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Auction: 25026 - Stamps and Covers of Africa Featuring the 'Protea' Collection of South Africa
Lot: 1117

Cape of Good Hope
Covers and Cancellations
1835 (23 Feb.) Sixth Frontier War entire letter from Cape Town to England from J. C. Chase, leading surveyor of the Customs at Table Bay, the entire with Cape Town and London datestamps, red boxed 'dartmouth/india letter' and 't.p./ rate/ 2', the letter contents include: "our beautiful and very flourishing settlement of Albany has been totally destroyed - on the evening of Christmas Day the caffers without any provocation and in the most unexpected manner broke into the colony in large numbers and in a few days carried off almost all the cattle, burnt most of the buildings and murdered many of the unoffending inhabitants, all my own immediate friends are ruined and destitute and the government are feeding about 700 persons in Grahams Town to which place they fled for safety. Immense preparations are now making to punish this infamous and horrid piece of treachery and I have little doubt many of the caffer tribes will be completely annihilated. Eight thousand troops and burghers are ready to march with his excellency the Governor at their head."; the letter with central filing fold and some light soiling. An exceptionally important Cape of Good Hope letter detailing great losses and devastation suffered by the British in the historical lead up to the "Great Trek"

Note: The series of clashes historically known as Frontier Wars date back to 1779 when Xhosa people, Boers, Khoikhoi, San and the British clashed intermittently for nearly one hundred years, largely due to colonial expansion which in turn dispossessed Xhosa and Khoikhoi people of their land and cattle amongst other things.

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Sold for
£850

Starting price
£500