THE CAPE AS A FIELD FOR EMIGRATION.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2147, 12 January 1881, Page 3

THE CAPE AS A FIELD FOR EMIGRATION.

The following letter from a Wanganui resident, published in the local " Herald " tells its own story in a homely but forcible manner, and tbo lessons contained in it should be taken to heart by all those who fancy that in South Africa they will find an El Dorado :—" Durban, South Africa, November Bth, 1880. Dear , I arrived in Natal after a long and rough passage of sixty days from Melbourne. There were sixty steerage passengers in the ship, and out of that number only three got employment, myself and two more. Fortyfive of the remainder enlisted at 5s per day to go and fight the blacks about 200 miles inland. Among the passengers were carpenters, blacksmiths, and other tradesmen. They were thoroughly disgusted at not being able to get employment. Some of them sold watohes that had oost .£lO in New Zealand for £2. It took me six days hard fossicking to get a job. The average wages for cirpenters is lis per day for this place and for fifty miles round. laving is very dear, boarding at restaurants from 25s up to 40j per week. Beef and mutton, 8d to lOd per lb ; potatoes, 6d per lb ; butter, 2» 6d per lb ; legs of mutton, 7s to 8s each, same as I bought in Wanganui for Is. Threeroomed cottages from 15s to 20s per week. Firewood is very dear here. Up the country the people burn dried ox-dung, no firewood to get for many miles round. 8s per day in New Zealand is better than 12s here. There is no timber growing in the country fit for house work, and all building materials come from America, Norway, and Sweden. Sometimes there is great scarcity of timber, and carpenters are thrown out of work for weeks. This place is about the size of Wanganui. I have never seen a white laboring man working in the town. All the laboring work is done by blacks, coolies and Kaffirs at £1 per" month and.tucker. If bad mentioned the wages in his letter to you I would have stayed in New Zealand, and as soon as I make my passage money I intend to clear out of this hole. Any country in the world is as good as this. If you drink water without boiling or filtering it you get worms from twelve inches to two feet long. There are about 200 carpenters in this town, and often there are a number knocking about, nothing to do. It is nearly impossible for a white laboring man to get work, as black labor is so cheap and plentiful. Blacksmiths' wages are 10s to lis per day ; bakers, £2 per week, half found; laboring men, 6s. All tradesmen's wages run from 10s to lis per day. White servant girls get from 8s to 10s per week. This is one of the dearest countries in the world. All cooking and waiting in restaurants and public houses is done by Coolies and Kaffirs. The same in private houses. The Coolies will wash 100 pieces dirty linen for 2s 6d. I tell you it is a regular disaster for men to leave New Zealand to oome to this oountry. The passage from Melbourne to Natal is £ls steerage in a sailing ship. The weather is very hot just now. Moßt of the houses are built of brick, with very little wood work about them. Up the country oarpenters get 15s per day, but it costs £lO to go up, and board and lodging costs from £2 to £2 10s per week. You may thank your stars for not coming here. I would not advise any more to oome.