Exclusive of other matter, your Lordship will pardon the liberty I take of suggesting the consideration of how far it may be judicious under the relative connections of Monte Video and Buenos Ayres to grant arms to the former, as affording to the rival city a pretext for the sequestration or non admittance of British property, for sacred as our attachment must be to our allies yet the interests of Great Britain naturally claim a primary attention.

In this transaction your Excellency will I trust be convinced that I have shown a just and lively anxiety for the welfare of His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, considering it a duty incumbent on me, as well from sentiments of public as of private respect, to consult His Royal Highness's interest through your Lordship, previous to my taking any decisive step upon my own authority.

To give your Lordship's discretion the freeest scope I have directed Mr. Musgrave not to make an entry of the arms at the Custom House of Rio de Janeiro until he becomes acquainted with your Lordship's commands. I have etc.

Letter from G. COOKE, ESQRE., to the HONOURABLE C. B. AGAR.

DOWNING STREET, 8th June, 1809.

SIR, The Adjutant General having transmitted to me a Memorandum making a Requisition for certain Articles for the use of the Colonial Corps at the Cape of Good Hope, I am directed by Lord Castlereagh to desire you will state to Major General Calvert that this Corps having been raised for limited Service within the Colony, and the expence thereof defrayed out of the Colonial Revenues, cannot be considered as on the Establishment of the Army, and that all requisitions for Articles to be appropriated to the use of the Regiment must be made through the Governor of the Settlement. I have &c.

[Copy.]

Letter from the LANDDROST OF UITENHAGE to LIEUTENANT
COLONEL COLLINS.

DROSTDY OF UITENHAGE, June 19th 1809. SIR,-In obedience to your commands contained in your letter of the 21st ultimo, I have personally investigated the direction of the Road pointed out, in order to facilitate the orders of Government and the communications of the Inhabitants to and from the Cape, the result of my investigation having in part proved satisfactory, viz. that a good and sufficient road not only for horses, but also for waggons, could be made to cross Van Staden's River in almost a direct line from the house of J. S. van Niekerk towards this town, saving a very considerable distance. This road, I am happy to say, has already been passed with a waggon, and which in its direct line will save the crossing of the mouth of the Gamtoos River, the ford of this new road passing that river between the mouth of the Little Gamtoos and the Lourie River.

With respect to that part of the country between the left bank of the Kromme River and the right bank of the Kougha I am sorry to report did not appear eligible from the numerous kloofs, six of which we were obliged to dismount and walk down and up, and which would have caused too much labour from the poor settlers in that neighbourhood to have made any way tolerable. In consequence of finding this part of the intended road not to answer, I was induced to explore the country on the south side of the Kougha Mountains, between said mountains and the Kromme River, and have directed that a horse road should be made on this line, between the place occupied by Ignatius L. Rautenbach and Piet Ferreira on the Lange Kloof. Having measured the several distances both going and coming on this road by time, I beg to subjoin a statement, viz.

From Piet Ferreira's in the Long Kloof to the Heemraad
I. L. Rautenbach

From said Rautenbach's to the place of Jan Meyer

Hours 17 45

From said Jan Meyer's to the place of J. S. van Niekerk
From said Van Niekerk's to the town of Uitenhage

And have to inform you that I have this day sent off the Regulations to the several persons occupying the stations where the new posts are to be fixed, for their guidance, leaving that part of the Instruction blank which speaks of the rate per hour, as you have directed in a subsequent letter, at the same time most humbly beg leave to state that from the result of my enquiries and experience for three years I cannot say otherwise than that the Post Boers should be paid at the rate of Three Rixdollars per hour per month. The Government expect prompt and speedy conveyance of their orders, which they have a right to demand when its servants are fully compensated for their labour, but on the contrary when an inadequate pay is given we cannot expect nor compel with justice an individual to injure himself. The last post hence Capewards was despatched on the first Thursday after the first Monday in the month, and I trust that all succeeding posts will be despatched agreeably to this order, if possible. I have &c. J. G. CUYLER.

(Signed)

[Copy.]

Proclamation by the EARL OF CALEDON.

Whereas it has been represented to me that there are at this time wandering about the country several Runaway Slaves, who might be induced to return to their duty upon a promise of Pardon being held out to them; and that such an instance of clemency would have a due influence upon their future behaviour.

I do therefore hereby declare that all such Runaway Slaves who shall either surrender themselves to their respective Masters, to His Majesty's Fiscal, or to the Landdrost of the District in which they may be, or in which it is most convenient to them to give themselves up within the time herein after mentioned, shall receive a full pardon, and not be liable to any punishment whatever, domestic or otherwise, in consequence of their having deserted their Masters or Mistresses: Cape Town, Cape District, Stellenbosch, two Months from the date of this Proclamation; Tulbagh, Zwellendam, three months; Graaff-Reinet and Uitenhage, four Months.

And in order to enforce a compliance with this injunction of

pardon from domestic punishment from such proprietors of Slaves as might not otherwise feel the interest they have in paying due attention to the same, it is my further command that every owner of a Slave who shall have surrendered himself within the time prescribed shall give immediate notice thereof in writing, if in Cape Town to His Majesty's Fiscal, or if in the Country Districts to the Landdrost of the District, in order that the name of such Slave may be entered into a Register to be kept for that purpose, a failure of compliance with which will subject the said owner to a fine of 50 Rixdollars.

But inasmuch as many Runaway slaves may have been guilty of capital crimes, subjecting the offender to Transportation or Death, it is to be clearly understood that this my proclamation of Pardon in no way extends to those who have so transgressed, but solely to those who have absented themselves from their respective Proprietors for Domestic offences or other petty misdemeanours.

And if it shall be proved that any of the Slaves so surrendering shall be subsequently beaten by their Masters, or by their Masters' order, or otherwise punished on account of the crime of desertion, then upon legal proof thereof being adduced (as in other cases of the ill-treatment of Slaves) such Slaves shall be taken from their Proprietors and disposed of under the direction of the Court of Justice, so that they may not again come into the service of their former Master, or of any member of his Family.

And in order to give the fullest publicity to this my intention and command, besides the usual means of making the same known, I do hereby direct each and every Wardmaster of this Town to appoint and assemble one Slave from every House in the Respective Wards, and each Field Cornet of the several Country Divisions, one Slave from each house in such Division, as early as possible after their receipt of this proclamation, and to explain in the Dutch and Portuguese languages the full meaning thereof; and I do further direct the Wardmasters and Field Cornets aforesaid to report to His Majesty's Fiscal, and to their respective Landdrosts, their having complied with this Instruction, as they shall answer the contrary at their peril.

Given under my Hand and Seal at the Cape of Good Hope, this 23rd day of June 1809.

[Copy.]

Proclamation by the EARL OF CALEDON.

Whereas it has been represented to me that accidents frequently happen, and that great danger is incurred, especially in the night time, from the negligence or misconduct of the Drivers of Carriages, and particularly of Bullock Waggons passing backwards and forwards from and to the Country and the Cape Town; Now, in order to provide for the Safety of the Traveller, as well by night as by day, and that proper order and regularity may be observed, not only in the Streets and Lanes in this Town, but likewise throughout all the different parts of the Colony, I do hereby order and command, and it is hereby ordered and commanded, that from and after the date and publication of these presents the following Regulations shall be strictly observed.

1. All persons whosoever residing in Cape Town, or in the District of the Cape, or possessing either Cart or Waggon, to wit, those residing in Cape Town or District, Simon's Town included, and also those residing in the Environs of the Drostdy of Stellenbosch to 3 hours distance, shall, within the space of one month from the date hereof, and the remainder of the said inhabitants before the end of the month of August, give in to the Fiscal, or the Landdrosts of their respective Districts, their names, and likewise how many Carts or Waggons they possess, in order that the same may be registered, and that they may receive a certificate upon a Stamp of Six Stivers for each Waggon, that the orders herein contained have been duly complied with, in default of which a fine of 20 Rixdollars shall be levied on the offender. The same Regulation is to be observed by the Inhabitants of the Districts of Zwellendam, Graaff-Reinet, Uitenhage, and Tulbagh, with this difference only, that the time for giving in the Return of their Carts and Waggons, together with their names, is extended to four months.

2. And in order that the utmost regularity may be observed by the Drivers of all such Carts and Waggons, and likewise by those of all sorts of Carriages whatsoever, I do hereby command and direct that henceforth all Carriages of every denomination, whether drawn by Horses or by Oxen, shall keep on the left hand side of the Road or Street, giving always the right hand to the Carriages they meet; and should any damage be done to