Star.
London, England, 1824-01-13 00:00:00

•
distress for want of the common necessaries of life ; and
though the articles she sellstnre chiefly of this descrip-
tion, yet, there was almost no; demaad ; because not
one in fifty had a single rix dollar to expend. Such,
however, she added, was the distress of some, that she
could pot help.giving credit, though with little. or no
piospect of ever being repaid."
The remaining selections have been furnished to the
Secretary from different Most respectable quarters.
The first is extracted from a letter addressed to Mr.
T. Pringle, by a Medical Officer on the Caffre Frontier,
and dated August 29, 1823 :
" During my recent'stay at --, I had opportunities
of seeing a good deal of the actual state of the settlers
in Albany; and I can truly declare, I never witnessed
so much poverty and misery before. Whilst your frirnds
on the Bavian's River ate reported to be in comparative
comfort and prosperity; our countrymen in the Zuuref-
veldt are without the necessaries of life*. Disease too
was amongst them, and some families presented a de-
plorable picturs."
The next is also taken from a private letter addressed
to a Gentleman now in Cape Town. It is written by an
individual of high character and connections, and who
has honourably held the office of Justice of the Peace in
England, and that of Heemraad in South Africa.
"-Sem 1, 1823.—My family are this day without
bread, and I can procure none in Graham's Town, at
any price. Rice is also very dear and scarce. Now,
in our fourth year, our privations are greater than ever.
The spring-bucks are increasing so much, that all my
own corn and my nearest neighbour's on the plain has
been entirely eaten down. My people are obliged to
take their turns in watching them all night. Barker
and Biggar have severally lost 30 and 40 head of cattle
last week, by the Caffers. Stanly, all his yesterday." •
The same Gentleman, on the Bth of, September, says:
" Before our present crop is ripe, much distress will
be felt for want of food. It is really lamentable to hear
of and witness the distress that now prevails from thh
cause. A poor Irishman told me to-day, that many
families, besides his own, were living, like the soldiers'
horses—on green forage; for he had eaten nothing
, during the last two days, butlettuces and leeks! Times
are so hard that we cannot employ labourers."
In a communication dated Sept. 2,, we have the fol-
lowing statement from the rime correspondent:
" I was yesterday asked to join in a petition to Go-
vernmeut to send down Indian corn for seed to the
settlers, as it cannot be procured here. I have been this
week at • the Kowie with my waggon, to get flour and
rice from the liule vessel (the, Good Intent) which
came in a day or two before. I was fortunate in getting
one bag of brown rice for my share, for Which I paid
20 ids. The whole..of her cargo was fl,tir and rice, and
was disposed of in the boat as it was landed; and num-
bers went away without a morsel, declaring that their
faMilies at home were a ithout grain of any kind. It was,
indeed, most pitiable to witness the disappointment of
those who had hoarded up a few dollars fur this arrival,
and returned empty. I saw some of Thornhill's, Smith's,
Cock's, the 'Nottingham, Wilson's, Bradshaw's; Son-
thoy's, and Holder's parties ; to all of whom I put the
question, whether they could spate me half a maid or
so of Indian corn ? The universal reply was, ' We have
rone for our own use, we have not even enough for seed.'
" The rust or blight is very pr&alent both in the rye
and solid straw wheat, but I. sincerely hope they will
not be materially hint. All the other forward wheats
have suffered as usual—nothing remains of them."
Another Gentleman, whose high respectability and
moderate sentiments are also well known to the Com-
mittee, wri:es to a ft lend on the 29th Sept. as follows:
" I am not one of those who wish to encourage the
reports of general (listless for food ; but to say that the
settlers have plenty, is too barefaced. I believe Very
few have sufficient Indian corn for seed. Applications
are made to me from all quarters for it, as I hap2en to
have a little to spare."
Mr.Collis proprietor of the only mill hithet to esta-
tlished in the new settlements, states, in a note dated
29th September :
66 That no wheat grown by any settler had ever yet
been brought to be ground at his mill ; but that it had
been partly occupied up to the cod of July last in gi hid-
ing barley, Indian corn, and a little rye, reaped by set-
tlers last season. Since that period not six molds of
grain cf any sort had been teceived into the mill ; and
out of that (he adds) several persons have taken back
maize for seed ; so it is evident there is none in hand to
grind."—The correspondent referred to at page 27 con-
tinues on the 30. h of September :
66 The report that the settlers have had abundant
crops of Indian corn, or that they have now any tole-
rable supply remaining, is utterly untrue. It is now
selling at one shilling (English), per quart, for seed.
Since I came from home, 1 am sorry to find that the
prospects for harvest are worse : rust and drought are
destroying everything. The Citifies continue uncom-
monly active. Pigot, Cooper, Bestor, Delport, Eras-
mus, and Vandyke have all lost cattle. If we have not
effectual relief in a very short time, we must quit our
locations. It is become really distressing and alarming.
Oh, for Van Diematis Land ! lam heartily sick of it,
and dread being a moment from houre on account of
the Caffres."

• The Scotch party are located far up in the intrrior, on one of
the sources of Great Fish giver, parallel with the Sneuwberg ; and
have suffered less front the blizlit than any other Settlers.

TRADE Will! IRELAND.

It•is satisfactory to lean that the late partial repeal
of the Union duties has had so beneficial an effect on the
trade between this count y •and Ireland, that the leading
members of the Irish con.mercial interest, for whose ad-
vantage those duties were oiiginaliv, though as we have
often thought erroneously, imposed, have now, to the
number of more than 300 Gentlemen, signed a memo-
rial to the Lords of the Treasury, praying that the
%t hole may be repealed, and that the intercourse be-
tween the two divisions of the United Kingdom may be
placed upon the footing of a coasting trade. We sub.
join the body of the memorial, the statements in which,
though brief, appear to be most important; and we may
add, that the signatures to it are of the highest respecta-
bility. Liverpool, it is supposed, from its intimate and
extensive connexion with Ireland, will support the prayer
of the bankers, merchants, and manufacturers of that
country, for a total repeal of the duties.
"o msx SAINT MODOORASLE AND acomeaxatx THE Loans OF NIS
XASOITY'II TIZA SU RT.
" The Memorial of this undersigned Merchants Manufacturers,
and Traders of the City of Dublin.
" Sheweth —llya a very considerable improvement has taken
plain in the trade of linisod since the cessation of part of the Union
duties ;and a great incretrikelanpioyment has been thereby afforded
to the working chases, to the manufacture of calicoes and
jibes deaaons of con cat the ianretiare Memorialists are
nnt aware, that is as
efesuatittlite where Attie afot