Page:George McCall Theal, History of South Africa since September 1795, Volume 1 (1908).pdf/293

1817] Sir John Cradock tried to induce a tolerably dense population to settle in the Zuurveld. His plan was to give to suitable persons comparatively small farms in the neighbourhood of the military posts at a very moderate quitrent, and he offered to remit the quitrent altogether for ten years to the first fifty applicants. One hundred and forty-five families accepted the offer, but they soon found that it was impossible to carry on agricultural or pastoral operations with any chance of success. A return made for the government early in 1817 shows that ninety of these families had been compelled to abandon the district, and that within eighteen months three thousand six hundred head of cattle had been stolen.

Lord Charles Somerset then resolved to visit the frontier, and endeavour to put matters on a better footing. He sent an invitation to all the border captains to meet him and try to come to a friendly arrangement, assuring them that his sole aim was to preserve peace. On the 29th of March 1817 he was at the Somerset farm, and from that place he issued instructions to the landdrost, deputy landdrost, and heemraden of Uitenhage, requiring them to use every endeavour to induce the former occupants of land in the Zuurveld to return, and offering grants to others on tenure of personal residence and a very low quitrent after an occupation of ten years. With a strong military and burgher guard the governor, accompanied by the deputy colonial secretary Colonel Bird and an imposing staff, then entered the Kaffir country, and on the 2nd of April at the Kat river, about a mile above the site of the present village of Fort Beaufort, had an interview with the principal chiefs of the Xosa clans west of the Kei.

It was with difficulty that Gaika could be induced to appear at the appointed place, but he was at length persuaded by Major Fraser and the landdrosts Cuyler and Stockenstrom, with whom he was acquainted. He was attended by an armed guard of three hundred men. His Makoma (correct Kaffir spelling Maqoma) was with