CO885(1-2) — Page 120

of this colony has by the energy and firmness of the Governor, Sir Gaspard Le Marchant, been car- ried through two winters without any other assist- ance than the money subscribed by the public and voted by Parliament on the occasion of the fire in the summer of 1846. More than this, a pernicious system of affording indiscriminate relief to the poorer classes during the winter from the public revenue has been put a stop to; the relief which it has been necessary to grant has been adminis- tered with the most severe economy, and labour has been obtained in return for it, by which roads of the utmost importance to the future progress of the colony have been opened. Notwithstanding the traditionary belief which has been entertained for more than 200 years that the climate of New- foundland was altogether unsuited to the growth of corn, the inhabitants have been induced by the Governor to attempt its cultivation; complete suc- cess has attended the experiment, and for the first time in its history bread has been made from wheat grown in the island. Agriculture is likely to be rapidly extended and the condition of the people to be in consequence greatly improved.

The eastern districts of the Cape of Good Hope when the present Government came into office were suffering the most frightful calamities from the irruption of the Kaffirs. Within a very short time after our appointment, additional troops were dispatched to the colony, and Sir H. Pottinger was sent to assume the Government, and upon his going to Madras he was replaced by Sir H. Smith. The result has been that the savages have been completely subdued and placed under a system of government which affords every reason to hope that security will in future be effectually maintained, partly by the aid of these very Kaffirs themselves, some hundreds of whom have been formed into a very valuable police force. A great part of the large military force assembled at the Cape has been withdrawn, and by allowing a considerable number of the soldiers belonging to the regiments who have been brought home, to obtain their discharge, and by settling them in villages on the frontier, much has been done for the safety of the colony

| 2། ། ་། ;

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

19

Reference :-

C.O. 885

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

Page 120Page 121