16 Recollections of Advent wres 



farmers of Upper Natal sent the following memorial 

 to the Government of which the literal translation 

 reads : 



"We, the undersigned inhabitants of the 

 Division of Klip River, having learnt to our 

 inmost grief and heartfelt sorrow that our 

 beloved and respected Magistrate, Captain 

 Struben is likely to leave us, having been 

 n minated a candidate for President of the 

 Orange River Free State, at the forthcoming 

 election, and letters from the Council and others 

 high in office in those parts having been for- 

 warded to Captain Struben, assuring him of 

 their influence on the people to obtain their 

 votes in his favour most humbly yet most 

 urgently call upon His Honour the Lieut. - 

 Governor and the Council of Natal to adopt 

 such measures as will tend to avert the 

 threatening calamity, and to guard not nly our 

 division, but the whole district against an evil, 

 which according to our conviction will be keenly 

 and long felt, and if not averted in proper time 

 must lead to the ruin of this district ; we, there- 

 fore, do not for a moment hesitate to propose to 

 the Government not to accept Captain Struben 's 

 resignation in case it be tendered, but on the 

 contrary to double his salary." 



" To His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor and 

 Council of Natal." 



This was signed by nearly everyone in the 

 district. In the Natal Mercury of May 10th, 1854, I 

 find "The Orange River Free State (late the 

 Sovereignty). We have good authority for stating 

 that Captain Struben has signified his willingness to 

 accept the office of President to which we doubt not 

 he is, before this time, formally appointed . Although 



