 
joined the Griquas, and by his force of character, skill, and 
resourcefulness gained the suffrages of the people, and became 
chief. He held a staff of office under the Dutch Governor, and 
died during the closing days of the century, leaving a large 
family. 

CoENELius KoK (old), succeedcd Adam 1st.— He travelled 
to Cape Town to surrender his hereditary staff of office and get 
an English one. He also left a large family. 

Adam Kok ii. — " Dam " Kok succeeded Cornelius. He 
founded the town of Pbilipolis about 1825, and was recognised 
by the Cape Governor as occupying a position independent of 
Waterboer on the west. Died 1837. 

Abkaham Kok —" Dam's " eldest son, — succeeded to 
the chieftainship, but the people would have none of him, and 
after some disturbance they elected his brother, Adam, who, on 
the death of Abraham, married the widow and fathered the three 
daughters. 

Adam Kok hi. — This is the Kok who by the treaties of 
'43 '46 and '48 was recognised as a sovereign prince. This is 
the man who authorized the sale of the residuary estate of the 
Griqua Govf^rnment in 1862, on which sale the Orange Free 
State founded its claim to the Diamond Fields. This is the 
Adam Kok who trekked from Pbilipolis to Nomansland, and 
founded the town of Kokstad there. 

One other Kok deserves a passing notice. 
CoRNFLius Kok (the younger). — He was a brother of 
" Dam " Kok, son of old Cornelius, uncle to Adam 3rd. The 
claims of the Orange Free State to the ownership of the 
Diamond Fields w'ere founded on the assumptions : — 

1. That 0. Kok was an independent chief and owner of the 
lands on which diamonds were discovered. 

2. That Adam Kok, his nephew, was his heir ; 

3. That Adam Kok sold the land to the Orange Fi'ee State. 
All these assumptions were disproved. 

Under Adam Kok 2nd, the people prospered. They gave 
up their nomadic habits ; divided their country into farms ; 
had flocks of cattle, sheep and horses, and began tocidtivate the 
soil, enclose lands, and build houses. A church and school had 
been established, and a vigorous Christian settlement had arisen 
when the last Adam Kok succeeded to the cbieftainship. 

CPIAPTEE III. 

Early in the forties, the British Colonial policy towards 
the coloured tribes was to avoid trouble as far aa possible by 
granting to them a limited independence. The Governors 



Napier and Maitland, under instructions, concluded treaties 
with native chiefs, beginning with Waterboer on the west, and 
comprehending those whose territories extended to the 
Drakensburg and on to the Indian Ocean. By these treaties the 
sovereignty of the various cliiefs — V/aterbocr, Kok, Moshesh, and 
Faku, was recognised, and guaranteed under the Queen's 
authority. The chiefs attained at once the dignity of sovereign 
potentates, the Queen's alHes, and confederates. This became 
tlie beginning of sorrows for South Africa. For certain annual 
payments the British Government promised supplies of powder 
and protection against all comers. Kok was now bound to 
guard his boundary conterminous with the Colony against 
incursions from the regions beyond. In the cases of Water- 
boer and Kok, especially the latter, these treaties became the 
seed from which the prolific crop of political complications 
arose which kept our diplomatists and governors busy during 
the years which followed on the discovery of diamonds on the 
imperfectly defined boundary between the territories of the 
two. Adam Kok issued individual titles to his burghers for 
their farms. Morally, the English Government became bound 
to recognise the validity of these titles when political relations 
camp! to be rearranged. We shall find, however, that it failed 
to do so. From 1840 onw^ards, the Emigrai:it farmers began to 
cross the Orange Eiver. They envied the excellent pasture lands, 
the unfailing fountains and agricultural holdings of the 
Griquas. They had been trained from childhood to look on 
men of colour as only fit to be menials, and now to see them 
land-owners, prosperous, independent, free, was offensive — 
almost unbearable. 

The Griqua law^ forbade the sale of a Griqua farm to a white 
man. Both Dutch and Griqua practically evaded the law by 
leasing for a term of years. The owner took payment from the 
lessee often for the whole term of the lease ¦ at once. In such 
cases, especially when the lease was a long one, the tenant was 
apt to forget that he was only a tenant, and not owner. To 
the proprietor the only tangible evidence of his ownership 
during the lease was the possession of a dirty, generally 
dilapidated paper declaring in bad Dutch that A.B. was first 
applicant for such and such a farm, which might or might not 
be defined as to extent and boundaries. The Dutch lessee 
became nominally a Griqua subject. The European tenants 
chafed under Griqua rule, and incessant squabbles arose. The 
Imperial Government claimed the emigrant farmers as British 
subjects still amenable to British authority, while the Griquas 
who were her allies, she was bound to protect ; hence inevitable 
trouble. By the Maitland treaty, the country of Kok was 
devided into alienable and iiialisnable. The distinction was 
better expressed in the Dutch " liuarbaar" and "oiihuicrbaa}\" In 
the former, the northern part, owners might lease for any 



8 

period not exceeding 40 yeai's. In the latter, there could be 
neither lease nor sale. 

In 1848, after the battle of Boom Plaats, which was fought 
largely in defence of Griqua rights, another treaty was drawn 
by the redoubtable Sir Harry Smith. By this treaty 42 farms 
were ceded to the Government in perpetuity, and certain _/jcr- 
pctual payments secured to the chief and the owners of these 
farms. The provisions of the treaty were, beyond all doubt, 
distasteful to the Griquas. Eight or wrong, the Governor 
believed that the Treaty w^as necessary for the future peace of 
the country, and he insisted on the Griqua chief accepting it. 
When he hesitated, the Governor lost his temper, and made 
use of some strong language, even threatening to hang the chief 
on the beams of the house if he did not sign it. Under this 
intimidation, Kok signed the Treaty. Against the matter and 
the manner of it Kok never ceased to protest till the day of his 
death. That substantial injury and injustice was done is now 
generally admitted. Not even the entangled and complicated 
interests which had arisen justified it. It was the soldiers' 
rough way of cutting the knot That treaty created a grievance 
w^hich was never forgotten. Every old resident in Koi;stad is 
familar with the ceaseless growl about the " Vertig jaar's geld." 
Forty-two farms were ceded; the owners received .£100 
amongst them. The chief was to receive £200. The chief 
dies without an heir to the succession. The country is annexed. 
As a matter of grace, £100 is continued to his widow. 
When she dies this grant lapses. As time goes on, there is a 
gradual reduction by death of the number of the 42 participants. 
Those who live draw their share and their heirs after 
them, if they have any, and can prove their right. Some 
deceased shareholders have left scores of heirs. Questions of 
marriage, legitimacy, testamentary disposition, native law, all 
come in, till the case bristles with difficulties. The lawyer 
smiles as he contemplates the prospect of a fine harvest of 
costs in such a case. The divided share would in some cases 
give a few pence to each heir. The ultimate issue will be that 
either there will be none to draw, or so many that the available 
amount would only be sufficient to pay the stamps on the 
receipts How to deal with this, has taxed the wits of successive 
Missionaries, Magistrates, and Cabinet Ministers. To a suspi- 
cious people, already sore over real or imaginary wrongs, and 
unai)le to comprehend the legal difficulties in the way of a final 
settlement, all this wears the aspect of studied injustice. 
Whether Government will ever be persuaded to deal with the 
difiiculty and terminate it, remains to be seen. It is there to 
this day. 



CHAPTEE IV. 

In 1848 Great Britain reversed the ''leave alone" policy, and 
proclaimed her Sovereignty over the whole territory between the 
Orange and the Vaal, and established a firm government at 
Bloemfontein. 

The proclamation failed sufficiently to define the position 
of Adam Kok and his httle state. Were they now British sub- 
jects or not ? Was the old treaty abrogated or not ? No one 
could tell. 

Then six years thereafter, in 1854, Britain again reverted 
to the "scuttle" policy. Sir George Clerk handed back to the 
Emigrant Boers the country which is now the O.E. Colony. 
Again there was the same uncertainty as to Kok's position. 
He and his Eaad urged the home government to define his 
position. He urged in vain. Sir George Clerk in the Queen's 
name declared m the Bloemfontein Convention that treaty 
obligations existed between Her Majesty and Adam Kok, while 
almost simultaneously, Imperial ofiicers declared the Treaties 
abrogated. 

A very serious practical difficulty now arose. Many farms 
belonging to Griquas w^ere leased to Boers. The leases were 
not expired, and Great Britain by the Bloemfontein Convention 
sought once and for all to wash her hands of all responsibilities 
north of the Orange Eiver. This was an integral part of the 
new Convention. Sir George Clerk tried hard to negotiate the 
purchase of these farms with the unexpired leases, and even 
sent a Commissioner to Philipolis with £11,000 cash. Every 
proposal to purchase or compensate for the cession of these 
farms loas accompanied ivith the condition that tJic old Griqua 
laio prohihitinfj the sale of farms ivithin Koh's boundary should 
he abrogated. The large sum was spread out on the table before 
the eyes of Kok and his Councillors along with the new treaty 
ready for signature. They, the Griquas, declared themselves 
ready to negotiate for the sale in order to avoid complications, 
but declined to change the prohibitory law. The negotiations 
ended, and the money went back to Bloemfontein. Then fol- 
lowed, a most shameful piece of political chicanery. As these 
leases of the hired farms expired, the Griqua owners each in 
turn claimed his property. He was referred to the Eepublican 
Government at Bloemfontein, which had in the meantime 
issued Free State titles in favour of the Boer tenant. The 
Government at Bloemfontein politely referred them to the 
British Government which had ''given them the country." The 
BritishGovernmentas good as said " We have noio no interests or 
responsibilities norili of the Orange Bivcr." The Boer occupant 
closed the controversy by the pious remark : " Ja vriendje 
Klaas zalig is de bezitter." The Griqua owner put the old 
futile "Bequest" away in his "kist " with the remark "Mensche 



10 

het is zwaar als magt eens regt wordt." I have had in my 
hand Griqua titles to valuable farms in the Orange Free State 
which thus passed into possession of the Orange Free State 
Boers, for which the Griqua proprietor never received one 
shilling. This was not even the worst part of the proceeding. 
A Secret Deed was drawn up, but not puhlislicd. By its terms it 
was provided that from that date every farm leased to a 
European by a Griqv;a or subject of Adam Kok, in any part of 
his country, became ipso facto, jx/r^ cuid parcel of the new 
Be public. 

During the three succeeding years evjry inducement was 
offered to the Griquas to sell. In defiance of their own law, a 
perfect mania for selling seized them, such as many of us wit- 
nessed in Kokstad after 1874. The first effect was that in a 
short time adjoining farms acknowledged separate jurisdictions, 
according as they belonged to Griqua or Boer. The Boer resid- 
ing in Kok's country defied the summons and authority of the 
Griqua law otBcer, because he had bought the farm, and it was 
now Free State. The Griqua repudiated the authority claimed 
by the Government at Bloemfontein. Then followed mutual 
recrimination, incessant strife and bickerings, a seething, 
weltering ferment of things, ever tending to confusion worse 
confounded. 

In 1857 the Free State boldly published the Secret Treaty 
and proceeded to divide Kok's country into Wards, and 
appoint Field-cornets over them. The Griquas and Boers both 
talked of war, and began to prepare for it. 

Sir George Grey was now Governor. He was distinguish- 
ed for generosity, justice, and wisdom. He w^as the tried fiiend 
of the native peoples, but in this case his hands were tied by 
the tf-rms of the Convention, " »o interests north of Orange 
River." The Boers had laid their plans with traditional slimness. 
The Governor dare not send a soldier or a rifle over tbe Orange 
Eiver to the help of a people up till now the most faithful of all 
our native allies. 

Sir George appealed to the Bloemfontein Government 
ad misericordiam. It appealed to the Convention and its 
appended provisions, and claimed its pound of flesh. Sir 
George Grey protested in his despatches against the wrong 
which had been done. The Home Government said : " Do 
anything you like, but do not spend Imperial inoney." Sir 
George was unsparmg in his condemnation of all parties con- 
cerned, not excluding the Griquas, who, by selling in the teeth 
of their own law, had largely helped to create the impossible 
situation. It is well-known that the Boers at first were not 
disposed to accept the prolTered independence. Probably 
what they thought was something like this : " How can a Boer 
independent state exist side by side with black men aping Gov- 



11 

ernment and claiming soverign rights — the slave of yesterday, 
to-day assuming the position of ruler? No, no, clear them cut, 
or give us the chance of clearing them out, and then we are 
willing." Thus the clause about non-interference north of the 
Orange Eiver and the secret treaty slipped into the bargain and 
the little State was doomed. Every bit of land a Griqua sold 
was then like another nail in the coffin of his cherished 
independence. 

x\bout 1859 the Free State, sent to Adam Kok a copy 
of the official organ of the State with the secret treaty, and he 
had to face the alternative, fight or l^i'ek. One can hardly call 
it an alternative, for just at this time Imperial officers intimated 
to Kok that the old Treaty was annulled, and that no powder or 
ammunition could be permitted. This welded the last link of 
the chain that bound Kok and his people, neck and heel, at the 
mercy of the Orange 'Free State. Sir George Grey advised a 
general trek to pastures new, and suggested Nomansland. 

These are the circumstances in Griqua and Colonial 
History, which culminated in the exodus to the new country. 

The following extract from an article in the Cape Monthlv 
of Dec. 1872, describes the condition of the people when the 
movement became necessary : — " The people were in a pros- 
perous state, they had titles to their farms on which they had 
built substantial cottages and out-buildings, orchards stocked 
with good fruit trees, garden grounds and lands for cultivation 
were, in many cases, enclosed with stone walls ; good stone 
kraftls, and one or two dams were to be found on most farms. 
Troops of from 20 to lOO horses, about the same number of 
cattle, and hundreds of well bred wooled sheep were running 
on these farms, and many a man (Griqua) brought his 
10, 20, 25 bales of wool for pale, while the shop-keepers found 
them as good customers for clothing, groceries, guns, saddlerj-, 
carts and furniture as any of the Boers. Of course there were 
poor people whose poverty was brought on by their own laziness, 
pride and drunkenness. They voluntary contributed £500 to 
£600 per annum for the purposes of religion and education 
amongst themselves, paying their own minister and head school 
master in Philipolis and school-masters in the country." 

There existed a flourishing church, w'hich in one respect 
set a wholesome example before the Boers. 1} paid its own 
way without aid either from the State Treasury or Mission funds. 
It did more, it contributed liberally to the needs of others. 

The ministry of this Griqua church has been filled by men 
whose families have subsequently taken no mean place in the 
life and progress of this Colony. Anderson, Melville, Atkinson, 
Schreiner, Hughe^<. Wright, Solomon, Philip, are honoured 
names in South Africa. Judge Solomon and his brother, the 
Attorney-General elect for the Transvaal Colony, as well as 



12 

their sisters were all either born or partly brought up in the 
old Griqua parsonage. The ex-Premier and his gifted sister, 
Olive Schreiner, are children of an old Griqua Missionary. 
Cronwright (Schreiner) is the grandson of another Griqua 
Missionary Livingstone practised the healing art among them 
in the Philipolis days. But for the troubles that preceded the 
Trek, Eev. J ohn Mackenzie would probably have been one of 
their ministers. 

CHAPTER V. 

A commission of Griquas along with the Chief now visited 
Normansland, On the passage of the Drakensberg mountain, 
one of the party was accidently shot, hence the name " OiKjeluJcs 
Nek " The commission explored the country which was 
pointed out to them by the late Sir Walter Currie. After him 
they named the mountain which up till now had borne the 
names "Cockscomb" and "¦IJergvijftig." The spies brought a good 
report of the land, and the Griquas decided to trek. The 
government then negotiated with Faku for the cession of the 
country. Much diplomacy was wasted in the vain effort on the 
part of the Griquas to secure exemption from the dreaded 
British citizenship. " Were they not a natie ? " "A vrije volk" 
" Were they not the Queen's alies? &c. " They appealed to 
the Independence and Sovereignty which had been 
acknowledged if not created by the Napier and 
Maitland Treaties. Sir George Grey would have 
none of it. They had to become British subjects nolens 
volens, or stay on and be swallowed up by the Boers. Mean- 
time, preparation was made for the Trek. Farms were sold, 
wagons and oxen got ready, provisions laid in, church, school, 
and parsonage were sold. The Griqua Chief and his Council 
empowered their agent to dispose of the unallotted, or as we 
would say, Crown lands, which he did in December, 1862, 
selling to the O.F. State Government. This transaction, 
though regarded at the time as very simple and vmimportanc, 
came to be regarded as an act of no small interest in South 
African history. When diamonds were discovered 8 years later 
on the banks of the Vaal river, Waterboer, the Griqua Chief 
claimed that the diamondiferous lands lay within his line. The 
O.F. State contended that it lay on Kok's side, and that in 
virtue of the sale just mentioned it was theirs. Into the deed 
of sale had been cleverly introduced a very innocent lookit^g 
clause: '¦^liheivise that of the late Cornelius Kok." For the insertion 
of that clause no authority existed in the Power of Attorney, 
yet the O.F.S. persisted in their claim founded on the clause, 
and wore prepared to fight for it. All this, however, lay in 
the future. More than once, as we shall see later on, this 
transaction formed the subject of discussion and inquiry on the 



13 

slopes of Mount Currie, and in the rooms of the " Palace " in 
Kokstad. 

These negotiations, sales, purchases, and preparations com- 
pleted, the Trek began in 1861-62. It has been estimated that 
2000 souls left Philipolis. The stack, large and small, amounted 
to over 20,000 head. Of wagons, carts, and vehicles there were 
about 300. They persisted in their purpose to cross the crest 
of the Drakensberg ; this, partly that they might not endanger 
their independence by passing through British territory, partly 
to avoid grazing and watering charges. The season had proved 
exceptionally dry, and stock perished in large numbers, 
seriously impoverishing many who had been wealthy men 
when they started. The calvalcade rested for many months 
around Hanglip in Basuto land. The Basuto Chief was friendly 
disposed, and had agreed to give safe conduct. The sight, how- 
ever, of all this multitude of stock was too gi'eat a strain on 
the good will of the Basutos. Stock disappeared rapidly and 
mysteriously. The Basutos got the blame for its dis- 
appearance, and probably they were not altogether innocent. 
Very litely they, arguing by rule of thumb justice, would 
say, " If the Griquas and their stock enjoy our hospitalif ;r and 
eat our grass and drink our nice water, it is only fair th I'j we 
should have a tasting of their good mutton." After resting and 
waiting for the laggards, they began the famous passage over 
Ongeluk's Nek. It was no child's play. Every morning scores 
of men set to work with pick and crowbar, hammer and drills, 
powder and fuse to dig out a passable track on the mountain 
side. This continued for several weeks. Let any unprejudiced 
man visit the old Griqua pass over against the French Mission 
Station of Pahaloncj, let him follow the old track to the top and 
down the other side, or reverse the process and go from Hang- 
lip to Pabalong, and let him take in the fact that the fathers 
and grandfathers of the mixed coloured residents in and around 
the Kokstad ot to-day actually scaled those heights with wagons, 
families, and stock, and it will, or it ought to, bespeak a bit of 
respect for the memory of those hardy pioneers, whatever may 
be the feeling towards their descendants of to-day. Through 
that lofty rugged gate came to Nomansland, the first rudimen- 
tary civilization. As late as 18G9, there were reports of heaps 
of broken wagons and carts with bleaching bones of horses and 
draught cattle still lying in and about the ravmes along the 
route. It has been said that the abundance of iron from the 
wreckage rendered the smelting of ore among the Basutos for 
years unnecessary. 

At last they were camped on the plain beneath. Away 
before them lay the rolling grass prairies with abundance of 
water, not in fountains only, b,ut in rivers, pure, sweet, sparkling 
and unfailing, and these at every few hours trek. Timber, too, 



14 

there was hiding its stately growth in the deep mountain 
kloof, the huge trunks below ripe for the woodman's axe, 
the dark foliage above adding variety to the picture. Fertile ar- 
able land was there, miles and miles of it without a stone to 
blunt the ploughman's share. Game, too, in abundance, big and 
little, tamely waiting for the hunter's rifle. For several years 
the lion continued still to pace at leisure the Umzimkulu flats 
till the report of fire-arms becoming a trifle too monotonous in 
his accustomed haunts, he disapp'^ared. The eland had his 
home on the eastern slopes of the mountain. As late as 1875, 
Griquas went eland hunting, and returned wath loads of 
biltong. Large and small game were everywhere. Then, and for 
long after, myriads of water fowl were to be seen all along the 
Umzimkulu. Surely this was a goodly land, a land full of pro- 
mise and splendid possibilities. I am persuaded that there are 
few districts of South Africa to equal it Yet, somehow the 
1 Griquas never took to it, never believed in its fertility and 
pastoral qualities until it was too late. They spoke with ill- 
concealed contempt of its capabilities. "The grass was too long, 
the winter too cold, the rains too heavy, the markets too far, 
the money too scarce, the merchandise too dear, the Kaffirs 
too " .parmantig." Some folk are never satisfied. They want 
to have the first fruits every month, the living green, the never- 
withering flowers on this side of the better land. We knew a 
dandified emigrant who never could reconcile himself to 
summer weather at Christmas, and the trick the sun has of 
making an exposure of himself on the wrong side of the earth "It 
is what I've not been used to, don't you know." 

Of course there were many and very serious drawbacks 
unavoidable in a new country. Cattle and sheep unaccustomed 
to the rank grass died by hundreds. Many perished in the 
winter veldt fires, before the people had gathered experience, 
and knew the ways of the land. In a few months scores of men 
of substance were reduced to poverty. 

The spot selected for their first settlement is about three 
miles north of the town, Here they rested, each man building 
his house (" voor-eerst ") near to where he had spanned out his 
wagon. There was certainly au attempt at streets, but they 
were neither straight nor regular, nor parallel. The houses 
looked as if they had fallen by accident, like potatoes out of a 
basket. In the centre was erected, after the settlement of the 
connnunity, a long narrow building, about 8 feet high, with 
walls of sod, and roof of thatch, unglazed openings for windows, 
and a door which was more frequently broken than whole. 
This served the tripple purpose of a citadel, a place of assembly, 
and a day-school house. I might with truthfulness add also a 
kraal for the town goats. 
. / Here the people met for worship, conducted by 



15 

lay officers of the church, from 1862 to 1869. Around 
this building was thrown up a very strong fort, constructed of 
sods, having corner bastions and loop-holed all round. At one 
corner was an underground powder magas^ine, over which a 
guard was mounted, whose duty was to keep watch and ward 
throughout his waking hours. This was the "fort " or " laager." 
It was the wonder and admiration of the Kaffirs. It would be 
difficult to estimate the pacific effect it had on the surrounding 
tribes. It inspired a wholesome respect, especially the loop- 
holes, and the powder magazine. It was really a very credit- 
able structure for purposes of defence. There was nothing to 
equal it from King William's Town to Petermaritzbiu^g. 

For two years or more the Griquas lived together around the 
laager, making frequent excursions through the country, each 
selecting his farm and doing something in the way of ploughing, 
planting and building in preparation for occupying it. The 
farms nearest the laager were taken up, and worked almost at 
once — such as the farms now occupied by Scott, Turton, 
Bowles, Salzer, etc. As the sense of security increased, the 
people spread out. Each Burgher was to have a farm of 3000 
acres as nearly as could be guessed (" groot omtroit"), 
foi- which he had to pay 10/- for the title-deed if 
he choose to take it out, and £2 annual quit rent. 
These sums might be paid in kind so long as tliere 
was difficulty in getting produce exchanged for cash. 
The Burgher had also to provide and keep in readiness horse, 
saddle, bridle, and powder horn, and he himself was expected 
promptly to respond to the call of the Field-cornet of his Ward 
for military duty, and that at any hour day or night. 

The conditions of settlement were as follows : — 

Memorandum of the Conditions on ichicli His Excellency the 
High Commissioner thinks it expedient that the Griquas 
should occupy a certain tract of coujitry lying between 
British Kaffrarid and iSatal, and under ^vhlch conditions, 
if the Griquas arc determined to abandon their present 
territory, the High Commissioner ivill raise no ohjection 
to their occupying the country alluded to. 

A tract of unoccupied country lying on the south-east side of 
Drakensberg Mountains, between the sources of the 
Umzimvooboo and the Umzimkooloo Eivers, to be 
defined after consultation with Adam Kok, bv a 
Commissioner appointed by the High Commissioner, 
which country the Griquas shall occupy as British 
subjects. 

Captain Adam Kok to receive a commission as Justice of the 
Peace ^ for such territory, and for the present to 
administer justice among his own people, under the 
laws, rules and regulations now enforced in Griqualand. 



16 

It being intended by this arrangement that whilst all the 
powers Captain Adam Kok possesses for controlling his 
people and punishing offenders should be maintained, 
he should, in addition thereto, receive all powers which 
a Justice of the Peace possesses within the Colony of 
the Cape of Good Hope. 

The Griquas to subdivide amongst themselves the lands they 
are thus to occupy. 

Surveys are to be made of the several farms assigned to the 
Griquas, as soon as the proprietor of such farms may 
find it convenient to pay for the cost of survey. 

The High Commissioner is to guarantee possession of each 
such farm to its occupant agamst all British subjects as 
fully and securely as if it were held under grant from 
the Crow^n, and to issue titles to this effect as soon as 
the surveys have been completed. 

Quitrents to be paid on the same principles as in British 
Kaffraria, say about £5 per annum for an ordinary 
farm in the country to be occupied by the Griquas. 

The same fees for licenses, &c. to be paid as in the Colony of 
the Cape of Good Hope. 

All sums thus raised within the territory occupied by the 
Griquas to be expended exclusively in defraying the 
expenses of administration or in the improvement of 
that tract of country. 
Colonial Office, 1st August, 1860. 

These conditions are said to have been huniedly pre- 
pared by Sir George Grey on the eve of his recall. 

The new Governor, Sir Philip Woodhouse, seems to have 
taken little or no notice of the Conditions of the Griqua settle- 
ment. "Out of sight out of mind." Shortly after the Trek, 
war between the Boers and the Basutos broke out, and pro- 
bably this diverted attention from Griqua affairs. At any rate, 
the promised officer did not come. When Kok reminded the 
Governor of the arrangement, he was told to manage as best he 
could, he would not be interfered with. This was repeated to 
the Chief and some of his Councillors in Cape Town in 1868 
when they went down to confer and purchase canon, 
ammunition, etc. The following are Adam Kok's statements 
on this subject: "When I went to Cape Town (1868), I 
found Sir Philip Woodhouse opposed to accepting any 
responsibility respecting me. Sir Phihp told me distinctly 
that I must look entirely to my own resources for my protec- 
tion, etc., and, that, in effect, I was entirely independent of the 
Government." Thus, again, Kok and his Raad were left to 
organise their government practically as a sovereign state, and, 
in fact, did so. They made treaties. (Treaty making has 
always been a Griqua hobby, a kind of august-royal pastime.) 




Rev. W. Dower. 



17 

They negotiated exchange of territoiy with Natal and rectifica- 
tion of bonndaries. They decided to issue paper money, 
actually had it printel, but never issued it. They waged war. 
They tried and convicted criminals, and executed men found 
guilty of murder. They elected aVolksraal, and h'jld half- 
yearly Parliaments. 

Let us look at the constitution of this uniqiie little native 
state. 

The chief officer was elected, and took as his style or 
title " Kx\PTYN." Later on we shall see what manner of man 
he was. ThePrivy or Executive COUNCIL was almost entirely 
composed of full-blooded Griquas. Charles Biisley, a ycung 
Englishman, was Secretary, and gradually acquired influence 
and power. He learned to speak and write Dutch- the 
official language — fairly well. In the Eaad there was one 
man of slave extraction, Titus Klein, whose name will come 
up later on in another connection. 

The YOLKSEAAD consisted of about a dozen elected repre- 
sentati^ es, two out of each Ward. They were supposed to have 
the control of the finances — ichen tliere iccrc any. The avail- 
able assets vfere four-footed — sheep, goats, cattle, horses 
They had a singular knack of straying away, and never in any 
case straying back again. The cash-box was the pasturage of 
the Treasurer's farm or the area of the Government kraal. 
The banker was a Kaffir herd boy. The decisions of the 
Vol^sraad were sent up to the Privy Council, and were often 
discusse-i in a free-ami-easy style on the stoep of the Chief's 
house, while the Councillors were di inking coffee amid clouds 
of tobacco smoke. The Volksraad nomiDally and constitutionally 
granted farms and erven, but, as a ma'ter of fact, farms 
were often granted without its knowledge or consent, even 
sometimes contrary to its wishes. The appearance of political 
power satisfied the ambitions of the Commons, except in the 
cases of a few fiery spidts among them. The Volksraad gave 
the opportunity for talk ; and talk soothed all grievances and 
healed nearly all wounds. Kok's policy was to retain the real 
power in his own hands and he manoeuvred so as to give his 
policy practical effect. To this task he brought all his excep- 
tional tact, ingenuity and resourcefulness. Occasionally there 
were storms in the tea-pot, a political crisis, but never a change 
of Ministry. 

The Vulksraad was a wonderful anachronism Its sittings 
were held half-yearly, and lasted as long as the commissariat 
held out. It was very free-and-easy both as to its composition 
and conduct of business. Very little real business w^as done 
and very imperfe»^.t accounts of its proceedings kept. After a 
session was over, it was no uncommon occurrence for discussion 
to arise as to what had been decided. Often no one knew, but 



18 

all knew •' de pvaat loat u'cis gcpraat door de menscJie die het de 
2)raat gepraat " " the talk which was talked by the people who 
talked the talk," that sufficed. The Deputies were hospitably- 
entertained at Government expense during the session. Its 
length depended on the size of the animal slaughtered. When 
the beef gave out the House rose. No beef, no business, v.-as 
the unwritten, but standing rule of this Assembly. It was a 
simpler and more effective extinguisher to Parliamentary 
oratory than our modern closure The cooking operations for 
these '' Achtlare Ilecrcn" were carried on close to the House of 
Parliament, and the big pot was so placed that members while 
in session could both see the progress cf the operations and in 
hale grateful odours, as an earnest of the coming feast. 

Old Piet Draai made frequent visits to the kitchen to light 
his pipe. He was admitted to be the best judge of the earliest 
moment when the beef was eatable. When Piet's voice w^as 
heard pioclaiming the joyful news " Kerls de kos is 
gaar," "Gentlemen the beef is cooked," the house 
rose with a stampede. These Griqua Parliamentary 
dinners were held much after the primitive fashion which 
obtained in England in the days of good King Alfred. The 
simplicity of manners saved the little State manifold needless 
co^ts in the way of crockery, cutlery, and naperjr. The form of 
Government vvas roughly on the lines of the British constitu- 
tion. Imitation of the white man was the unacknowledged, 
although the real rule of procedui e. " De, Engchche maken zoo,'' 
"The English act so." Beyond that there was no appeal. 

It will be interesting to glance at a few specimen subjects 
of discussion. 

Coos Magerman has not paid his quit-rent for 
some years. He says he h:s no money, no stock, no grain 
The member for Mt Currie remarks : '' You can't take blood 
out of a stone." The member for Under Zuurberg declares 
that the Government must be supported. Another is indignant 
and tells how Coos' daughter was married the previous week, 
that her bridal array must have cost several years' qnit-rent, 
besides the ox that was slaughtered, and the oceans of coffee 
consumed during the week's festivities. Besolved to malosition was very isolated indeed. The nearest post 
office was Uinzimkalu Drift, 50 miles away, from whence we 
received letters and papers once a month, if we chose to send 
for them. Regular post there was none. Adam Kok did not 
believe in sending for letters ; he thought he was better without 
them. His theory was -'if letters bring good news they can wait, 
and if the news happ'^.ns to be bad, well, better that they don't 
come at all. Why, then, scud for letters?" Dr. Calloway, of 
Spring Vale, afterwards first Bishop of the Diocese of St. John's, 
was the nearest doctor. He was not practising, so that reallv 
the nearest available medical help was Pietermaritzburg, 100 
miles away. We saw Europeans vi ry seldom, excepting the 
very few around us. Indeed, there were only four in the 
Laager besides ourselves. These were JfaU, Brislei,, Jimrden, 
Saunders. We were, however, usually so busily occupied that 
we had little time to think of, or mourn over, the absence of 
^'Society." 

While the Parsonage was being erected, the Griquas began 
to realise that they had committed themselves to the " Trek " 
Removal was now in the air. Hitherto the discussion had 
gathered around the question of Site. Now, that was settled 
once for all. To trek, or not to trek, that was now the question. 
Some urged an immediate and simultaneous removal. Not a 
few declared their belief, that the projected township would 
come to nojght The lazy lot who basked all day in the sunny 
side of the sod hut, now affirmed with energy and heat of feel- 
ing, " 7>e ezels zidlen eerst hoorns hebben 'eer die pick en dorp zal 
arorden " : " Asses will grow horns before that place will become 
a town." These conservative gentlemen, whose descendents 
have not yet died out, threw cold water on every scheme 
involving effort or self-sacrifice. They were " too poor to 
build," which, translated into honest language, meant they 
were too lazy. " The site was too far away from the fuel " ; " the 



32 

water would give out " ; " the opgaaf (or rate of 5s. per annum) 
was too high " ; " the Pondos would attack them when Lhey 
left the protection of the Fort " ; " the new minister's building 
schemes were the impossible dreams of a mad roinek. Who 
would follow him ? " 

These ragged gentlemen " Burgers," all of them, ever 
seated in the sun, discussing Griqua politic =?, nursmg old 
grievances, aiid hatching new ones, were like so many pin- 
pricks to me, until I got to know who was who. The most 
enterprising of the people were not at first at all enthusiastic 
about removing. I kept en begging of the chief to urge the 
people, by proclamation, to take up theii- town erven. Let an 
sngel from heaven try and establis-h a city in the wilds with 
such unpromising material and he will not have his s- rrow 
to seek. I write feelingly, for the memory of these worries 
comes back to me like the ghosts of buried griefs Up to the 
end of 1870 the only erven " taken up," so far as I can 
remember, were : — 

1. The six erven given to the Griqua Church. 

2. Government erf, on which the Fuhlic Offices now stand. 

3. Adam Kok's erf, the site of the old Palace. 

4. Charles Brisley's erf, on which Mr Dold's shop now stands. 

5. The erf granted to Mrs Barker, and on which she is 

now living. 
G. The erven between Dold's shop and the Royal Hotel, 
taken up by the members of Kok's Council. 

The bulk of the erven were unalloted. There was a 
manifest unwillingness to ' take up" erven even as there was 
hesitation and delay in taking up farms. Be it remembered 
that thtre were no charges, no upset price, no office fee. The 
best erven in town went a-begging for owners. This must 
appear almost incredible, yet it is absolutely true, without any 
exaggeration. 

Here, I would venture to insert a little incident connected 
with the erection of the very first building on the site of the 
township. In September, 1869, I was in Durban, on my way 
home, after my first visit to Nomanslaiul. I had to wait the 
return of the old s.s. " Xatal," and, feeling the heat I went to 
a certain tailor, Mr L , well-known in the town, and asked him 
to malie for me a thin garment. He took the measure, looked 
at me, with an enquiring and curious glance, and said, " Do 
you preach in Dutch?" To this I replied, ''Yes." "Ah! 
good. I will send the coat home to-morrow." He did. He 
had fittf d me out with a real Geneva clerical coat, with buttons 
many dovrn the front, tassels, tags, and wrist decorations, " an 
a' that." I paid the good man, and, packing up this wonderful 
garment; I brought it home, to the merriment of my friends, 
and next year I brought it back in my baggage to Mount Currk, 




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Mr. G. C. Brisley. 





Seal of the Griqua Government. 



^^.y/^a^,. J"^^^^>^5^ 




33 

Francis Mocntjcs, the original gnmtee of the farm Glenrock, 
eagerly jumped at my offer to give him the clerical coat for the 
building of the sod walls of a wagon house He built the walls 
and wore the coat. Its possession made him the admiration 
and envy of all the young swells of the Tjaager. So it came to 
pass that the very first building erected in Kokstad was paid 
for by a Geneva clerical coat, made by mistake, by old Mr. L., 
the Durban tailor, a worthy old Christian patriarch ! The coat 
and the house have both gone to dust long ago. 1 give them 
both a place in the annals of the city. 

Early in 1871 a great gathering was summoned by the 
Chief. The clans mustered in great force, and on the Market 
Square, round the antheap with the flagstafl', they pre- 
sented a very creditable appearance. A. good deal of political 
heat and ferment had been gpuerated by the secret intriguing 
of Smhli Pommer, under Zuurberg. The causes of dif^satisf ac- 
tion seemed to me, then, and equally now, very visionary and 
groundless. Sifted to their actual significance, they really 
amounted to jealousy, on the part of Pommer, of the influence 
which Charles Brislcy was daily acquiring over the Chief and 
the Eaad. 

Without entering into delicate questions, as to the social 
position Brisley chose to take up, or his status in the Govern- 
ment, let me here say, with all candour and frankness, that he 
rendered valuable service to the Chief and the people. His 
advice on all political matters was wise and disinterested, as 
far as it was possible for a man, in his position, to be. His 
standard of ethics, his ideals of life, and mine were widely 
different and irreconcilable. He did not profess to be a 
religious man. Though, for obvious reasons, he was not 
specially cordial, or sympathetic to myself, yet he was frank, 
open, and fair. I do not think that he ever directly used his great 
power with the Chief to the injury of myself or of my work. 

Smith Pommer meant mischief. There was a cloud on his 
face that day. He was as surly to speak to as a butcher's dog. 
I have reason to believe that he and his party intended at this 
'• Ver(ja(ieri)ig " to demand and t-nforce Brisley's removal. I 
was assured afterwards, by credible persons, that Pomiiur and 
his immediate followers had weapons in readiness, and were 
prepared to proceed to hostiliiies. They were the same 
individuals wiio fought and fell with Pommer in the Zuurberg 
Kloof eight years thereafter. About mid-fay on this historical 
occasion, the Chinf summoned the people around his wagon. 
It stood almost on the spot where the Market Booth now stands 
He spoke pretty much as follows : — 

" Burghers, we have long spoken of making a Township. 
" We have sometimes not said one way about the selection of a 
' site. That question is, happily, settled. Here is the site of 



34 

* the new town. We are gathered just about the centre of the 
" Market Square. Do you see the antheap and the flag-stick 
" there ? Well, that is the centre. You see the streets are 
" marked off and the erven. The water is laid on, the 
" minister's house is nearly ready for occupation He will 
" move into it soon. There is the site of the Church and the 
" School, and here, on my right, will be the Governmnnt 
"Buildings. Now. I want to tell you that, according to the 
" decisions of the Volksraad and 'he Uitvoerende Raad, this is to 
"be our Chief Town. Every Burgher is now f'ce to select the 
'' erf he likes best, only see that two do not select the same erf. 
" Do not strive. There are plenty of erven ; they are all equally 
" good, and of equal size. The price is nothing ; only when you 
" have m ide your selection, you must register your choice with 
" the Secretary, who will give you a ticket of allotment. The 
"titles are being printed in Cape Town, and will soon be 
" available. The quit rent is Jive shillinys a year, payable in 
" cash or kind. Go now and choose, and when you have all 
" made your selection, come bade here, and I have other matters, 
"of public interest, to bring up for your consideration " 

Adam Kok was one of the shrewdest of men. He knew 
the people well ; he knew also human nature. Whether he 
was aware that Smith Pommer was there with hostile intent 
may be doubted, but he knew that something was stirring. He 
knew that the choosing of erven, and the registering, and the 
bickering w »uld exliaust the daylight, and keep the people busy 
and apart. Ominous and opportune banks of cloud were 
shewing th'-mselv^es above thehoriz:)n. The slaughtered beef 
was ia the old Laiiger, not on the new township. The rain, or 
the darkness, or both, as well as the attractions of beef eating, 
would drive them to shelter in the Laager, and there would ^•e 
no second meeting. By four o'clock the rain was falling 
heavily, and everyone was hasting away. Kok felt safe besi ie 
his Fort and powder magazine, and could defy Pommer, 
' Piet," anrl ''Hans," and " Cootje " could bear a political 
grievance ; in fact, without one, life would be, to them, dull as 
ditch water. But a summer rain, in defective clothing, without 
shelter, and no beef to eat, who could stand that? "Smith 
goed kan maar klaar kovien met zyne hedankiyig van Brisley^ 
Huts toe ! " (" Smith and his supporters may manage as best 
they can about displacing Brisley. Let's home.") This was 
the first and the last time Pommer's party had the chance of 
action until 1878. The disaffection and intrigue continued, 
Riet Vley being the centre, and S. Pommer the moving spirit, 
until it culminated in the death of Pommer and the scattering 
of such of his sympathisers as survived. 



35 

CHAPTER IX. 

KoKSTAD was now a Township, The erven had now 
registered owners, and they were negotiable property. T'ne 
titles were almost immediately issued The old law ]3r. )hibiting 
the sale of Griqua landed property to any but Burghers was 
still in force. Those who know the Griquaswill easily believe, 
those who do not know them will with difficulty credit, my 
statement, when I say that within a few months after the issue 
of title, I could have bought up half the erven of the new tcwn 
at from 20s. to 30s. a-piece, a muid-sackful of titles for a few 
pounds " Mynheer inoet ioch myn erf koopen ik hen Ji.eel iiit 
kos. (" Buy my erf, do, please, sir, I have no food ") This 
was the daily cry. Erven, to-day worth large sums of money, 
irrespective of buildings, were in my offer for ridiculous prices. 
An old coat, a half- worn suit of clothing would have sufficed 
for the purchase. I resolved that I would not buy one single 
erf, and kept to my resolution. I had come among the people 
as a missionary. It was, in my view, advisable to refrain from 
land-jobbing. A simple people would doubt the sincerity of 
the man, minister, or no minister, who would say "I advise you 
not to sell, but if you are resolved on selling, against all advice, I 
am ready to buy." By and bye intending sellers came to know 
that the offer to sell to me, only gave me the chance to read 
them a hot lecture on the folly and sin they were committing 
against themselves and their families In many cases I inighc 
have as v/ell spoken to the wind. The average Griqua, if he 
once gets the " rerkoop gedachte," the selling fever, has neither 
conscience, nor reason, nor common-sense, nor ears to hear. 

After many bitter disappointments, and many a wenry ride 
between the old Laagei and the new town, the Parsonage was 
fit for occupation. On the 19th of May, 1871, just a year after 
our arrival, we took up residence in the new town. Miss 
Edward, the teacher, remained in the Laager, alone, and 
occupied the house we left. We were alone in the new town. 
Martinus David's house, under the kopje, was still the nearest 
dwelhng. I drove up to the Laager every Sunday and every 
Wednesday, for Divine Service. The day school was still 
there. Meantime, we laid the foundations of the Griqua Church. 
This was accomplished in the following manner. x\s yet we 
had received no part of the Church Building Fund The 
minister and the deacons (twelve in uumber), of whom, I 
think, only one survives, volunteered to quarry and lay down 
one hundred loads of building-stone on the site. At once we 
opened a quarry, beside a spruit on the farm '¦' Koppies Kraal," 
right opposite the Kokstad Mill. We made a drift close by, 
which, thereafter, until the bridge was opened, became the 
entrance drift to the town, by the roads leading from the 
Colony and Natal. We accomplished our task, and this served 



as a kind of challenge to others to attempt something The late 
Lodowijk Kok was in those days a quiet, douce, prosperous 
farmer at Kovings Kroon, living in the house which afterwards 
hecamo the home of the Livtrsage family. Lodowijk 
volunteered to collect workers, and see Ihe foundations of the 
Church put in level with the surrounding ground, at his own 
costs. He employed masons, ApoUos Bloom, etc , and hrought 
in his own wagon. His wife brought food and did the cooking. 
Lodowijk remained on the spot for a month, and com- 
pleted his task. Sawyers, in the Ingeli bush, now took up the 
challenge, and while one felled th-- timber, another slipped it to 
the saw pit. Another Hid the sawing, and the last loaded it up 
and delivered it, free of chary e, on the Church ground. Others 
y>egan brick makiubr. Thus a good deal of work was done by 
vohmtary labour, until the -£1340 came to hand, and from that 
time all work had to be paid for. 

Towards the middle of 1872, two events of importance took 
place, each marking a further stage of progress First, / 
decided to discontinue pke.-iching in the old laager chuuch, 
and began to conduct service in the open air, on the site of the 
new proposed Griqna Church The move, like every other 
attempt to force these people, was a distinct failure. I have 
never confessed this much to wife or child, or even allowed it to 
myself, until I have now put it down in writing. Yes, 
emphatically, a failure ! It had, however, its compensations, 
for I learned, once for all, that I might coax, persufide, wheedle 
this people, l^ut that driving was altogether out tf the question. 
But 1 could not now, \erv well, go back on my worr), and so 
for a time, I was in adihlculty, and feeling very small indeed. 
Half-a-dozen people, sitting under umbrellas with meat church, 
where service should b3 ; 300 or 400, under the holeij roof of the 
Laager Kerk ! I fit decidedly small, beaten, thwarted. The 
good chief opportunely camp, to my assistance. I had acted 
with his tacit j-anction, and he did not desert me. He hastily 
constructed a small sod house, about ten by twelve feet, close 
up against; the north gabls of the presenc building, and moved 
in there himself. This shanty was the jno teni. Palace. 

This led to the second event — the foemal removal of 
THE seat of government y'rojJi the Laager to Kokstad. .-"^^ :,.j 

This took place on this wise. On a certain day — unfor" 
tunately the date is lost— Kok called his Burghers up. They 
came in large numbers, all except those from Eiet VJey and 
Umzimkulu, who were not invited Griquas, Kaffirs, Basutos 
came. He assembled them in the old La;iger, and they held a 
sort of review, going through certain evolutions Kok dressed 
himself in his Genei al's uniform - sash, belt, gold lace, epaulets, 
sword, etc. All this to give dignity to the occasion and weight 
to his words. 



37 

Without giving any explanation of his purpose he issued 
his orders to the Veldt Cornets, short and sharp. " Load up 
"the ammunition, every cartridge of it. Klaas. you see that 
" every article of Government property is placed on that wagon. 
'' Span the oxen to the cannon." To the Magistrate he had 
issued an or>ler to pack up all records of office, &c. " Now, 
trek, and all march to the '^ Neiv Town." I had received a 
message from the Chief to try and be at home that day, and a 
hint of what was proceeding. Towards afternoon, the cavalcioe, 
with the Chief and all his Councillors, Chief Nicholas Waterbcer 
(Kok's pon-in-law) at tne head thereof, reached the town It 
drew up in front of a very temporarj^ sod house, which had 
been erected near to where Harvey and Greenacre's shop now 
stands, and all stood to attention in a half circle. The Chief, 
in his abrupt way, addressed me, and said, " Mr Dower will 
pray." The position was awkward, and somewhat embarrassing, 
as no official notice had been given to me of the object of the 
gathering. The brief devotions over, the Chief said : " From 
" to-day this is to be the Seat of Government. Hence- 
" forth I myself will live here. I shall lireak down my house 
" in the old Laager. The Vo^ksraad will hold its sittings here ; 
" the Maijisirate's Court will be held here ; the minister will 
"conduct all his services here, excepting on the first Sunday 
" of each month. He tells me he will continue to preach in the 
'• Laager monthly till the end of the year, but not a day longer. 
" The day school also will continue to be held in the Laager 
" only till the close of the year. The guns and ammunition will 
'• remain here. Now, Burghers, it is time to bestir yourselves, 
" and build your houses, and come and make your homes here. 
" We are treating our minister shamefully in leaving him hers 
" hijrh and dry with his family, and not a soul near to him. 
" Think shame of yourselves ! '' The cannons were backed into 
the ammunition shed, where they remained till Captain Blyth 
took them over in March, 1876. Mr. Brisley ihen came 
forward and intimated that out of respect to the Kaptyn the 
Eaads had agreed thai the New Town should henceforth bear 
the name Kokstad. All this was translated into TvatBr by 
" Fetroos." Then ihree cheers were raised for KOKSTAD, and 
three cheers more for the Kapiyn. " Huis toe." 

Just about this time (mi(;dleof 1872) Goodlijfe and Balance, 
of Durban, bought the old shop in the Laager for ihe sum of 
£75, exactly what the Griqua Church had given for it, four years' 
before. With this money and the rtmnants of ihe leadycash 
obtained for the Philipolis property, and with the help of the 
people, we 1 urriedly ran up the Griqua fr^choolroom, and, by the 
New Year, had it readv for church and school. 



38 

CHAPTEE X. 

Adam Kok now set about erecting his dwelling-house, 
afterwards known as " The Palace." It will interest my 
readers to know that nearly all the carpenter work of this house 
was done by the late Griqua Chief Xicholas Watcrboer, a man 
whose name will always figure largely in South African history. 
The discovery of diamonds, in what be claimed as his country, 
and the sudden influx of a lawless mining population, had 
well-nigh driven the quiet man to his wit's end. Suddenly, he 
found himself about the most important and sought-after 
individual in South Africa. Speculators and fortune-hunters 
buzzed round about him, day and night, like bees round a pob 
of .'¦ugar. He told me that for some months he could get little 
rest, quiet, or sleep, and life became to him not worth living. 
People came from all parts with all kinds of documents to sign, 
and all kinds of presents, not excepting cases of brandy and 
champagne. Many of these unscrupulous men dexterously 
made the most extraordinary proposals to him, as to how he 
could best manage to dispose of the country. They found 
Waterboer not the man who would readily say, " Show the 
inside of your purse to the outside of my hand, and there will 
be no more ado." They were a rollicking, jolly, sort of men, 
who spread the snare cunningly for his unwary feet. 

" I ]ove a prince will bid the bottle pass, 
Exchanging with Ijis subjects glass for glass." 

Watcrboer had been a strictly sober man, but from that time 
he acquired a taste for liquor, which ultimately proved his ruin. 
The conflict of claims for ownership, the self-assertiveness of 
the miners, the violent threats of the more determined of them, 
and the responsibilities of government were too much for him. 
ETc handed over his country and all his rights to the High 
Coimnissioner. Then came the Orange Free State authorities 
and the Transvaal ofiicials, worrying his life out about beacons 
and boundaries, concessions and sales, treaties and promises. 
To his subjects he had given no formal titles ; they had only 
prescriptive rights, and now they also came in shoals, all clamour- 
ing for some writing confirmatory of their holdings. Poor 
Waterhoev, even with his £l 00 a year, was like a mouse 
between the teeth of a hirrow. If anyone will turn to the 
li!es of the Colonial Press for '69-'70-'7J, he will better under- 
stand into what a sea of trouble friend Waterboer was thrown. 
He got out of it by quietly slipping away over the mountain to 
Konunis'and. 

He had a good supply of the very best carpenter's tools, 
and a passionate love for working in wood. Thus it came 
about that the chief, whose name is s-o prominen*; in the annals 
of South Africa, in the supreme crisis of its development, took 



39 

his rest from the cares of kingship in building the house of his 
father in-law, and grueially helping in the founding of the 
Town. 

Very soon after taking up my residence among the Griquas, 
I realised that to eradicate their foolish and ridiculous notions 
as to the indignity of manual labour, it was necessary not only 
to preach a gospel of work, but to live up to it. I can never be 
sufficiently grateful to a kind Providence for sending, just at this 
juncture, in the affairs of this little State, Wuterhoer, with his 
indefatigable industry, to add weight to my teaching a.nd 
example, which he nobly did. He was always at it ; hardly 
tver would he be seen lolling about or wasting time. The 
preaching of this gospel of industry was thus supported by 
king and priest. We became fast friends. I found him 
intelligent, soher, honest, good. He acknowledged that the 
taste for liquor had laid its hold on him ; that it had largely 
been created by the attentions and solicitations of the European 
friends, who had each an axe to grind. I never saw him the 
worse of liquor, but occasionally he was somewhat hilarious. 
The craving for drink, however, gradually gvew upon him after 
his return to Griqualand West. He returned a few montbs 
before •* annexation." He sent me, as a keepsake, three 
beautiful and valuable diamonds, which were stolen from my 
cabin in the s.s. the '^Edinburgh Castle," on the voyage to 
England in 1877. 

About this time, Charles Brislej/ erected his house of sod 
on the site now occupied by Mr. Dold's store. E. Stafford 
erected the wood structure, recently used as a boarding-house, 
and opened a store therein, which was conducted by Mr. Dixon, 
now Episcopal minister at Mount Ayliff. Most of the Griqua 
houses, of sod, and a few of them of brick, were run up 
about this time. By the beginning of 1874, there v/ere, in all, 
about eighty houses dotted over the plain. To outsiders it will 
seem new and strange to speak of houses 1 uilt of sod, and that 
by Europeans. Y^t, in the early days of Kokstad, little else 
was dreamed of. Sod walls became an institution peculiar to 
the place. The first Government house had its walls of sod. 
Walls could be easily, cheaply, and quickly constructed of this 
material, which was abundant, rf^ady to hand, and the best of 
its kind. A skilful workman could make sod walls strong and 
straight. When they were carefully plastered, whitewashed 
outside, and papered inside, they resembled the best brick wall. 
But woe to the peace of 'he occupants after the rats and mice 
had had time to burrow their tunnels and build their nests 
inside of them ! At first all erven were enclosed by walls of 
sod. If well built aid kept in repair they formed an excellent, 
though anything but a beautiful fence. If neglected they 
became extremely unsightly. In most cases the Griquas 
neglected their fences, and hence the town presented a ragged, 



40 

ruined, repulsive, and desolate appearance, often provoking the 
remark, •' The town ought to be called Sodville or the City of 
Sods " 

While Goodliff^ and Balance conducted business in the 
old Laafj;er, the Griquas were gradually moving a^Yay from it. 
Their manager, Mr. W. Darby, n\ as not at all sanguine about 
the removnl ever takinjr place. He established a weekly post 
by Kaffir runner to the nearest post ofiice in Natal. It 
\vas a private postal service, but piactically became public by 
harimj its oicn poslarje sUiDip. This was the first attempt at a 
re<'ular postal service If the Griqua Government wished to 
avail itself of the " Mount Currie Express." it required to 
procure stamps, and use these, like anyone else There are, I 
am informed, by competent authority, four of the Mount Currie 
Express stamps {.reserved in the British Museum. If any 
others exist they would, no doubt, be quoted at a high figure in 
the market of stamp collectors. A. notice of the history of this 
rare stamp, by Mr. Dai'by, appeared iu the Philatelists Journal, 
but I do not know the date of the issue containing it. The 
picture of the stamp may be seen in p-ige 15, part 3, of 
(Stanley Gibbons Local Postage istanips of the World, 1899, and 
an illustration will bs found in another page. Much sooner 
than v.'as expected, i\w Laager was deserted, and Messrs. 
Goodliffe and Balance found that they had to move also. The 
business left them ; the store tumbled down ; the doors and 
windows, and fittings, and timber, were bought up by the Eev. 
Mr. Ku'kby, and used in the erection of a sod house, at the 
corner opposite t^ie Congregational Manse. This house thus 
enjxjs the distiuction of having in its structure the oldest arliclcjs 
«f house luruiuire in Kokstad. It links the town on to the 
older settlement. 

CIIAPTEE XI. 

About the beginning of 1874, through the help of Mr. 
Iliitton, of Bedford, who, later, became Hon. Treasure-General 
of the Colony, a sum of £1310, had been recovered from the 
miserable wreck of the Griqua Church px'operties, and the work 
of church building was resumed. The work was done almost 
entirely by Griqua labour, under my own personal superinten- 
dence. A good industrial training in early life proved of 
unspeakable value to me, in our isolated position. There were 
not many things of ordinary handicraft I could not do ; but one 
thing bailled me. We had no blacksmith in Kokstad. The 
chisels for cutting the corners of our building stone required 
btarpening. I attempted ihls work mystdf, at the Government 
smithy, but miserably failed in the end, 1 had to send these 
tools, every other week, by pack horse, down to Archie Scott, 
near to Eiet VIey. For any blacksmith's work required to be 
done on the spot, we used charcoal, burnt in Mt. Currie bush, but 



41 

when that was not cbtainable, we bought imported coal from the 
shops at the rate of 1-lb. of coal for the j.rice of one acre of land. 
The Griqua workmen engaged on the work had to be fed. 
Those who know the fastidiousness and capacity of the people, 
in the matter of food, will unt^erstand what sorrows and heart- 
burnings wouli attend the daily feeding of some fifteen work- 
men. The supreme difficulty, for a long time, was to jjct wheat 
ground Wheat was plenliful, and cheap, but the grindmgcost 
as much as the purchase price. "Two women grinding at the 
mill " did not minister to economy or good temper. The meal 
difficulty seemed, at one time, insuperable I appealed to the 
Chief, hoping to be able to persuade him to erect a mill. " No," 
he said, " I built a mill at PJiilipolis, and the peoi-Ie seemed to 
expect me to grind their wheat for nothing. I won't build 
another " I appealed to Mr Brisley. " No ; he would have 
nothing to do with mill property." The Chief said, " If you 
can construct a mill yourself, or can get one made, you may have 
any water right in the country which is not already allotted. I 
accepted that otter, selected a water power from the Mount 
Currie Spruit, and got title for it. I had a water leading, and 
a mill constructed. The latter I constructed myself, and, verily, it 
was fearfully and wonderfully made. I believe the kind of 
mill goes by the name of "Norse" mill. I had seen one at 
work in the Shetland Islauv-^s. Its peculiarity is that the driv- 
ing wheel revolves horizontally, and is driven not by the weight 
of water, acting like a lever, but purely by the force of the 
water striking against the mechanism. There is no multipli- 
cation of speed, a single revolution of the driving wheel maUng 
a single revolution of the grinding stone. It ground one 
bucketful in twenty-fi ur hours ; but once started, it required 
no attention, and it solved the bread difficulty. The site of this 
primitive structure was about three hundred yards below the 
drift of the old Natal road across the Mount Currie Spruit, east 
of the town. By-and-bye, I replaced this mill by another, with 
overshot wheel, cog wheel, spindle, and sifting apparatus. 
There was some excitement in the little town when the larger 
mill on the same site was set agoing, and it was found that it 
could convert 2 muids of wheat into very good boer meal every 
day. I had expended time and strength and patience on this 
bit of primitive machinery, and I confess that I felt a little bit 
proud of my achievement. This second mill supplied meal 
for the church building work, for my ov^-n family, and for 
the country side. Aithur Barker became miller. He 
ground free for the church, myself, and the Chief, charged 
all others, and made the thing pay him. The water 
right passed into the hands of John Ilill, and the little 
mill thereafter went to Matatiela, where it did good, useful, 
work till our Colonial troops, during the Basuto war, chopped 
it to pieces for fuel to cook their food. "When the church was 



42 

completed, I sold the mill rights to John Hill, for the sum of 
^40. and the machinery of the mill for £25. These suras 
helped to defray the cost of a visit to the Old Country in 1877. 

Early in the seventies, a question was raised as to the 
extent of the commonage, and there was a little unpleasant- 
ness before the question was finally set at rest. The farm on 
which Kokstad is situated originally belonged to Martinus 
Davids. He took up the farm with the full understanding that 
if the Government, at any time, required it for a township he 
w'ould have to move elsewhere, witliout compensation. Martinus 
laughed at the idea of the Griquas ever building a town, and 
confidently had begun to build, enclose, and cultivate. When 
his farm was fixed on as the site, he received due notice, but 
declined to accept it, intimatmg his purpose to bide his time, 
and seek for what he called his '^rights" He continued his 
farming as if nothing had happened, and no one disturbed him. 
When the Chief and most members of the old Raad were 
dead, and after the Colonial Government had been 
formally established, then Martinus pressed his claim for 
compenscdion. After much negotiation and correspondence, 
extending over some years, Martinus had to be satisfied with- 
out any money compensation. He received a grant of land 
wherever he might choose to select his homestead, retaining 
his enclosed lands and pasture rights on the commonage. The 
transaction was all in his favour, but he grumbled, and went 
grumbling to his grave. To return to the question of com- 
mon'ige. It resolved itself into this. Is the farm of Davids and 
the adjoining veldt of William Bes'.uidenhout, and the southern 
face of Mount Currie sufficient? Some said "yes," others 
" nay," and there was considerp.ble dissension over it. Edicard 
Barker (who, meantime, had become surveyor), and myself, 
contended strongly for increased commonage. The Chief 
tried to be neutral, and Mr. Brisley also, though we knew that 
they leaned to our side. The farm to the west of Mount 
Currie, and north of the town, belonged to Jan Jkrgover, the 
Government Treasurer. He was a "man o' wecht " in the 
Privy Council, and he had, as his life-long friend, Jan Jood the 
Chief's son-in-law, whose daughter had come to be looked on 
hy the family as the presumptive successor to the chieftianship. 
Jood and Bergover were good, worthy men, and had great 
influence. We lu'ged that Beigover's grant should be cancelled, 
a double grant, if needful, given to him elsewhere, and his farm 
added to the commonage. Without this farm there would have 
been a perpetual grievance. At last Jan gave way, the friction 
passed, and the farm was added to the Town Lands. 

The contention was short, but sharp, while it Listed. I 
expressed my opinion freely, and, for a tim.e, incurred the 
displeasure of Jan Bergover, whose good opinion I valued as 
much as that of any man in the country. Kokstad owes 



43 

more to the late Edward Barker than to any othsr man for the 
acquisition of its splendid commonage. He never rested till 
he had the boundaries fixed as they now are. 

CHAPTEE XII. 

During the years which had passed since Kok occupied the 
country, his relations with the surrounding tribes had been, on 
the whole, pacific. With Foku, the old renowned and powerful 
Pondo chief, he was in friendly intercourse till his death. Deeds, 
dignified by the name of treaties, bad been diawn and ratified 
between them, An unfortunate feud, however, had sprung up 
between the Griquas and Makenda, the Chief of the Amabacca, 
located around Mount Frere Uncertainty existed as to the 
exact boundary-line between them, near to the Umzimvubu 
Poort and beyond " Nungi Neck " On the debatable land there 
lived a petty chief, who was a famous cattle lifter, Neukaria by 
name. He helped himself freely and frequently to the stock of 
Kok's subjects, Griqua, Kaffir, and Basuto. Such, at least, was 
the common accusation against him. Kok held that this 
offender was on the Baca side of the line, that Baca subjects 
aided and abetted him in concealing the stolen property so far 
inside the Baca territory that there could be no question of 
boundary. Makaula would neither restrain the thief nor restore 
the stolen property. Kok's patience became exhausted, he 
declared war, and called out his burghers. " Root Jan " Fienaar, 
a Griqua of the purest blood, was appointed Commandant. 
Under Rooi Jan was placed Lodoicijk Kok and Adam Johannes 
Kok, familiarly known as " Adam Muis," an arrangement w'hich 
at one 3 created a grievance with these two "princes of the 
blood." Eooi Jan came into prominence now for the first time. 
When the war was over he retired into the obscurity from which 
he ought never to have emerged. He had all the characteristics 
of a Griqua, — an expeit horseman, a crack shot, built in the 
prodigality of nature, amazingly self possessed, imperious, 
haughty, dignified, proad and penniless; — "a gentleman of 
broken means." Jan took command of some 300 burghers ; 
most of them rode good horses, and were well provided with 
fire-arms and ammunition, vastly superior to the stjle of fire- 
arm obtaining among the Kaffirs at that time. These were 
mostly old tower muskets or gas pipes, skilfully manipulated 
into a cheap fire-arm. Whether due to superior skill, or 
superior arms, or force of stricter discipline, I know not, but in 
a couple of w-eeks Rooi Jan was dictating terms to Makaula, 
almost at his Kraal gate. A fine of, I think, 700 head of cattle 
was imposed and enforced. Negotiations followed, is'suing in 
the removal of the cause of offence from the border. The 
distribution of the captured stock and fine led to heart burnings, 
jealousy, and stiife, which, in my humble opinion, was more 
deplorable than all Neukaua's depredations. 



u 

This little war had an important bearing on the future of 
Griqualancl East. Makaula, and those who sympathized with 
him, called the attention of the Cape Government to the 
necessity for investigation and the defining of the boundaries. 
Eesponsible government had been established at the Cape, and 
Charles Broh-nlee was Secretary for Native Affairs. The 
anomalous position of Kok and his Griquas had not escaped 
his attention. The Natal Government too, which had from the 
first, claimed priority of right to Xomansland, and had looked 
with no friendly eye on the semi independent and semi civilized 
state which had been planted on her borders, called on the 
Cape to look after her unruly children or proteges more closely. 
About this time another event served to draw the attention 
of the new Government to the Griqua position. Mr. T. O, 
Hall kept a small busineps in the Laager, or rather the business 
kftpt him ; he had become a persona ingrata with the Govern- 
ment, particularly with Lodowijk Kok, because he, Hall, had 
refuser! to give to the Government unlimited credit. Lodowijk 
declined to give any security for the payment of goods ordered, 
except the v.'ord of the Magistrate, and said that as Hall held 
a Griqua licence for trading in the country, he was bound to 
sell in good faith, to the order of its oflticers. This I think wa,s 
the real root of the strife, but the immediate occasion was 
Hall's demurring to the payment of a heavy fine for the use of 
a weight alleged to be false. Hall declined to do business on 
their terms. Next day after their epistolary tu'^sle, wagons 
were commandeered by Lodoirijk IlaU's goods, furniture, and 
family were unceremoniously loaded up and, 7?o'e»s rolens, he and 
his belongings wei'e conveyed to the Natal boundary, and oti- 
loaded at the spot where the Ingei Hotel and trading post now 
stands, and left there on the open veldt, to shift as best they 
could. Mr. Hall was next to ruined, for having no locus standi 
in the country, and having incurred the displeasure of the 
" Groote menschen " he could not easily recover outstanding 
debts. He began to trade on the spot where he had been set 
down, on which the brothers Scott had traded for some time 
before, and there bided his time. We shall afterwards see 
how " the whirligig of time brings its revenges." 

These high handed proceedings did not meet the approval 
of the more intelligent of the Griqua burghers, nor, indeed, did 
the chief himself approve ; the thing was done before he had the 
chance of interfering. 

This illustrates, what I have elsewhere noticed, the over- 
lapping of tl;e judicial authority, and functions, which prevailed 
within this miniature stat-^. Hall reported his case to Cape 
Town, and questions askpd in the House of Parliament attracted 
the attention of the country to the anomalous state of affairs. 
After a lapse of about two ycai's, Kok made compensation to 
Hall, granted him business stands in the new town, to 
whicn he came back in triumph, and succeeded in establishing 
a prosperous business. 



CHAPTEE XITI. 

The question had often heen raised who would succeed 
Adam Kok. There was a " William Kok," familiarly known as 
" 7'ol " He was the son of Mrs Kok, but tl^e accident of his 
paternity excluded him from all claim. There were several 
heirs " presumptive." The Jood family, the Eia family, the 
Waterboer family each set up claims and candidates. Some of 
the apprentices or slave descendents ventured to argue that, 
seeing Adam Kok I. had been himself an escaped slave, a 
representative of that class might well be selected to sit in the 
Kaptyn's seat, and hold his staff of office. The Waterboer and 
Jood families had concocted a plan by which their respective 
claims might be united by the marriage of Waterboer's eldest 
son to Jood's daughter. There was no Salic law in force, but 
there was no precedent of a Griqua Chieftaincas bearing rule 
among their people. Precedent had almost the force of law. 

The prejudice against the idea of a Queen ruling had been 
at one time very strong, and when hopes of issue from the 
union of A. Kok III. with his deceased brother's widow failed, 
then Adam Kok as good as adopted the eldest son of his cousin, 
Adam Eta Kok. familiarly known as "Eta." The boy lived in 
the Chief's house, and was taught to think of himself as the 
" heir apparent." He accompanied Kok and his Councillors to 
Cape Town in 1868, woed there a bri'ie, and was married in 
right royal style When this wife died, he returned to Cape 
Town and mariied her cousin. Meantime the "Eta Kok" 
influence began to decline, and that of Jood. increased. The 
illustrious reign of Queen Victokia had familiarized Kok with 
the idea of a woman succeeding him. "Why not?" Jood 
was bis wife's son in-law, Jood's daughter was growing up, 
hanrlsome, amiable, and, in a moderate way, accomplished. 
She was the grandchild of Kok's immediate predecessor (his 
elder brother), and so his own niece along the line of primo- 
geniture, and, besides, the child of his own adopted daughter. 
1 have already mentioned the arrival of Waterboer, and his stay 
in the Laager, from 1872 to '74, He, too, was Kok's stepson- 
m-law. Waterboer s elde.st son, by marrying his cousin, Jood's 
eldest daughter, would unite the candidature of the two 
families to reign together. This, certainly, looked like that 
'• tide in the affair.-? of men which, taken at the flood, leads on 
to fortune " — a lasting Kok-Waterboa- dynasty — x waking dream 
that seemed all natural, and likely enough. 

Alas ! When the time for the projected overtures arrived, 
it was found that the marriage proposals had to be abandoned, 
for reasons which well-nigh broke the hearts of the girl's 
parents, and made every patriotic and respectable Griqua hang 
bis head with shame and sorrow. Verily, one sinner destroyeth 
much good, 



46 

Little was said openly, yet a good deal of secret controversy 
went on as to the "succession." "Division smouldered 
hidden," partisanship was strong, and even perilous. Had 
Adam Kok died suddenly at any time between 1869 and '74, 
his death would \\\ve been the signal for civil strife, and it 
would have led to much bloodshed. 

All these things — the Baca war, the undefiQed boundaries, 
the making of treaties, inflicting of capital punishment, Hall's 
case, the possible strife over succession, and a good deal more, 
were known to the new Secretary for Native Affairs. 

A Commission was appointed to proceed to JSomans^and to 
investigate and report. The three Commissioners were Colonel 
(then Mr.) Griffith, Colonel (then Inspector) Grant, and James 
Ayliffe, Esq. All three are still alive, but retired on pension. 
For a week they sat under the verandah of the old shop in the 
Laager, taking voluminous evidence on all the subjects already 
mentioned, excepting the question of succession. That was the 
subject of private discussion with the chief This Commission 
was the first indication to Kok that his action and position were 
receiving the serious attention of the Government. Sir Philip 
Woodhouse had visited him a few years before, just after 
concluding the Aliwal Convention, but the only issue of the 
visit was an extension of territory and the verbal commission : 
'' Do the best you can ; ice icill not interfere with you." 

These Commissioners lodged with us in the unfinished 
Parsonage, and proceeded daily to the Laager to listen to the 
interminable talk from Griquas, Bacas, Pondos, Basutos. All 
they said, in the six days' talking, nnght have been well said in 
the course of a single forenoon. But this is the native way — 
*¦' Een measch moet i^raat, alia wereldlJ" 

Almost immediately after this Commission had sent in its 
report, Joscjyh M. Orjjen, now Surveyor-General for Pvhodesia, 
was appointe 1 British Resident for the whole of the Transkei, 
including Kok's country. He took up his rc-^idence on the 
banks of the Tsitsa, not far from the present Mount Fletcher. 
He was to be " the eyes and ears and mouthpiece of the Cover n- 
ment" to all the surrounding tribes. I do not think I am 
misjudging Mr. Orpen when I say that he did not like the 
Griquas. Against them he had an unreasonable and invincible 
prejudice. They were to him evil, only evil, and evil c m- 
tinually. He was a strong partisan of the Basutos, and 
contended, with almost reckless disregard of Griqua interests 
and facts, that the whole " Griqua country ought to belong io the 
Basutos " The Griquas, of course, soon found out how Orpen 
was disposed towards them, and there was no love lost between 
h'm and them. He kept worrying Kck with a ceaseless flow 
of bombastic despatches on every miserable trifle. He went to 
the very extreme of his authority to belittle Kok — a treatment 
which the Chief bitterly resented, and which, with all hig 



47 

faults, he did not deserve. Mr. Brishy, though still officially 
Goverament Secretary, had moved his residence from Kolcstad 
to Umzimkulu. He had become a partner in the firm Strachan 
and Co., and only visited Koksiad about once a month. The 
Chief had to depend on very imperfect Griqua clerical assistance 
in the intervals of Bris^e//s visits. It thus came about that, for 
a time, perhaps ab )ut six months. I ha I, frequently, to advise 
the Chief, and do a good pa^t of his correspondence. I did not 
like this, because I hive a strong conviction that it is wise for 
ministers and missionaries, as far as possi le, to refrain from 
interfering in the politics of the country in which they are 
lo«ated. Orpen was a personal friend, and staye i witn me, 
during his frequent visits to Kokstad. While sympathising 
with his desire to see a firmer Government established, I 
disapproved of his spirit, and not a few of his methods ; and, 
on the other hand, while not championing all Kok's doings, I 
sympathised with his feeling of honest pride and self-respect, 
which seemed to be unnecessarily trampled on by the action of 
the Kesident. 

Let me here try and briefly place before my readers the 
facts which, during the winter months of 187i, seemed to 
rankle in the old man's mind. He had been abandoned by the 
Government in the Bloemfontein Cojwentlon, betrayed by the 
Secret Treatu, and by the refusal to allow ammunition. 
Practically he had been handed over to the tender mercies of 
the Dutch Boers, to be obliterated bit by bit, root and branch, 
and all this in spite of treaty obligations, declared to be still in 
force. He had come into the ne\w country, much against his 
will, as a British subject, with the promise of magisterial help. 
That ha'-! failed him. He had been told to govern his people, 
and rule the country as best he could. He had done it. He 
had become used to his independence. His people had begun 
to thint and speak of themselves again as a Volk, a Nation. 
Very rightly, he now resented this pin-pricking, and the limita- 
tions implied in Mr. Orpen's appointment and the imperious 
tone of his despatches. Beyond all doubt, Orpen's policy and 
objective, if not indeed his fad, v/as annexation. I believe that 
even against that, Kok would not have objected, for he was 
conscious of the anomalous character of his position. But he 
had the conviction that he was being hounded and worried from 
the quartt-r from which he ought to get help, advice, guidance, 
and sympathy. Had he not opened up that new country? 
Without making roads, had he not found out the best and 
most passable tracks? If he had not built bridges, had he not 
found passable drifts ? Had he not cleared the country of 
wild beasts, and demonstrated its fi ness for agricultural and 
pastoral industries ? Had he not done all the rough pioneer 
work, without the protection of a single soldier, or the expendi- 
ture of a single shilling of Colonial or Imperial money ? Had he 



48 

not founded a township and established organised Government, 
which, wuth all its defects, was far in advance of anything 
attempted by any Kaffir or Basuto tribe ? Had he not given 
his people title to their holdings — a first step to a higher 
civilisation? If they abused their privileges, let them suffer 
for their folly. Thus Kok argued, and was he not quite right ? 
He declined to be treated as if he was a barbarous heathen, 
and I, for one, hold he did right. 

Events soon occurred elsewhere which favoured Orpen's 
scheme of annexation, and brought matters lO a crisis. 

Lam.a^ihilele rebf-lled in Natal, and took refuge in tlie 
Drakensberg mountains. A section of the same Illiihi tribe 
was settled near Kok"s country, and their chief, Z^he, was the 
intimate friend and blood relation of the rebel chief. It v,'as, 
naturally, surmised that he would try to make his way through 
the Maluti mountains, to join his relative, who would then 
make common cause with him, and spread the spirit of 
insubordination. It was said that there was evidence of 
intrigue, and corresoondence between the two, and, indeed, 
that messages of a somewhat mysterious character had been 
passing to and fro among other chiefs and tribes in the 
Ti'anskei. To check this possible movement, the Natal 
Government invited Kok to assist with a Griqua levy. In 
twenty-four hours Kok had mounted men on their way over 
the flats to the appointed rendezvous. The rapidity and 
promptitude of the response to Kok's call to arms excited 
admiration and gi-atitude. The Veld-cornets rode all night 
from farm to farm, and roused the sleeping Burghers While 
the men got the horses from the veldt and saddled them, the 
women put into the saddle-bags the available provender — 
coffee, sugar, and tobacco. A hunch of biltong was hung at the 
side, also a tin pannikin, and in front w-as fastened the blanket - 
all this the work of an hour, and the Griqua was off full tilt to 
the meeting-place of his particular ward. 

This litile Griqua army discharged the service asked for 
satisfactorily, and, I believe, free of charge to Government 
The combined force checked the southward movement of the 
rebels, and drove the Hlubi into the arms of Colonel Griffith, in 
Basutoland. 

J/r Orpcn now found from this a new text, fiom which 
to preach ''Annexation," which was his favourite theme " Do 
vou not see," he said, " that until such time as you annex the 
whole territory, stretching from the one Colony to the other, and 
from the Drakensberg to the sea, you nill alwaijs have a land 
vacuuvi, which will offer a possible asylum for discontented and 
dangerous spirits. At thi,s nail in the coffin of Griqua 
independence he hammered vigorously, in his despatches to 
Government and Eeports to Parliament. He might have 
summed up his case in the simple statement that John Bull, 
like Nature, abhors a vacuum, in the possession of the earth. 




Q 
< 

O 

o 

D 

o 

e town, 
if possilil '¦ to force the Secretary's hand. High words followed 
between them. Orpen resigned, and raised an agitation 
against Kok, Strachan, Brisley, and Brownlee, first in the press, 
and thereafter from his new seat in Parliament. Thereafter, 
Mr. J. M. Orpen disappears from the scene. 



72 
CHAPTER XIX, 

T. A. Ciimwing, Esq., arrived in Kokstad on 25th March, 
1875. He was commissioned to exercise a dual jurisdiction 
along witli A. Kok, who could have made things very 
uncomfortable for him, had he been built that way. He 
was not cantanlscrous, and, besides, he was glad to be relieved 
of the cares of office. Gumming soon found out tliat he could 
do pretty much as he liked. He was, perhaps, the most 
suitable man Government could have sent in the, then, 
anomalous position of affairs He was not a young man, he 
knew Dutch, knew the kind of people he had to deal with, 
their ways of thinking, their good and bad qualities, especially 
he knew exactly where the tender corns were. He received 
them courtaously wdien they came to ventilate a grievance, 
cracked a joke, handed round his snuff-box, had a good, long, 
free-and-easy talk, with the result that the men who had come 
protesting against all kinds of things went away somewhat 
ashamed at their own folly and shortsightedness. He beat no 
drum, hoisted no flag, uttered no threats, had no police, made 
no changes He quietly smiled at the harmless vapouring of 
the Committee of Twelve " Let them talk, it's only talk ; they 
don't mean anything," he said, and he was quite right. 

About this time, the question was raised, " Can we 
not have some Bcyulations as to trespass, the kraaling 
of cattle, and impounding of stray stock in the town?" 
A public meeting of erfholdei's was called At that 
meeting the Griquas learned, for the first time, tliat 
the (Jldef had, from the start, contemplated the establishnietit 
of a Municipality, and that their titles committed 
them to it. The Griquas have always displayed a marked 
hostility to the idea of Municipal Government. This is in 
singular contrast to their equally uniform and strong contention 
for iodependence, '' Zelfstaudk/heii.'' Regulations were now 
drawn up, few and simple, and passed by the vote of the erf- 
holders. They accepted the principle of Home Rule, or Civic 
Government, and acted on it. Their subsequent action in 
opposing the es^^ablishment of a Municipality in the nineties, 
and their almost uniform opposition since then, to all measures 
for the improvement of the town, can only be accounted for by 
the fixed aversion of nearly all native and coloured citizens to 
direct taxation, and the ignorance which blinds them to the 
fact that every public improvement increases the value of the 
public estate, raises the standard of civilisation, and increases 
the facilities for comfort and enjoyment. They are not lacking 
in obedience to the divine command, " be fruitful and 
multiply," but they, conveniently, forget that the same 
authority commands them '' to replenish the earth and 
subdue it." 



73 

From 1871 up to the beginning; of 1874 eacb erfholder 
buried his dead in his own erf. The Government had not 
selected a place of burial. I declined to do so, believing it to 
belong more to the functions of the State than to the Church. 
I refused to attend any funeral in a private erf, after a certain 
date. Then the Chief and his Council selected the spot now 
used as Town Cemeteries. It was intended to be Jor all 
classes, creeds, and colours, and was so used for some time. A 
Griqua girl, who had been confirmed in the Church of England, 
died. Mr. Dixon, as representing that church, applipd for a 
separate piece of ground, to become a denominational cemetery. 
The Chief said, "If it had been a white person, I could have 
" understood your objection to mingling the ashes of the dead, 
" on the score of colour, but on the score of creed, I cannot 
" understand it. However, if you will have it so, select a 
" separate place on the same ridge, and bury the girl." 

In June, 1875, Colonel, then Mr. Griffith, of Basutoland, 
and S. Probart, Esq., M.L.A., and Mr. Gumming were 
appointed a Commission, to make careful inquiry into the bona- 
fide? of all land transactions by the Griqua Government, and to 
investigate as to the claims of those who had not yet received 
their grants of land, and to report. These three gentlemen sat 
in the house in the Main street already described. Mr. Barker 
was elected Secretary. They applied themselves daily with 
diligence to the discharge of this difBcult task. Each burgher 
personally appeared and produced his title, if he had any. It 
was then compared with the duplicate in the Government book. 
If a burgher held a certificate ox z, ^^ request," that, also, was 
handed in, and careful inquiry made as to the validity of the 
grant, or the justice of the claim founded on it. In doubtful 
cases the Chief was consulted. There were scores of applicants 
for farms and ervea, who would never have dreamed of setting 
up such claims under Griqua rule. The annexation had 
emphasised the idea of cquali'y. Jack was now as good as his 
master, provided he had the dark colour ; indeed, he w^as 
inclined to think he was a good deal better. The more 
respectable portion of the Griquas were amazed and amused at 
the temerity of some of the applicants. Every bushman boy 
who, as groom or wagon driver, had crossed the mountain with 
them, considered that he was entitled to a " plaats," and fumed 
and fretted when his claims were disregarded. 

The work of this Commission was unduly hurried by the 
following circumstances : Earl Carnarvon, Imperial Colonial 
Secretary, had sent the late Mr. Eroude as his emissary, to 
quietly force on the Colony cut-and-dried schemes of 
Confederal ion. The Cape Cabinet resented this interference 
with the independence of the Colony, under the new con- 
stitution, and summoned Parliament. Probart was ambitious 



74 

of office, and could not brook being absent from so important a 
sitting ; hence the haste, so that he might be in time. 

While the Commission sat, the Committee of Twelve had 
several interviews with it The Griquas so utterly wearied 
them with the length and discursiveness of their speeches, that 
it all looked like searching for a needle in a haystack. These 
meetings raised a considerable amount of excitement in the 
little town. Mr. Probart was the clown of the party. He 
instinctively saw things from the humorous side. Nearly every 
case which came up for investigation had its ludicrous features. 
These Probart recorded by pen and pencil. Some of his 
sketches will be found in the Cape Monthly for February, 1876. 
The report of this Commission formed the basis of Government 
action in aU future dealings ivith allotted farms and erven. It 
acted on the following principles : — 

(1) That the land claims of all bona-fide title-holders were 
to be first provided for. 

(2) Next to them came the claims founded on Certificates. 

(3) That the aggregate acreage of Locations, for the use of 

Kaffir and Basuto tribes, should be approximately 
maintained. 

(4) That the balance of land remain for distribution among 

(a) landless burghers who trekked over the mountain ; 

[h) their adult sons ; (c) residents with the Griquas who 

bad done public service. 
All these principles of land distribution received the 
asfent of the Griquas, except the third, which became and 
has remained the great bone of contention between them and 
the Government, almost until this day. The controversy 
might be put in a nutshell, thus : — 

Griquas: "We claim that all the land in the Basuto and 
Kaffir locations ought to be reserved for distribution amongst 
us and our children. Is it not Griqualand .- " 

Government : " We simply confirm and continue occupa- 
tion, of the same aggregate of location lands as was made 
hy the Griqua Chief and his Government. The Griqua Govern- 
ment had its representative Volksraad, which, by its silence, 
consented to the alienation of the loca-tions, and drew from 
these its chief revenue." 

Thus things moved on until the end of 1875. Mr. 
Cummiug, by his quiet, conciliatory w^ays, was gradually 
killing opposition and disloyalty. The Griquas were eagerly 
awaiting the report of the Commission. The Committee of 
Tioelve were meeting and talking every month, and then going 
home more contented and reconciled with the inevitable. 
Month by month the political ginger beer bottle got brisk, went 
otr with its accustomed fiz, and then all was comparatively 
quiet again. 



75 
CHAPTEE XX. 

Adim Kok died on the 30th Decamber, 1875. The event 
occurred in this wise : The Chief was living at Leuw-Kop {now- 
Fair View). From this place he started on the morning of that 
day, in the company of Jan Jood and his family. They were 
all proceeding to keep the new year at Umzimkulu. The 
Chief drove in a bug^y, and along with him his wife's grand- 
children. They rested, and had luncheon at " St'ifford's,-' 
who treated the party with his wonted hospitality. Kesuming 
the journey, all went well till they came to a spot which I 
shall try tc describe, so that the traveller may easily identify 
it. 

Coming along the old read, between Eiet Vley and 
Umzimkulu, the traveller, after passing the junction of this 
road and the Harding road, descends to a drift. Passing from 
the drift up the deep cutting, if he look to the left he will see, 
about two hundred yards distant, the spoor ot an old road, 
which was in use before this cutting was made The spot 
where this old spoor joins the present road is the exact place 
where Adam Kok met his death. At this spot the Chief stood 
up to touch with his whip a young horse leading in the team, 
and used the whip vigorously just as the cart wheel struck the 
slanting rut of the old road. The spurt of the horse, the jerk 
and swing of the vehicle, threw him oft his balance. He fell 
before the wheel, which par^sed over his chest. He rose, 
placed his hand on his chest, and said, ^' Ach, vxit is dit nu ? " 
(" Oh ! what is this now ? " He staggered and fell, and never 
rose again. Wagon and cai't were immediately outspanned. 
The dying chief was gently laid on the grass, under the wagon. 
He occasionally groaned, once he asked for water, but besides 
that uttered not a word, and expired about four o'clock, two 
hours after the accident. These particulars of the Chief's last 
moments were related to me by Jan Jood, and confirmed by his 
wife. They do not quite agree with Mr. Brisley's letter, but it 
must be remembered that Mr. Brisley was not pi'esent, and 
wrote his letter in great haste and agitation. Messengers 
were despatched to Umzimkulu, to Mr. Brislej', who had a 
rough cofEn hurriedly constructed, and brought to the sjjot 
during the night. Early in the morning they all started back 
with the dead chief for Kokstad. 

Early in the day a horseman brought to me the following 
letter : — 

" Build Fontein, 
" Thursday night, 

" oGth December, '7.5. 
" My Dear Mr. Dower, — 

" It is my sad duty to inform you that the K iptyn met with an 
accident today, and fell from his trap, which passed over him and broke 
his ribs. He only survived two hours, and did not seem to have suffered 




76 

much pain. He never spoke after the accident. We are having a shell 
coffin made for him here, and intend to start for Kokstad early ia the 
morning, and expect to get there to morrow evening. His wish was that 
he should be buried in the corner of his erf, S. W., nearest 
opposite the erf of Adam Smith. Would you kindly at once 
get a proper coffin made that will b3 large enough to hold 
the shell. I think they will simply make it this shape 
and the cover coffla should be about 7 feet by 2 feet 2 inches 
at top, and sufficiently deep. We cannot d -fer the funeral later 
than Saturday morning Do not let any expense stand in the way. 
Would you also see that Klein Klaas (to whom I have written instructions) 
make the grave sufficiently large and deep, and at the spot I have indicated. 
I have no time to write more, 

" Yours very truly, 

"G. C. Beisley. 
" Rev. "W. Dower, 
" Parsonage, 

" Kokstad." 

Only a little time before this, with that singular presenti- 
ment of approaching death, which sometimes healthy men 
have, the Chief had pointed out this very spot as the place 
u-here he v-ould like to he buried. It was a mournful and a busy 
day. Only when the workoaen had completed their task, had 
we leisure to sit down and think what it all meant. 

As the sun was sinking behind the western hills, the 
procession of wagons, carts, and horsemen entered the town, 
while the Griqua church bell tolled its melancholy dirge, and 
the members of the Chief's 'household wept and wailed in an 
agony of grief. Meantime, horsemen and Kaffir ruoners, fleet 
of foot, had conveyed the news to almost every corner of the 
land. During the night, loaded carts and w^agons, men on 
horseback and on foot, continued to arrive. All New Year 
festivities were suspended. For obvious reasons, the funeral 
was fixed for an early hour — nine o'clock. By that time a 
very large number of burghers had collected. Many of them 
had been roused from sleep, had hastily saddled up, and ridden 
distances of twenty and thirty miles in the dark. The people 
ranged themselves in a semi-circle round the front of the 
";j>cf'«ce." The coffin was brought out and laid on trestles. 
Some confusion arose from the absence of a responsible head. 
The relatives were all dazed and hesitant, wishing to do the 
right thing, but fearing they might do the wrong. There was 
no undertaker, no master of ceremonies. Mr. Brisley, with his 
wonted energy, took matters in hand, and everyone obeyed 
him promptly. I walked at the head of the procession. £ta 
Kok, Adam Jfuis, Bergover, Cumming, Brisley, Barker, acted as 
pall-bearers, while the Kok family and the women of the 
household took the place of cbief mourners The service at 
the grave was brief and simple. Any attempt at prolonged 
speech would have let loose the fountains of grief, and would 
have produced a scene of weeping and lamentation. After the 



77 

women folk had retired, old Adam Eta, the cousin of the 
deceased, the man who had for many years alwaj'^s acted as 
Provisional Kaptya, as he stood looking into the grave, 
addressed the people in somewhat broken language, as follows, 
speaking in Dutch : — 

" Friends and Fellow-Burghers, — We have made a sad 
'' beginning to this new year. We have laid in this grave a 
" man you all kne^v and loved. He is the last of his I'ace. 
" After him, there will be no coloured king or chief in Colonial 
" South -Africa. Of Kaffir tribes, there may still be chiek ; of 
" coloured chiefs he is the last Take a good look into th.at 
"grave. You will never look into the grave of another chief 
•' of our race Do you realise that our nationalitj' lies buried 
" there ? The deceased was the friend of you all. Did you 
" ever hear of Adam Kok making an enemy ? Political enemies 
" he had, unfortunately, more than his share ; private ertemips 
" he had none. He had his faults —we all have ; but you will 
" all bear me out, he was generous to a fault — too indulgent, 
" and gentle, and yielding, for a chief. There lie the remains 
" of the one South African chief who never lifted arms nor 
" fired a shot at a British soldier, though sometimes provoked 
" beyond human endurance. There is not a single man here 
'' who has not received favours at his hand. If you are ever 
" tempted to forget him, turn to the titles of your properties, 
" and see there his familiar sign manual. I have yielded to 
" the temptation to add this much to what the minister has 
" said, because I am his near relative, and he honoured me 
" with his confidence, and occasionally delegated to me his 
" authority. There ai-e many who will arrive here too late in 
" the day to be with us at his interment. Let us set guards, 
" and leave the grave open till sun-down, so that these friends 
" from afar may have the melancholy sati.sfactiou of seeing all 
" that is fit to be seen of the Chief they loved so well. Let all 
" questions of politics rest. Let us go home to mourn in secret 
" and in silence, and prepare for the funeral services to- 
" morrow." 

These words, more truthful than merely eulogistic, were 
uttered with deep emotion. Sometimes the speaker could 
proceed only with great difficulty. The whole scene was tragic 
and pathetic, and will live with me while memory lasts. 

People continued to arrive all day. and some afi^ecting 
scenes were witnessed at the grave. At sundown it was filled 
up and temporarily bricked over. On the following day I 
preached funeral sermons inside the roofless walls of the new 
church, in the blazing sun, to a very large concourse of people. 

Here let me lay a chaplet on the old man's grave. 



78 



A FUl^ERAL DIRGE. 

O Burghers kind ! seek all a finH, 
Some seemly token of our woe ; 

The church bell toll, the salt tear roll, 
The great uaan of our race lies low. 

Ah, well we rany, this New Y-sar's Day, 
The bitter herbs of sorrow eat ; 

Stay, wonted piny, let's all to pray, 
The very lambs in pity bleab. 

The old year's sped, the old chief s dead. 

Who, who, can titly fill his place? 
Lay bira to re.-t where he ti, ought best, 

This last man of a chiefi.iin race. 
cruel Fate ! that will not wait, 

The .'^orro.ving crowds which love calls in, 
To dr p a t'ar around his bier. 

Ere death's sharp teeth tlieir woi'; begin. 



Twsnfy fice Years' Thereafter. 

What shape let,-, hcisp .¦'laiuls 'oy the street. 
Hugged and bare, and crirnbling down ? 

The old Ch-ef's grave? — 'twas he who gave 
The .site, the charge to buili the tjwn. 

Some seemly mark in hall "T pnrk. 

Oh, surely, surely, well might be, 
To him wli ) founds a town that sounds 

His name each day by land or sea. 

Before we finally take leave of Adam Kok, let me give 
some reminiscences of the man as I found him, and came to 
know him, and it m;iy not be amiss to note at how many 
points he touched upo i our South African history, and at the 
singularly unique placi he o cupied in our crudescent colonial 
civilisati -n : — 

Fifty years ago tho name cf this chief was known to most 
colonists, and it was, !)y no means, unfamiliar to the Govern- 
ment officia,ls at Capetjwn, or to the men who directed South 
x\frican affairs from th • Ciloi-ial Office in London. Fifty years 
ago this name was also familiar enough to the friends of South 
African Missions, and the readers of missionary literature. 
To-day the name wou^ 1 be forgotten but for the thriving and 
inaportant township which the owner thereof formei, and 
which the people calif 1 by his name lie was a short, stout, 
pock-marked man. ;Ie was not good-looking, but he was 
shrawd, Intel lige at, ki idly, and hospitable. For a man who 
had read little, and had nt ver been out < 1 the country, so that 
he might learn from si.^lit what he did not learn from books, 
ho had rea ly a vvouierf .1 k-jow!edge of the Avorld and its 
affairs. 

When I joined th'j Griquas, in 1869, the work to be done 
seemed overwhelming. The Chief was, after a time, most 



79 

eager and willing to help in every way possible. There was 
neither township nor church, school, nor dwelling-house, 
except of the most ramshackle and temporary character. The 
place of meeting had neither floor nor ceilitjg, door nor window, 
pulpit no^ pew. Everything had to be started from the very 
foundation 

At first Adam Kok was very suspicious of me, as he was of 
all white men, until he knew and trusted them. His suspici'-^n 
bred caution, and his caution tried my patience He would 
wait and watch to lind out what sort of fellow I was. He had 
crossed lances with missionaries before ; he did not wish to do 
it again. He knew they are not all angels, and that some had 
more grace than gumption. This is not intended to reflect on 
the good man who had preceded me in Kok's old country - ilev. 
W. B. Philip— whose name was held in honour, and who waa 
one of the saintliest and wisest of men. I knew that ivok was 
watching me, and I walked with all due circumspection. After 
a time I secured his confidence, and then had no difficulty in 
gaining his assent to my somewhat ambitious plans. For 
though the Church and the State were supposed to be quite 
separate and independent, yet, in point of fact, there never was 
a Church in closer alliince with the State than the Griqua 
Church at that time. Adam Kok was a member of its finance 
committee, and his word had other than its logical claims to 
consideration. 

It was to me a trying discipline to feel pledged to iiwiolable 
theoribS, freshly imported from Scotland, as to the Headship of 
Christ, the Indep^-ndence of the Church, the Sphere of the 
Chief Magistrate in matters ecclesiastical, and then to lind that, 
either I must let thes) theories lie in abeyance or let the 
work of the mission stand still. 

Adam Kok ana his Councillors were " kittle cattl^^," but they 
were at he rt m^t bad fellows. They required t ) be stroked the 
right way. and plenty of stroking ; they required to be 
thoroughly convinced that you meant work and service, not 
merely self-seeking. Adam Kok had often to hear words from 
me that made his ears tingle, but he recognised that there was 
sincerity, fidelity, and affection at the back of the words, and he 
liotened patiently. I, on the other hand had to pocket many a 
little indignity, and bear all things for the Gospel's sake. Thus 
we rubbed against each other's angularities, and by-and-by we 
cime right. My policy was. to get my own, way by making 
them to believe that they were getting theirs— leacing them, 
bat keeping the string invisible. I could then get the old man 
to do almost anything I asked. I took good care to ask only 
for what was manifestly necessary and reasonable. 

When the site of the new town.- hip was finally fixed on, and 
the survey completed, he took the liveliest interest in the 
erection of Mission-house, School and Church. To see a whole 



80 

set of buildings, with enclosurep, out-houses, gardens, gates, 
trees, and irrigation all planned and laid down on paper before 
a sod was turned, appealed to his practical mind, and complete- 
ly won his conlidence and co-operation. He would go to the 
stone quarry and the brickfield, the water furrow and the 
fonndation trenches, asking hosts of questions. Like Josiah of 
old, he " made a proclamation " through East Griqualand " to 
bring in the collection," and " cast it into the chest." This 
could not literally be done, for one man brought an ox, another 
a load of sawn timber, a third a thousand bricks, etc. As the 
work proceeded, he seemed to renew his youth. We became 
the best of friends, and worked together very harmoniously. 
At first we worked with a Building Committee, which, it being 
large and unwieldy, was like swimming wuth shoes of lead. The 
members dropped off one by one until only Adam Kok was left, 
and he ceased to confer. 

He spent many hours in my house. His chief delight was to 
see the Illustrated Magazines and hear descriptions of European 
life and scenes. 

For such a man — simple, confiding, imitative — who had 
learned in his early life to look on the white man as the model 
to be copied, his legs had been too frequently beneath the 
gubernatorial mahogany. He had been too often " treated " 
in the tents of British generals. He had come to associate 
dignity, authority, power, with brandy and soda. If he took 
too much his consolation and defence was, " De wite mensch- 
en maken zoo" (the white men do so). Alas ! too quickly do 
men thus run into the snares of satan ! But here I am in 
danger of speaking evil of dignities. 

This coloured man occupied a position altogether unique 
and anomalous. He had the absolute disposal, not in tiibal, 
but individual title, of a country roughly-speaking 5,000 square 
milts in extent, and containing some of the best pastoral and 
agricultural lands of the Colony— a place of fruitful valleys, and 
of broad rivers and streams, the very birthplace of waters. He 
actually begged of people, white and coloured, to accept of 
farms. Anyone could have a 3,000 aci'e farm for the asking, on 
payment of a very nominal quitrent, and doing very easy 
burgher duty. 

One of my lads, now the minister of a Church at Queens- 
town, when a little chap, was one day engaging the interest of 
the chief, when the following conversation took place : — " Well, 
my boy, would you like a ' plaats ' ?" (a farm). " Yes, Cap'in, 
I would like a place in heaven." " Ah, my boy, I cannot give 
you a place there, for I am not sure of one for myself." 

On gala days the chief was impressive in his get-up. He 
allowed himself to be persuaded to appear in a general's uniform. 
He drew a line, however, at the cocked hat — " ugly thing," 
he said. The result was that at one end of royalty were tha 



81 

odorous and unsightly " veldschoenen." at the other a greasy, 
battered billycock hat, and in between, blue and purple, scarlet 
tassels and gold lace, and Brunamagen jewellery to serve as 
insignia of office. " He bore his honours as an ass bears gold, 
to groan and sweat under the business." More than once I 
rode beside him thus got up, and at the head of his burgher 
army. I suppose I filled the position of pontifex maximus of 
the realm ! 

In 1874, Sir Henry Barkly annexed the country, and swal- 
lowed the little kingdom, king, lords, commons and all — 
pensioned them all oft — save and except the pontifex maximus. 
Pensions are supposed to be bad for ministers, especially when 
they are still young and strong. 

Adam Kok pulled a wry face at the loss of the prestige of 
royalty, but he rather enjoyed signing his receipts for £1,000 a 
year. He did not enjoy his pension long nor did he live to see 
the church completed 

He was long the bulwark of our northern border, 
standing sentinel between the Colony and the Matabele 
hordes. These had a wholesome fear of Griqua guns 
and marksmen. His people were the only tribe beyond the 
border to whom the Government considered it safe to sell fire- 
arms and ammunition. I can find no record of their 
abusing the privilege. When, by the presence of the Boers on 
the plains between the Orange and Vaal Rivers, our northern 
border became sufficiently protected, we stood aside, in spite of 
treaty obligations and allowed our own renegade subjects to 
swallow the little State which had stood for us in the breach so 
long and so well. Adam Kok had come in contact, during 
his life, with nearly every maa of note in our South African 
official circles. He made treaties with Napier, Maitland, and 
Harry Smith, personally transacted business with Governors 
Grey, Woodhouse, and Barkly, resisted the attempted 
encroachments of Sir George Clerk, and paid homage to the 
Queen's son, Prince Alfred. Kok headed his Burghers, and 
fought with Harry Smith at Boomplaats, and was associated 
with Cathcnrt in his disastrous escapade in Basutoland. Saul 
Solomon was his politicil agent and adviser No man of 
colour has left so dc^p and enduring a mark on the history and 
nomenclature of South Africa. Had Adam Kok chosen to 
stretch a point, and make a declaration regarding the original 
ownership of the Campbell Lands, such as the Orange Free 
State Government so eagerly desired, that declaration would 
probably have been the little weight to turn the scales 
when they hung evenly balanced, and change the whole drift 
of our South African history. Let anyone refer to the 
voluminous evidence collected by the Commissions of Enquiry 
re the Diamond Fields and he will meet references to Kok and 
his doings and those of his little State, on every page. He was 



82 

the first, and so far as known to me, the only African chief to 
attempt the somewhat perilous experiment of substituting 
individual for communal titles to land. I know of no other 
chief who ever tried to substitute statue for prescriptive and 
traditional law. Has any other native chief ever dreamed of 
cutting off the right hand of arbitrary and autocratic power and 
voluntarily submitting to the limitations of a written constitu- 
tion and the restraints of a popular Eepresentative Assembly ? 
He and his people accomplished the task of crossing in wheeled 
conveyances, the crest of the terrible Drakensberg never 
attempted before, nor, indeed, since. They pioneered the new 
country, redeemed it from the dominion of wild beasts, proved 
its suitability for pastoral and agricultural pursuits, and, in 
spite of all their many shortcomings, left an imperishable name 
in one of the finest districts of the Cape Colony. Peace be to 
the ashes of the old Griqua chief, as they lie mouldering 
beneath that hideous cairn of bricks, dignified by the name of 
"monument"! His memory deserved better treatment than 
it has received. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

While the funeral service was proceeding on Sunday, 
January 2nd, there drove into Kokstad a mule wagon con- 
veying two Commissioners from the President of the Orange 
Free State. They brought despatches containing a series o 
question^ to be put to Adam Kok. These questions had 
reference to the original positions of certain beacons which 
marked the old boundary between Kok and Waterboer, at 
the time when the Orange Free State bought out the residuary 
rights of the Griqua Government, in I86I. Still more 
important were the questions as to the extent of Cornelius 
Kok's rights to the Campbell lands and Adam Kok's heirship 
of his estate. 

At a combined meeting of the two Eaads, hurriedly 
convened on Monday morning, it was decided, notwithstanding 
the fact of annexation, to proceed to the election of a ino tern. 
Successor to the deceased chief, and ihat he should be 
empowered to receive the Commissioners officially, and hear 
the mysterious contents of the sealed letters. As I have said 
elsewhere, the choice fell on a nonentity, Conielius, van der 
Westliuizen. He was a man of no intelligence, decision, or 
energy, but he served the purpose of a stop-gap, figure-head, 
or tool. He had the privilege of antiquity, and was a blame- 
less man. so that the Eaads as good as said : " Oh, let us have 
him, for his silver hairs will purchase us a good opinion ! " 
When these Commissioners met the new chief and his Eaad, it 



83 

was found that the seals could be broken only in the presence 
of a J.P., or an orrlained minister. Mr. Gumming was a J. P., 
but to call him would be infra dig., and probably he would 
decline to attend ; so I was requested to go and testify to the 
breaking of the unbroken seals. I remained, by request, and 
heard the proceedings. I have Q\er had a firm persuasion that 
the Orange Free State authorities, believing Kok to have been 
hurt at the recent annexation, and assuming that having his 
pen ".ion assured, hoped Kok would now be more disposed than in 
1871 to give evidence in .support of their claims, and hence this 
Second Commission. The queries had reference chieily to the 
overlapping jurisdiction of petty chiefs, all of them dead several 
decades, whose territorial limits and the sources of their 
authority they themselves, when alive, probably could not have 
defined. x\s evidence that certain of these decease 1 chiefs once 
had independent authority, and that their authority had, in 
some v/ay, passed over to Kok, several staffs of office, more like 
policemen's batons than King's sceptres, were produced from 
mysterious places, with no small confidence and pride, but no 
staff of office belonging to CorDelius Kok. One chief point in 
the queries had reference to the original position of David's 
Graaf. This spot had become a very uncertain quantity The 
heap of stories, which had gone for many years for David's 
Graaf, was there all right, but the contention was that these 
had been removed. David had been a petty chief in the 
thirties. He went a-shooting, and was shot by accident, and 
buried where he fell A heap of stones served, first, to mark 
the grave, and, later, to become an important beacon on the line 
between Kok and Waterboer, not far from the confluence of the 
Eiet and Modder rivers, places now famous in thi^ annals of the 
British Army. A Dutch farmer had come into possession or 
occupation of the farm. He, evidently, had little regard for the 
provisions of the Jewish legislation about the removal of land- 
marks, and as little for the ethics of the Decalogue, when it came 
to a matter of a few square miles of land. So our Dutch friend's 
conscience <)id not sevei'ely rebuke him when he spanned in his 
wagon, one day, loaded up the stones of David's Graaf, and 
moved them a "few mil.-s farther afield, thus doubling, if not 
trebling, the extent of his pasturage, " Why should he not do 
it? Nobody wanted the land. Old David would sleep as 
quietly without the stones as with them, and who was to know 
that the new beacon did not mark the original grave ? " The 
removal of the beacon became an open secret, but who was to 
make a fuss about a few miles of land? Thus matters 
remained until diamonds were found on the banks of the \ aal, 
and the question arose : "In whose territory lies the 
diamondiferous fields? " That, again, depended partly on the 
question: "Where lies David's Graaf?" Well, the Ptones 
¦could not speak. The actors in the tragic burial of David were 



84 

all dead, except a few old men in Griqualand East. Hence the 
Commission of 1871 at old Mount Currie, and the comic issue 
of their having to whirl their thumbs and wait the convenience 
of his Griqua Majesty, and then get '• 'k weet nie " ( 'I don't 
know") for an answer. Hence, too, the tragic issue of coming 
a second time to find the Chief a few hours in his gi"ave, and a 
bogus successor on his throne. My readers will now see the 
importance of this inquiry, and the reason for all this formality 
and mystery, sealed documents, and written questions. 

The position, briefly state!, lay thus: In August, 1861 » 
Adam Kok and his Council, in anticipation of the trek, 
authorised their agent to sell to the Orange Free State all 
unallotted land still belonging to them. The agent either 
carelessly, or of set purpose, introduced into the deed of sale 
the clause, '¦' Likewise that of tJw. late Cornelius Kok." In so 
doing, he exceeded his powers. When the diamonds were 
discovered, the Orange Free State set up its claim, on the 
ground that Adam Kok was heir to Cornelius Kok ; that 
Cornelius Kok had exercised sovereign rights over the now 
disputed territory, and these rights of Adam and Cornelius Kok 
had been bought out by the O.F.S. All this Waterboer 
disputed, contending that Cornelius Kok never had sovereign 
rights, that he died intestate and had heaps of children ; that 
Adam Kok never was his heir ; that the old lines mutually 
agreed on between him and Kok threw the fields clearly into 
his territory. 

The controversy between the O.F.S. and the Governor of the 
Capj had been long and acrimonious. At last the Colonial 
Secretary had invited President Brand to confer with him in 

ngland with a view to settlement. The O.F.S. Government 
expected now to obtain evidence to strengthen their case. 

The new Chief had been one of the signatories to the Power 
of Attorney under which the sale to the O.F S. had been 
completed, and, moreover, was one of the few living witnesses of 
the burial of David, the place of whose grave was in dispute. 

Hours were now occupied in vain effort to gain fresh evidence 
of Cornelius Kok's o%vnership of the disputed territory, and the 
late Adam Kok's inheritance of his property ; all in vain. The 
notes of these gentlemen would be, I am afraid, to the Presi- 
dent, some of the unpleasantest words that ever blotted 
paper. Nearly every fact and statement confirmed Waterboer's 
claims. The information then obtained and recorded has never 
appeared in any blue book. What, if some day it should be 
found in the archives of the defunct Eepublics ? 

Strange it is that this obscure spot on the banks of the 
Modder Eiver, round which there gathered strife of tongues 
and war of words, and to which all eyes were turned in 1870 



85 

should, 30 years hereafter, be the spot on which, amidst fire and 
smoke, shot and shell, carnage and death, the supi'emacy of 
Britain in South Africa should tremble in the balance. Yet, so 
it was. 



CHAPTEE XXII. 



There was now much unrest because of the delay in issuing 
the report of the Commission. Every Griqua was in a state of 
uncertainty and suspense. The friends of the people said : 
" You have no cause for anxiety, your land grants will be 
coafirmed by the Government right enough." But there were 
some who said the opposite, and the poor folk did not know 
whom to believe. The unrest was increased by the arrival in 
February, '76, of C. P. IVatermei/er, Esy., Mr. F. Watermei/er, 
Mr. St. V Erskine and Mr. C. C. HenkeL to begin a general survey 
of the country. The decision of the Government, to carry oui 
an extended survey now taking practical shape, was opposed by 
Mr. Brisley and many of the leading Griquas. Their contention 
was thus expressed : •' This is Griqualand. The Government has 
" undertaken to manage its affairs without introducing exten- 
'• sive or radical changes. The Government is exceeding its 
" rights, and breaking its promises in commencing this general 
" survey, entailing heavy outlay, without the consent of the 
" people. Many of the farm-owners have already sui'veyed and 
*' planted beacons. We are quite satisfied with these surveys, 
" and we object seriously to being subjected to this further 
" outlay." This proposed survey again set the country in a 
fever of commotion. Tire outcome of it all was that the Gov- 
ernment gave an assurance that farm-owners who had already 
surveyed would not be called on to pay for their share of the 
new survey, and, I believe, the promise was faithfully kept. 

As the year 1876 advanced there were reports of hostile 
movements, and intrigue going on, in all of which Smith 
Pommcr's name was prominent. The Committee of 
12 had exhausted itself, though it still continued to meet 
every month. The death of the Chief, and the burial with 
him of all hopes of a return to the old position, left them 
broken winged for oratorical flight Several found the bottom 
knocked out of all their cherished hopes of advancement. 
Some had got other fish to fry, for they had turned 
Land Agents, and were ever ruaning about with powers of 
attorney to sell erven or farms, with declarations of seller or 
purchaser, and often, scribe-like, with a pen stuck behind the 
ear These men became quite learned in the language of the 
Conveyancer, 



86 

In the month of February, 1876, things began to look 
threatening Sihout A'lei Vlei. Pommer was known to be intriguing 
with Sidoi, a Kaffir chief Mr. Donald Strachan, who was 
now magistrate at Umzimkulu, had warned Mr. Cuviming, and 
he had duly informed the Government, requesting that a com- 
pany of the F.A.M.P. might be sent up. 

In April Capt. Blt/th, the distinguished Eesident among the 
Fingos, was appointed to supersede T. A. Gumming. Mr. 
Brownlee doubtless considered Capt. Blyth the best man to 
send up to mest the contingency of an outbreak, an opinion 
in which many who knew the Griqus did not share from the 
beginning. Capt Blyth approached Kokstad, supported by a 
company of the F.A M P., in the belief that every Griqua was 
disloyal and prepared to light. This misapprehension of the 
position was productive of much of the unhappy history 
immediately following. The report of his approach reached 
Kokstad on a Sunday morning. Mails were few and of tele- 
grams there were none, Blyth expected the Griquas, if they 
were friendly disposed, to go out and meet him. Most of the 
Griquas attended divine service. In those days, I doubL, if 
they would Vave gone to meet the Queen herself if she had 
chos-cn to vibit them on a Sunday morning. And so it came 
about that not a single Griqua went out to welcome the 
Captain. He took it as a sign of hostility, in spite of all Mr. 
Cumming's assurances to the contrary, and he was at no pains 
to conceal his chagrin. 

The Griquas were familiar with his name ; had heard of hib 
iron but successful rule of the Fingos, and of their complete 
submission to his strong will. Blyth came to Kokstad with 
the military spirit which said: "I'll make these upsetting 
Griqua fellows knuckle down, you'll see '' The Griquas on the 
other hand met him saying to themselves : " Does this fire- 
eater think that he is to order us about and deal with us as if 
we were Kaffirs ? " 

CajA. Blyth entered the town ani encamped. His stronS 
language, the presence of so many armed men, the waggon^ 
with ammunition, the military precautions of mounting guard' 
etc., were all to the Griquas like so many menaces of hostility 
They were already suspicious of Blyth, and Blyth was equally 
suspicious of them. Espionage on both sides followed and in- 
ci'eased the suspicion. 

Next day Capt. Blyth " took over " from Curnming. He 
immediately issued orders for a general muster of the burghers, 
and in a few days the town was full. As usual, the Griquas 
came armed and mounted, a circumstance which added to 
Capt. Blyth's suspicions and led to further military precau- 
tfons. In the centre of the Market-square a pole was planted 
and the Union Jack run up. Underneath it Capt. Blyth 



took his stand and read his commission. He told the Griquas 
that he had reason to beheve treason was rampant among 
them ; that he had come to put all that down, and he 
would '^o ir. He would administer justice with perfect 
fairness and impartiality, but he would put down all treason- 
able talk with a high hand. The Committee of 12, he con- 
sidered, was a treasonable body, and he would henceforth 
prohibit its meetings. They were now subjects of the 
Queen, and they must be loyal to the flag which waved over 
them. He then intimated that he liad brought with him 
printed lists of all the Umd grants approved by the Govern- 
ment, and these were distributed broadcast. One of the 
Griquas inquired if he might be permitted to ask a question. 
"Certainly," said the Captain. "Well," said he, "I 
" wish to know if it be the custom of the Queen of England to 
"demand allegiance from an unwilling people? Does 
' she now-a-days annex a people in the same way as you 
"catch game? Are we annexed by might or right ? " The 
Captain's answer to these questions was not .in the most 
gentle terms, and in substance was something as follows : 
,' You see that flag? there it is, the symbol of sovereignty, 
justice, protection, freedom to all who are under it. How or 
why you were annexed is a matter with which I have 
nothing to do. All I know is that you are British subjects, and 
while you enjoy the privileges you must accept the respon- 
sibilities, so there is an end to that talk." Such was, in sub- 
stance, the issue of Captain Blyth's first tussle with the 
Griquas, and such the speech held when the old flag was, 
for the first time, hoisted. Sullen of face and angry at heart 
the Griquas went home that afternoon. One might have heard 
them ringing changes on the old grievances : " Taken over 
like sheep," "¦ Forty years money unsettled," ^^ Treaty trampled 
on," " What ah out our Volksraad and Griqua law ?" " Mensche, 
dit is zwacir" (Sits, this is hard). Their pride received 
a wound that day which has never quite healed up. 

This brings m^ now to the saddest episode in the early 
annals of the town. Gladly woulp I omit reference to it, but 
subsequent events would be inexplicable in the absence of a 
faithful statement of what occurred on the evening of this 
day. 

The lists of confirmed land grants were now in the hands 
of the people They had been printed, as usual, the family 
name first, the christian name following. Tbe method was 
new to the Griquas, and hence each one failed to find his 
name in the list of grants approved This was taken as 
confirmatory of what had been bruited about that Govern- 
ment would break faith with them. Night had now come 
on ; there was no one to explain, and, indeed, they were in no 
mood to reason. Mr, Cumming was preparing to leave with 



his family. The writer, in whom, I venture to think, most of them 
would have had confidence, was in King William's Town on church 
business. Almost without exception they were feeling hurt, 
humiliated, or angry. Wherever it had come from, there was 
undoubtedly liquor in the town that night. Some of the supply had 
aeached Willern Kok, son of the wife of the liite chief This man 
accounted himself, notwithstanding the discreditable accident of his 
birth, "ee?j geboren koniny " (every inch a king) When a drop of 
spirits reached his bram he did and said the wildest things. In the 
twilight of this eventful evening Willem stood in the " Palace 
yard." The F.A.M.P. were marching up the street escorting the 
ammunition wagon. With his measured step and &low, long stick 
in hand, " loll " (his familiar name) walked across the street. Now 
whether " Toll" was too eager to give or the men too ready to take 
offence will probably never be known. But a F.A.M.P. trooper 
affirmed that '• Toll " lifted his hand to assault him. " Toll " said 
they needlessly rede down upon him and he lifted his arm to turn 
aside the horse's head. At any rate, a hue and cry was raised that 
" a Griquahad assaulted the Police." The men stood to arms. The 
Captain and officers in command were hurriedly fetched from dinner 
in a high state of excitement. In a few minutes there was a huge 
fuss all over the street. Recriminations and angry words followed 
from all sides. It was now dark ; most of the Griqua people were 
in their houses poring over the lists, and in some cases talking 
loudly and violently. Captain Blyth gave the order to search PA-ery 
Griqiia home, and to seize all firearms. In vain Mr. Ciinimivg tried 
to dissuade him from this course ; he was inexorable. He had been 
offended at the lack of attention, the questions, and the attitude of 
the people. He believtd they had hostile intentions. '• Four of his 
five wits went a halting." Search was made by excited and angry 
troopers Quiet, staid, harmless old men were knocked up in the 
middle of the night to deliver up their fire-arms. The night visit 
and the demand confirmed their worst fears. Some refused to open 
and the door was broken in. Old Titus Klein, the original owner 
and occujiier of the present printing house, a most inoffensive old 
slaveman, one of Kok's very best councillors, was pulled out of his 
house struggling in the dark and pretty roughly handled. E. 
Stafford, a European storekeeper, from Natal, who w^as present, 
cried out : " Shame, don't strike the man when he is down." 
Captain Blyth, who was also there, replied: "Who are you ? " 
" I am Edward Stafford, sir." " Well, you come to my office to- 
morrow morning at 10 o'clock and I will talk to you." " I will, 
sir." Inside the house, the women screamed and extinguished the 
light. The police entered, relighted, and searched the place with no 
gentle hand. Titus was ari'ested and detained till next morning. 
When he returned he found his furniture scattered about, his boxes 
opened, and his ready cash amounting to £4 gone. While this was 
going on here, another compan}' had obtained forcible entrance to 
the " Palace." It was occupied only by the chief's widow, her 



89 

female attendants, and a few boys. The police ransacked the house, 
disturbed the old lady, who was a confirmed invalid, turning even 
the bedding up side down in search of concealed fire-arms. 

Next morning there was no small excitement. The leading 
Griquas appeared protesting in firm but respectful language against 
the treatment they had received, affii-ming their innocence of any 
thought of hostility or resort to arms. The}^ appealed to Mr. 
Cumming. He declined to take any action beyond expressing his 
confidence in them end regret that Captain Blijth had not acted on 
his advice. 

/Stafford appeared at the office to receive the due reward of his 
deeds, and received instead an expression of regret amounting to an 
apology. The chief's widow with her attendants, and also the Jood 
family, were all busy packing their wagons to trek to Natal '' for 
sajcty," and they went at once. The Griquas were gathering in 
groups recounting to onie another, doubtless with some exaggeration, 
the events of the night before A new grievance was added to the 
old stock. The satirical remark was often made then and repeated 
after: '^ This is what our jniiiister must viean token he speaks of the 
p'ivileges of British citizenship ! We don't like it." As the day 
advanced Mr. Cumming and Mr. Barker and others w^ere able to 
explain to the more ignorant the meaning of the reversed names on 
the land lists. When they found that, after all, the grants of Adam 
Kok were confirmed, this became an excellent plaster for their 
sores. Captain Blyth became mere conciliatory. There is reason 
to believe that the Captain was beginning to see how things actually 
were, and to realize that he had got a set of people to manage very 
different from the obsequious Fingos. Widoia Kok went to the 
village of Harding, in Natal, and remained there for several weeks 
until Captaia Blyth got her son-in law persuaded to go and bring 
her back. 

I have described what took place, not from personal observa- 
tion, but from the reports of many witnesses — some Griquas on 
whose veracity I could depend, as well as from such men a 
Cumming, Stafford and Barker. 

During my absence reports of these things appeared in the 
King William's Town press. It was impossible for me to return at 
once. Feeling that I had a duty to the people to discharge, I sat 
down ?ix\diVivo%e^ Dutch letter to the Griquas and had it printed, 
sent up and circulated. Unfortunately, in the great haste and from 
the printer's ignorance of the language, many typographical errors 
crept in and were over-looked, but it placed ioefore them specifically 
the points which I had so frequently made the subjects of public 
and private teaching : That civil government is of divine appoint- 
ment ; that Providence had now clearly placed them under Colonial 
rule ; that their interest and safety lay in accepting British citizen- 
ship loyally ; that the Government meant to do what was right and 
fair ; and generally invoking confidence in the good faith of the 
Government. The pamphlet which bore the title " Friendly Counsel 



90 

to a Per])lexed People," was considered by outsiders to have 
served a good purpose. There were some irreconcilables who, when 
they read or heard read the pamphlet, said : " Let us hang the 
minister on the nearest tree as soon as he retui'ns." But the hang- 
ing did not come off. Some time thereafter I was surprised and 
pleased to have sent to me a cheque covering the cost of publica- 
tion. 

This is perhaps the best place to refer to the character of 
Captain Myth, who had so much to do with the early history of 
Griqualand East. He had many excellent qualities. He was kind- 
ness itself, and delighted in noble and kindly deeds. He had an 
intensely tender heart, and was generous to a fault. He was 
honourable, upright, sincere. He said exactly what he meant, and 
meant exactly what he said. He had a hot temper, but was placable, 
and could forgive and forget, and he expected othei'S to do the same. 
Unfortunately, he often acted first and considered afterwards. He 
meant always to do what he believed to be right and best. He was 
the friend of the coloured man in every fibre of his nature. He 
meant Wfll with the Griquas, and the proofs of his goodwill are 
manifold. He was unsparing of their faults, especially their thrift- 
less, wasteful ways, their lack of energy and industry. H*^ was so 
intensely loyal himself that he could not brook or forgive the halt- 
ing and hesitant loyalty of those who objected to become good 
subjects even by a stroke of the pen or the fluttering of a piece of 
cotton in the wind. He knew more of justice ana equity than he 
did of law. He was a splendid soldier, a bad diplomatist, a first- 
rate dictator, a poor tactician Thfi submission and obedience he 
demanded was more that of a soldier than of a citizen. If T. A 
Gumming was John Bull's hand in the velvet glove. Captain Blyth's 
was the same but with steel mail under. It is excellent to have a 
giant's strength, but tyrannous to use it as a giant. He defeated his 
own purpose among the Griquas by too much Hag flying, too much 
beating the big drum and hanging up the cat before them. 
Give hiiu a people like the Fingos, trustful, pliable, almost cringing 
and Captain Blyth could do anything he liked with them. Set him 
over a people like the Griquas as they then tuere, proud, self-confi- 
dent, diplomatic, and his pot would boil over before he took thought 
of his position. 

The mistake he made on that April night in 1876 was largely 
atoned for by subsequent conciliatory action and excellent service. 
By the irreconcilables, however, L»dowick, Adam Mnis, Smith 
Fommcr, etc., the events of that night were never forgotten or for- 
given, and became the kernel of a lasting grievance, ultimately 
culminating in bloodshed. 

TJie Committee of 12 was now suppressed. Captain Blyth acted 
in perfect good faith, but he made a huge blunder It was bad 
policy and bad government, because arbitrary and illegal. Liberty 
to meet and talk is to the Griqua a healing plaster for all sores. 
Gae him and his wounds fester. 



91 

Let us look at the exceedingly anomalous position Captain 
Blyth took up. The Chief was dead, the Volksraad not summoned, 
the Committee suppresse'l. Blyth demanded allegiance. The 
people said: "Allegiance! To whom? The Queen's authority 
"has never been declared sunreme. There is no document, to 
" show that she claims our allegiance. No letters patent have been 
" i.'^sued sanctioning annexation, no parliamentary sanction has been 
" proclaimed No proclamation exists, except the bit of paper 
'• read on 16th October, and that bears no signature. Is this the 
" doing of the Queen or the Governor or the Parliament? If we 
" are to be obedient, to what law? Griqua Law? It is ignored. 
" Colonial law ? We don't know- it. Is Captain Blyth a law to 
" himself ? Where are we now ? " 

The fact is there was a kind of interregnun of authority. 
Captain Blyth was really dictator, exercising autocratic power, and 
the only law was that of Sahis Populi. But all this the politicians 
and demagogues and agitators among the Griquas did not and could 
not understand. The unique position gave them material for the 
manufacture of grievances and fomenting of disaffection 

After some weeks Mrs. Kok returned. The Griquas found their 
land grants confirmed. They laid aside their suspicion and fears, 
and th-^ bulk of them settled down to acquiesce in the new regime. 
Captain Blyth tried to meet their wishes in every way, put himself 
to infinite trouble to find out their laws and customs in the adminis- 
tration of justice He did much useful service, fixing boundaries 
of farms and locations, road making, improvement of the town, 
erecting ^ro tern olSces and jail, investigating and settling the debts 
of the old Government, recognising and paying out arrears of the 
Forty Years money. He was continually at work, and did not spare 
himself. He brought his wife and children to the town. r 
Blyth, with her charms of manner, gracious disposition, and social 
qualities, greatly aided him. Together they formed admirable 
social leaders for the little growing European community. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 



The Frontier Armed and Mounted PoHce pitched their tents on 
the ground now occupied by the Eoman CathoHc buildings. As 
the months went on they substituted small huts of sod for their 
tents. They were very irregularly placed, and were wondrous 
structures both for variety of material and style of architecture - 
fearfully and wonderfully made. The doors were ornamented with 
scraps of commercial literature, such as : " This side up." "Glass, 
with care," " Keep clear of the boilers," " T 0. Hall." A wag, bent 
on improving the occasion, made these into : " To hell. Keep 

CLEAR OF THE SPOILERS. TaKE A GLASS WITH CARE." I found last 

year one of the original huts still standing at the back of the 



92 

Eoman Catholic premises against the " Stony Kopie." It is one of 
the relics of the original police camp The men were lonely enough 
in their little huts, and had few opportunities of relaxation. I gave 
them the use of the large Griqua School room for a Concert, and 
also the use of my piano. Alas ! I brought a hornets nest about 
my ears. The concert was just such as a lot of rollicking young 
fellows would get up, concluding with Christy Minstrels, in which 
clever and original jokes at Griqua expense were freely introduced. 
O, dear me! didn't I catch it? " The English have taken our 
" country, displaced our Volksraad, and now they come into our own 
"buildings, blacken their faces and make fun of us." The young 
fellows saw their mistake, and were sorry to have brought me into 
trouble. It took an infinite amount of talking and bushels of some- 
what shaky logic to quiet some of the fiery Griqua spirits. After 
that somewhat bitter experience I had to forbid in the School-room 
all Christy Minstrels or any comic song in character which might 
tread on tender toes. This first concert had one very serious 
practical outcome. It dried up the sources from whence had to 
come the contributions for the completion of the Griqua church. 
" No," said the Griquas, " we will not subscribe another shilling. 
" Whose property will it ultimately become ? The English have 
" taken our country, what is to hinder them to take the church 
" next '? We have not forgotten the concert and the black faces" 
From that time I had to borrow money to complete the work. 
O, ye ladies and gentlemen of Kokstad, who at your ease in your 
beautiful hall delight the citizens with your musical performances, 
ye little know what painful memories are associated with the first 
introduction of these feasts of reason and this flow of song There 
are a few still left who can remember the boisterous mirth, the 
somew^iat discordant jingling of the old home-tuned piano and Sergt- 
Major Birbeck singing " The Old Grenadiers," all joining in the 
chorus till the welkin rang again. 



93 

THIS consrcEE/T. 



A Griqua describes in the taal the first concert held in the School- 
room, Kokstad, 1876 : 

Veel hou de Engelsh van CONCERT, 

Hij trek de best aan. 
Laat staan, al is 't de ergste smert. 

Is 't licht of donker maan. 



Hij gaat er been met vrouw en kind, 
Waar 't zingt en 't lacht en praat, 

Is hul voor 't speelen erg gezind, 
Dan blijft de speeltje laat. 



Ik was rigt geerie eens te zie 
Wat dat was voor een ding 

Dat mensch kan iekker geld uitgee, 
Te hoor een Rooinek zing. 



Een baatje zwart met vogel stert 

Leen ik van broer Sam, 
Een hempd, een shilling, van oom Gert, 

Dan was ik net oorlam. 



Nu gaat ik in met trotsche gang. 

Zit op de voorste bank. 
Voor deuts-olk was ik nimmer bang. 

Wat het ik hul te dank ? 



De huis was vol. Ach ! dat was mooi 
Te zien zoo 'n blijde volk. 

De heertjes zat elk met een nooi, 
Ik miste net een tolk. 



Met speel en zang was geen verzuim, 

Geen wijse kende ik, 
Maar 't vloeit al klinkend nit de duim, 

Nieuw met elk oogenblijk. 



Dan volgde lets dat maakt mij naar, 

Ik zat op heete kool. 
Tien zwarte kerels met LANGE HAAR, 

Elk met een soort VIOOI,. 



94 



Kwam voor, en zat elk op een stoel , 

Rigt koddig aangetrek, 
Een bont en aardig leelijk boel. 

Mij beefde op de plek. 



Denk ik wat wil DAT nu afgee ? 

Waar kom die klomp van daan ? 
Is 't Neger mensch van oer de zee ? 

Of is 't mombakjes aan ? 



Mombakjes is dat waarlijk niet, 

Dat's zwartsel op de vel. 
Waar 'n kerel had 't zwartsel afgevee, 

Gewaar ik Sergeant Bell, 



Hul speel en dans, elk zoo '1 's een gek. 

Tien schepsels op een rij. 
'T kwam my in 't hoofd de Rooinek 

Trek scliimpend pijl op mij. 



De bruin man, Ach ! in eigen liuis 
Te maken voor een spot ! 

Ik raakt onstiiimig in 't gedruis, 
Net zoo 's een kookend pot. 



Zweet liet ik val op dit gebonw, 
Oni 'r kinders in te leer. 

Nu lijkt als of een plan 's op toiiw 
Om ons hier nit te keer. 



Bloed krnipt toch waar het niet kan gaan, 

Eij witte ook bij zwaart. 
Te veel een open zeer te slaan 

"Wordt onverdragelijk smart. 



Men noemt dat "Christ}' ^Minstrels," nie 
Is toch de mensch niet schaani, 

Aan zoo 'n godloos ding te gee 
Zoo lietlijk een naam ? 



95 

Several new places of business were opened about this time. 
Henry M atkinson opened a store in an out-house at the back of Mr. 
Brisley's house, in which at first Captain Blyth resided. This m^n 
came to Griqualand East first with a small stock of goods in a 
Scotch cart. He was clever, well read, respectably connected, and 
brimfuU of humour. He was an inveterate gambler. Whether by 
success at the table or in business or both I know not, but he 
acquired wealth, speculated in land and went into farming. He 
was one of the characters of Kokstad during its most formative 
period. Wildredye d: Prinyle came in about this time from Umzim- 
kulu, where they had traded on the spot where Strachan & Co.'s 
store now stand. They erected the wood and iron building opposite 
the Masonic Hotel. Bydell d- Uys, two coloured men, opened a 
store in the Griqua brick house opposite the tower of the Griqua 
church. They soon prospered, bought the corner of .-1. P D. Smith's 
erf and built on it, and in a very short time had Shop, Bake'-y, 
Butchery, Mail Contract, Jail Contract, Police Contract. By-au^i-by 
they opened a Caateeu and Billiard Room, which, I fear, proved 
ultimately their ruin. Both Billiard Room and Canteen certainly 
brought ruin to many of the Griquas. John Hill bought the original 
little mill and improved and worked it while erecting his turhiue on 
the present site. He received permission from Mr. Brownilee, S. N. 
Affairs in 1877, to utilize the water of the Umzimhlava and con- 
struct the long furrow through the town lands. Captain Blyth 
resided for sometime in Brisley's house, but began to construct his 
own at the north end of the town. We considered the site he selected 
quite outside the town, almost in the country. The Government 
took over the building, and it served as Government House till the 
present Residence was built. Resident Magistrates were now 
appointed at Matatide, UmzimJculu, J/ount Frere. Captain Blyth 
became Chief Magistrate. Griqualand East at first inckided the 
three districts of Mount Currie, Umzimkulu and Matatiele. Now 
its boundaries were extended to embrace the districts now included 
in the designation Griqualand East. I mention this because it 
made Kokstad the seat of a Chief Magistracy and vastly increased 
its political impoi'tance. As a consequence of this movement, 
the offices of Chief Magistrate and Resident Magistrate were 
separated. Mr. C W. Haivthorne became first Resident Magistrata 
of Kokstad. £. Barker was now clerk to the Chief Magistrate and 
Postmaster. 

Mr Harry Ford came up along with Captain Blyth to establish 
a Deeds Begistry, but as no titles had been issued no transfers could 
be effected, no mortgage bonds passed. His office beciime a sinecrue, 
and he gave up his time to assist where help was most needed. 
He remained until Captain Blyth was moved in 1878, and is now 
Master of the Supreme Court, Kimberley. 

In the second company of the F.A INJ.P. there came a 3-oung 
man Frank Compton. He had almost completed his course of study 
for M.D. 'Jl he men of his troop gladly availed themselves of his 



96 

skill, and very soon his services were in requisition in the town and 
district. He was relieved from garrison duty, and gave his time to 
the relief of the sick, military and civil. My dispensary was placed 
at his disposal, and he rendered most valuable public service. This 
service he continued until the arrival of Dr. Guild in the beginning- 
of 1879. He received a public testimonial and purse of money, 
and when his pei'iod of service had expired he went to Australia, 
where he became a prosperous sheep farmer. His name deserve 
honourable mention in the roll of Kokstad benefactors and founders. 



CHAP PER XXIV. 

I have mentioned in another connection the arrival of the 
Surveyor C. P JVatermcijer and his staff. Mr. Watermeyer was 
selected by Mr. Brownlee because of his professional skill, and, 
perhaps, more because of his sterling rectitude, his kindly disposi- 
tion towards coloured men, and his knowledge of Dutch. He set 
to work almost immediately by laying down with marvellous 
accuracy his base line on the Umzimvubu fiats. The progress of 
the work was greatly retarded by the unrest of the following years. 
He was fortunate in having as his draughtsman a gentleman who 
was also a photographer, Mr. C. C. Henkel. He produced a set of 
photographs of the completed map showing every line, beacon and 
road, as well as tho detailed features of the country. I belinve 
I am expressing the opinion of experts in saying that the quality 
and accuracy of the work done in connection with the survey has not 
been excelled in any district of South Africa. Griqualand East is 
under lasting obliggitions to the late Mr. Watermeyer and his staff 
for the patience, devotion and skill they brought to their several 
tasks. 

Very soon after the Surveyors began their work a Land Board 
was created. It consisted of Blyth, Watermeyer, Barker and 
Hawthorne. The Griquas were requested to choose a lepresentative. 
They chose Klaas v d. Westhuizen — an unfortunate and absurd 
selection. The duties of this Board were to consider fresh applica- 
tions for farms and erven, to settle boundries of farms and locations, 
and generally to supplement the work of the Commission of the 
previous year. I have stated elsewhere the principles of land dis- 
tribution. The proposal to reserve fhe Locations for the Basutos 
and Kaffirs, as nearly as possible as Caotain Kok had left them was 
to the Griquas the unpardonable sin of the Government. Their idea 
was : " If a Griqua sells his farm and becomes landless why should 
he not have another farm cut out from the location grounds, get 
title to it and let the Kaffirs or Basutos become tenants or ' by- 
wooners.' " The root idea of feudalism dies hard ! 

This, of course, was out of the question, but it was by such 
absurd claims that the Griquas injured their best interests and 
alienated the sympathy of their best frierfds. The Land Board had 











< 




I ¦ ; I 



97 

most difficult work to do. Doubtless they made minor mistakes, 
but they meant to do their perplexing work with fairness and 
impartiality, and generally they were successful In saying 
this much I am well aware that I lay myself open to the ill-will 
of some, especially Griquas, who take quite an opposite view ; 
but having had opportunity of observation and research I 
have no hesitation in bearing this testimony. Had the Griquas 
selected as their representative a man of greater intelligence 
and weight of character their interests could not have received 
greater consideration, but they would have become acquainted 
with the reasons for the Board's decision in each case. 

When it was decided that a particular applicant for 
land was entitled to it, the Land Board issued a certificate 
to that effect. Hundreds of these rights were sold at once, 
sometimes before the ink was well dry. The seller got his 
money, and had no further claim. All his right passed over 
to the purchaser, who now personally or by deputy visited all 
unallotted lands and made his selection. The seller soon got 
rid of his money, but somehow could not get over the con- 
viction that he only got "a piece of paper" while the 
purchaser by and by came into possession of the broad 
acres. The agitator and the demagogue were always ready to 
say : " Yes, that is because you are coloured and he is lohite." 
This wild mad selling of rigJUs was productive of much dis- 
satisfaction. Yet none were to blame but the sellers themselves. 
They would take no warning. They became wise only when 
it was too late. 



CHAPTEK XXV. 

Early in 1877 a small party of Dutch Boei-s settled around 
the Umzimvubo Drift. At the request of their Predikant I 
visited them, and ministered to them as time and strength 
permitted. These early settlers — De Bruin, Van Dyk, SiUher- 
land, Klopper, kc. — were joined by others, until the district 
around the Drift became almost entii-ely occupied by Dutch. 
I continued this work until 1891, when they were able to get a 
minister of their own. Dux'ing the 14 years of my acting 
pastorate I visited them monthly, conducting service, baptizing, 
holding Sacrament, and marrying. During this time the 
Township of Cedarville was laid out, the first Dutch Church 
built and paid for, and steps taken to secure a Manse. The 
Township was laid out by Watkinson and Caldecott. A site for 
a Church and £lOO was given as an inducement to the Boers 
to purchase Erven. Many objected to the site, but none other 
offered. 

During the months of 1875-6 the work of building the 



98 

Griqua rinirch proceeded steadily. I personally superintended 
the whole work, which was all done by Griqua workmen until 
we came to the tower. For work done on it they demanded 
unreasonable wages, and ever increasing as the dunger 
increased with the height. I have elsewhere referred to the 
difficulty of" feeding the workmen and how that was got over. 
For the paying of them we had the Free State money avail- 
able. \\'hen that was exhausted I collected a good deal 
among the Griquas. I cannot remember how much, but it 
must have been several hundreds of pounds. More funds 
would have been forthcomino-, for money was now plentiful, 
but for the tacit conviction that, by hookor crook, the English 
would ultimately get possession of the building. At last we 
had to borrow up to £'500, which was the sum due when the 
building was opened. May, 1877. Of this, £300 was paid off 
at the opening services, and £200 remained. Promises for 
that amount were given, to be paid off within six months, but 
the events of the following year made the recovery of the 
promised sums difficult, in some cases impossible. 

The completion and opening of the Griqua Church 
was a great event in the history of the town and a 
red letter day in the Griqua calendar. While the event was 
cause of rejoicing it was not without its sorrows. it had 
been arranged a month before that my eldest daughter 
should perform the ceremony of opening the door. When 
the time came her bright joyous spirit had gone where no 
temple is needed. An attack of inHamation of the lungs 
baffled medical skill, proved fatal, and caused a great blank 
not only in my family circle, but, I may truly add, in the 
social circle of the little town. 

Then, only a week or so thereafter, Mr. Walsh, the 
carpenter, who had come up from Richmond to build the 
staircase, sickened of the same ailment and died. These 
events cast a gloom over the community and moderated the 
joy felt, especially by the Griqua people, on the completion 
of this great undertaking. Six years had passed since the 
foundations had been laid. 

The widow of the chief was now asked to turn the key, 
which she did on the day of opening. 

There were present and took part Revs. Birt from 
Peelton ; J, Harper, King Williamstown ; F. Kayser, Knaaps 
Hope; W. Murray, from Ugie ; and John Feruie, from Natal. 

The collection at the first service held in the new building 
amounted to £180, and the gatherings at the series of 



99 

fanctions totalled £.300. The balance of £200 was raised by 
mortgage bond, and paid off with small difficulty during 
the following years of war and disquiet. 

During 1875 I began in the school-room an English 
service, which was fairly well attended. This service was 
kept up during my absence in England in 1877-78, by the 
help of friends, and specially ^Ir. C 0. Henkel, Draughtsman 
to the Survey. It was resumed on my return, and issued in 
the organization of the present English Congregational 
Church in Kokstad. Both congregations used the same 
building at different hours, until the present Congregational 
Church was erected and opened in the beginning of 1891. 

In ^lay, 1877, after 12 vears' absence, I went to 
the Home country for rest and change. During my absence 
occurred the outbreak which I now proceed to describe and 
record. 

One word first regarding the position of the chief 
actors. Sriuth Fomrner had again been secretly fomenting 
disaffection amongst his part}' at Rietvlev, and it is believed 
he ^as intriguing with Sidoi. Smith had seen his power go 
down and Donald Strachan's star arise. His pride was 
wounded, his influence curtailed, his balloon pricl.ed. He 
was bent on revenge. 

Lodoiv'tjh Kok had been some years absent in (iriqua- 
land West, and now returned to find the chief of his house 
dead, and a Kok on the same level as ordinary mortals. He 
had taken to drinking and wasted his property. He was full 
of self reproach, and had no end of grievances against every- 
one in Church and State. 

His brother, Adam Muis, wlio had waited long for 
dead men's shoes without getting them, was an impoverished 
and disappointed candidate for Koyal honours. When a man 
has high notions, disappointed hopes, exhausted excliequer, 
blasted credit, no trade at his finger ends, no moral balance 
or divine grace, a traditional aversion to honest toil, and 
like the steward in the parable, feels " I cannot dig, and to 
beg I am ashamed," desperation easily makes him the devil's 
dupe. He must needs go whom the devil drives, 

A. P. D. Smith had been the moving spirit in the Com- 
mittee of 12, He took no part in the outbreak, but he helped 
materially to create the at niospherc of discontent, }vhich made 
it jpossihle and easy. He was a " A'ape^irta?',"' came to the 
country in 1868 in the bumble capacity of cook and valet to 
the chief. He could speak and write English imperfectly. 
He was the relative of Adam Muis's wife, son-in-law of Kev. 



100 

Hans Bezuidenhout, was closely allied to officers in esi^e or in 
posse in Church and State. During Adam Kok's lifetime he 
was a nobody. After his death he made a bid for popularity 
and leadershi'p. He revelled in Committees, Eeports^ 
Memorials and Protests. He was a kind of chronic protestant. 
He laro-ely helped to keep the political pot boilinor, and so 
contributed to its boiling over. I n all fairness to this man, 
who was the most extraordinary moral mixture I have ever 
known, I have to record that while he was the best grumbler 
in the congregation, he was also the most diligent and 
useful Sunday School Teacher. 

On the 20th February, 1878, Lodoivijk Koh entered the 
store of Wildridge cfc Pringle, and somewhat imperiously 
dernandt-d to be served. Pringle declined to serve him if 
he persisted in speaking in such a disrespectful manner.. 
Angry words followed. Pringle ordered him off the premises. 
Lodowijk refused to go and Pringle persisted in turning him 
out. A scuffle ensued. Adam Muis appeared on the scene 
and took sides wiih his brother. The police landed both 
brothers in jail. Next morning Adam Muis was released 
on bail, Lodov:ijk retained to await his trial. Muis, deeply 
mortified and vowing vengeance, went off to Pondoland. 
There he induced about 94 Pondos, under Josiah Jenkens, 
to espouse his cause. These marched armed to the border 
at B'lOoUs Neck, where they were joined by a number of 
disaffected Griquas. They crossed the neck, and began to 
commit depredations. They arrested a Mr. Acutt, and kept 
him prisoner in his own house while they helped themselves 
to what they wanted. Next day they marched in a circuitous 
route past Salzer's & Gunther's, and encamped in the ruined 
houses of the old Laager. Meantime Pommer's party were 
assembling from Under Zuurberg, plundering wagons and 
helping themselves to horses on the way. The Pondo con- 
tingent, as soon as they came in sight of Kokstad, thought 
better of it, deserted Muis, rode into Kokstad, and gave 
themselves up to Blyth. Muis and Pommer now demanded 
a.'^ Vergadering'' or public meeting with Captain Blyth, 
making it a condition that they should "meet him armed." 
To this the Captain replied that he would discuss no 
grievance with men in arms, that they had been guilty of 
disturbing the peace, and he demanded immediate surrender 
or he would attack them in so many hours. On Sunday 
morning early. 14th April, Blyth sent Abraham Jantjes, an 
old Griqua. much respected and trusted, to make a final effort 
to induce them to give in. He met with some rough treat- 



101 

merit and had some difficulty in returning. About 
midday Blyth attacljed, and in a short, sharp engagement 
routed the insurgents. J dam Mais stood at bay on the 
western flank of Mount Currie, and was shot. While the 
engagement was going on Sidoi and his Kafirs appeared 
over the neck on the eastern spur of the mountain. Donald 
Strachan rode out, took them in hand, and succeeded in 
landing them in a safe place, disarming them, and placing 
them under o-uard. There is little doubt Sidoi was in league 
with Smith Pommer, although ostensibl}' coming to support 
bis Magistrate Strachan. As soon as Pommer saw Sidoi under 
Straohan's command, he fled with most of his followers, and 
did not stop till he reached Eietvley. 

The little town was now in a state of siege. The loyal 
population, white and black, had moved into an entrenched 
Laager or Fort, which stood near the present site of the 
Grovernmeut School. In the centre was the Powder Magazine, 
the tents ranged around. Guards were set and the drifts 
watched night after night for some eight days while all this 
was going on. The battle took place on a Sunday afternoon, 
and was all over by four o'clock. The victors returned elated 
with triumph, and were gathered inside the Fort. Suddenly, 
without the least warning, the Magazine exploded. The 
building with its contents, stone, brick, wood, iron, cartridges 
and the guns taken from the Pondos were all blown in the 
air. The two guards inside were blown literally to atoms. 
Eight persons were killed outright, several were wounded, 
all were stunned, blinded and dazed. The sound of the 
explosion was heard 30 miles distant. 

Captain Blyth, who happii}^ escaped uninjured, took 
immediate steps fur the safety of the Grarrison throwing up 
temporary entrenchments where the walls of the Fort had 
been blown down, and seeing to the careful collection and 
use of what ammunition was found to be left. An anxious 
night was passed. The return of the enemy was a grave 
possibility, and the attitude and temper of Sidoi's Kafirs was 
not encouraging. The destruction of the Magazine had 
deprived them of the means of selfdefence. 

The following is a list of the dead : — 

Mr. J. H. Pringle, son of the Provost of Leith, Scotland. 

Mr. George Stafford, clerk t) D. Strachan, Magistrate. 

Mr. James Ellis, Bricklayer. 

Miss. M. Watermeyer, daughter of the Surveyor. 



102 

Mrs. Uijs, wife of a coloured shopkeeper. 

A German orphan irirl, nurse to Mr. Henkel's chilih-en. 

Two Private.- of the F.A.M.P., names unknown. 

The mangled bodies of the dead were hurriedly buried* 
For several days the shattered remains of the men who 
had been incdde were picked up within a radius of several 
hundreds of yards from the scene of the disaster, and, 
without any attempt at recognition, interred. Mr. Pringle 
was killed outright, so also was Miss Watermei/er. The 
grave of the former is in the cemetery, the grave of the 
latter is under the willows at the IS.E. corner of the Market 
Square. 

Many and various are the causes alleged for this 
catastrophe. Some alleged treachery, hut this is more the 
nature of a surmise. One eyewitness asserted that the guard 
was intoxicated. Certain it is that large quantities of liquor 
had been brought to the Fort, and it was too easily accessible. 
Another eyewitness aflfirmed that the guard was seen smoking 
his pi[)e inside on a powder barrel, Alost people ascribe the 
acciflent to thf^ careless handling of the Pondo guns while 
being de[)0sited. some say •• thrown " into the ^lagazine. 
These are theories. The only men who knew were blown to 
pieces. 

]\Ieantime a price of £100 was set on Poramer's head, 
dead or alive. On the morning of the 17th April Donald 
Strachan and a detachment of F. A. ]\I. P. and Kafirs set out 
to intercept Pomnur and his party, who were known to be 
makiuo for Pondoland along the crest of the Ingeli Mountain. 
They were sighted at the mouth of a wooried gorge, over 
against the farm '• The Wolds." Hostilities opened at once. 
Pommer was shot high up in the kloof. The others tried to 
escape down the precipitous and almost pathless glen, 
through the thick underwood. One by one they were cut 
down by the Kafirs following close on their heels. Only a 
very few escaped to Pondoland. The body of Pommer was 
brought into Kokstad lashed on a led horse, and buried in 
the corner of the Government Krf close up against the grave 
of Adam Kok. The Kafir who fired the fatal shot and his 
companions, generously waived their claim to the money 
reward, on condition that it should be given to the widow 
of Mr. Gr. Stafford. Strachan's clerk and assistant, who had 
been killed in the explosion. 

The bodies of the dead Griquas lay in the wooded kloof, 
unbnried. from April till December, when the writer, H. 
Watkinson and Ed. Barker organised a burial party and 



103 

interred them. Among the fallen was Johannes Albrecht, 
brother-in-law to Pommer. He was a man of splendid 
physi(|iie and ot high moral worth — honest, industrious, gentle, 
generous, a thoi-oughly good, worthy man. How Pommer 
could have persuaded that man to join in his mad schemes 
will remain a mystery till the great day of revelation. His 
good wife, who had been a servant in my family, never 
believed he was dead until 1 fetched from off his skeleton 
lying in a pool of cold water in the kloof, pieces of the 
clothing she had made with her own hands. Poor girl, she 
herself had running in her veins blood from an ancient 
historic and noble English family. How pathetic is life to 
some of God's creatures ! 

Within a few days after the engagement at Ingeli, the 
insurrectionists were either caught or gave themselves up. 
They were marched to Durban, shipped there to Capetown, 
and confined in the Amsterdam Battery. 

The men who took sides with Muis and Pommer were 
not the more respectable and worthy of the Griqua people. 
For instance, there was not a single officer of the Griqua 
Church among them, and only a very few accredited members 
of it. They were the less intelligent and more excitable 
members of the community, and those who, having failed to 
take out their farm grants in Kok's time, now had to wait 
til! the survey of the country shjwed the authorities what 
land was still available tor distribution amongst those who had 
got none. They had lost faith in the Government, and held 
an open ear to the Irreconcilables. 

Soon after the departure of the Griqua prisoners a public 
ineeting decided to collect money for the erection of an 
hospital, to be a luemoridl of thosi who had mat Uw'ir death 
in tlic terrible eoqAosion, and some progress was made. The 
Zulu \\'ar and then the Basuto outbreak came in the way, 
and the scheme lay in abeyance. The original idea was 
enlarged, so that the Hospital became commemorative of 
those, also belonging to the District, wlio fell in the Basuto 
risino-. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

The Griqua prisoners, nearly 2()0 in number, were now 
airing their heels in idleness in the Amsterdam Battery in 
Capetown. Questions were being raised as to their exact legal 
position, questions more easily asked than answered. Were 
they, after all, British subjects? A few of them were such by 



104 

birth. Had the others accepted allegiance ? If so, wlien? Not 
one of them had taken the oath. Had the Queen's supremacy 
over them been proclaimed ? If so, when ? By whose authority ? 
If they became British subjects by occupying Nomansland, 
ceded by Treaty from Faku to the Queen, why had they been 
forced into the necessity of assuming and exercising sovereign 
rights in the absence of any other organised form of Govern- 
ment ? Why first compel them to establish their own form of 
Government, then suppress it and supplant it by no other, 
except the arbitrary will of one single individual, even though he 
should have been an^angel from heaven instead of a military man 
accustomed only to military ways? If they were •' h'ehels " let 
them be brought to trial, and if found guilty, punished. Could 
they be brought to trial ? What Court had jurisdiction ? Were 
these people to be confined there for ever, or were they to wait 
till the Annexation Bill could be passed by the approaching 
session of Parliament, and tried by some exceptional forensic 
pretext, making the law^ reflexive ? Could that be done ? 
Would it be strictly just to try men for breaking laws which 
had no existence at the time '? 

The whole position bristled with problems for the jurist. 

The late Saul Solomon had been ^igent for A. Kok and 
his Government, and continued t > take a lively interest in the 
people. He w^as by study, and long experience, a Colonial 
statesman, accustomed to deal with the involved questions 
continually springing up in our Colonial dealings with semi- 
independent tribes on our border. Mr. Solomon saw at once 
that something was wrong, and resolved to have a test case 
brought before the Supreme Court Advocate Stcckenstroom 
took the case in hand. The Court declared that the Govern- 
ment had no legal right to detain these men for a single day, 
and ordered their immediate release. What applied to the two 
cases tested, applied to all the others. The Government sent 
all the prisoners back by sea to East London, thence marching 
them to Kokstad. The Government had to ciy j^'^ccavi, and 
occupied rather a humiliating position. 

I am not here to be understood as laying the blame on 
Captain Bhjtli. The Captain was the victim of circumstances. 
He was placed in a falsf , indeed, an impossible position from 
the first. Our whole dealings with these people from first to 
last had been one series of blunders. First, we make them a 
sovereign people, and make them confederatas and allies, and 
enter into treaty obligations wdth them. Then, by the estab- 
lishment of the Queen's sovereignty north of the Orange Eiver 
in 1848, we as good as make them British subjects Six years 
thereafter, by the abandonment of the Sovereignty and the 
declaration, " v)e have no interests north of the Orange River,'" we 
unmake their British citizenship, and make no other definition 
of their position. We first make Treaties with them, then 



105 

without even the fermaHty of proclamation, declare the Treaties 
annulled We first fight the Boers in their defence, then declare 
the Treaties annulled, and secretly hand them over to the tender 
mercies of the same Boers. Then we find for them a new 
Location on British Territory. They are again to be British 
subjects undar a Birtish Magistrate. We fail to fulfil our 
promises. No Magistrate appears, and they have to rule 
themselves. We leave them in miserable uncertainty as to 
whether they are British or not Again they are to all intents 
a sovereign people, and yet that not. Then we " annex '' and 
don't annex. We undertake to rule them for a time under 
their own law and trample their own law under foot, and 
introduce no other. They are a people fond of diplomacy and 
talk. We suppress the right of public meeting, and gag them, 
or try to We imprison them for insurrection, and find we 
have no legal right. The fact is the whole attitude and con- 
duct of the Government justified " the dominant feeling that 
they were free men to-day and British subjects to-morrow." 
The policy of sliding \n can be recommended neither for its 
dignity nor success. It surrounded authority with an aiDpearance 
of vacillation and weakness, where an attitude, in substance 
firm, but in mjtnner conciliatory, might have been attended 
with happier results. The doctrine of a great Englishman is 
at all times recommended to the feelings of a childish, unedu- 
cated people, " I love the powers that be when they be 
powers " Surely here was a rumble and tumble and jumble 
of things. 

Responsible Government had just been established at the 
Cape. It tried its prentice hand at annexation — the traditional 
pastime of Grandfather John Bull— tried it on the Griquas, 
of all the people in the world, anr), of course, 
made rather an awkward job of the business. By falling 
we learn to walk, even along the paths of Imperialism. Best 
Governments sometimes, like best men, are moulded out of 
faults. 

It is unreasonable to insist on allegiance which has neither 
been admitted on the one side, nor definitely claimed on the 
other. If the Governor had even done as the sailors did, who, 
to check Paul Kruger's eti'orts to secure an outlet to the Indian 
Ocean, put up a board lettered large enough that he who read 
might learn, " This is British Territory," Captain Blyth might 
have had something to appeal to in proof of his authority. 
But he had nothing. Captain Blyth was sent to maintain 
order, and he did it as a military man would be expected to do. 
He left other people to consider the legality of things. He 
could have gained the confidence and support of every man, 
by exercising at the start the conciliatory spirit he showed 
later on. The insurgent Griquas acted like madmen and fools. 
They refused the advice of their best friends, and followed the 



leading of men who had, both bpfove and after Kok's death, 
shown themselves the enemies of all social order, and they 
suffered in consequence. Blyth was wrong in expecting the 
people to knuckle down in the way he demanded. The insur- 
gent Griquas were wrong in expecting and demanding 
impossibilities, and when they coulil not get them to take up 
arms. 

In September, 1878, Captain Blyth was re-called, and 
returned to his former position in Fingoland After a brief 
interval the Hon Charles Broivnlee took his place. When the 
prisoners returned they were tried by Mr. Brownlee for various 
offences, under their oinn law. Those who had merely shared 
in the outbreak were dismissed with a caution. Those who 
bad been guilty of assault, robbery and theft were punished. 
The live stock, wagons and moveable ijroi)erty of the prisoners 
had all already been seized and sold by summary process The 
legalit}- of much that was done was open to debate, but no 
questions were raised. Tbey suffered severely for their insub- 
ordination. Some few men who had been fairly well off came 
back to find all their property gone. 

Late in 1878 the Government appointed D. Strachan, Esq.. 
C. P. Watermeyer, Esq., and Kobert Richards, Esq-, Attorney, 
a Commission to inquire into the causes of the Grifjna outbreak. 
The principal European residents and the more influential and 
intelligent Griquas felt it their duty to protest against what 
appeared to them the manifest incongruity of ir.cluding 
StracJian and \Vatermei/er in such a Commission. Our contention 
was that Mr. Strachan was disqualified. (1) By his intimate 
conupction with the late chief and the part he was supposed to 
have taken in administering the aflairs of the Gri'jua Govern- 
ment ; (2) By his having acted in a military capacity in sup- 
pressing the outbreak ; (3) By the circumstance that he was 
an extensive purchaser of land before and after annexation, 
and that the loss of the land through ignorance of its value was 
one of the alleged causes of dissatisfaction. 

No such objections could be urged against the appoint- 
ment of 3fr Watermeijer, but his young and amiable daughter 
had lost her life in the explosion, which certainly was one of 
the results of the outbreak. It was felt that it was somewhat 
unreasonable to expect strict impartiality from either of them. 

These objections were disregarded. The Commission sat 
and took voluminous evidence, and its report appeared in a 
Blue Book next year, 1879. It is, and always will be much 
regretted by all who desired the most complete impartiality, 
that in taking evidence regarding the events of the night on 
which the Griqua houses were searched for arms, the testimony 



107 

of T. A. Gumming and Major Giles, Magistrate then of 
Harding in Natal, was not called for. They were men free 
from all local jealousies and fears, and eyewitnesses of all that 
took place. 

The preparation of the report of the Commission 
is generally attributed to Mr. Eichards, himself a trained and 
competent lawyer. When he comes to deal with the legal 
position of the Griquas he is manifestly '' in the toils." He 
perform> some clever forensic somersaults. From first to last 
his strictures remind one of a man trying to find his way 
among barbed wire entanglements. The conclusion foi'ced on 
one is that if the British citizenship of the Griquas depended 
on all this legal rigmarole, they could have only understood 
and realised it by all 'oecoming learned lawyers like himself. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

Mr. Brovnlee had been Secretary of Native Affairs in the 
first Ca])e Cabinet after the introduction of Respoasible Govern- 
ment When the ^folteno CalDinet was dismissed or resigned, 
Mr. Brownlee. according to agreement, returned to liis former 
position uS a Civil Service officer, and after a short period of 
sevvice elsewhere, became Chief Magistrate of Griqualand 
East. He held the office with much acceptance to the 
inhabitants, of all classes and colours, from 25th December, 
1878, till September, 1884, when failing health compolled him 
to retire. He find J/rs. Brovnlee and all the members of his 
family were held in the highest esteem, and deservedly so. His 
life-long experience in dealing with native tribes, his extensive 
and accurate knowledge of their history and language, his pc- 
sonal acquaintance and friendly relations with their great 
chiefs Sandilli and Kreli, and, added to all this, his sauve dis- 
position and exhaustless patience, peculiarly fitted him for th°. 
post at this particular juncture in the history of the Territory. 
*' He was one of those gentle ones who w^ould use the devil 
himself with courtesy." 

Very shortly after his appointment the Annexation Bill 
became law, and a code of laws was published, Courts of first 
instance and Courts of Appeal created, so that Mr. Brownlee 
occupied a totally different position from that of Captain Blyth. 
He had the authority of Law, of Parliament, and Letters 
Patent at his back. He knew exactly where he was, which 
Captain Blyth did not The Griquas were permitted to meet 
and talk to their hearts content, which made them happy, and 
did no one any harm. They had also become somewhat more 
reasonable and practical and ceased like children to cry for 
the moon. 



108 

For nearly two years matters in the little town moved 
quietly on, disturbed, of course, by the echoes of the Zulu War 
and the political commotion in the S. A. Republic. Thp Land 
Board continued its work The Surveyors were busy plotting, 
mapping, leaconiui^ Houses were built ; Erven along the 
Main Street fetched fictitious prices ; new shops sprang up on 
both sides of the street Francke, (I'muman, Wil/iams, Petrie, Tnr- 
tonJJold, Simeon, iJarhy <('• Tijrrell all opened stores in addition to 
those established at an earlier date. " Yanke " Wood had built 
and opened the Ji'oijal //olef, and the Masonic was erected on 
the site of an old Griqua .sod-house, which had been used 
by the F.A.M.P officers and others, dignified by thename of 
"Club," and facetiously call d " The Cremornc." 

A ^-ranch of the Standard Hank was opened by Mr. 
Taylor, first in a tent, then in the house at the S.W. corner of 
the square, and subsequently in the cottage between the 
Griqua Churcli and the river. 

Mr. II Fuiole conducted an Agency and Auctioneer's busi- 
ness in a large room opposite the Royal, which room now forms 
part of Williams' establishment. 

Mr II. Grijfin, from Pietermaritzburg, was the first 
Attorney who began to practise, and a miserable mess he made 
of it both for himself and some of his clients. He occupied the 
house which was first the Magistrate's Court, beside the Congre- 
gational Church. Other Agents were C'aldecott and Watkin^on, 
Erridye. As I have said, nearly every Griqua who could read and 
wi'ite a bit dabbled in Agency, often to his own loss, and 
more frequently to the hurt of his clients. 

Gass played the rolt^ of Vdlaye lilacksmith, hammering in 
the old Griqua Armoury, near Harvey iV: Greenacre's shop. 

Pearce baked bread in Jan Bergover's house, opposite the 
present Post Otiice. He tickled the palate and emptied the 
pockets of the Griqua children, large and small, by his 
tempting confectionery. 

John Hill had completed his Turbine Mill, built the Mill 
House, and was grinding excellent meal, and the original mill 
was grinding in the Kloof at Matatiela. 

James Ikirclay and James Davie came up from Natal in 
this period to erect Francke's store, and remained to become 
the chief builders in the town . 

A singular character came to the place, " The old Slwe- 
maker." He bought an Erf and Griqua shanty above the house 
of Mr. Barclay. He eschewed soap and water, made no 
friends, worked at his last from morn till night, lived alone, 
made his own meals, slept all Sunday, and gamed the reputa- 
tion of being a hermit and a miser. He was found one morning 
with his throat cut at his own fireside, and to this day no 
trace of the murderer has been found. 



109 

Mr. Hawthorn was transferred to the Eesident Magistracy 
of Umzimkulu, rendered vacant by the resignation of Mr. 
Strachan, and John T. Wylde, Esq., "took hisplace, and speedily 
gained for himself the reputation of being a just judge and an 
excellent lawyer. 

A P D. Smith, about this time, made repeated attempts to 
establish a Public Market. His broken English and lame 
attempts at auctioneers' humour, however, brought on him too 
practical jokes, and he had to desist. 

A Glee Club was established, and practisings were held 
in the houses of those who had pianos. Occasionally concerts 
were given in the Griqua School-room, which still continued 
the only available public hall. 

A Mr. GHeri-sou, an Irish gentleman of large culture and 
limited means, came out to join his brother who was farming 
at Rath far iiham. His wife was a lady who had moved in the 
highest social circles, and was by no means a stranger at the 
Queen's Court. Not taking kindly to farming, they came into 
town and opened a Private .School for white children This 
was the first attempt of the kind made in Kokstad. They 
continued their little school until the outbreak of the Basuto 
War, then took fright and hurried down to Durban. Mr. 
Grierson is now in the service of the Irish Episcopal Church. 
Their presence was a distinct gain to the religious and social 
life of the place. 

Towards the close of this period a Literary and Debutimj 
Society sprang into existence. It met fortnightly in the Griqua 
Schoolroom. The Society had for its moving spirit Mr Victor 
Sampson, who was then in Mr. Brownlee's office. His literary 
resources and scientific acquirements were willingly and 
liberally given for the public instruction and entertainment. 
He IS now practising as an Advocate in Kimberley, and M.L.A. 
for Albany. 

Reliyious Services were condncted in the Griqua Church 
Sunday, Dutch, 10 and 4 ; English, 12 and 7 ; at the Episcopal 
Church, morning and evening, by Mr. Dixon, in the building 
now standing beside the new handsome Church In Kafir 
first in a large room which afterwards became the chief living 
room of the Standard Bank dwelling house, and later on, these 
services were continued in the present Kafir Wesleyan Church 

Mrs> Barker continued to teach in the Griqua School j uutil 
June, 1879, when Rev. W. Murray came from Ugie and took 
her place. 

Such was the Kokstad we knew up to the time of the 
Basuto war. 



no 



CAArTER XXVIII- 

Late in September. 1880, Mr. Browiilee, Mr. D. 
Strachan, and Mr. Hawthorne proceeded from Kokstad to 
Moteri's Kop, the residence of Mr. M. W. Liefield, then Resi- 
dent Magistrate among ^faka•ais Basutos at Matatielu. 

The Disjirmament policy and the measures being taiven 
to enforce it, had created disatYection. These gentlemen were 
to make an eflbrt to allaN' the unrest and to restore a confidence. 
No more competent otlicers could have attempted the task. 
Mr Brownlee was in low spirits. He had done his best to 
advise against the policy. He feared a rising. He gave him- 
self to the present distasteful duty with magnanimous devotion 
and self effacement. 

A great gathenng of Basutos was held. The practised 
eyes of these men detected from the actions of the people that 
mischief was brewing. When the meeting was over and the 
Basutos had gone, apparently home, Brownlee's spies found 
that the Basutos were to aml)uscade them on their return 
journey. The meeting had been held on Saturday On 
Sunday they waited to feel their way, taking every possible 
precaution against surprise. They were not quite sure of th^ir 
own men. So they hoodwinked the spies who were spying 
the spies set them all off the track, and at midnight hastily 
and quietly slipped out along an unused bridle path, and 
escaped. Towards morning the Basutos got wind of their 
escape, and went after them full tilt. It was a ride for life. 
By daylight they were through the Umzimvubu, and on their 
way to Kokstad. Mr. Liefeldt escaped in the opposite 
direction. 

Next day, when the Basutos discovered that their prey 
was gone, they mustered in strength, fell on the various stores 
in Matatiela, and wantonly plundered them. The owners and 
storemen had escaped just in time. 

There were far larger stores of liquor stocked there than 
was consistent with the purposes of honest trade. These were 
broached and the fiery contents consumed. Thus only can we 
account for the mad, meaningless, wanton destruction of 
valuable merchandise which followed 

News of the rising soon spread, and the Dutch 
farmers located between Cedarrille and Matatiela hurriedly 
fled, belter skelter, as best they could. Gabriel de Bvnijn and 
his wife, each carrying a child, and the bigger ones trotting 
beside them, made their escape through the long grass in the 
dead of night, fording the river to reach friends. All their 
possessions were left behind and lost, for the howl of the 
approaching enemy warned them against any thought of getting 
oxen and wagon ready, or collecting stock. 



Ill 

Meantime we in Kokstacl had no hint of the outbreak 
until the forenoon of Sunday. 

I had conducted my usual Dutch service from 10 till 11 30 
a.m. At 12 o'clock Mr. Barker told me that Brownlee, 
Strachan and Hawthorne were shut up in Moteri's Kop, and 
in serious danger. He was going to help in sending off 
assistance to them Mrs. Brownlee (who worshipped with 
us), must noc be told unless things became more serious. To 
those of us in the know, that Sunday afternoon was a period of 
painful suspense, never to be forgotten. 

Next day the facts became known, and the town was in a 
state of intense excitement and commotion. The garrison had 
been withdrawn to Basutoland, the town was defenceless, and 
an enemy of many thousands of well-armed and mounted men 
was less than fifty miles distant and marching on us. Mr. 
Wylde called the inhabitants together, stated all he knew, and 
by 12 o clock 23 mounted men, as well armed as time per- 
mitted, rode out under the leadership of Mr. 8. Liefeldt, with 
the object of relieving Mr. Brownlee and his party. 

A Committee of SaJ'eti/ was appointed, who decided to 
entrench the Griqua Church buildings — Church, House and 
School, making of the Church a citadel. The members were 
Watkinson, John Usher, the writer and a Military gentle- 
man Knowles, who had seen service in the American War. 
We received authority to spend what we thought necessary. 
While the others planned the work, I went lound and bought 
up every spade, pick, sack, plank, and sheet of iron obtainable, 
and commandeered every male not already under arms, to 
labour at the defence works. Next morning we had lOO men 
at work- The ladies of the town cut through the sacks and 
sewed them up when they had been tilled with earth. Ditches 
were cut all round, and iuside these were raised 
thick walls of sod. Loopholes were cut out of 
the sod walls, planks laid on, and the sandbags piled on top. 
The chui'ch windows were barricaded, the tower prepared for 
sharpshooters, the school was converted into a temporary 
magazine, while an underground powder chamber was being 
constructed. A deep well was sunk, a shed built for the 
reception of stores, and a pile of firewood collected. Strongly 
constructed gates with entanglements were placed at the east 
and west ends of the road which now passes between the 
Griqua Church and School room. We all worked hard from 
early morn till late at night, Sunday and week-day, till the 
place was in a proper condition to withstand a siege. 

Regulations, approved by the Chief Magistrate, were 
printed by myself and delivered into every house: — They 
defined the alarm signals by day and night, prescribed the 
articles to be kept in readiness and to be brought to the Griqua 



112 

Church in the event of attack by the enemy, and the positions 
inside the Church to be taken up by Europeans and Griquas, 
Ac, etc., 

Ml' Wykle organised the townsmen and those from the 
country who had taken refuge in town, into a Town Guard, 
who every night, for several months, provided a cordon of 
sentinels round the outskirts Mr. Fovle became. y«-o tern.. 
Commissariat OfHcer. I became Paymaster for the defence 
construction works until they were completed. Mr. Watonaeijer 
organised a Gr'upia Corps, the llcv. Mr. Murrai/ was medical 
oflicer, liev. Mr. Dickson took duty in the Town Guard, and 
every able-bodied man in the town had some defensive duty 
assigned to him. 

While these movements were being initiated, the relieving 
force proceeding to the drift had met Brownlee and his party 
on tht^ir way back after the exciting adventures of the night. 
Mr. Brownlee returned to Kokstad to take supreme command. 
Strachan took command in the field and remained until the war 
ended. 

The relieving force came into touch with the Basutos at 
the river, and a running fight ensued, with the river between. 
No casualties. After a time the Basutos made off for Matatiela, 
and completed there the devastation they had begun, clearing 
the country of stock as they went. 

Communication by wire with Capetown w^as now interrupted, 
yet in a few days came the information that the Poudomisi had 
risen and massacred their Magistrate Mr. Hope, and his 
assistants Henman and Warren. Then a little later on the 
news came that Mr. WeUh, the Magistrate of Mac Lear, his 
wife and family, his clerk. Gumming, Rev. B. Key, afterwards 
the second Bishop of St. John's and family, Mr. Leary and 
family, were all besieged in a small stone jail at Tsolo 

Ammunition and firearms were now hurried up from 
Pietermaritzburg, Natal 8trachan called out his loyal Kafirs. 
" Willoughby's " and " Baker's " Horse were enlisted in Natal. 

Strachan's Kafirs mustered in a few days, and entered 
Kokstad several hundreds at a time. They came along singing 
in unison their war song, beating their shields all in rythmic 
time, making a weird, and to unaccustomnd ears, a terrible 
sound. More than once 1 felt not a little nervous when these 
fierce armed and mounted men, with the frenzy of war on 
them — some in full war-paint stood two deep round the 
Market Square, to receive a word of encouragement from 
" Charles" Broivnlee, before proceeding to the front. They often 
outnumbered the Europeans by ten to one -yet I never heard 
of one of them offering insult or injuring property in the town. 
One night some fifty of them arrived cold and wet, for whom 
no tents could be provided. Mr. Brownlee commandeered the 
Griqua Schoolroom for shelter. In the ante-room was stored 




Holy Trinity (Episcopal) Church, 

With proposed Chancel addition in memory of Bishop Key. 




Griqua Church ^ Manse, 
With surrounding fortifications during the Basuto War. 





a:: 

UJ 

< 

> 

< 
< 

-J 



113 

ammunition. Without the least ceremony they started a fire 
in the centre of the %vooden floor Hearing what was going nn 
I rescued the floor from destruction by providing a sheet of 
iron. Fire they would have, powder or no powder. 

Strachau and Usher took the command of all the native 
levies. They crossed the Umziravubu, drove the Basutos into 
Basutoland, and kept them at bay whiie the war lasted. In 
these operations the first to fall wa^i Edward C. Barknr, jun. 
He was attacked and killed while scouting on the Drakens- 
berg. Next fell fJennj I'sher, second in command of the 
Kafirs, whilst he was storming a cave in the mountain. 
At the same time the bugler boy, McPhail, was killed. The 
bodies of Barker and Usher were afterwards exhumed and 
brought to Kokstad. The writer buried young Barker in the 
cemetery, and Usher in his father's garden at Csherwood, both 
being interred with milita»'y honours. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

Kokstad now became headquarters of military operations. 
The families of the farmers, Dutch and English, from the 
districts as far as Matatiela, were all collected in the town. 
Every room was occupied. The Dutch were, most of them, 
huddled into the new Wesleyan Native Church The Griquas, 
who had no town houses, had to content themselves with life 
in the wagon or under scraps of sail. These camped out on 
the site of the present C.M.R. barracks. 

The Military authorities took possession of the Griqua 
Church property, including the big bell. The thatch of the 
parsonage roof was, by order, pulled off, and iron substituted. 
Sharp axes and saws were placed in readiness to fell down 
every one of the full grown fruit trees of the Parsonage 
Garden, on a given signal. These trees were the first planted 
in the town, and for long its pride and glory. The call for this 
extreme measure, happily, never came. The necessity for all 
these precautions will be obvious, when I state that parties of 
the enemy came within seven miles of the town. Sentinels 
were posted at each gate at the church day and night. At the 
gate of the Parsonage a sentinel mounted guard, and if I or 
any of my family happened to go outside the gate after night- 
fall, he, or she, could not return without giving the pass- word. 
Thus, for three months, we lived in a citadel. When the 
possibility of attack was most imminent, and our consequent 
anxiety at its greatest, my youngest child was born. We 
kept a stretcher in readiness to convey the invalid from the 
parsonage to the adjoining church should necessity arise. 



The reader, if he refers to the Graphic of 1880, will liud an 
illustration of the parsonage with its surrounding entrench- 
ments, and the church tower at the l)ack. The exact date I am 
unable to give, but it is here reproduced. 

Once some mischievous rogue, after liberally treating the 
sentinel to something stronger than water, got at the bell 
in the '^ v;ee sma hours n.ifont the tical" in a dark and rainy 
night. He rang the appointed signal and alarmed the town. 
The officer in charge sent his men round to prevent a general 
rush to the Griqua Church. .Somehow .]frs. Brownlee, who had 
no one with her that night except a policeman to keep watch, 
and Mrs Grierson, a lady of high degree, who had shortly before 
become a mother, received no notice. The two ladies, 
carrying Mrs. Grierson's child and bedding, struggled 
through the darkness, rain and mud to the place of rendezvous. 
There they slept for the night. 

The cost of living became serious because of the difflculty 
of transport The season was exceptionally wet, and the 
unbridged rivers continued in flood. To meet this dit!iculty 
resort \\ Eis ha.d to bari-el jmnts. Empty barrels were securely 
fixed to transverse beams. These were planked over, and the 
whole thing floated and held in position by a strong rope 
stretched from side to side. On these a loaded wagon could 
be floated over, while the oxen swam through. The position 
of these barrel punts was a little belov/ the sice of the present 
Turbine Mill, and they did excellent service in a sore strait. 
The mechanism was not quite perfect. The writer and his 
wife seu out one afternoon to visit Mr. and J/rs. Cnher, who, 
after the death of their son, needed and deserved all sympathy 
and attention. We got through all right, swimming the horses 
at the back of the punt, but on returning, in the gloaming, the 
pulley got entangled, and there we stuck in mid-stream, while 
darkness came on. By a desperate final effort, not unattended 
with danger, I succeeded in righting the gearing and getting 
through, just as the return of the horses to their stables 
alarmed the household. 

After the stress and strain and danger of the tiist month 
was over, things settled down a bit. Kokstad put on the 
appearance of a garrison town. Commissariat, Ordinance, Pay, 
Intelligence and other offlcers occupied every shed and shanty 
in the place, at excessive rents. The Bank had an army of 
clerks ; specie came up by every mail cart ; storekeepers were 
doing a lucrative business ; looted cattle came in by hundreds 
and were sold ; remount horses came in in droves ; hotels, 
canteens and billiard-rooms were always crowded, and often 
became the scene of hilarity and miserable strife. Altogether, 
the little towai became a focus of niilitary officialism and the 
centre of incredable commercial activity. Many thousands of 
pounds were brought into circulation every week. Fuel became 



115 

scarce and very dear. Pac'?iag box wood was sold at 2|d a lb. 
remember well paying 7s. 6d. for sufficient fuel for cooking 
from Saturday till Monday. Living, without getting into debt, 
became a very serious difficulty At the end of three weeks 
after the outbreak I had no more officers pay or official status, 
and so had no orderlij to dance attendanoe as most others hal. 
Nearly every white man was an officer, commandant, captain, 
adjutant, or something of tiie sort, and each had his orderly to 
do the rough work. 

At this time my printing press proved of great service to 
the public, aud to myself also in helping ta keep the " wolf 
from the door." I brought the press with me from Britain in 
l878, and had set it up in an outside room, '• the priaiing office.'" 
I had acquired sufficient knowledge of the printer's art to be 
able to do such work as was required in connection with 
church and school. Now it proved quite a Godsend. My 
daughter often filled the place of printer's devil. The press is 
now, or was, part of the plant of the Kokstad Adveriisei', I 
printed, bound, and perfo'-ated thousands of Jkink Cheing bold, and 
determined to show what a coloured man of public spirit could 
do, he imported printing plant and a printer to start a weekly 
paper. But how about an Editor ? " Yankee " honoured (?) 
the writer by offering him the Editor's chair, with the off 
chance of emoluments coming by-and-by. Declined with 
thanks ! Among Yankee's best customers was a Scotch 
gentleman of broken means, and given to starts and bursts of 
revel. He had worn the wig and gown of an Advocate in 
Parliament House. Edinl)urgh. He had been clothed with the 
ofticial dignity and the robes of Town Clerk to an ancient 
Scottish borough. But disgraces had knocked at his door. 
He had found it advisable to leave Scotland, and bad found his 
way to out of the way Kokstad He had practised in the local 
Court, had answered a sei'ious chatge, and had worn the broad 
arrow with the air of a martyr. He was well read, had the 
gift of eloquence, could speak and write on any subject — almost 
an ideal Editor — just the man I Here then was an Auif-rican 
with go. mysterious capital, good plant, ample material, 
printer stick in hand and heaps of copy. And so No. 1 of 
the Kokstad Advertiser saw the light. It was by prophetic 
instinct it was call*-d "Advertiser " I question if the first 
numbers had a single paying Advertisement The very first 
copy was handed to me while presiding at a Griqua Tea 
Meeting It has continued to appear weekly without a break, 
recording local events, obviating the necessity for my con- 
tmuing the recital of Kokstad iiistory from that date. 

I will only enumerate the mere important events which 
transpired in Qriquoland East after the termination of the 
Basuto War. 

These were :— The visit of General Gordon of Chinese and 
Egyptian fame : the commencement of the Kokstad Advertiser ; 
the advent of the Cajye Ivfantvy h'cgiment ; the erection of 
the Iioman Catholic Clairch ; the outbreak of public "feeling at 
the establishment ^f a Custom House at Umzimkula ; the 
opening of the road to St. John's ; the retirement of Mr. 
Brownlee and apjjointment of Mr. Stanford to the Chief Mngis- 
tracj' ; the first visit of a Junge in the person of Mr. Justice 
Maasdorp, and the sitting of the first Circuit Court ; the cele- 
bration of the Queen's Jubilee ; the establishment of the Public 
School, the Agricultural Society, the Public Ldirary, the 



119 

Municipality ; the election of James Sivewright, Esq., to be the 
first representative of the district to Parliament ; the visit of 
Sir Henry Loch ; the erection of the Prison, the Bridge and 
the Public Offices ; the erection of the Hospital with its 
Memorial Tablet, to Commandant H. Usher ; the mad 
escapades of Le Fluer. All these things behold are they not 
written in the book of the Chronicles of the district, which is 
the Kokstad Advertiser. 



Le Fieur, the Forty Years' Money, and the 
Rising of 1897, 

Abraham Le Fleur was known to all tlie r^^sidents of 
Kokstad as a confirmed grievance-monger. To agitate for 
the redress of some grievance, real or imaginary, in Church 
or State, had become to this man almost as natural and 
instinctive as it is for a dog to bark or a fish to swim. And 
yet ne took no part in the attempted revolts in 1896-97. 
Why? Perhaps the following statement may throw some 
light on this (juestion, which has puzzled more than one. 

During the years between 1870 and 1884 ! had become 
pretty well used to the incessant and somewhat pointless 
complaints about the '* Forty Years Money.'" Nobody could 
give me anv intelligible statement of the facts of the case, or 
of the grounds of complaint. I had access to no records, and 
had little time to devote to the subject. 

The public excitement created by annexation in 1874, 
and continued during the Basuto War, was not favourable 
to research. The resumption of the regular annual distribu- 
tion of the moneys coming to the participants, and especially 
the payment to them of what had fallen in arrear under the 
old (xovernment. had resulted in comparative satisfaction 
and contentment. Less was heard now of the Forty Years'' 
Money, and expressions of thankfulness were common, when 
the yearly dole came round. 

All this was changed on the arrival of Le Fluer about 
1884. His pretended knowledge of all the facts, and his 
manifestly extravagant statements served to create a spirit 
of expectancy, which was destructive to all my efforts in 
trying to urge the poor people to that persevering industry 
which I firmly believed to be their only salvation from utter 
extinction as a tribe. As the result of this man's senseless 



120 

vapourings, there was created a conunon belief that forty 
years after the Jate of tlie JSmith Treat//, (that is in 1888), 
the Griquas would either recover th.e possession of hundreds 
of farms in the O.F.S., approximately three millions of acres, 
or the Im})erial Government would have to compensate for 
tlie loss of these. There was not a lamily amongst them 
but woul(l directly or indirectly become entitled to Lsome share. 

Determined to get at the bottom of this somewhat 
tangled and mysterious subject, I availed myself of a visit to 
Cape Town to consult the public and press recorils of the 
period. .Mr. Brisley also allowed me the use of a quantity 
of old Gricjua Government papers bearing on the subject. 

After several months of laborious research, 1 reached 
the following conclusions : — 

(1), That, while there is indisputable evidence of gross 
injustice and high-handed spoilation, it is now practically 
impossible to fix or to apporti(m tlie responsibility and iilame 
in each respective case. 

(2), That, even if that could be done, there is no com- 
petent tribunal to which a formal appeal could be made, 
unless all parties concerned, including the owners of the 
farms, should consent, and bind themselve to the principle 
of arbitraHon, which is in the last degree im})robable. 

(3). That even if the most sanguine expectations of the 
Griquas, in this matter, could be realised, either by retro- 
cession or compensfdioii, a new and •-ven greater difficulty 
would arise in eflfecting a strictly just distribution of the 
land, or the proceeds, among the hosts which would arise to 
claim a diare. Unfortunately, all church registers of. 
marriages, births and baptisms up to 1861 have disappearedf 
In very rare instances were family registers kept, and o 
Government registration there was none. Hence, it would be 
almost impossible to produce the legal evidence required to 
deal with such cases even with approximate accuracy. 

Thus I was compelled to occupy the unenviable position 
of being a messenger of evil tidings to the expectant people, 
in fact, dashing in pieces the only faint remaining hope of 
an easy return to former prosperity. Le Fleur did not sliare 
my views. He preached persistently his crusade of RHvo- 
cession or Compensation. He vaguely hinted that I. being 
a white man — would naturally take the view favouring the 
white man. He advocated no abatement or abandonment of 
their claims, he urged united and firm action, even to the 



121 

extent of an appeal to the Queen herself by a Griqua 
deputation, and, all else failing, occasionally hinted at the 
display offeree. 

Finding that nothing could be accomplished regarding 
these lapsed tarms, 1 turned my attention to the various 
questions arising out of the provisions of the Smith Treaty. 
Here the objective seemed more definite and attainable. 

It must be understood that the Griqnas usually confuse 
these two separate cases — the lapsed farms and the annual 
jxiymnnt, and with their usual lack of accuracy, call both 
under the common designation of the Foi'ty Years Money. 

I began by endeavouring to construct coriect lists, first 
of t]ie orn/ina I 42 participants under the Smith Treaty; 
second, of those still a^'ir ; and third, of the heirs of those 
deceased. This required much labour, time and travel. I 
venture to say that the lists thus made out and supplied to 
the Government and to the people were approximati-ly 
correct. Absolute accuracy is impossible. 

The practical outcome wa^ that immediately thereafter 
some four hundred pounds of arrears was distributed amongst 
heirs scattered over the whole of South Africa. 

Th^n I vainly tried to persuade Government to make 
the whole £300 payable to the original owners of the farms 
and their heirs, on tiie death of the chiefs wife. Beyond all 
doubt, the spirit and history of the original transaction justi- 
fied this proposal, but the fetter of the Treaty was against it. 

Failing in that, I urged Government to capitalise on 
the basis often or twelve vears' payment, to distribute the 
money and to let the whole business end. 

Failing in that, I again urged the Government to 
capitalise and deal with the fund tribaliy and to administer it 
for the General Good, by the endowment of churches and 
schools, or by the establishment of a Loan Fund to 
encourage Griqua industry by cheap advances on security, 
or by some similar scheme. 

In discussing these various proposals, I met with the 
hearty sympathy of the «„'hie{ Magistrate. R'. Stanford, Esq., 
of the Bonourabte J. Rose-Innes, of the Native Affairs 
Department, ot Sir James Siveicright. the member for 
Griqualand East, and of the Attorney-General and Premier 
at the time. Sir T. Upington. 

In the opinion of the last named, the legal difficulties, 
in the way of all these proposals, were quite insuperable, 
and the prospect of obtaining Parliamentary sanction so very 
slight, that 'government would not take the responsibility of 
asking for it. 



122 

The present position is tliat £l(iO is annually voted by 
^'arli;iment ; that an annually decreasing portion is dis- 
tributed am'ugst the heirs ; and an annually increasing 
portion remains unpaid Ultimately the payment must 
lapse altogether, although declared to be " ? /i in'r/ntihlt/f'' 
]je Fleur continued to stir the blood of the people by his 
wild, extravagant statements, not lacking in veiled threats 
and hostile insinuations. .Most of the pe()])le had sold their 
lands, spent the proceeds and were, Macauber-like, 'waiting 
for something to turn uj)," or, as they gracefully put it in the 
Taal, •• y/.' /o'/' />(/" y^/a7iv/^^ " (I live by my wits). My per- 
sistent advice was this : '• You have nothing to expect trom 
"theO.F.iS. farms, you have wasted your substance here, 
" now off with your coats, one and all of you, old and young, 
" and go to work every day, thus only can you save your- 
" selves from starvation or beggary." All my admonitions 
and my example were wasted in the presence of a slim 
demagogue of their own colour, wlio spoke with contidfuce 
about compelling Government to restore or compensate. It 
is so much easier to sit down and cry for the moon than to 
dig in the garden. 'I'he poor people have long ere now dis- 
covered, however, that this is hungry work, leaves its mark 
upon tliem, and gives them as the burden of their daily 
song the somewhat lugubrious ditty : •' M;i leanness, my 
IcaniK'SS." 

All this was vexatious enough, and ultimately drove me 
to an ex])edient I was loath to adopt, but it was my last shot 
in the locker for Le Fleur. 

In my researches among old Griqua documents I had 
found a Warrant for the Apprehension of one A. Le 
Fleur. on a ilarge of horse-stealing, signed by the Magistrate 
of I'olesberg, and dated as far back as 1850. This document 
was in my possession. I decided to use it " in ierrorem.'' 
One day I invited Le Fleur to my study, and reasoned 
with him as to the folly and mischief of his conduct. He 
stuck to his guns, repeating all his arguments. Then I 
produced tlip Warrant, and ventured on the assertion that 
the Writ of a British Magistrate did not lose its force by 
lapse of time. " Le F^leur," I said, " if you persist in 
"keeping up this mischievous agitation which is ruining 
" the people, I shall deem it my duty to plax?e this document 
" in the hands of the law officers. Take care ! " The 
agitation ceased, and there was peace and quietness till after 
mv departure from Kokstad in 1890. 

Thereafter Andrie^ Le Fleur, the son, took up his father's 
old song, and renewed the agitation. He had married the 



123 

daui;iiter of the late Adam Muis Kok, the quondam expectant 
of Kok's captaincy, and the leader of the revolt of 1878. He, 
Le Fleur. claimed now to be the representative of the Kok 
family and to sit in the old chiefs seat. He affected to 
ignore the fact of annexation, he talked incessantly of retro- 
cession, he assumed the role of the martyr, held a court, 
sent to and received messaues from petty chiefs in the 
tenitory, and ijenerally created a political ferment. The 
father had been bad enough, the son was worse. The father 
contented himself with words, speeches, despatches, protests, 
memorials, lectures, threats; the son prepared for action. 
His wife had no sym})athy with his visionary schemes. She 
was quiet, hard-working respectable, without any ambitious 
projects. He suffered grievously from heat-swe.ling. 

In some mvsterious way young Le Fleur managed to 
persuade the (iriquas and Kafirs to provide him with funds. 
He turned up in Cape f own in July. 1894, while Rev. Mr. 
Murray and I were there together. He. assumed wonderful 
ails, and Ids pockets were crammed with l^luebooks and 
offifial-looking documents. He condescended to speak with 
us on the street, but handed us his card, and politely hinted 
that we would find thereon his address and reception hours. 
I naet him subsequently, by accident, in the Native Affairs 
Office, and heard him receive a severe reprimand for daring 
to address insulting despatches to H. K. the High Commis- 
sioner, despatches containing manifest untruths, gross 
exaggerations, and generally distinguished by ambiguity and 
cheek. Our gentleman went off" in high dungeon "to appeal 
" to the Colonial Secretary in London and. if veed be. (o the 
•' Queen herself, for that justice denied to her subjects by her 
'•servants in South Africa." But instead of going to London 
by the first steamer be returned to Kokstad. There he 
organised two unsuccessful revolts, and returned to Cape 
Town under sentence of 15 years' hard labour. His case is 
a striking illu.stratioii of the old saying, '• The Gods first 
madden those they mean to destrov." 

The circumstance of the Warrant of Apprehension had 
passed out of my mind until the following took place here 
in Port Elizabeth. Sometime before Le Fleur's outbreak I 
found the elder Le Fleur one morning in my study. He 
had come from Kok.stad, and n^w sought the address of 
certain friends. He was on his way to Capetown " to 
|- deliver a series of Lectures on the relations of coloured to white 
"^ citizens and specifically to educate public opinion as to Griqua 
'' claims on the Imperial and Colonial Governments' I never 
heard a word of the Lectured, but some weeks thereafter 



124 

he Fleur appeared at my usual Sunday evening service. He 
asked and received permission to remain for Communion. In 
mv confrregation there is an old deacon. Christian Davids. 
He is held in high respect for his piety and long service. 
When he was a }oung man he was groom to the late 
Hess, Es(j. He was a t>usted servant, and liad charge of a 
valuahle horse. His fellow-servant was Ahnihdiii Le FUur, 
One morning Christian awoke to find man and horse gone. 
Both were traced to Colesberg, and the warrant for his arrest 
followed. The two liad never again met till that n'ght. It fell 
to Christian to hand the sacred symbols to this man who had 
caused him years of sorrow and nearly ruined his character. 
Very affecting was the mental struggle and distress the good 
old man passed through before he could bring himself to 
pass the elements to Le Fleur. Charity triumphed. 

Le Fleur promised to come next day and describe his 
doings in Cape Town and give me an account of the 
Lectures, But next day he had disappeared, leaving no 
trace. 

Perhaps the people of Griqualand East will now better 
understand wl y the father lay low while the son was at his 
wild o;oose chase. 



.A.X^'IPElNriDIiX INTO. II 

In accordance with the expressed wish of friends, I have 
added the following to the character sketches to be 
found on 2)rece(ling pages. 

Abraham Jantjes, 

This man was, physically, as pure a Griqua as lived. 
He was one of the few left who could speak the old Hottentot 
language. He was a distinct exception from the ordinary 
run of Griquas, in three particulars: — I'^t, He was by no 
means afraid of hard work ; 2nd, He had a wholesome dread 
of evil-doing in every form ; 3rd, He tried to honour the 
Divine command, " Owe no man anything but to love one 
another." Abraham was a Christian man. and a useful, 
active Church officer. Although he had more brain power 
than any man in the tribe, he was quite unconscious of it; 
he was and remained humble and simple as a very child. 
He declined to accept of any office under the Griqua Govern- 
ment. It was an unwritten law that no one should, simul- 



125 

taneoUsly, hold office in Church and State. Abraham believed 
that he had to serve his tellowmen, in connection with 
Church life, and he made no small sacrifices to his convictions 
of duty. 

He was the dramatiM of the tribe — a born actor every inch 
01 him. Even in private conversation, on any supject which 
afifected him, the art of the actor shewed itself. But when 
he spoke pablicly, which he did only in connection with 
church life and work, and when he was moved by strong 
conviction or inward passion, he let himself fairly go, and 
then, what he said and how he said it, left an impression on 
the hearer never to be efi'aced. Of course, one required to 
have a pretty intimate acquaintance with the '• taal," or the 
collo(}uial Dutch usually spoken among the Ciriquas, in order 
to catch the subtle wit, the histrionic force, the indescribable 
aroma of what he said on these occasions. Unlike most 
Griqua speakers, he only spoke when he had something to 
say, and was all aflame to say it. Then the little grey eyes 
shone, and the dark, coarse, rugged features changed with 
the varying moods, and every motion of head and hand 
served to depict the passion which animated him. He 
could tell a simple incident in his experience, as, for 
instance, his first and only siijjht of a railway train, with 
such graphic language and dramatic action, that one felt 
transported into the surroundings he described, to be an 
eyewitness, and share his surprise or indignation, his gladness 
or sorrow. More than any native man I have ever met, 
he possessed the subtle power of infecting his hearers with 
his own passion. 

At a Gri([ua Tea Meeting Abraham was at his best, if 
there happened to be no other Europeans present except 
myself or any other members of the mission family or staff. 
If other Europeans, especially strangers, were present, he 
was shy and reserved, refused to be drawn, cut liis speech 
short, and begged to be excused, because " he was no 
spealcer."' 

If the old man was still alive, and I had the chance, I 
would walk a good many miles to hear him describing again 
his first sight of a wagon, "a house on wheels," or to hear 
him give a pharaphrase of some of the New Testament 
parables or of the Old Testament histories. These he could 
clothe in the garb of everyday Griqua lite, and make the 
actors pass before you like living men, very much in the 
style adopted by the famous Welsh preacher, Christmass 
Evans. 



126 

I venture to reproduce one of Abraham's stories, but I 
am quite unable to put into it the aroma of humour with 
which lie could tell it. 

" When I was a little fellow, not mutdi taller than this 
" walkiug-stick, I could shoot birds with my home-uiade bow 
"and arrow. I could swim in the reaches of the Vaal liiver, 
" catch eels in its muddy holes, gather blink klippies 
" (diamonds) and play with them, or ride on a calf, with any 
" (iri(jua boy of my a£;e ; liut I had never seen a book, or 
" beei. inside a school or church, or seen a white man. One 
•' da}' my father told me I was to go to Klmrirater, now 
" Gricjuatown, to S'^hool. That night I nearly cried my eyes 
" out. I was terrified at the thought of seeing a white man. 
" I had heard the grown-up men tell dreadful stories n)und 
" the camp fires of the doings of the white man. After a 
" long ride on oxback we came to the Mission Station. () 
" dear I ! how big the houses looked, and how white, and 
" what hu^e doors, and how strange to stand inside and look 
"out and yet to find that there was some hard substance 
" between you and the clear air, and oh I those ' houses on 
" wheels.' I crept cautiously up to where I could see the 
"white man's house, in the hope that I might see himself. 
" I had heard the grown-up people always say that all white 
" men had a peculiar odour, and that you could fe^-l it a 
" good distance off, so I looked and snuffed up the 
*' wind, but could feel nothing, see nobody. Next day I was 
*' taken to the school, and felt frightened when I took my 
" seat and my father went away and left me. The school 
'' house had been newly painted, and the smell of tlie paint 
'' was particularly strong and offensive to me. As I was 
'' wondf^ring whence came this strange smell, the white man 
'• came in, aud T said to myself, • Yes, it is (|uite true, the 
" white man does smell strong.' It was a long time before 
" I outgrew that childish impression, and even now the smell 
" of paint recalls my first sight of a white man." 

Abraham was selected t>y Captain Blyth to make a final 
appeal to the insurgents, on the slopes of ^Mount Currie, on 
the morning of the tight, 1878. He took his life in his hand 
and he went. He pleaded with them as only be coulo plead. 
In vain ; they abused him, threatened him, and he barely 
escaped with his life. Captain Blyth knew that, if they 
wouldn't listen to Abraham, there was nothing lett but to 
fight. 

Abraham lived on a few years after I left Kokstad. He 
had been fleeced by relatives who took advantage of his 
generosity. He became poor, but stuck to a considerable 



127 

part of his farm. He died peacefully, and left an unblemished 
mame and a kindly memor}' behind him. 

Metje Jood. — A widow, indeed, of ujany years' 
standing. She was born somewhere in the interior, but was 
brought to Bethelsdorjj early in the century. Tliere she was 
trained as a Teacher. She remembered seeing Dr. Van der 
Kemp baptising converts in the streamlet running through 
the village. Metje taught the first school which was opened 
in this town of Port Elizabeth about the date of the arrival 
of the settlers, 1820. The house in which this school was 
held is oi:e of the oldest structures in the town, and now 
forms the kitchen to the Mnnse in which these Annals are 
being compiled. There are men alive to-day who have taken 
no inconsiderable part in the commercial and public life of 
South Africa who learnea th^ir alphabet in ]\Iet je's school. 

She married into the (iriqua Jood family, and was left a 
widow with two children. She crossed the Drakensberg in 
the Trek, and settled in the new country. She maintained 
herself by her own industry. She could turn her hand to 
almost anything. She was certainly the most ad' anced in 
intelligence and general kno^\ ledge of all the Griqua women. 
Her piety was sincere and practical. She was full of good 
works. She was trusted and respected by all who knew her 
as a worthy, consistent Christian woman. 

Flat was an obscure Hottentot man of the purest 
breed. He was originally from the Kat Jxiver Settlement. I 
found him in the old Laager when I came there. I had 
ample opportunity ot studying this man's character and ways. 
]\Iy curiosity was excited by noting that the man had no 
visible means of subsistence. He had no money or stock, he 
hai no field or garden, did no work, but sat all <