Abstract
In the early years of the eighteenth century, the Dutch were the first colonists to trade with the Xhosa. By 1752 there was a substantial trade in ivory and by 1770 a well-beaten wagon road into Xhosaland. Copper, iron and beads from the Colony were exchanged for cattle and ivory. The Dutch farmers (Boers) it seems were hunters of the elephants rather than ivory traders. A Boer would give a chief a present in exchange for permission to hunt in his territory. The chief in turn would provide guides to show the hunter where to find the elephants.
Highlights
The Xhosa chiefs were far more interested in trading for cattle and the Boers would keep trade goods especially for the chiefs wishing to trade in cattle
The settlers, soon realized the advantages of trading with the Xhosa and so this led to fullscale illegal trading in cattle and ivory. 2
It was agreed that the area between the Keiskamma and Great Fish Rivers would become ‘Neutral Territory’
Summary
The Xhosa chiefs were far more interested in trading for cattle and the Boers would keep trade goods especially for the chiefs wishing to trade in cattle. In 1807 and 1809 there were some efforts made to expel the Xhosa across the Great Fish River. The arrival of the Settlers of 1820 brought another dimension into the area and an attempt to reinforce the policy of ‘no contact’. On 22 April 1819 after the Battle of Grahamstown, Governor Lord Charles Somerset met Ngqika and other Xhosa chiefs on a ‘mount’ about 8 km along the road from present day Peddie to Alice.
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