1 Early European settlement
1.4 Conclusion
In these early days it is a bit premature to speak about an urban network. Some settlements came into being, but the development of these was still very limited. The history of permanent European settlement96 in Natal started with the arrival of a group of 'frontier adventurers, traders and hunters'97 at the Bay of Natal. Their reason for being there was to capture a share of the Zulu trade that was going through Delagoa Bay. The settlement at Port Natal was little more than a small trading post. Due to their vulnerability and the limited scope of their settlement they were highly dependent on Africans; on the Zulu monarchs for their safety and on the Africans living in the vicinity of the Bay for a number of necessities. These traders were certainly not unwanted by king Shaka. Under the rule of his brother and successor Dingane the mutual tension however increased.
The strain on the relations between the kingdom and the Europeans increased when the voortrekkers started to arrive from over the Drakensberg. For their pastoral economy they
appropriated a lot of land. Their farms were more or less self-sufficient and thus gave little incentive for the development of markets and towns. A few new townships did however come into existence. This certainly had a lot to do with defensive strategies and with the unsettled state of the republic. The settlement at Port Natal did know some sort of a start of
development; some increase in trade accompanied the start of the development of a pastoral economy.
The little voortrekker villages were very much dorps in the Cape Dutch tradition. They were nucleated settlements serving religious and commercial functions in a rural community.
The commercial function in this stage was however limited. The pastoral farmers had few commercial needs and towns had no real consuming class, they were semi-self-sufficient.
They were, in other words, not the market towns that characterised early modern Britain. 8
Also, improvements in the transport infrastructure remained minimal, as there was little trade and thus little need for transport. Only in the immediate vicinity of the township of Durban and along the trunk route towards the Drakensberg a number of rudimentary tracks developed.
The land system of this voortrekker society was based on very extensive use and the granting of land happened in a very liberal fashion. In fact, this system was so liberal that the British authorities felt compelled to review all these claims after the annexation. Eventually the claims on about 3.3 million acres were confirmed. These claims were 585 in total." The consequences of this liberal settlement will be discussed in later chapters.
In short, one could say that the economy of the Europeans in Natal in this period was more or less a subsistence economy. The main activities were hunting and cattle herding, other needs were mainly satisfied by bartering cattle for African produce. The capital
depletion that this caused was sometimes checked through direct appropriation - plunder - of produce, cattle or labour. Primitive accumulation - the acquiring of labour, land, produce, cattle, etc. by force instead of by economic means - played an important role in this society.
Towns were still in nascence, but were none-the-less critical. Despite their semi-self- sufficiency Boers still had some essential commercial needs. Towns fulfilled these needs, together with defensive, political and religious needs. This society needed laagers, churches and a Volksraad.
Notes
1 J.F. INGRAM, Natalia: A Condensed History of the Exploration and Colonisation of Natal and Zululand, London, Harvey, Greenacre & co., (ca.) 1897, p. ix.
2 C. BALLARD, "Traders, Trekkers and colonists" in: A. DUMINY, B. GUEST (eds.), Natal and Zululand from earliest times to 1910: a new history, Pietermaritzburg, University of Natal Press, 1989, p. 117.
3 C. BALLARD, op. cit. p. 117; M.W. SWANSON, The rise of multiracial Durban: urban history and race policy in South Africa. 1830-1930, Cambridge (Massachusetts), Harvard University, 1964, pp. 46-49.
(Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation)
4 Lieutenant Farewell, 6 September 1824, published in: J. BIRD, The Annals of Natal. 1495 to 1845 (Volume I), Pietermaritzburg, P. Davis & Sons, 1888, pp. 191-193.
5 C. BALLARD, op. cit., p. 118; M.W. SWANSON, The rise of multiracial Durban, p. 51.
6 Lieutenant Farewell, 6 September 1824.
7 M.W. SWANSON, The rise of multiracial Durban, pp. 59-60.
8 J. LABAND, Rope of Sand: the rise and fall of the Zulu kingdom in the nineteenth century, Johannesburg, Jonathan Ball Publishers, 1995, p. 32.
9 M.W. SWANSON, The rise of multiracial Durban, p. 51.
10 Ibid., pp. 54-57.
11 C. BALLARD, op. cit., p. 118.
12 J. LABAND, op. cit.. pp. 33-34.
13 Ibid., p. 33.
14 Ibid, pp. 118-119.
15 Lieutenant Farewell, 6 September 1824.
16 C. BALLARD, op. cit.. pp. 119-120.
17 M.W. SWANSON, The rise of multiracial Durban, pp. 65-67; pp. 89-90.
18 "Petition Of Merchants and Others for a Settlement at Port Natal," published in: J. BIRD, The Annals of Natal (Volume I), pp. 253-255.
19 M.W. SWANSON, The rise of multiracial Durban, p. 87.
20 C. BALLARD, op. cit.. p. 118; M.A.H. SMOUT, Natal Towns. A study in Comparative Urban Geography.
Durban, University of Natal, 1966, p. 12. (Unpublished M.Sc. dissertation)
21 M.W. SWANSON, The rise of multiracial Durban, p. 88.
22 M.A.H. SMOUT, op. cit., p. 13.
23 C. BALLARD, op. cit, pp. 120-121.
24 Lieutenant Farewell, 6 September 1824.
25 A.J CHRISTOPHER, "The initial European farm pattern in Natal, 1837-1848" in: Journal for Geography, vol.
Ill, 1968, no. 2, p. 167.
26 A.J. CHRISTOPHER, Southern Africa (Studies in Historical Geography), Folkestone (UK), Dawson, 1976, p.
84.
27 K.E. ATKINS, The Moon Is Dead! Give Us Our Money! The Cultural Origins of an African Work Ethic, Natal. South Africa. 1845-1900 (Social History of Africa), Portsmouth (US), Heinemann, 1993, p. 47.
C.W. DE KIEWIET, A History of South Africa. Social and Economic. London, Oxford University Press, 1966, p. 53.
29 A.J CHRISTOPHER, "The initial European farm pattern", p. 167.
30 H. GILIOMEE, "The Eastern Frontier, 1770-1812" in: R. ELPHICK (ed.), The Shaping of South African Society. 1652-1840, Cape Town, Maskew Miller Longman, 1989, p. 449.
31 C. BALLARD, op. cit.. p. 121.
32 A.J. CHRISTOPHER, "Land speculation in colonial Natal, 1843-1910" in: Historia, June 1971, p. 102.
33 H. SLATER, "Land, Labour and Capital in Natal: the Natal Land and Colonisation Company, 1860-1948" in:
Journal of African History, vol. XVI, 1975, no. 2, p. 258.
34 A.J. CHRISTOPHER, Southern Africa, p. 84.
35 Ibid., p. 110.
36 A.J CHRISTOPHER, "The initial European farm pattern", p. 171.
37 M.W. SWANSON, The rise of multiracial Durban, pp. 111-112.
38 W.G. MARTIN, "Incorporation of Southern Africa, 1870-1920" in: Review: a journal of the Fernand Braudel center, vol. X, 1987, no. 5/6, p. 860.
39 A.J CHRISTOPHER, "The initial European farm pattern", p. 168.
40 M.A.H. SMOUT, op. cit„ p. 14.
41 J.F. INGRAM, The Story of an African City. Pietermaritzburg, C. Coester, 1898, p. 28; A.J CHRISTOPHER,
"The initial European farm pattern", p. 167.
42 A.J CHRISTOPHER, "The initial European farm pattern", p. 167.
43 A.J. CHRISTOPHER, "Land speculation", p. 102.
44 Mr. H. Cloete, 30 November 1843, published in: J. BIRD, The Annals of Natal (Volume II), Pietermaritzburg, P. Davis & Sons, 1888, pp. 321-327.
45 Ibid.
46 A.J. CHRISTOPHER, Natal: A Study in Colonial Land Settlement. Durban, University of Natal, 1969, p. 355.
(Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation)
47 A.J. CHRISTOPHER, "Land speculation", p. 102.
49
A.J CHRISTOPHER, "The initial European farm pattern", p. 168; p. 173.
A.J. CHRISTOPHER, Southern Africa, p. 110.
50 W.M. HARTLEY, Natal: Land and Immigration, Durban, Robinson, Vause & Co., 1888, 20 p.
51 H. SLATER, "Land, Labour and Capital in Natal", p. 257.
52 K.E. ATKINS, op. cit, p. 16.
53 A. HEPPLE, South Africa: A Political and Economic History. London, Pall Mall Press, 1966, pp. 180-181.
54 Captain Smith, 29 September 1842, published in: J. BIRD, The Annals of Natal (Volume II), pp. 117-119.
55 Children were for example often captives instead of orphans, raiding villages for this form of labour was not unusual. Freely interpreting when the kids become 'of age' was another form of abuse of the system. See: A.
HEPPLE, op. cit.. p. 180; K.E. ATKINS, op. cit., p. 16; Captain Smith, 29 September 1842.
56 Captain Smith, 29 September 1842.
57 A.J CHRISTOPHER, "The initial European farm pattern", p. 169.
58 Ibid., p. 171.
59 R.F. HASWELL, "The Voortrekker Dorps of Natal" in: Natalia, vol. X, 1980, no. 1, p. 26.
60 A.J CHRISTOPHER, "The initial European farm pattern", p. 173.
61 M.W. SWANSON, The rise of multiracial Durban, p. 111.
62 R.F. HASWELL, op. cit., p. 28.
63 ibjd, p. 23.
64 D. WELSH, "The Growth of Towns" in: M. WILSON, L. THOMPSON (eds.), The Oxford History of South Africa (II: 1870-1966), Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1971, p. 172.
65 R.F. HASWELL, op. cit, p. 23.
66 A.J. CHRISTOPHER. Southern Africa, pp. 109-111.
67 R.F. HASWELL, op. cit, pp. 26-27.
68 M.A.H. SMOUT, op. cit, p. 13.
59 Ibid, p. 79.
70 A.F. HATTERSLEY, Pietermaritzburg Panorama: A Survey of One Hundred Years of an African City.
Pietermaritzburg, Shuter and Shooter, 1938, p. 21.
7] R.J. DAVIES, "The Growth of the Durban Metropolitan Area" in: South African Geographical Journal, vol XLV, 1963, p. 20.
72 M.W. SWANSON, The rise of multiracial Durban, pp. 111-112.
73 As quoted in: R.F. HASWELL, op. cit, p. 30.
77
A.J. CHRISTOPHER, Southern Africa, p. 112.
R.F. HASWELL, op. cit, p. 26.
A.W.J. Pretorius, 31 March 1839, published in: J. BIRD, The Annals of Natal (Volume I), pp. 520-522.
J.F. INGRAM, The Story of an African City, pp. 1-2; p. 23.
78 Delegorgue, as quoted in: A.F. HATTERSLEY, op. cit.. p. 21.
79 Ibid., p. 21.
80 M.A.H. SMOUT, op. cit.. p. 13.
81 R.J. DAVIES, op. cit. p. 16.
82 Ibid, p. 20.
83 M.A.H. SMOUT, op. cit.. pp. 13-
85
C. BALLARD, op. cit., p. 121.
Ibid., p. 122.
50 Ibid, p. 122.
87 M.W. SWANSON, The rise of multiracial Durban, p. 112.
88 C. BALLARD, op. cit, p. 123; A.J CHRISTOPHER, "The initial European farm pattern", p. 169.
89 C.W. DE KIEWIET, op. cit., pp. 62-63.
90 M.W. SWANSON, The rise of multiracial Durban, p. 113.
91 Ibid., p. 115.
92 A.J. CHRISTOPHER, "Land speculation", pp. 102-103.
93 C.W. DE KIEWIET, op. cit, p. 62.
94 K.E. ATKINS, op. cit, p. 16; C.W. DE KIEWIET, op. cit, p. 62.
95 C. de B. WEBB, et al, Webb's Guide to the official records of the Colony of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, University of Natal Press, 1984, p. xviii; E.S. METCALF, The Towns of Natal, Pretoria, University of South Africa, 1928, p. 8. (Unpublished M.Sc. dissertation)
96 Whether there was a history of towns before the arrival of the Europeans would depend on your definition.
There were a number of more extensive settlements, but there was certainly no history of pre-colonial urbanisation in the same sense as there was one in for example West Africa.
97 M.W. SWANSON, The rise of multiracial Durban, p. 49.
For a discussion of these market towns, see: P. GLENNIE, I. WHYTE, "Towns in an agrarian economy, 1540- 1700" in: P. CLARK (ed.), The Cambridge Urban History of Britain (Volume II), Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2000, pp. 167-193.
99 A.J CHRISTOPHER, "The initial European farm pattern", p. 171.