26 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
the Admiral of the fleet as Supreme Commis- 
sioner ; and this purchase appears to have been 
quite as complete, as that concluded between 
William Penn and the North Americans. 
A few years more sufficed to see the Dutch 
colonists spread along the Eastern slopes of 
the dividing range of Hottentot Holland Moun- 
tains; and soon afterwards, they descended into 
the fertile valleys of Stellenbosch and Draken- 
stein, carrying with them their industrious ha- 
bits and religious faith. 
The Swellendam, (then called the "far and 
out-lying"} district was appended to the Colony * 
in 1742, and that of Grraff Beinet, in 1786, when 
the Eastern frontier of the Colony was fixed at 
the Eastern bank of the great Fish River. Nor 
is it to be discovered, by any record on paper 
whatever, that the Chamtoos River, then or 
ever, was a permanent boundary in this direc- 
tion. This has been stated as being the case, 
and has been unjustly made a proof of the late 
deprivation of this part of Africa, from the 
native tribes ; but which, in truth, they never 
have had possession of since this year here 
named; viz., 1786. 
The Dutch appear to have retained peaceable 
possession of this Colony for 143 years, when 
| they were deprived of it, a. d., 1795. 
On the 10th of June, in that year, an 
