The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-02-15
THE FIRST ENGLISHMEN IN
NATAL.
NATAL.

| The first Englishmen who are recorded
as having set foot in Natal were the ship
wrecked crew of the johanna, which had
been cast away near Delagoa Bay in the
year 1853 Tt is on record that these men,
bearing the most valuable part OF their
cargo, set out to walk to Cape Town, and
that they received great kindness from
the Kaffirs of Natal, who, in return for
some trif1ing presents, not only carried
their baggage, but fed and guided them
on their southwark journey, which they
duly accomplished. In 1884 an English
ship. the Francis, visited Natal in quest
of slaves, which could not, however be
procured there, for an ancient chronicler
quantity informs us that the natives OF
the country would part with neither their
parents nor their children. 1t is more
oially interested in the venture, for he
writes In somewhat aggrieyed tone. In
1886, large Dutch East Indiaman, the
Stavenisse, with cargo of pepper, went
ashore near the mouth of tho Umzimku1u.
Fourteen Of tho crew were drowned and
ST xty gained the Shore
1t does not require the pen of roman
Ger to set forth the terrible plight of these
unfortunates; with lonely sea to the
eastward of them, an unexplored land TO
the west, north, and southwark, with
hostile natives, greedy and coyetous,
about them everywhere, and sick and
wounded among themselves, 1t can be
imagined how they must have looked,
and looked in vain, to the brazen sky for
aid. Capt. Knyff, yielding to the entrea-
ties of the sailors, left the surgeon and the
sick men in tent which had been con-
structed from the wreckage, and set of
with the remainder to walk to the Cape.
In very short time he and nine OF the
sailors found themselves unequal to the
march, and returned to the tent. Mean
while the remaining forty-seyen men
marched onward. Those at the tent set
to work to build boat from the materi-
ais of the wreck, and in fourteen days
completed it, This constituted the first
keel laid in Natal. Unfortunately, in
launching 1T through the surf, it became
wrecked, and their hopes were shattered
During all this time the natives had
been clustering about them curiously. but
80 far had behaved with oivility. The
superstititious fears which they had first
entertained of the strange white men
passed away, and taking passion OF the
remains of the wreck, they set TO work to
burn out the copper bolts for themselves.
been obtained by the barter of these bolts
were now cut. off and shipwrecked mar
liners stood face to face with death. At
this most opportune moment, when thsy
had abandoned themselves to despair, two
English sailors proyidentially made their
appearance. It transpired that they were
mart of the Grew of the Good Hope, which
had been wrecked a year previously at
Port Natal. These two men with three
othersnnhad remained at the bay when the
cantain and niue of the crew sailed to
Mozambique in decked boat which they
had built from the wreekage OF their ves-
sal The Good Hope sailors reported that
thew had plenty of beads and copper rings
To trade with, and that the natives round
the bay were friendly and hospitable.
Having heard of the wreck Of the Stave-
nisse. they had come down in the hope of
nicking up something useful to them
selves, With true primitive hospitality
tbey made the Staveni1se men welcome
tn a share of all they had This was
Gratefully accepted, and the eleven men
IF the Stavenisse--for the surgeon had
died. and the boatswain had been tramp
lad to death by an elephant-marohed
baok to the bay with the Englishmen;
tbns in the very first stage of NataIs his
tory. when the colony that was yet to be
rgas still an unmarked portion of the
sflntch standing shoulder to shoulder, aid
INC and encouraging each other in the
anSeayor to preserve life and lay the
foundation Of q new state. --Times Of
Natal.