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Eighteen Twenty - a song about the settlers by Miriam Erasmus.

In early 1819 on Britain's gallant shores
The people all were suffering after many bloody wars
There wasn't much employment and life was hard and grim
But down in the cape they were short of men so they sent civilians in

There's trouble in the colony, our soldiers cannot cope
We'll send a band of settlers in, that is our only hope
We'll offer them a future and a hundred acres of ground
In all of Britain in these hard times, I'm sure the men can be found.

You gentlemen of Britain, I'll have you gather near
The grandest Proclamation you quickly shall hear
The govermment are asking for men both brave and true
If you sail away to the cape in the South, there's 100 acres for you

Now ninety thousand people soon answered to the call
"Alas," cried the government, "We cannot send you all.
There's room for but five thousand, men women and children, too
The lofty ships lie waiting in dock for they are to transport you."

There's carpenters and blacksmiths and silversmiths as well
There's officers and soldiers just freshly out of hell
From Ireland,Wales and Scotland and England they came
Tailors, clockmakers, journeymen, farmers, professional men were game.

We'll leave behind our homelands our families and friends
We're bound to settle in that land where Africa does end
We're brave and gallant heroes, we'll do the best that we can
We'll raise the flag of the red white and blue and we'll prosper in that land.


per kind permission of Miriam Erasmus. This song is off her "Over Africa" album.


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