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considerable influence on the affairs of the country. Saul also became famous as the

liberal leader in the Cape Parliament and dominated Cape politics for nearly 30 years.

But working conditions, and the experiences of immigrants once at the Cape, varied
considerably and moved the Cape Governor, Sir George Napier, in 1840 to write to the

Colonial Secretary’s office on St. Helena: “For Godsake …. tell those poor labourers who
may wish to find themselves to Agriculture here that this is not a land overflowing with

milk and honey.” (Erasmus, 1994: 65.)

The Island’s distress was somewhat alleviated by the establishment in 1839 of the slave-

ship hunting West Africa Squadron based at the Island. This operated for 25 years until

1864 and the men-of-war, plus the Liberated African Depot at Rupert’s Valley, brought
both money and employment. (Fig. 1.5.) But economic depression set in again after its

withdrawal and the closure of the Depot, and about 1,500 of the poorest inhabitants
emigrated to the Cape and Natal. (Gosse, 1938: 329.) (During this time over 10,000

liberated slaves were sent on as indentured labourers to the British West Indies and
British Guiana. Nearly a thousand remained on the Island as settlers.)

During the 1850s articles and notices on St. Helena emigration appeared in the South
African press.

Eastern Province Monthly Magazine, v. 1, No. 1, September 1856: 55.

“Immigration from St. Helena has engaged a share of public attention during the past
month. The greatest distress prevailed there, arising from the failure of the crops, and as
many of the distressed had expressed a wish to immigrate to other countries, it was
thought a suitable time to introduce a number of domestic servants into this country. In
Cape Town a committee was formed, and an officer sent to the island to make
preliminary arrangements – what numbers of applicants have been received we have not
heard. In Graaff-Reinet, a similar movement was made, and applications for nearly one
hundred servants were received. In other parts of the colony no efforts were set on foot,
as there appeared to be a division as to their suitability to the Eastern Province, – the
people being in favour of an immigration from the Fatherland, the class of men thence
being more suitable to the colony.”