In 1856 the Xhosa in the King William’s Town region killed over 150 000 of their own cattle.
The killings may have been the result of a Xhosa prophet saying that the Xhosa should slaughter their cattle and burn their lands in order to resurrect the dead and obtain new cattle. This was known in some quarters at the time as ‘the great delusion’.Read more INFO on the Prophesy The results were horrific. In Xhosa culture, cattle were both a form of currency – demonstrating a family’s wealth and status in the community – and part of the cultural psyche. They were used to build and cement political and family relationships, to appease and worship the ancestors, and give mystical strength and courage to warriors. To destroy cattle was therefore to destroy sustainability, continuity, identity – life itself. It also meant destroying a major food supply. The large scale cattle killings that took place therefore triggered mass starvation among the Xhosa. It is estimated that a third of the Xhosa population died between January and December 1857 - and further deaths left only about 29 900 Xhosa alive by December 1858 The tragedy utterly eliminated the Xhosa’s will and ability to resist British inroads into their lands and souls.
Many historians and archeological specialists agree that the mass grave contains the remains of hundreds of starving Xhosa people who found their way to King Williams Town in search or food and shelter in 1857- 8. Their conclusions are based on the fact that forensic tests indicate that the remains are those of African people. And, diaries, letters and medical reports written by whites living in King William’s Town in 1858 indicate that the remains may date from the time of the Cattle Killing.
It is estimated that at least 30 000 Xhosa entered and died in the Province of Adelaide under these circumstances. Many more Xhosa's must have died in the former Transkei. There is no record of the numbers of people who died outside the colony. But with hundreds of people dying weekly in King William’s Town, the colonial government and the church were forced to take emergency measures to dispose of the bodies – and the site chosen was the non-consecrated part of the military cemetery in Edward Street.
The cache is a small bison tube. Hidden not far from the Mass Grave and War memorial of the British soldiers that died during the Frontier wars. Please note that this cache has been placed for its historical value and hopefully you can overlook any litter that might be lying around the cache site.