SUGGESTED OUTFIT FOR RESPECTABLE MALE Cotton Shirts, 3 dozen. EMIGRANTS. Coloured do. 1 do. Duck, Drill, or Corderoy Pantaloons, 1 dozen pair. White or coloured Socks, 4 dozen pairs. Jackets, Jean or other light article, or small Shepherd-plaid, clearing the saddle, 6. Old Suit of worn clothing. No goods recommended to be taken for sale. 1 Dozen Towels. Hair Mattrass. 1 Pair Blankets. 3 Pairs Sheets. 6 Pairs Shoes or Boots. Saddles and Bridles for small Grass Horse. Double-barrelled Percussion Gun, or Double barrelled Rifle, large bore, large shot, and bullet-moulds. (Game large and plenty.) Take as little furniture as possible; all legs should be made to take off by screw, to save space and avoid breakage. No finery in clothing is required at Natal. Short Jackets are usually the order of the day. Save your money for better objects, and that will return a profit. That respectable class, the hard working emigrant may make a change from the above: 2 Jackets, clearing the saddle; 2 pairs Cotton, Drill, or Corderoy Trowsers, and 2 Duck; 2 Duck Frocks; 12 Cotton Shirts; 2 pairs Shoes; soft Felt Drab Hat; 6 Handkerchiefs; 6 coarse Towels; 6 pairs Stockings; Mattrass, 6ft. by 20in.; 1 pair Blankets; 2 pairs coarse Sheets. Wife may take 2 dark Gowns; Caps; Bonnet; 1 dozen Shifts; 2 Flannel Petticoats; 2 pairs Stays; 2 pairs Shoes; 6 coarse Towels; 6 dark Aprons; 6 Hankerchiefs; 6 Night-gowns, and Night-caps; 1 Cloak; 6 pairs dark Hose; Work-bag, and appurtenances. PORT CHARGES. The only charge on Shipping is Pilotage, at the rate of 4s. 6d. per foot on the water the Ship draws. PORT DIRECTIONS. The following are the simple directions given me by the late respected Mr. John Douglas, who was for some years the Captain of the Port. For anchoring off the Bar; bring the outer point of the Bluff to bear S.W. by S. two miles distant, and the Flag-staff on the Sandy-point West, in eight and a-half fathoms water, the best anchorage. For Crossing the Bar in making sail from the outer anchorage, bring the beams on the Bluff in one as soon as possible; which will lead clear till within thirty fathoms of the Beacons, when you must keep the land on the Larboard hand, about thirty fathoms distance, till you open the Custom House, where you must haul short up for the Inner anchorage. November, 1848. Captains of vessels will find Captain Hadden's directions for making Port Natal, in the Nautical Magazine for 1838. OVERLAND ROUTES TO NATAL. I. Route from Colesberg, in the Cape Colony, to Pietermaritzburg, Colesberg to Philippolis, good accommodation at the Rev. Mr. Touw Fontein, A. van Wyk, good accommodation. Here the Kalver Fontein, C. B. Viljoen, good accommodation Wuras Bloem Fontein, (Queen's Port,) Military Post Keerom, Mr. van Zyl, good accommodation 6 hours. 6 1 1 3 74 6 6 Windburg, a village.. Sand River, Mr. de Neckar, no accommodation Liebenberg's Valley, moderate accommodation, a small house belonging to a colored man, clean and accommodating Eland's River, no house Op Drakensberg, no house, good water and grass.. .. Klein Dongela, Cobus Potgieter, river often impassable, good accommodation Bosjesman's River, Cobus Oosthuisen, river sometimes impassable, good accommodation.. Mooi River, seldom impassable Pietermaritzburg .. 5 764 9 559 87 hours. The road is generally good, level, and well defined as far as the Drakenberg, beyond which it is described as hilly and difficult. II. To Natal from Burghers Dorp in an ox waggon, by Buffels Vallei, or Aliwal North. This is the shortest route. Burghers Dorp to Buffels Vallei Ghoosbergen Caledon Riet River Blesberg. 2 days. 1 1 1 TUESDAY, Departures.-The Government Post, conveyed by a mounted military orderly, leaves for D'Urban at noon. Private letters may be left at the Colonial office; no charge made, except for letters intended for transmission out of the colony. WEDNESDAY, -Arrivals.-The Natal Witness Express arrives from D'Urban in the evening. If in time, letters are sent round immediately on their receipt, and a charge of 3d. made for delivery, or otherwise they are delivered on Thursday morning. FRIDAY, Departures.-The Natal Witness Express starts from the Witness office, 23, Church-street, at noon, for D'Urban. All letters must pre-pay 3d. SATURDAY,-Arrival.-The Government Post arrives about noon from D'Urban, and Bushman's river. In cases of the arrival or departure of vessels, extra posts are despatched. The Government Post for Bushman's river, and Klip river Division, also leaves on Saturday. D'URBAN. TUESDAY,-Departure.-The Natal Witness Express leaves Mr. R. Clarence's Store at 10 o'clock. Letters must pre-pay 3d. WEDNESDAY,-Arrival—The Government Post arrives about noon, from Pietermaritzburg. FRIDAY, Departure.-The Government Post leaves the Camp for Pietermaritzburg. The Overland Mail, once a fortnight, for the Cape, reaches in fourteen days. Thus it is possible to write to England every fortnight, by way of Cape Town; and also from Port Natal whenever vessels may be sailing direct to England. A second English Newspaper is published in Pietermaritzburg weekly. PIETERMARITZBURG, 1849. JUST now Natal is a comfortable little colony; presenting to the prudent emigrant a fair and fertile field for the investment of his industry, skill, and capital. After six years of anarchy, and three of order, affairs are beginning to wear an aspect of steady progress. There is, however, this remarkable feature in her present history, that since the expiration of anarchy, and during the reign of order, the exports have diminished most fearfully.* With this fact in view, it may seem paradoxical to speak of any other progress than that to ruin. The measure of our ways and means, is the criterion by which we estimate our strength for the accomplishment of any progressionary movement, especially in a newly established settlement, where the beginning-that most difficult of difficulties-has to be made. And whence are ways and means to come, from legimate sources, while vessels are flocking to our port, laden to the deck, and being sent empty away? Yet we venture to assert, in the face of this startling fact, that there are ample grounds for hope, encouragement, and enterprise; and that there are numerous symptoms of gradual and steady progress. At our sea-port town, Government has laid out, and sub-divided, several blocks of erven, some of which have been sold, and others granted to discharged soldiers, with the stipulation, in the latter cases, that buildings should be erected within six months from the issuing of the Title Deed. This has given an impetus, whose results are visible in the rapid advancement of the town, and the rise in the value of land in the vicinity. The sub-division of farms in that direction, and the establishment of numerous homesteads of extents that bespeak intentions of useful possessions, are also favourable indications. The presence of an unusual number of vessels in the harbour, of newly arrived emigrants in the town, and the flourishing appearance of our agricultural progress, are so many confirmations of our views as to the prospects of this colony. In our own vicinity, Pietermaritzburg, we are not without equally animating sources of hope. Peace and tranquility reign in every direction. Tradesmen are fully employed; traders are increasing apparently both in numbers and wealth; the tone of society is improving, with the arrival of new comers of respectability, intelligence, and capital; the number and character of our schools is satisfactory, ministers of various sects are arriving amongst us, places of worship are adequate to our wants, and in a social point of view every thing bids fair for advancement. Beyond the town limits, surveyors are at their important work of civilizing the surface of the country with their theodolites. Mr. Greaves in one direction, Mr. Okes with Mr. Boshof on his inspection tour, Mr. Bird at the Klip River, and Mr. Green laying our beautiful suburban allotments of from 50 to 100 acres, for emigrants with industrious habits and limited means. As far as we can learn, the farmers in the D'Urban, as well as in this, and the Klip River, and Weenen Divisions, are settling down quietly, and bid fair to replenish the land hitherto a garden left to the care of luxuriant nature. With the inspection of farms, and the fixing of boundaries, we have a chance of contentment among the agriculturists, arising from a sense of security against wanton trespass, vagrant squatting, and any future quibbles as to rights, titles, occupation, and the like, that have so long withered the * This is the experience of all new countries, even of California. Imports go to the purchase of land from original settlers and from Government; whereby they are paid for, and the equilibrium of trade is not disturbed. energies of our landholding colonists. The arrangements, too, used in accomplishing these ends, imply, at least to a certain extent, the collection and settlement of the natives; a movement second in importance to no other. Notwithstanding the lightness of our exports, the imports increase, and seem to find a market that warrants confidence in our commercial transactions generally. We have no announcements of wild speculations; no tottering towers of mercantile embarrassment, nor any suspicions of rottenness. To back these views, we have several ramifications of trade that are daily opening wider for the reception of enterprise. On the one hand lies the Zulu country, into which traders are carrying their goods in exchange principally for cattle and ivory; while, on the other, we have central Africa, overspread with farmers, and these again surrounded and intermingled with natives, who are being converted into customers for civilized wares. T'hence come cattle, cash, ivory, hides, and horses. Within our own territories, also, the natives are rapidly acquiring a taste for clothing themselves, and are by no means devoid of tact in the art of bartering beads, blankets, &c., with more distant tribes. Among other symptoms of progress to be met with, are the buildings now in progress, and the prices realized for town and country allotments of land; as also the large herds of cattle and horses that are finding their way into the colony, to stock the farms now about being occupied after inspection. Simultaneously with these advances, we are thrown into more frequent and direct communication with Mauritius, and the Cape, as also with England. The colony is attracting attention, and its capabilities are being carefully enquired into by respectable parties intending to emigrate, or who are active in the formation of associations, or the execution of emigration plans. We stand, therefore, in the attitude of advancement, looking towards prosperity. We have peace, health, and resources that only require developement. All that nature can do, or Providence promise, is done and promised. But the present favorable combination of circumstances must be improved. Resources, however, numerous, are worthless without developement; advantages, however great, may be lost for want of foresight and energy to turn them to account. Improvement is necessary to progress; and after each colonist has surveyed his own flocks and herds, he naturally turns to the common estate, to examine the cause of its lagging behind, with an anxious desire to give the men at the helm an unmerciful nudge. It behoves our Government to consider the sphere of usefulness, and scope for action, that now lies prepared to be entered upon: and to count the facilities for local improvement and advancement for which they are responsible. There is no extraordinary let or hindrance to prevent the execution of any reasonable plan for promoting the interests of the country, and there are a variety of pressing calls upon their attention. Having settled the agriculturists, and got their ploughs fairly to work, the next point to be gained, will be the appointment of means for the speedy, economical, and simple adjustment of disputes, which will include the enforcement of contracts. The scattered and mixed character of our colonial population will doubtless require the exercise of judgement, and perhaps of invention, but anything will be easier than the neglect or evasion of the task. The way being clear for raising produce to any amount, it must not be allowed to rot, or consume its value in transmission. Even streams of wealth cannot flow without channels. Roads, those conducts to prosperity-must be made. This is a government work, and its neglect will entail evils which nothing can remedy. In the absence of roads, instead of exporting our corn we must import our flour: instead of extending our commercial adventures, high prices, small demands, and a decrease in imports, will be the result. |