249 



An Historical Account of the Formation, Progress, and 

 present State of the European Colon?/ at the Cape oj 

 Good Hope. By the Rev. Mr. M. Borcherds.. V.D.M. 

 Minister of the Dutch Reformed Church at Stellenbosoh, 

 and Corresponding Member of the South African In- 

 stitution. . . 



[Read at the South African Institution.} 



The European settlement at this remarkable point of Southern 

 Africa, has, from the period of its formation, caused great 

 interest in Europe; more especially amongst the nations 

 which have excelled in the arts of navigation and commerce, 

 or which, from their power, have been enabled to maintain 

 dominion on the seas ; and from that circumstance its history 

 will not be viewed as divested of interest. It shall therefore 

 be my object in the following details, to illustrate that, by 

 tracing the formation and progress of the Colony, and in do- 

 ing so, I shall principally dej>end upon public records, official 

 documents, and other authentic statements to which I have 

 had access. 



Chap. I. 



April, 1652.- The occurrences which took place upon the 

 arrival of Van Riebeck, in 1652, must necessarily commence 

 the detail ; and that the reader may become acquainted with 

 the circumstances which first gave rise to the formation of a 

 settlement at this Cape, I shall insert, verbatim, the Resolu- 

 tion * of the Council held on board the principal Vessel, 

 immediately before the expedition sent out for that purpose, 



landed : 



" Tuesday, 8th April, 1652. 

 " Having now, by the Grace* of God, whose name be praised, 

 " safely arrived with the ships Dromedary, Heron, and Good 

 " Hope, in the roads of Table Bay, at Cabo de Boa Esperance, 

 " on the 6th and 7th instant, for the purpose of establishhi^ 

 " a general rendezvous, according to the orders received from 

 " our superiors the Directors of the General Chartered Dutch 

 " East India Company, and for the attainment of that object, 

 " to build a defensive fort or castle, in order, under its pro- 

 " tection, to take possession of such lands as may be best 

 " suited forcultivation'and cattle-breeding, for the refreshment 

 " of the Company's vessels both home and outward bound, 

 " and for such other services as the interests of the Company 

 " may require ; for which purpose, the vessels afore-mentioned 



'Utvrds of Council, No. 1, An, Mw:}— ■ 1073, 

 ii 



