beneficial. The long delay in issuing titles to farms, the cost of
which has been paid to Government years before, is mentioned as a
grievance in some of the declarations.

Two parties--men, women, and children--numbering ninety-eight in all,
pioneered the great trek; of these twenty-six survived fever and
fighting, loss of provisions, waggons, and cattle, and a long weary
tramp from Zoutpansberg to Delagoa Bay, and were rescued and taken
thence to Natal, and two children were carried off by the natives.
The survivors were three women with their twelve children--seven
orphan children and four youths. Not a single grown man escaped.

During the winter of 1836 preparations for emigration were being made
over the eastern and midland districts. The Governor was perfectly
helpless in the matter. The Attorney-General, Mr. A. Oliphant, was
consulted by the Governor, and gave his opinion that 'it seemed next
to an impossibility to prevent persons passing out of the colony by
laws in force, or by any which could be framed.' On August 19 Sir
Benjamin D'Urban wrote to the Lieutenant-Governor, Sir Andries
Stockenstrom, that 'he could see no means of stopping the emigration,
except by persuasion, and attention to the wants and necessities of
the farmers.' In that direction the Governor had done all that was in
his power, but he could not act in opposition to the instructions of
the Secretary of State. Sir Andries Stockenstrom himself, in replying
to an address from the inhabitants of Uitenhage, stated that 'he
was not aware of any law which prevented any of his Majesty's
subjects from leaving his dominions and settling in another country;
and such a law, if it did exist, would be tyrannical and
oppressive.'