CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

New Zealander, Volume 9, Issue 785, 22 October 1853, Page 3

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

(From the “ Sydney Empire” Sept. 26.)

We are in receipt of a file of journals from the Cape to the Ist August. We find in the Mercantile Advertiser of the 27th July, a report of a public meeting in regard to the approaching elections. A resolution was adopted thanking the Queen for the new Constitution conferred upon the colony. Amongst some of the tests put to candidates, is a pledge against an excessive civil list.

There appears to be troublesome neighbours in some districts. One of the journals has the following paragraph :—“ A fire having broken out at a house near Fort Murray, on the evening of the 7th instant, all hands were engaged in rendering assistance, when a party of Kaffirs, taking advantage of the circumstance, drove off a quantity of sheep and oxen from the contractor’s kraal. In consequence of the alarm, a neighbouring farmer sent out two men to look after some cattle which had been turned out to graze. They, however, shortly returned, one of them having two assegais in him.” Another paragraph is as follows : —“ The last intelligence from the interior was somewhat more pacific. There was some talk of the Boers attacking the Batlapi, a tribe of Bechuanas, under the chiefs Gasibonor and Mahara. But as the natives managed to muster a large number of fighting men, above 3000, most of them tolerably accustomed to the gun, and many of them mounted they presented rather a bold front to the Boers, and somewhat cowed them. They accordingly sent one of their cornets, Jan Yiljoen, to the Batlapi, to propose peace. Upon what terms peace has been made, I have not heard.” Opening up tub Lands. —The Mercantile Advertiser says;—“ The Secretary of State has approved of the Lieutenant-Governor’s policy of granting small allotments of Land at Natal, in fee simple, to those heads of families among the native population, whose advancement in civilization and whose good conduct entitled them to the boon. The plan has been highly approved of, also, by many of the enlightened colonists, including the missionaries of the American Board, and it is at once to be adopted, experimentally, on two locations. As the scheme becomes extensively applied, all squatting is to be prohibited, and the country will become dotted over with native settlements, interspersed among those of Europeans, and thus religious and educational training will be rendered more practicable.” A scheme, it appears, is also matured for throwing open other unoccupied Crown lands, so as to make them available for approved European settlers. The purchase money is to be paid by small instalments, and after the expiration of a certain term of years, the lands will be subject, in perpetuity, to a quit-rent of a reduced and almost nominal amount.

The same journal states: —“The purchases for Australia since the beginning of this month have been very large, and made at high prices, and our market is becoming quite bare of goods suitable for the Australian market. Ko less than £IO,OOO

worth of raisins is said to have changed hands within the last three or four days. Upwards of 3000 tons of shipping have been taken up at this port for Australia, viz. :—The Deane (sailed), 300 tons; Durham (sailed), 700 tons; Fortuna, 400 tons : Harmony, 300 tons; Nile, 300 tons ; Frederick Hath, 350 tons; Conservative, 200 tons ; Bonanza, 500 tons ; and Eureka, 250 tons. Besides these, several vessels have been chartered at Melbourne tor this port, to load for Australia—the Blackheath among the number, a vessel capable of carrying 1100 tons.” It is stated that cats are in demand at the Cape, to be exported and sold at the Australian diggings, where £2 each is effected for them.

A meeting was held to make arrangement for a search for gold in a district where it was supposed there was reason to expect that gold mines would be discovered. Subscriptions were raised to defray the preliminary expenses.