30 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
Those, again, on the other side, who vindicate 
the colonists against the natives, appear to be 
over prejudiced in some of their statements. 
Faults being very likely to occur in such 
cases, on both sides, an impartial observer 
may be, perhaps, over-cautious in touching 
such a matter. For, whilst trying to avoid the 
grievous error of wishing to hide, or even 
excuse, any cruelties or acts of injustice that 
may have been committed by the first settlers 
at the Cape, he may, on the other hand, fear lest 
he should fall into the far worse error, of paint- 
ing the savage in the untrue colours, and false 
lustre, of a misguided philanthropy. This lat- 
ter fault may be far too easily (and we cannot 
but fear has far too often been) committed lately 
by persons describing an ignorant, brutalized 
race of savages, little removed from their pris- 
tine barbarism, as a a well-disposed, peaceful, 
honest, and happy people. " This is pleading for 
the conservation of heathenism, to the hinderanee 
of the spread of the blessings of civilization and 
religion, through the means of the extended colo- 
nization of enlightened and Christian nations. 
But, turning to the colonial history of the 
Cape, and referring to the oldest records of 
the Colony, we find the first proclamation of 
Van Eeibeck, when founding it in 1652 ; and, 
in reference to the aborigines, he prescribes 
