Briefwisseling oor Kaapse sake 1778-1792

[p. 370]

XXIV H. Cloete to Swellengrebel

Caabsche nouvelles or News from the Cape during the year 1782.

Feb. 1st.	Johan Swanepoel Sr. has been given a life sentence on Robben Island.
Feb. 23rd.	death of Martin Melk. Towards the middle of Feb. Daniel Verwij - a Patriot - departed with his wife for Europe. He was not allowed to go alone. On the 20 th March my son Pieter was appointed in the service of the Company as extraordinary engineer.

In March the Rev. Van der Spuy retired. On the occasion of his first sermon at the Paarl the Rev. J.F. Bode baptised many children. A French sailing vessel brought news of the outbreak of war in Europe. Rev. Van der Spuy does not attend the monthly services at the Paarl.

April 7th P.L. Cloete started as scribe in the service of the Company without salary. On the 30th of June Nuy Niezing died.

July the 10th the Austrian vessel that should have brought us the tidings of war arrived at the Cape. Meanwhile a picket of farmers with their great muskets are at the Cape and at Muizenburg there are 200 welltrained Bastard Hottentots under the command of Gerrit Munnik and his lieutenant Jeremias Auret. Another 200 Hottentots are stationed at Hout Bay under the command of Hendr. Ecksteen Pieters and Lieutenant Alexander van Breda. These two, however, have been dismissed, so that the 400 Hottentots of mixed origin are under the command of Mr. Gerrit Munnik, and keep a continuous look out.

The European convicts on the island have been mostly sent away, some allocated to the Danes who were short of men, while some have been placed on our ships and old Swanepoel has been allowed to stay at the Cape. The black convicts are under the supervision of an armed guard. There is no one on Robben Island at present.

Four ships from China and one from Bengal which have been in Saldanha Bay since the 16th May, have been forced by Commodore Johnstone to beach their ships. One was burnt. Enemy ships came in sight at 10 o'clock in the morning and at 12 o'clock our sailors had to abandon ship. They fled to the Cape. Three of the crew of the Middelburg were shot dead. One was an English prisoner of war, one a convict and the third a Malay priest also banished to the island. Thus four ships fell into the hands of the English. On the 23rd they took the four ships away. Two hookers, De Son and the Snelheid which were also lying there were not taken, but sails from Company's ships which had been put in the Snelheid were taken

[p. 371]

out. The enemy did some pillaging on Gildenhuyse's farm, but not as much as one might expect. They made every effort to speed their departure probably because they feared that the French squadron under Suffren with five ships of the line might shut them in the bay.

Suffren's fleet was lying in False Bay, and he made preparations for doing so, but was delayed by one of his most powerful ships lying dismasted, and the English ships did not remain long enough. What route they took, is anybody's guess.

Johnstone's squadron comprised 5 ships of the line, 3 frigates, 7 of the Company's ships and 25 transports. On its approach old and young showed their eagerness to prove their courage against the English, by their speedy arrival from far and near. One true story concerns a certain Esterhuysen, who was on his way to the Roggeveld, and had been ordered, in a case of a general call-up, not to leave home but to keep a watchful eye in his own neighbourhood. He left his waggon and oxen in the road and ran to the Cape as strongly as might be expected of a fleet-footed Hottentot. He said he would have been ashamed had another risked his life while he stayed at home. I have seen him run and spoken to him. Most of our farmers are just as fiery.

On the 16th August whilst I was dining with Van Gennep a messenger arrived with the message that my daughter-in-law had given birth to a daughter on the farm Nooitgedacht. We joyfully drank a glass of 100 years' old Rhine-wine given me by a friend. We also opened a bottle of Hermitage which you gave us and drank your health. Had I had your usual tobacco as well, it would have tasted even better! We had a most excellent harvest for my Constantia wine this year. The neighbours say it has never been better.

On 22nd August David Schalk van der Merwe told me that several farmers who complained that they had each had 300 or 400 of their cattle stolen by Caffers had gone on Commando into Kafferland during July, killed about 1 000 Caffers and taken 15 000 of their cattle, which they have divided amongst themselves. The said David Schalk van der Merwe, whose sons had been on commando, has asked me to thank you again for the rifle you gave him.

On the 24th of October brother Laubscher died.

On the 26th of November the Hon. member of the Council of Justice, P.L. le Sueur died. His place was taken by the Landdrost of Stellenbosch, O.G. de Wet whose place is in turn taken by the Landdrost of Swellendam, the Hon. Daniel van Rijneveld, who is now replaced by the book-keeper, Van Nult Onkruijt.

On the 1st December the assistant-Landdrost Timmer died.

[p. 372]

13th January 1782. D.R. Staring, Member of the Council of Policy and Superintendent of Shipping (Equipagiemeester), went to place under arrest a Danish ship lying at anchor and remove its cannon. He was insulted, and the ship raised anchor and sailed off with Staring on board and also Army Captain de Lille who had gone to welcome a friend. However a bombardment from shore forced it to re-anchor; it was boarded by our men and the Captain was taken ashore under arrest. It was a Sunday but I saw more people on the beach than coming out of the church. Various difficulties followed, too many to relate, but in the end the Captain left with his vessel and news has since arrived of its safe arrival in Denmark. On 18th February Staring and his wife and Hendrik Mulder, port bookkeeper, went to Europe on a Danish ship.

On the 30th of August A.J. van Kervel died. My uncle the deported D.J. Bleumer, has to my great joy been rehabilitated in Batavia.

On the 2nd of December 2 armed frigates arrived accompanying seven armed Company's ships and one ship laden with merchandise.

A strange event occurred when Mrs. Van Oudshoorn, 61 years of age, became enamoured with a twenty year old Luxemburg lieutenant, St. Maurice. A few weeks earlier I saw with my own eyes that the old lady could hardly enter the church and had to be supported to her seat. Yet one night early in December she accompanied St. Maurice from her house next to the widow Van Schoor. Clad in a man's overcoat she walked swiftly to the house of Louis Ecksteen, where the Luxemburg Colonel Dugonnet lodged; and a Roman Catholic priest was summoned to join them in holy wedlock. The priest said he could not join a couple belonging to different religions, whereupon Mrs. Van Oudshoorn said she would become a Catholic. The priest then excused himself to fetch his vestments but he did not come back. Some days before, in the evening, a Luxemburg officer had, at nightfall, delivered a letter in Mrs Van Oudshoorn's own hand to the Landdrost of Stellenbosch, directing him to hand over to the bearer all the cash (about Rds. 150) and other securities of hers which were in his custody, amounting, it was said, to five hundred thousand guilders. The Landdrost took the precaution of sending two official messengers as well, to ensure that it was all placed in her hands that same night. The upshot was that the same night they ended at the house of Peter Meyering, where St. Maurice lodged. So great was the dexterity of all the Luxemburgers who then streamed out of the house and in again that the two official messengers were truly unable to say where either the man or the papers landed up. An excellent performance!

Various rumours having spread, two Commissioners of the Council of Justice turned up in Meyering's house to interrogate the bridegroom

[p. 373]

about the money. It had partly been divided up between his accomplices, the largest share having gone to Colonel Dugonnet. They were arrested and deported to Europe. It is said that everything was recovered without much difficulty.

Mrs Van Oudshoorn has persisted, to the Government, the Clergy and her family, that she has never loved a man as much as St. Maurice, and so she intends to marry him. She has been placed under guardianship and her chair has been removed from the church. Other matters are also involved, but this is enough for a pious lady, the pearl and paragon of the Cape church.

Two English sailors arrived by land between 15 and 20 December with news that an English vessel the Grosvenor was shipwrecked on the 4th of August along the coast of Natal. 136 men, women and children managed to get to land but several had already been killed by the Caffers. Orders have immediately been given that Hilger Mulder with 100 men from Swellendam and Corn. Botma with 100 men from Agter Bruintjes Hoogte must set out in aid of the shipwrecked people. Without doubt they will also have a go at the Caffers.

In December Jan Serrurier arrived from Europe and was appointed assistant fiscal.

On the 19th of January 1783 the retired clergyman Van der Spuy (60) was married to Maria Atleda who is said to be 33 years of age. The Rev. J.A. Kuys is going to leave Waveren and intends to go to Drakenstein.

The wife of the Governor, Captain Serrurier, his sweetheart and his daughter suddenly decided to go to settle in the Netherlands. All Serrurier's 32 slaves have been promised for f37 000 to Jan van Reenen. But the voyage was cancelled when Miss Serrurier saw a shipwreck in her dreams.

The congregation of Drakenstein has let the Church Council know that they will not accept the Rev. Kuys as their minister. There is a rumour the Waveren does not want him either.

On the 7th of February seven ships arrived under several flags bringing reinforcements for our forces. Now there are swarms of able-bodied soldiers in the Cape.

On the 11th of Feb. four of the Company's ships departed for Ceylon with the Luxemburg Regiment on board and a French ship has departed for Mauritius under protection of the Dutch flag.

N.B. I cannot give you the dates of arrival of the troops that have departed for the Indies, or of those which remain, as I failed to make notes.

On the 19th of March the Rev. Goldbag died from an abscess in the neck.