competitors for the last medal would direct samples of the wines exported by them to be returned, by comparing which with those lodged in the wine taster's office, the Government will be able to ascertain the effect produced by crossing the Atlantic or Indian Seas. Castle of Good Hope, 14th February 1812. By command of His Excellency the Governor. (Signed) HENRY ALEXANDER, Secretary. [Copy.] Government Advertisement. The Regulations which have been carried into effect, by command of His Excellency the governor, for preventing the exportation of any wines which have not attained the age of 18 months at least, having rendered the order which exists in pursuance of the proclamations of 12th November 1765 and 1st September 1804, prohibiting the wine growers and others from bringing wines into Cape Town between the 1st of February and the 31st of August no longer necessary: Notice is hereby given that this order in question is now revoked, and that the wine farmers and others are at full liberty henceforward to bring their wines into Cape Town at whatever period of the year shall best suit them. Castle of Good Hope, 14th February 1812. By command of His Excellency the Governor. Proclamation by SIR JOHN CRADOCK. Concerning the creation of new pieces to exchange for worn out and defaced paper money. Similar to many preceding. 14th February 1812. [Copy.] Extracts from a Letter from LIEUT. COLONEL GRAHAM commanding the Troops in advance. RIET BERG, 26th February 1812. The whole of the disposable force being united on the evening of the 12th, at day break on the 13th instant every man who could be spared from the protection of the waggons, horses, &c., were detached on foot in two divisions, one on the North and the other on the South side of the mountain, with orders to proceed as far as Sunday River, a distance of nearly 40 miles, there form a chain of small detachments, which were to advance in an Easterly direction, scouring every Kloof which could afford places of concealment to the savages, while several patrols of mounted farmers patrolled the outlets on their flanks to the North and South, with a view to intercept any Kaffirs who might attempt to escape, a measure which, however repugnant to my feelings, I, under existing circumstances, judged highly expedient to adopt, in as far as it would tend to convince the Kaffirs that not only can we at any time force them from the strongest holds they had within the limits of His Majesty's territories, but also destroy them in it, in defiance of their utmost endeavours to escape, and which the conduct of former commandos justifies the opinion that the savages hitherto supposed impossible, and their actually having remained would seem to confirm it. The whole force above mentioned returned to this position on the 24th instant, having so effectually carried my orders into execution that hardly a trace of a Kaffir now remains. Almost all they saw were killed or wounded, the number about 30. Upwards of 100 women and children fell into our hands, whom I immediately dispatched with the return provision waggons, to be forwarded by escort through Bruintjes Hoogte to their own country. The whole of the gardens have now been effectually destroyed, and all the cattle that remained, amounting to upwards of 600, taken. I beg leave to remark that altho' every information hitherto obtained gave me reason to suppose that the Zuur and Riet Bergs were two distinct mountains, that on the North bearing the former name, I find that 3 distinct chains of mountains, joined by other irregular masses, run from Sunday to Bosjesman's river in a southeast direction, for a distance of about 40 or 50 miles, and varying from 9 to 12 in breadth, and are by the Inhabitants indiscriminately called Zuur or Riet Berg. The immense ravines which are formed by, and intersect these mountains, the quantity and thickness of the woods which grow in them, I am unable to describe, as I also am to do justice to the conduct of the officers, soldiers, and farmers, whose duty it was to search into the most inaccessible parts, a duty which during 12 days of excessive fatigue and suffering many privations they effectually performed, and with a cheerfulness, zeal, and perseverance which nothing could surpass. Letter from SIR JOHN CRADOCK to the Fiscal GOVERNMENT HOUSE, February 28th 1812. SIR,-I have the honor to communicate to you a dispatch with its inclosure which I have lately received from the Earl of Liverpool, His Majesty's principal secretary of state for colonial affairs. I need not dwell upon the necessity the view of this dispatch will impress that the most satisfactory answer should be returned to his Lordship that the utmost practicable attention has been given to a subject that involves the general character of the settlement and the administration of justice. I am quite sensible that my predecessor the Earl of Caledon has directed the most effectual measures in the pursuit of truth and justice, so difficult to be attained throughout the distant periods in question, even before the subject had been fairly laid before his Lordship, and that his departure alone has seemed to interrupt the course of proceedings, but as the communication at present comes forward with the authority of His Majesty's secretary of state, I feel all the responsibility that now attaches to me in making an accurate report" of all that has been done and what remains to do" upon the past transaction. It is alone upon them, I have to request your statement, for it is with sincere pleasure and grateful acknowledgement as Lord Caledon's successor, that I hold in view, the same charges whether true or unfounded, cannot subsist in future, for his Lordship's institution of annual circuits will insure the immediate cognizance of every imputed crime and complaint, and establish a course of justice, that should transmit his Lordship's name with admiration throughout this colony. I have etc. Report of the Commission of Circuit. To His Excellency SIR JOHN FRANCIS CRADOCK, Governor and Commander of the Forces, &c., &c., &c. SIR,-Your Excellency having been pleased by written Warrant under your hand and seal, dated the 20th September 1811, issued to the undersigned President and Members of the Worshipful the Court of Justice, in order agreeably to Government Proclamation of the 16th May 1811 to constitute a Commission for the administration of Justice in the respective Country Districts, thereby authorizing and directing them to repair to the Districts of Swellendam, George, Uitenhage, Graaff Reinet, and Tulbagh, there to try successively civil and criminal cases, such as are more particularly described in said proclamation; in compliance therewith we the undersigned commenced our journey on the 14th of the ensuing month of October, and visited the said districts of Swellendam, George, Uitenhage, Graaff Reinet, and Tulbagh, at each of which we tried and decided the different cases brought before us, and established the forms of proceeding in such manner as we conceived to be most conformable to the tenor of the said proclamation, and to the fixed principles of the laws in observance in this colony, after which we returned to Cape Town on the 1st February. After our departure from Town, we were enabled by the promptitude of the respective Field Corn in accelering our journey, to formed that some person or persons had been guilty of setting fire to the place of one Willem Oosthuyzen, situated at the Kaffer Kuils River, we repaired thither and reopened the session on the 6th November, and having examined into the case and found the Accused guilty, we further proceeded in this respect agreeably to the Proclamation of the 16 May, as will more fully appear by our Records held at that place. Having arrived at the Drostdy of George, we commenced the business of the Commission on the 11th November, but perceiving that all the necessary Witnesses were not present at the appointed time, we in the beginning wrote to the Acting Landdrost of Uitenhage, previously informing him of the approach of the Commission, and directing him to take care that the witnesses in cases which were to be tried before the Commission should be present at the Drostdy in proper time. To this we received an answer both from the Landdrost and from the Commissary of those three distant Districts, informing us that in consequence of the collecting an extraordinary Force at the Drostdy to act against the Caffres, and of the business which would result therefrom, that the Landdrosts would not be able to fulfil the requisites of their duty in regard to the Commission, and therefore proposing to us to relinquish our intention this time of extending our function to Uitenhage and Graaff Reinet, and especially as the Landdrosts of both those Districts, being obliged each of them to command a Division against the Caffres, they could not perform their duties as Prosecutors before the Commission. Conceiving that it was our duty, agreeably to the warrant of Your Excellency, to proceed, we informed those gentlemen thereof. But in order to prevent that the business of Justice should be interrupted through want of a public Accuser by the absence of one or both of the Landdrosts, we requested agreeably to the 31st Art. of the Instructions for the Government of the respective Country Districts, Your Excellency's Authority to appoint in such case somebody else, who, if necessary, could officiate before the Commission as public prosecutor, and which qualification Your Excellency was pleased to grant accordingly by letter of the 29th November last. In the meantime having arrived at the Drostdy of Uitenhage, we opened the Session there on the 9th December and closed it on the fourteenth following, without our having it necessary to make use VIII. U |