Page:George McCall Theal, History of South Africa from 1795 to 1872, Volume 1 (4th ed, 1915).djvu/30

6 On the 30th of September Admiral Elphinstone and General Clarke issued a proclamation in which they announced that they had appointed Major-General James Henry Craig commandant of the town and settlement of the Cape of Good Hope, and that he had their authority to arrange and dispose of all matters civil or military relating to the colony. The government, however, was conducted by the three officers conjointly until the 15th of November, when Admiral Elphinstone and General Clarke sailed with the greater part of the fleet for India.

To protect the colony the whole military force that had been employed in the conquest, except the East India Company's troops, was left under General Craig's command. It consisted of two thousand nine hundred and twenty-eight men. Commodore Blankett was also left at the Cape with the America, Ruby, Princess—previously the Willemstad en Boetzelaar,—and the Star, previously the property of the Dutch East India Company.

The Dutch signals had to this time been kept flying on the Lion's rump, and on the 19th of October the packet Maria Louisa, that had left Batavia on the 29th of August, deceived by them, ran into Table Bay, On finding the port in possession of the English she tried to escape, but was chased by the Rattlesnake, and was captured a short distance outside. From the despatches which she carried the admiral obtained full information of affairs in the Indian possessions of the Dutch.

The people of Graaff-Reinet had not yet submitted, but on the 29th of October a letter explaining their conduct was written by the leaders of the nationals to the British commanders, which led to the belief that they were ready to come to terms. General Craig sent them a friendly but firm reply, overlooking their past conduct, and approving of Mr. Gerotz acting as landdrost until a gentleman whom he had selected for the post could take over the duty. This gentleman was a colonist named Frans Reinhard Bresler, who had been an officer in De Lille's