Laws and Regulations of British Kaffraria: Previous to its annexation to the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope

Hardcover octavo (165mm X 262mm) book in the original blue-grey cloth covers, blind stamped with a decorative device on both front and back covers. In exceptional condition with uncut pages. The covers have nice sharp corners and very little shelf wear except at the top and bottom of the spine where there is slight folding and a small worn patch near the bottom left hand corner. There is a small bit of beetle damage near the top RH margin of the front fixed end-paper. No dust-wrapper. The text is firmly bound and there is no foxing or browning. Four preliminary pages plus 399 of text. Originally stamped as being the property of the Orange River Colonial Library, there a few unfortunate, modern stamps on the front free end-paper.

When the British first occupied the Cape, in1795, contact between the white and Xhosa settlers had existed for about a century. Initially this contact was maintained to permit trade in cattle and ivory. The competition for land and the market for meat at the Cape, however, led very early in the period to raiding for cattle. Successive Cape Governments - Dutch, British, Dutch and finally again British, tried unsuccessfully to stop the interaction in the frontier area. Then, reluctantly, they tried to maintain order between the competing groups. The border moved inexorably eastwards and became a source of constant discord. In 1809 Lieutenant Colonel Richard Collins was sent to tour the frontier area. He recommended that the Xhosa should be driven from the Zuurveld, the name originally given to the land between the Bushman’s and Great Fish Rivers or, vaguely, the area to the west of the Fish River. Collins further recommended that the area between the Fish and Keiskamma Rivers be declared a neutral territory, unoccupied by either white or black and that dense white settlement should be encouraged in the Zuurveld to secure the area.

The concept of a "Neutral" area between white and Black settlers was to bedevil the Eastern Province for the next half century, sometimes as a British colony and sometimes as a subordinate administrative area. The word "Kaffraria" came to be used for the districts now known as King Williams Town and East London. It came to refer specifically to the Xhosa lands in what is now the Eastern Cape. Later, the western Xhosa lands which fell under British rule came to be known as "British Kaffraria", while the independent Xhosa territory to the east was known simply as "Kaffraria". There was great disagreement on how it should be governed, with the Cape Colony being reluctant to take responsibility for its administration. Its status therefore changed several times before it finally became part of the Cape Colony.

In May 1835, the area was seized by the British Governor Sir Benjamin d'Urban, and annexed to the Cape Colony as Queen Adelaide Province. A site for the government of the new province was selected and named King William’s Town. Only a few months later, in December 1835, the Cape Colony rejected the annexation, which was cancelled in December 1836, the Cape border was re-established back at the Keiskamma river. New treaties were made with the chiefs responsible for order beyond the Fish River. The area was renamed the Queen Adelaide Land district, with Grahamstown as its capital. In December 1847, the area was again seized by the new British Governor, Harry Smith, and annexed to the Cape Colony, this time as the colony of British Kaffraria, with King William's Town as its capital. Sir Harry Smith re-occupied the abandoned forts and British Imperial troops were moved into the territory. In March 1860, following the great cattle-killing, the Cape Colony again rejected the annexation of British Kaffraria, and it became a separate crown colony. A separate Lieutenant Governor, Colonel John Maclean, was appointed to administer the new crown colony. However economic problems threatened to bankrupt the area and pressure was put upon the Cape Colony, once again, to take on the territory and its expenses. It was finally re-incorporated into the Cape Colony in April 1866.

This book contains a comprehensive list of the proclamations, notices and ordinances of British Kaffraria, including those which were still in force at the time of its final incorporation into the Cape Colony.