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Kaffraria

In the early 19th Century Kaffraria was the territory along the sea coast of South Eastern Africa, situated between the rivers Umzimkulu and Keiskama, bounded West and North by the Queen's Town and Albert districts of the Cape Colony, the Quathlamba mountains, and Natal, containing something like thirty thousand (30,000) square miles. Kaffraria was devided into two parts, separated from each other by the river Bashee. In 1865, the territory was re-incorporated into the Cape Colony where it would henceforward remain.

In the late 18th Century the the Kaffers, a brave and warlike people, were exceedingly hostile to the Hottentots, whom they regarded as the slaves and spies of the colonists. In 1781 the Dutch explorer Francois Le Vaillant's determination to advance into Kaffraria was frustrated; finding after repeated endeavours that no argument could prevail upon his attendants, a very small number excepted, to accompany him, he contented himself with despatching an envoy to the Kaffer king, or chief. Meanwhile he continued to roam about on the frontiers, hunting, shooting, and adding to his collections.

In 1823 one account said of Kaffraria that it was "South of Benguela, is inhabited by an independent race of people, differing in every respect from the Hottentots, on whose country they border. They are handsome, tall, robust, muscular, and, though black, have no resemblance to the negroes. The Kaffres are active and ingenious, each providing for himself all the comforts and conveniences they possess. In war they are courageous, but their general habits are peaceable: adapted to a pastoral life and the care of their cattle, they are fond of agriculture and the chase. The government is in the hands of a number of petty chieftains, subject to a general chief, whose power is limited."

At the conclusion of the Seventh Kaffir War [the War of the Axe] in 1847 it was found absolutely necessary, for the future safety and peace of the colony, to extend the frontier line of British possessions to the Great Kei River, including the large district named British Kaffraria, which, with the lately "Ceded Territory," were declared to be forfeited by the vanquished Kaffirs, as the penalty of their rebellion. In point of fact, however, they were left in possession of the country, each tribe, with their respective chiefs, being assigned to different districts, the whole under a system of government by local magistrates or commissioners.

The country which lay along the north-eastern boundary of the Cape Colony, between the Keiskamma and the Buffalo Rivers, was styled the "neutral territory;" and that, from the north of the Buffalo to the south bank of the Great Kei river, constituted British Kaffraria. By 1852 the census of British Kaffraria is 67,358, of whom 700 were estimated as white people. In this, however, were not included the numbers of troops employed in the defences and wars.

Kaffraria was divided into two parts, separated from each other by the river Bashee. British Kaffraria with the Transkeian territory formed the Cis-Basheean and one part, while Kaffraria Proper, not at initially annexed by the British Government, but populated by diverse tribes of native race under independent Chiefs, formed the Trans-Basheean or second part — the latter being about three times the area of the former. The whole of Kaffraria represents about one twentieth part of that portion of South Africa which is subject to the dominion of the white man, including Free State, Transvaal, and Natal, and yet it required millions of British money, and streams of British blood to guard the Colossus of the Cape Colony against the inroads of the savages inhabiting that, comparatively speaking, insignificant tract of country.

British Kaffraria arrived at maturity under a distinct and separate government on the spot, and which, from the richness of its soil admirably adapted for agricultural and pastural pursuits even to the growth of cotton, sugar, tobacco, and more particularly wool—from the abundance of beautiful streams and rivulets which frequently intersect the country at no great distance from each other—from the immense timber forests covering its mountains whence the rivers derive their sources— from the position and good quality of the port of East London as an outlet for the inland trade—and, in short, from its aianifold natural resources, fairly promises to overreach any part of Her Majesty's South African possession in productiveness and colonial prosperity.

The rapid progress of British Kaffraria, whose revenues in 1853 were calculated at £9,800, and are estimated at £46,000 for 1863, is the natural consequence of the gradual development of its manifold resources during eight years of uninterrupted peace, and the maintenance of peace during so long a period, and at. a time when the savage tribes within and beyond our border were excited by the false prophecies of the impostor Umhlakaza, is wholly and exclusively a consequence of the presence on the spot of an efficient government,.ready to crush rebellious spirit or native treachery in its very origin.