Page:The Library, volume 5, series 3.djvu/45

IN SOUTH AFRICA. 33 It appears from a despatch of the Governor Van de Graaff to the Seventeen in Amsterdam that some time prior to December, 1783, requisition had been made by his predecessor for the supply of a printing-press for the use of the colonial govern- ment. The Governor's request was refused by the Seventeen in their despatch of 5th December, 1783. Three years later requisition was again made, and again refused. Van de Graaff submitted that writing work had so much increased in consequence of the expansion of the Company's settlement that it could no longer be properly done. He proposed that a press with a trained printer should be sent out, and that certain of the clerks be put to learning the trade of printing. The projedl seems to have been revived in 1793, for in that year the Council of Policy at the Cape resolved to establish a printing press, and had promised the appointment as Superintendent to J. C. Ritter. Writing to the Council in March, 1795, Ritter states 'that the petitioner does not know if his hope and expectation will ever be fulfilled, yet it is certain that the materials for the said printing establishment have not arrived here, and thus also have not yet been imported.' In a petition to Sir George Yonge, dated aoth August, 1800, Ritter avers that the Seventeen had at last in 1795 authorised the Cape Government to import a press, and had acceded to their recommendation of himself to be appointed as Managing Printer to Government. Before this arrangement could be effected, the Cape was surrendered to the English, and Ritter was again disappointed.