COLONIAL GOVERNMENT. 141 
way; but Iam persuaded that the ‘ sore place in the 
heart,’ as they themselves would phrase it, was occa- 
sioned by the forcible seizure of their lands. Residing 
in Caffraria at the time, I had opportunities of ob- 
serving how greatly the Caffers were exasperated ; 
and, if Makomo could have persuaded the other 
Chiefs to unite with him, I have no doubt, that dis- 
asters similar to those we now deplore would have 
happened some time ago. 
“ It was doubtless every way just and expedient 
that lands should be granted to the industrious and 
deserving portion of the Hottentots at the period to 
which I have alluded ; but it always appeared to me, 
and many other persons, that the friends of that race 
placed themselves in a false position, when they con- 
curred in the acceptance by the Hottentots of lands, 
the title to which, to say the least, was of a very equi- 
vocal nature. For, assuming that Makomo and his 
Chiefs were mistaken as to the question of boundaries, 
still the ground had been ceded as ‘ Neutral Terri- 
tory; and we certainly could have no right to occupy 
the country with British subjects, without the con- 
sent of at least the Chiefs who had been parties to the 
original arrangement in 1819. 
“In making these statements, I beg leave to dis- 
claim the slightest intention of imputing blame to 
any individual. These border affairs were originally 
rendered obscure and difficult to be understood by 
the want of system; and as no regular method of 
