Briefwisseling oor Kaapse sake 1778-1792

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XLI. H. Cloete to Swellengrebel,
29.3.1790

The following events have taken place after my last letter of the 13th October 1788. I can vouch for the truth, as far as I can ascertain it.

In July 1789 there was a revolt in the regiment of Wurtemberg against the officers because the food was bad and getting worse. It might have been dangerous if Lieut. Col. von Franquemont, whom they all respected, had not calmed them down. An investigation was at first avoided, for fear of re-animating the discontent. Later 5 or 6 ringleaders were locked up and two condemned to be shot. They were already blind-folded when a reprieve came, a decision received with great joy. Later Pieter van Breda was accused of having told some of the soldiers that if they allowed the death sentence to be carried out, they were scoundrels. They told their colonel and he sent for Van Breda who repeated what he had said. The colonel placed the matter in the hands of the fiscal and Van Breda was summoned to appear before the Council of Justice on a criminal charge. He put up a strong defence and was discharged and awarded costs. The fiscal has appealed to Batavia.

In another case Hendrik Oostwald Ecksteen complained in the Militia Council about the neglect of duty shown by Petrus Jesse Mulder who addressed a memorial to the Council. As the secretary was reading this in court Ecksteen took it out of his hands and, holding his fist under Mulder's nose, started to harangue him. Mulder got angry and gave Ecksteen a thrashing with his sword. Later this quarrel was settled after intervention by the Governor.

The secretary of Stellenbosch, Anthony Alexander Faure, has been appointed landdrost of Swellendam instead of Onkruydt and secretary Blanckenstein has resigned and is replaced by W.L. van Hardenberg. This district is so deeply in debt that they are quite insolvent.

Christoffel Brand has been replaced by Faure as Commissioner for Company's posts.

Count de Locatelle who had solemnly plighted his troth to Miss Annette van der Graaff arrived in False Bay towards the end of winter in 1780. By chance he found his dear Annette there with her mother, sister and brother-in-law. He immediately approached her, and a noisy quarrel ensued. On this coming to the Governor's ears he at once sent for his wife and daughters. As a result, marriage at the Cape was totally cancelled - as the Count claims, for reasons that cannot be disclosed with decency - so that he left for Mauritius. There he was responsible for a murderous attack on Count Conway's personal physician, after whose death he saved

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himself by flight. Now, in February 1790, he is on a slaver anchored in the bay and he is forbidden to land. Trustworthy reports are that he is very ill and nigh to death.

Jan Smit of Tilburg on the arrival of the Fiscal has been released from his sentence of 5 years on Robben Island. However, once his affairs have been settled, he must undergo the remainder of his sentence, namely to leave the country permanently.

Two farmers, named Pieterse, father and son, were passing the Fiscal's house, when one of their Hottentots ran in to complain about the treatment he was receiving from his master. The farmers followed and wanted to take him away by force. The fiscal asked them whether they knew that they were in the house of an officer of the law, and, after their answer, the guard arrested them. The father then had to pay a fine of 1 500 Rds., viz., Rds. 500 in cash and to provide surety for the remaining Rds. 1 000.

The case against Jan Smit Jurriaansz in connection with the Colebroke was resumed, the fiscal asking for a criminal sentence of hanging - how Boers would laugh! Meanwhile Jan Smit has appealed to Batavia.

About a year ago colonel Gordon laid down his command and has not yet entered on any other.

The grape harvest for the year 1790 looks like turning out badly, especially on and around Constantia.

In my previous letter I told you how Adriaan van Zyl and Jan Wiese had been exiled, because of their treatment of the so-called Brinas Hottentots. It now appears true that Wiese came back, presumably on a foreign vessel, some say an English fishing vessel. It is also said that Van Zyl is with him, but this has been contradicted.

A certain Van der Linde ran away from home with a bastard-Hottentot woman. He lives at David Malang's on the Great Fish River. David Malang's house Vergelegen at Hottentots-Holland has been sold to Roelof Laubscher for f15 000. Laubscher's farm is in the market because he has quarrelled with his wife's family.

The Bushmen-Hottentots keep up their plundering and murdering, despite continued Commandos against them in which many casualties have been inflicted.

What I told you about Woeke is the simple truth. His brother-in-law, Secretary Wagener, could stand it no longer and has asked to be transferred, which request has been granted. He is re-married to a daughter of old Zacharias de Beer and is now staying with Hendrik Cloete until he finds a post.

At Graaff-Reinet Wagener's substitute Jurgensen has been killed by Tobias Mijnhart. When Mijnhart complained to landdrost Woeke that

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Jurgenson and some of his orderlies had caned him, Woeke said, ‘Why don't you defend yourself?’ whereupon, Mijnhart used his fists and killed Jurgensen. Legal proceedings are now in progress. Woeke's behaviour is so ridiculous that his District will soon be in turmoil.

W.S. van Rijneveld has replaced Neethling who has been dismissed. Van Rijneveld's post as sworn clerk is still vacant after 8 or 9 months. The secunde wants his cousin Carrenspek in that post. Others are in favour of Wagener and some want Blankenstein, who has refused to consider the post and is working on behalf of Jan Smit Jurriaanse against the fiscal. It hasn't happened before that an important post has been vacant for so long.

Honoratus Maynier has been appointed as secretary of the drostdy of Graaff-Reinet instead of Wagener.

In 1788 the Company's Provisions Steward found it inconvenient to accept corn of the new harvest as early as the farmers brought it in, the harvest being adequate. As a result the burghers and citizens bought up most of it. An English ship bound for Botany Bay shipped a quantity away and other export probably occurred. When the Provisions Steward subsequently wished to take in corn for the Company, it was discovered that there was very little available. As a consequence the Government has been forced to buy the bread required for the troops from the private bakers. The supplies of corn and rice to the Company's outposts have had to be replaced with money allowances. This still continues after several months.

This has led to caution, for notices have been issued that the Company will accept corn every day from the morning till 6 p.m. Both granary doors stand open the whole day; and all the farmer from outside has to do is to deliver it to the ground floor where it is taken over by Company's slaves. Yet these precautions up to now remain fruitless. It is now the middle of March and the Company is still buying bread from the bakers. Although the previous year's harvest was the best in living memory, little corn reaches the Company. To one unacquainted with the matter it seems unbelievable, but considering that the bakers make a good profit out of the bread they sell to the Company, they can afford to give the farmer Rds. 28 for a load of corn. But the Company only pays Rds. 24 and the farmers are reluctant to sell at this price unless forced to do so.

Bureaucratic management produces bad results.

The widow of Christoffel Groenewalt, who lived in Jan Jonkershoek, has died. The dwelling was bought by Casparus Albertijn for f34 000. Two other small farms of hers were sold to Francois de Wet of 't Rode

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Sand for f30 000. On the one Jan Luij had lived and on the other Claas Mallabaar.

The Count de Locatelle has died on board ship and has been buried quietly in the soldier's cemetery. The coffin was followed by three Portuguese and the son of the watchmaker, Wolhuter.

Jan Bresler, a former envoy of the dissatisfied burghers, arrived on the 6th of March with a French vessel from Mauritius, but on landing, he was immediately sent back to the ship on the Governor's orders.

La Vicomtesse de Bertinay, a private French vessel arrived here on the 3rd of February from Mauritius. Capt. Doré told us that he had picked up a ship's boat containing 6 men, both officers and sailors, from an English vessel on the 3rd of January. The men said that their ship, the Guardian, bound for Botany Bay had been sunk by an iceberg on 25th December. The rest of the crew had, for the most part, taken to two other boats, but nobody knew where they were. To our surprise the Guardian arrived on the 22nd of February, but in a deplorable state. The captain with a few of his men had gallantly refused to abandon the vessel. They are unloading what is left of the cargo to ascertain whether the vessel can be repaired at not too great a cost.

The following officials have been promoted: to deputy secretary of the Council of Policy, Mappa; to sworn clerk of the Council of Justice, young Carrenspek; assistent Höhne who had been chief of the fiscal Serrurier's staff has been made private secretary of the Governor, while the junior merchant, Reynier Beck, has been nominated as secretary to the Council of Justice (they say he is engaged to Miss Cloete).

On 31st January a terrible fire started in the house of Jan Bam obliquely opposite the slave lodge. The South east wind was so strong that these buildings also caught fire and were reduced to ashes: 2 inns, the silk spinning-mill, a homestead belonging to the Company where old captain Burgers lived for many years and also the house of the late Petrus van der Poel where Clemens Matthiessen lived. The wind was so strong that the sparks reached several ships.

A few days later a building at Muysenburg, called the stable, where the regiment of Würtemberg camped was burnt to the ground. The real cause of these fires has not yet been ascertained. At the silk spinning-mill an old porter who wanted to save his possessions died in the flames and in one of the inns a sailor was smothered in the smoke. He was probably drunk.

I am told that the inhabitants of Mauritius gave evidence of French patriotism. The Governor, General Conway, was forced by both officers and men to wear the ‘cocarde d'Union’ on his hat and had to call out ‘Vive la Nation’ which was answered by them with ‘Vive le General

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Conway’. He also had to promise to pay them in silver as they could not make ends meet when paid in paper money.

For some time here also, not a doit has been paid out by the Company's treasury in silver. The small amounts of light-weight silver that are struck are exchanged at a premium of 6% or more. Soon we shall not have a single schelling to pay the barber. Nevertheless, Jacobus de Vos and Hendrik Fehrsen are said to have bought certain amounts for old ducatoons and ordinary silver coins; and to have paid in cash.

In December last there was a misunderstanding or a mistake about the nomination of members of the orphan chamber. Olof Marthini Berg and Jan Frederik Kirsten were nominated by the Company; Johan Godlieb Brink and Abraham Fleck by the burghers. However, instead of Fleck, who had 4 votes, Carrenspeck's name was presented for the Governor's approval. He had only one vote. Although the members of the Orphan Chamber insisted, it took some time to put this blunder right, and, it is said, required pertinacity on Fleck's part.

In February Wiese, of Rondebosch, died suddenly. His son-in-law O.M. Bergh hastened to assist his mother-in-law who is suffering from cancer. Others who have died are Captain Von Heyde, Captain Burger, Andries Brink, Sr., Christiaan Maasdorp the elder from the Bokkeveld, ‘long’ Nicolaas van der Merwe, the blacksmith Jan Ehlers, Carel Vreeslijk (Freislich) and Smuts the elder, father of the burgher-councillor Smuts.

The former secretary Abraham Faure has already had two strokes, will most probably not recover. Meanwhile he is not troubled just now by his heart, but his bodily powers are failing.

If I dare put my thoughts on paper nasty things are hatching at the Cape and within a year. Jan Bresler has gained permission to stay until further orders at the Cape. The burgher-councillor Jan Gie tendered his resignation which was accepted. The burgher councillor C.G. Maasdorp is in a sad state. His estate will shortly be sold by the Council of Justice, which has so affected him that he falls into reveries and does not seem present at all. Of 6 burgher-councillors only 2 are active.

In March an English transport vessel arrived at the Cape on its way to Botany Bay, carrying 220 women for the new Colony.

The Council of Policy has appointed Abraham Fleck as a burgher councillor, on the nomination of the Council of Justice. Fleck is married to the daughter of the one-time constable G.F.K. Kirchmann.

The secretary of the Council of Policy, Van Aerssen, has acquired the following property after he became vendue-master:

A new house on the former hospital-site, facing the

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church-door, which was built by Karrenspek, for		43 000 guilders
An erf behind the dwelling which belonged to Karrenspek		7 000 guilders
A stable and coach-house built on said erf		13 000 guilders
A farm belonging to the widow Gerhardus Henricus Cruywagen		30 000 guilders
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	T.	93 000 guilders

NB For a span of old geldings Van Aerssen paid Hendrik Oostw. Eksteen the sum of Rds. 1 200 and re-sold them to Eksteen a few days later for Rds. 110 less than he had paid for them.

A few days ago the old secretary Christiaan Ludolph Neethling died. Constable Matthiessen was promoted to the rank of chief-constable.

A few days ago the fiscal arrested Pieter Heyntjes (Henkes) who was accused of theft from the vessel that was stranded in Plettenberg Bay in the year 1788.

The Captain of the Batavian supply-ship C.F. Schaak sold some ship's tackle and was fined Rds. 7 600 by the fiscal. Others say that the fine was less.

29th March, 1790.

Comes from your friend whom you know.