The National Register.
London, England, 1821-02-12 00:00:00

TUE KING V EDMONDS

Mr. Clarke stated ru the Court that he should call for
judgment upon the defendant to-mortow.
The defendant being ordered to attended from (Icy to
day; was called by tile officer, but did 1114 appear.
lr.Cl-trke then said, if the defendant did not ap-
pear to-morrow, lie should move to vstreat his recog-
-1113411CC.

ALGO.4 BAY.
The following letter from Mr. James Watts, an
industrious man, who ay.:iled hims:lf of the oppor-
tunity offered by government in improve his fortune
in Africa, affords the must encouraging and satis-
factory information as to the probable prosperity of
the colony.
Dear Sir, Graham's. Town, Oct. 31. 1820.

Several months have elapsA since. we saw each
other; but though out of sight, not out of mind,
for your friendship 1 hold in the highest estimation.
The cause of so much delay has been from want of
time to write, and to carry my letter to the post-
office, being near eight miles from Graham's Town,
23 miles from Bathurst; and, added to this, I
wanted to become better acquainted with the coun-
try before I could give any account whatever. The
land in general is not so fertile as was expected by
rainy, chiefly on account of its unlevel surtitee; but
it is a prevailing opinion that it will be better after
a year or two's cultivation: like all other fresh
broken up ground, it wants working and mixing.
We have a small river runs at the bottom of our

land, which I believe is never dry, and is excellent
water; but the lxittom of it is a vast depth from
the surface of the ground, and there being but little
water in it in the summer, it gives no nourishment
to the land in general, except thrown on by pumps
or engines ; but in many places strong springs of
water issue out of the mountains, which are an
invaluable acquisition to water gardens, where they
are to be found ; but we are not so fortunate at
present us to discover any.
The potatoes brought from England grow very
badly here ; and those that are reared in the country
shrive very well. None of the seeds brought from
England, thrive as well as those that arc natural to
the colony. Cattle rose in price very much at our
first coming to this place; the following is about
the average price at present:—a bullock, broke in
for work, 30 to 50 rix dollars; a cow in calf, oc
with her calf by her side, 1G to 20 rix dollars;

sheep, wether, 3 rix dollars and a half; ewe with
a lamb by her side, the same price ; goat, with a
lid four and a half rix dollars; without, three and
a half, if not with kid.
The rix dollars are two shillings currency, the
shillings are threepence each, a stiver one halfpenny.
There is very little English money in circulation
here except penny pieces ; there are fimr shilling,
two shilling, and one shilling notes, which are the
smallest Dutch money passing. I have not seen a
sliver yet. Meat is cheap at Graham's Town : you
may have five pounds fir fonr shillings, and beef us
cheap ; every other article fur domestic use is very
dear, but we are likely to have things cheap, as
Algoa Bay is made a free port, and the Cow river
is proved to be navigable, a vessel laden with
stores having been brought up it within eight wiles
of Bathurst. %We are not in possession of much
timber, though suflicient for what we want to
build with; we have plenty for firewood, and shall
have for years to come at no expellee, only the trou-
ble of fetching.
The oxen in this colony in general are large,
strong, and active, but rather unruly, owing to the
wild manner in which the Hottentots drive theta,
they being the principal waggoners of the colony,
they arc driven ten or twelve in a team, called by
the Dutch a span The cows are a fair size, comely
and well shaped, but almost unmanageable ; it is
not possible to milk a cow without her calf by her
side, and then she gives but a small quantity at a
time, scarcely exceeding two quarts, their dugs and
hudders being particularly small. The mutton is
well-flavoured, but small, a sheep seldom weighing
.501bs. ; the average weight is but 3ulhs. They
have tails of various sizes, from 4lbs. to 10 or 12161.
Government has been very kind to us; we have
not received the second and third parts of our de-
posit money, but we have bad provisions in lieu
thereof: We are not troubled with wild and savage
beasts, as it was predicted, though at first one of
the party lost two goats, by what is commonly
called here a tiger-cat ; but so,n that, or wine