322 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
having appeared amongst them, he was at once 
chosen as their " commandant general." 
This man was descended from one of the 
French Protestant families, which found refuge 
at the Cape, on the revocation of the Edict of 
Nantes. His family lived in the Paarl district, 
and there cultivated vines and oranges. Pieter 
was there born, and brought up, but being pos- 
sessed of an active, restless spirit, he disdained 
the quiet life of a vine-dresser, and passed to 
the frontier ; there he first became a trader to 
the interior, and afterwards, in 1820, a large 
contractor for supplying the " Albany settlers " 
with provisions. He next undertook contracts 
,for erecting the Government buildings on the 
frontier, and thus obtained a large fortune. 
Through failures, losses, and other untoward 
circumstances he lost all his property, and be- 
came much embarrassed in pecuniary circum- 
stances. He however, was so much respected, 
that he was appointed, in 1834, one of the 
" commandants of the frontier." In this ca- 
pacity he served for several months, until Sir 
A. Stockenstrom refused to recognise and en- 
force his stringent measures, against the vagrant 
Kaffirs, for the frontier defence. On this, a 
very angry discussion ensued between them, 
which ended by Pieter Eetief selling off all his 
property in the colony, and joining his emigrant 
