fit for house or ship building, in which is abundance of honey and wax; but no wax is to be had from the natives, as they eat the wax as well as the honey.

"They cultivate three sorts of corn, as also calabashes, pumpkins, watermelons, and beans, much resembling the European beans: they sow annually a kind of earth nut, and a kind of underground bean, both very nourishing and bearing a small leaf. Tobacco grows there wild, and if they knew how to manage, it would in all probability resemble the flavor of Virginia. The true European Fig grows wild, also a kind of wild grapes, a little sour but well tasted. They have also a kind of tree fruit not unlike the fatherland; wild prunes grow abundantly on the shore and are well tasted. There are also wild cherries. Finally they have an apple, not unpleasant eating, not ripe however till they fall; but before they fall they are nauseous and cause flatulency.

"The country swarms with cows, calves, oxen, steers, and goats. There are few sheep, but no want of elephants, rhinoceroses, lions, tigers, leopards, elands, and harts with branched horns: roebocks of various kinds, wild hogs, dogs, buffaloes, sea cows, crocodiles, and horses. The latter they do not catch or tame, although they approach within ten or twelve paces; they are finely formed and quite black with long manes and tails, incredibly swift and of great strength; some have the tail black, and some white. They have also an animal described as a giraffe. They have many kinds of snakes, scorpions, centipedes, toads, and frogs, ostriches, geese, ducks, pigeons, partridges, pheasants, paers and balearick cranes. In the rivers are eels and congers, and in the bay of Natal, king's fish and sun fish, besides all kinds of fish known in India or here, as may be seen from the annexed account taken down from the mouths of our men.'

The States General of Holland obtaining this favourable report of Natal, in their dspatch to the Governor of the Cape, dated 30th September, 1689, wrote: 'From what is testified of the fertility of the country it will be desirable that we should fully inform ourselves upon all points connected with it, and in particular whether there are any good bays or harbours where ships may lie in safety."

It has thus been made apparent what the Dutch Government have heretofore thought of Natal. There were two official memoirs on South Eastern Africa published in Amsterdam in 1718, much of which would be confirmatory of what has already been written, but I select one paragraph shewing Colonel Parry's opinion respecting Natal. "I consider it one of the most fertile regions upon earth, and capable of producing inexhaustible supplies of grain and other provisions, if settled."

Passing over slight events in 1806, the Cape and its dependencies were ceded to England, and finally confirmed to her by the treaty of Paris in 1815. The reports of Englishmen will now come to confirm what proceeds.

In 1823 Lieut. Farewell, R. N., Mr. A. Thomson, a merchant of Cape Town, and Lieut. King, R. N., undertook a trading expedition to the east coast in the Salisbury, but being short of provisions, and a couple of boats being swamped, they took shelter in Natal harbour. The voyage however, proving unsuccessful, the Salisbury and her tender, the Julia, returned to Cape Town.

In 1824, Farewell informed the governor of his intention to repeat the venture, and his Excellency encouraged it as one whose success he should hear of with satisfaction, being a likely means of establishing commercial intercourse, and of civilizing the inhabitants of that part of Africa.

In September, 1824, Lieut. Farewell reports his success from Natal itself, as follows:

In consequence of your lordships' kind wishes for the success of my un

observing a state and ceremony that we little expected. He was particularly pleased at hearing my intention in coming to Natal, was to remain there, making me a sale and grant of part of his country in that neighbourhood, of which I forward to your lordship a copy. At the same time he gave us a number of cattle for our support, and expressed a wish to send two of his chiefs to the Cape, for the purpose of being acquainted with the English nation. We had an opportunity of further gaining his friendship by curing him of a dangerous wound he received since we have been here.

:

"The territory he has made over is nearly depopulated, not containing more than three hundred to four hundred souls, who appear much pleased at the manner of its disposal, of which Chaka has informed them. The climate seems perfectly healthy, with a good soil, fit for any purposes, and well wooded and watered, four rivers of magnitude running through it into the sea which from their depth and width seem to derive their sources from a considerable distance inland, and to afford the means of communicating there by water. The portion granted me affords every prospect of being a most desirable one for settlers, of whom a few families could protect themselves, if necessary, and support could be derived for any number, the rivers abounding in fish, and cattle being to be had at a very moderate rate. I beg leave, therefore, to suggest to your lordship that many of that class at the Cape, particularly agriculturalists, who appear to be living in great distress, (from the bad management of the government emigration in 1820,) would here find a comfortable asylum, and the means of much benefitting themselves and families, as well as the English nation, by forming a colony on a spot so well adapted for civilizing and establishing a trade with the interior of S. Africa: which amongst other benefits to be expected from it will eventually occasion a large consumption of English staple manufactures. It possesses a port, the only one on the coast, where vessels drawing nine feet of water, can at all times enter and be as secure as in a wet dock whilst those of a greater draught are protected from a westerly wind by a point that projects some distance, -forming a bay in which there is good anchorage outside the bar. The distance from the Cowie is so small that a vessel after discharging her cargo there at a very trifling expence, would land passengers at Natal.

I took possession of the country made over according to the tenor of the document forwarded to your lordship (on the 27th August,) and hoisted the English colors, and fired a salute in presence of a number of Chaka's chiefs, which proceeding I trust will meet with your lordship's approbation and sanction, as well as that of the English Government."

Signed, F. G. Farewell.

It

Lieut. King, of the same party says "Port Natal is easy of access for vessels not drawing more than eight feet of water for the last of the flood tide. has on its bar eleven feet at high water spring tides,-at times it exceeds that depth. This harbor is perfectly sheltered from all winds, and is sufficiently large to contain thirty sail. The Cape forms a spacious bay where ships may

over, we turned off inland, and went about seven miles on a hard path. Though low, the land then rises abruptly, and becomes bushy, except at the entrance of the rivers Stotee, Umsloota, and Umlungos, not navigable.

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The country was once populous, and well cultivated, but the tribe has been destroyed by Chaka. The next day we passed a beautiful country covered with verdure and trees to the Umsloota, which is much infested by alligators. Next day we passed over a similar country, but without trees, having however, innumerable herds of cattle. We saw a large river, the Mafotu, winding through those meadows. Very near there is a chain of hills to the left; to the right a beautiful plain, with prickly gum trees, with which this country abounds. The next day we came to the river Nonota, (at night troubled by rats, fleas, 'cockroaches, and musquitoes.) The next day brought us to an exceedingly beautiful country, with shady gum trees dispersed over green meadows, and enlivened by cattle, guinea fowl, caffer cranes, and a variety of animals.

"Next day crossed the river Cinquas, and several rivulets, stopping at Tutugal (Tugela,) a river of magnitude within the bar. It is said to be the largest on the Natal coast, is serpentine, and very majestic, full of alligators, and sea cows of a large size."

I now make a few extracts from the travels of Mr. Isaacs, in 1828.

"The people bestow but little pains in preparing the land for cultivation. The boys cut and clear the bushes, never extract the roots nor turn up the surface. The wood or bush is burnt and the ashes strewed over the land. This is all the preparatory labor for sowing. Afterwards the women commence their labor by scattering the corn on the surface without order or precision. This completed, the ground is turned over in the seed, but much is uncovered. After germination, a month after sowing, women and girls clear it. Two months after sowing it begins to ripen, and at the end of the third month it is hard, and fit for garnering. Thus with an industrious people, three crops of corn each year might be easily raised. They plant both the Guinea and the Indian corn. We introduced at Natal, a regular system of husbandry; and our natives had become accustomed to it, that we had but little difficulty, latterly, of preserving our crops in regular succession. The natives have

several sorts of beans or pulse, all differing from the European bean; they grow productively, and are an agreeable vegetable. They also cultivate a seed called the "Loopoco,"-it is not dissimilar to rape in size and color. Of this the natives make their beer, which is produced by fermentation. It contains very powerful fermentative properties, and when drawn off from the vessels in which it is prepared, it is a red, or light brown color; an excellent beverage, both potent and stimulating.

"They raise four sorts of potatoes, red, white, pink, and brown, all of them sweet, and not of the European description, but a very good vegetable for culinary purposes. Pumpkins and melons grow spontaneously, and are also cultivated to great perfection, while they have an excellent vegetable both in appearance and flower like spinach; it grows also spontaneously.

"They have a great variety of wild fruits, particularly the aumuntingoola, about the size of a nlum rich in flavor. and with seed instead of a

stone in the body of it, This makes a most excellent and a highly flavored preserve.

"The sugar cane is wild, and I suppose an indigenous plant. They do not cultivate it, though the soil seems adapted for its growth, as it runs to a prodigious height, and the cane is of large dimensions. They have two sorts, one grows larger than the other; the former the natives call Moaba,' the latter, Simpla.' The plantain is also another native vegetable, which with the 'edoc' and yam are substitutes for bread, although they have a bread made from Indian corn, pulverized and made into a sort of thin cake, which they bake by putting it into hot ashes.

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Every sort of European seed for horticultural purposes which we had brought from the Cape, grow exceedingly well, and produced luxuriantly, particularly the smaller sorts of vegetables. Salads we raised prodigiously fine and rapidly. Cabbage lettuce grow in great perfection, as did the beans, and kidney beans, and a variety of other seeds, particularly spinach.

The fact is, the climate of Natal is congenial to vegetable life, as is proved by the rapid germination of the seed after it is sown. The seasons are also exceedingly encouraging to the growth of all vegetable productions; the dew, during the intervals of the periodical rains, being extremely fertilizing and nutritive. There are at times checks to vegetation in Natal, as in all other parts of Eastern Africa, but they are far from being common visitations. The principal is the locust.-They now and then spread their destructive influence, and their devastation is great, but only one or two instances occurred during my five years residence, of their appearance amongst us. Those I have already detailed, and even then I was somewhat surprised, from the prodigious flight of them, that they did not do more damage.

The country of the Zoolas, eastward of Natal, is much infested with wild beasts, and those of every species of the African continent,-at Natal, however, and for a large space around it, they have been greatly disturbed, and have gone further inland, fearing the effects of our fire arms and the force of people collected and settled within a small circumference. In my various peregrinations, I have met with elephants, buffaloes, tiger-cats, leopards, panthers, hyænas, wild boars, wolves, jackals, iron hogs, or crested porcupines, monkeys, ant-eaters, civet cats. The foregoing animals at a time were very numerous in the vicinity of Natal, but from the causes stated, are greatly decreasing. Various species of the antelope, are common. Otters are common

in the rivers, which the natives hunt and catch in traps.

To the eastward of Natal there are also to be found the rhinoceros, lion, camleopard, zebra, baboon, vivera, kangaroos, gnoos, and hares, also the hippopotamus and alligator, and other amphibious animals.

"Of domestic animals, they have horned cattle, being the great object of their various contests, namely the beeve, the cow, and the bull. They have also sheep and goats, and the domestic dog. Hogs are only to be found among the Europeans who have imported a few for breeding. Their cattle are not large, but exceedingly good meat, and the sheep are of the Cape species, with broad tails, and with fine hair instead of wool. The goats, like the sheep, are used for animal food, and are very fine eating.

Of the feathered race, there is a great variety. The wild sort are easily obtained, and often killed by the natives with a sort of small club, which they throw with great precision. The Numidian crane, the crowned crane, black eagle, vulture, heron, flamingo, wild turkey, wild goose, wild duck, partridge, grouse, galina, or guinea fowl, owl, and dove of various descriptions, are common, besides birds of varied plumage, but none with any note. The domestic fowls are the same as in the British settlements of the Cape.

"It is quite clear that the people must be numerous from the thickly settled hamlets which the face of the whole country exhibits. Within a short period our settlement, which was somewhat circumscribed, contained upwards of two thousand persons, and this number naturally augmenting at a rapid rate in a few years of peace, and when civilization begins to spread, may, in all probability, increase by almost geometrical progression.

"The Zoolas cannot be said to be without manufactures, although they are not very skilful in their fabrication. They smelt the iron ore in a soft porous stone hollowed for the purpose. From this metal they fabricate their hoes for turning up the soil in their gardens, or corn plats; and although these hoes are of rather rude construction, they are effective enough for their limited state, or knowledge of husbandry and are useful for such purposes in the absence of more eligible implements. They also make very small spoons and

skewers, and other articles similar to them. The skewer is not fabricated for European use, but as a substitute for a needle in sewing their clothes. They also make copper ornaments, such as arm and neck bangles and balls, by which the females ornament their clothes, and they manufacture horn and wooden spoons, milk pails, which they neatly carve, and small wooden ornaments for their ears. Mats to sleep on, and pillows, they make from rushes, and very neat baskets of various sizes and designs from grass. They also make a hat of the same material, in shape of the Malay hat, which is very useful, being impervious to the rays of the sun. They are extremely clever in making a variety of pots and jugs from different colored earth or clay. These they prepare very neatly in different shapes, figures, and sizes, and intended for domestic use. Their implements of war are of their own invention and manufacture, and these weapons, particularly their assagais, they ornament. They have been taught by Europeans the use of many sorts of tools used by carpenters, masons, &c., which they afterwards sought with extraordinary avidity.

'It has been made manifest, I trust, that the country of the Zoolas, of which Natal is the port or bay for anchorage, is one not only interesting from the peculiar character of its people, but entitled to the consideration of an enterprising people like the British, from the variety of objects it holds out as attractive to the speculator, and from its contiguity to their establishments on its western frontier.

"The practicability of establishing a settlement at Natal has been clearly illustrated. It comes then to this point,-is it desirable to extend colonization? and if so, is Natal an eligible site for such a design? does the country which it is the chief, or only port, hold out encouragement for commercial enterprize?

"With regard to the first proposition,-where colonization can be effected without entailing any expenditure on the state,-when it opens a new and unknown vent for the consumption of the manufactures of our country, by a lucrative barter traffic, and contributes to its revenues and to the employment of its artizans; such colonization should be countenanced.

'As to Natal itself, I shall say without hesitation, and from local experience, that Natal is an eligible site for a settlement, and that the inducements for commerce are valuable and flattering. The bay of Natal is the only convenient place for anchorage. It is a secure harbor, and has water sufficient on its bar for the navigation of such vessels as commerce would require. There is no other bay on its coast eligible; and at the mouths of the several rivers, though these are large, there is no anchorage for vessels larger than boats or barges, from the estuaries being all intersected with bars of sand. The country also in the vicinity of Natal is fertile, luxuriant, and capable of