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LIEUTENANT-GENERAL SIR HARRY SMITH BAR^C.C.B.&c
GOVERNOR * C Oia^ANHSIt -IJT-CSJSF JW THE CJiPE OF &OOD BOPE.
EXCURSIONS
IN
SOUTHERN AFRICA,
INCLUDING
A HISTOEY OF THE CAPE COLONY,
AN ACCOUNT Of THE NATIVE TRIIiEi;, ETC.
LT.-COLONEL E. ELERS NAPIEK,
LATELY EMPLOYED ON SPECIAL SERVICE IN KAFf IKLANB
IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. TT.
LONDON:
WILLIAM SHOBERL, PUBLISHER,
'20, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET.
1850.
r Shoberl, Jun , Printi'i to II.H.II. Priucw Albert, Uiiperl Slicet, llayni»rket
Df
^.1
CONTENTS
OF
THE SECOND VOLUME.
PAGE
Chapter I. First Day's "Trek" in Lower Albany 1
Chapter IL A Waggon jMarch to the Frontier . 25
Chapter II L Graham's Town, and its attack by the Pro-
phet Makanna ....... 44
Chapter IV. A gallop to Waterloo Bay and Fort Beau-
fort 66
Chapter V. The Camp of the first division . . 88
Chapter VI. The Amakosaj . . . . .123
Chapter VII. ]\Iacomo, the Gaika Chief . . . 147
Chapter VIII. Life in the Bush . . . .165
Chapter IX. Fort Cox and the Amatola . .187
Chapter X. The Burghers under Sir Andreas Stocken-
stroni ........ 200
Chapter XI. Post Victoria ..... 213
Chapter XII. The Bivouac ..... 226
Chapter XIII. The Battle-field of the Gwanga . . 254
Chapter XI"\'. y\ Foray amongst the T' Slambies . 272
Chapter XV. Xonube, the Anglo-Katiir Queen; with
extracts from Van Ileenen's Journal . . . 303
Chapter XVI. Cattle-lifting in Kaffirland . . 323
Chapter XVII. Journal of a Patrole beyond the Kyc,
in January, 1847 : by an officer engaged in that expe-
dition ........ 339
Chapter XVIII. The Emigrant Boer . . .351
Chapter XIX. The Tarka Rangers . . . 367
Chapter XX. The Great T' Somtseu . . . 383
J.057C77
IV CONTENTS.
PAGE
CHArxEii XXI. Extracts from letters and journal . 397
Chapter XXII. Return from the Eastern Frontier . 413
APPENDIX.
Fort Hare 449
Outline of the Services of the 91st Regment in Kaffirland
in 1 846, with the Official Report of the engagement in
the Amatola . . . . . . . ib.
EXCUKSIONS
IN
SOUTHERN AFRICA.
CHAPTER I.
FIRST day's "trek"' IN LOWER ALBANY.
Departure from Port Elizabeth — Bullock Waggons — Hotten-
tots and Fingocs — i\Ialays — The 90th Light Infantry — The
Stair Officers — A Soldier's Wife -The Zout-Pamis— An
out-Spann — Hottentots in bivouac — Colonists on their tra-
vels — The Trek Boer and his waggon — The Valley of the
Zwartkops — Passage of the river — The South African Bush
— Prospect from the Zwartkops heights — Massacre of Stock-
enstroni's party in 1SV2 — Arrival at the Camp.
Atiter nearly a week"'s delay at Port Elizabeth, a
sufficient number of waggons were at last assembled
i<»r the transport of our baggage, together with the
numerous commis.sariat stores, ammunition, and trea-
sure, destined for the use of the army, then supposed
to be carrying on active operations against the Kaffirs.
' A Dutch term, generally pronounced '-track," meaning a
journey.
VOL. II. B
2 FIRST DAY S " TREK
The IStli of October was the day fixed on for our
departure to Grahanfs Town ; but althougli so early
as daybreak, we were awakened by the deep lowing of
oxen, the loud cracking of huge whips, the jabber of
Hottentot drivers, and expressive expletives of the
waofron owners — the sun had reached the meridian,
ere any symptoms of a start were at all discover-
able.
At last, by dint of incredible exertion of whips and
lungs — of blows and oaths — the cumbersome waggons
gradually got under weigh, and then moved off in
slow and sleepy succession. As the vehicles were some
twenty in number, each dragged by from twelve to
sixteen oxen, yoked in couples ; and as, moreover,
these conveyances progressed in " single file," and did
not care to tread too closely on each other's heels, it is
not surprising that, when the whole convoy was fairly
in motion, it should have extended the entire length
of the straofrlinji- lane of houses of which Port Eliza-
beth is composed — in other words, have covered a
space of ground nearly a mile long !
But it is matter of surprise, that such a slow, incon-
venient mode of transit should still continue in use for
military operations, more especially in a country — like
the present seat of war — broken by hills and dells,
watercourses and i-ivers — covered in many places with
dense jungle, through which, as these sluggish convoys
drag their long and weary length, they are at every
stop in danger of being cut off by an active, unseen,
and lurking foe ; and it is still more to be wondered at,
that, during this and former campaigns against the
Kaffirs, a single waggon, with its contents, should
IN LOWER ALRAXV. li
have escaped tliat fate wliicli befel those at ]Jurn\s
Hill and Tronipetter's Drift.
But such is the force of prejudice and habit ! Be-
cause Van lliebeck's followers travelled, in days of
yore, with these unwieldy conveyances, not only do
they continue to be used by their descendants, at the
present daj', but the English Settlers must also needs
follow their example. Still more strange to tell, the
same mode of carriage is likewise adopted in military
operations, for the removal of the stores, baggage,
camp equipage, and commissariat of an army — a
system entirely subversive of everything like punc-
tuality, certainty, or celerity, in the movements of a
force.
We have, during the course of our wanderings, been
driven to many strange modes of transport and loco-
motion, from a donkey to an elephant — from a dooly
to an express-train. We have moreover given each a
fair trial; but, Avhether with the caravan of the desert,
the nmleteer of Spain ; or knapsack on back, plodding
solitarily on foot, along some wild and dreary waste;
never, in all our peregrinations, did it fall to our lot
to meet with such " slow coaches'" as the aforesaid
bullock waggons of Southern Africa.
Though celerity was therefore by no means the
characteristic of our convoy, it possessed — at least, in
our eyes — the attraction of novelty ; and as, slowly
emerging from the dirty, straggling, and unpaved pre-
cincts of " Little Elizabeth,""' it crept along the plainly
defined track — showing like a white thread cast on a
green carpet — which traversed the grassy, tliough
otherwise bare and undulating plain before us, the
B 2
FIRST DAY S " TREK
lengthened train certainly presented not only a novel
l)ut picturesque object to the sight.
Tlie Colonists gazed from their thresholds with a
vacant look of desponding apathy at our departure; as
much as to say, that on this, as on many similar occa-
sions, little good was likely to accrue therefrom to
them, their blasted hopes, and ruined fortunes. But
the Hottentot population gladly availed themselves of
the opportunity to have a jubilee on the event ; and
the exhilarating effects of " a parting glass" were ob-
vious not only in the men, but likewise on many of
their gentle partners, who, surrounded by swarms of
nearly naked young Totties, and in all their drunken
and picturesque array of tattered, dirty, and gaudy
finery; as they preceded the waggons, shrilly sang and
wildly danced, with fantastic attitudes, often— thanks
to a o-ood ear and pliant limbs — not whollv devoid of
a certain degree of elegance and softness.
Whilst the jovial, reckless Hottentots thus gave
way to unbridled mirth, the more sedate Fingoe
women, under the heavy burdens they gracefully bore
on their woolly heads, halted for a moment, to regard
us as we passed ; drawing meanwhile the only gar-
j„ent — a leathern kaross — more closely around their
finely-formed, statue-like shapes. Grinning from ear
to ear, they displayed magnificent sets of teeth white
as purest ivory ; and which, glistening in the wide
opening rents of their black, hideous faces, resembled
bright rows of orient pearls, skilfully encased on some
dark, grotesque, and barbaric idol.
In addition to the above specimens of the two great
distinctive races of Southern Africa, of the Quaiqua*
IN LOWER ALBANY. ;)
and l^oclmana genus, our troop on this occasion was
composed of the most varied and motley set ; to contri-
bute to which, the farthest extremities of the ohl
world appeared to have been ransacked in succession.
The escort consisted of a body of Malays, a portion
of one of the native levies from Cape Town, and heaJed
by a quondam naval officer. Moreover, for the espe-
cial protection of the ammunition and treasure, forminir
part of our investment, a sergeant's party of the 9()th
Light Infantry was ordered to accompany us to Gra-
ham's Town.
This gallant corps, while on its way home, after a
lengthened service in the East, had been unexpectedly
stopped at the Cape; and, having undergone years of
exile — when on the eve of re- visiting their country,
their friends, and all that man holds dearest on earth
— these poor fellows' hopes were suddenly dashed to
the ground, by being called upon to participate in the
toils and hardships of a most harassing war; where
no laurels were to be culled, no honour to be gained —
and which might only tend to prolong their already
protracted banishment, to a most indefinite extent !
Such is the lot of the English soldier. Such is the
common fate of men, who are too often repaid for their
lieroic fortitude and devotion, by coldness and neglect,
by calumny and detraction !
I have seen many British regiments, but nevtr
beheld a finer corps than the gallant 90th ; — the bold,
soldier-like bearino; — the veteran look — the bronzed
and bearded' countenances of these noble specimens of
' In this harassing warfare, as there was not often time for
the pipe-clay observances of the " regulations," the beard atul
6 FIRST day's " trek"
our troops, arrayed in a plain, war-worn military garb,
and boldly grasping their glittering arms — offered the
strongest contrast to the slight Asiatic forms, and
sharp, tawny features of their Malay companions.
The difference was not less marked between the latter
and tbe swarthy, thick-lipped African ; or the gigantic,
unwieldy Dutch Boer, who passively sate in front of
his waggon, enveloped in the mantle of national phlegm,
and the dense smoke of his pipe — with him an insepa-
rable companion.
Nor — may be — were the " seven field-officers"''' be-
fore alluded to the less picturesque part of the array ;
some in wao'oons, some on foot — others mounted on
sorry jades, and in every variety of colonial costume —
they would verily have cut a curious military figure
at a review in the Phoenix Park or on Hounslow Heath !
As a specimen of the whole party on this occasion,
we shall beg to introduce ourselves to the reader, in
our aforesaid burgher dress and equipments.
To commence with the charger we had brought
round from Cape Town. He was a strong, active,
wiry beast, though certainly no beauty ; and, more-
over, bearing such evident affinity to Pharaoh''s lean
kine, that this, our Bucephalus, had already been
dubbed " Nagpore" (nag-poor) by the acknowledged
wit of the party, who — as may thence be inferred — was
iin old East Indian campaigner.
moustache were — at least, in one division of the army — suffered
to grow ; and formed useful appendages as a protection to the
face, against the blistering effects of a burning sun, and dry,
cutting wind — two serious inconveniences often combined in
this part of the world.
IN LOWER ALBANY. 7
A pair of holsters in front of tlie sadtllc, one of them
containing- a douhlc-harrelled pistol for offensive — the
second, a well-filled brandy-llask for defensive nieasnres
— the former, in case of need against the Kaffirs ; the
latter, for the purpose of guarding against cold, colic,
or other disagreeables, incident to tlio roughing we
were likely to encounter during the ensuing campaign.
The above, together with a tourniquet, some bandages,
and a few medicines, condensed in a small compass,
constituted a sort of portable commissariat, arsenal,
and dispensary.
]3ehind the saddle, compactly rolled up, was strapped
a good patent waterproof great- coat, of the latest and
most approved manufactur(^ ; which often, on subse-
quent occasions, proved a staunch and warm friend ;
one possessing also an infinite quantity of drt/ humour ;
and by whom our feelings were never doomed to be
damped. The saddle itself was well furnished, after
the usual colonial fashion, with chose semicircular
rings, which are here called "Ds."
This circumstance elicited from our inveterate pun-
ster the observation, that by coming out on this ex-
pedition we were all fairly D D ; that we must,
moreover, not only now be on our Ps and Qs, but look
well to our " Ds," as much depended on (from) them.
From these said "Ds," hung on one side, a huge Indian
scimitar, too heavy to be with comfort suspended from
the waist, and once the property of a renowned Decoitee,
or river-pirate ; but, divested of its Asiatic attributes,
this roving blade now appeared in the civilized garb
of a regulation hilt and brass scabbard ; whilst, to
counterbalance it on the otlier side, was hooked a
8 FIRST day's " trek"
Spanish " Botta," or leathern flask, which often had
carried a supply of water ; and perhaps more fre-
quently of good "vino seco," amidst the Sierras of
Andalusia, or across the wild heatlis of Estremadura.
So much for the means of transport, &c. Now come we
to the personal part of our equipment : a broad-brimmed
beaver, witli a bit of ostrich feather, " a-la-Charles the
First;" a shooting-jacket, containing capacious pockets ;
a pair of (pardon, fair reader, the vulgar term !) brown
corduroy breeches ; terminated by the lately invented
" Antigropelos," or — as our " punnicular" comrade
termed them — " Antiscrofulous" boots ; (which, by the
by, I found on all occasions most invaluable ; and, there-
fore, take this opportunity of making honourable men-
tion of their inventor, Mr. \Varne) ; a long Indian
bamboo hog-spear in liand ; a grisly unshorn beard and
moustache, which, "like stubble field at harvest-home,"
was certainly no adornment to a weather-beaten phiz;
but wliich time subsequently rather improved in ap-
pearance, and lengthened to respectable Mahomedan
dimensions. Such were the outward man and horse
of one of the " seven ;" and — always excepting the
hog-spear — we did not (whatever they might aver to
the contrary) see much difference as to a similar
brigand-like appearance in the rest of our companions ;
although from them we occasionally heard certain vague
and distant allusions to Don Quixote and Robinson
Crusoe. However, whatever our resemblance might
liave been to either of those worthies, we were certainly
not better provided with an esquire, or attendant ; for
nii/ Sancho Panza was a drunken, unwieldy, discharged
Irish soldier ; whilst the man " Friday" was per-
IX LOWER ALBANY. i)
sonified by a young Hottentot, rejoicing in the name
of Jacob ; who was as fond of " Cape Smoke,'" sleep,
and idleness, as any of his tribe.
Such was the general appearance of the party, who,
on the 18th of October, 1846, left Algoa Bay to
" trek" towards the frontier. The hour of departure
had, as I observed before, been fixed early in the
morning ; but, owing to innumerable delays, it was
late in the afternoon ere the last waggon cleared the
" turnpike-gate," which marks the entrance of that
unprepossessing-looking assemblage of colonial habi-
tations, known as Port EHzabeth.
Let not the word " turnpike" deceive the unsophis-
ticated reader, or lead him to imagine a smooth, even
progress over level Macadamized roads ; for the public
thoroughfare, from the only sea-port in the eastern
province, to its capital — a distance of one hundred
miles — to the disgrace of the colonial government be
it said — deserves about as much the name of a road
as the mule-tracks and dry water-courses in Spain are
entitled to the high-sounding appellations of " Caminos
reales."
Over stones, rocks, and deep fissures, foi'mcd by
rain and sun, did the ponderous vehicles, like dis-
masted vessels in a storm, painfully toil along; whilst
the vehement cries and execrations of the drivers, the
twisting of tails, and " knout"-like application of the
long whips, could not urge the dull, lean teams into a
quicker pace than about two miles and a half per hour !
One of the officers of our party had been accom-
panied from England by his wife ; but all efforts
' A sort of coarse, cheap brandy, made in the Colony.
B 5
10 FIRST day's " trek"
having proved unsuccessful at Algoa Bay in procuring
a horse to carry this lady, the waggon became there-
fore the only alternative left to enable her to reach
Graham's Town ; and the hardships and privations
she endured (without a murmur) might — had they
but witnessed them — have proved a wholesome warn-
ing to all young misses, however desirous of matri-
mony ; to eschew — with that intent — a red coat, as
they would avoid a scarlet-fever, or any other fatal
disease.
Beware, therefore, oh ! most amiable, fair, and be-
loved country-women, how you sprinkle with laurels
the nuptial-couch ; for, instead of your finding it a
bed of rest and roses, it may, alas ! prove but one of
thorns, toil, and trouble !
But return we to our caravan. Owing to the late-
ness of our departure — combined with the above-men-
tioned delays — scarcely had we progressed three or
four miles towards our destination, ere the setting sun
Avarned us of the necessity of a halt for the night.
The spot fixed upon was in a classical neighbourhood ;
for we " out-spanned" near the residence of Mr. Chase,
the talented author of the " History of the Cape of
Good Hope and the Eastern Province." Neverthe-
less, preferring a comfortable bed in the very comfort-
able hotel of Mr. Diyars, at Port Elizabeth, to an
uncomfortable one in the waggon — albeit on such his-
toric ground — two or three of us returned for the night
to our aforesaid old quarters, with the intention of next
day overtaking the convoy.
After emerging fii^om that slip of land — running be-
tween the bare and barren rid«e of hills and the shores
IN LOWER ALBANY. 11
of Algoa Bay — on which standi Port Elizabeth, the
country suddenly expands into a succession of open,
undulatino- downs, liere and there dotted with low
brushwood ; but, generally speaking, covered solely
with jxrass ; which, though o-vowin"' in small detached
clumps — like the wool on a Hottentot's head — had,
thanks to the recent rain, now assumed a tolerable ap-
pearance of verdure. Under the exhilarating inllu-
ence of the bright sun, cloudless sky, and clear atmo-
sphere of a beautiful spring day of these southern
regions, we gave our horses their heads, and galloped
gaily onwards, over ground formerly covered with
tall forests — once the abode of the elephant, the rhino-
ceros, and hippopotamus ; of the lordly lion, and the
stealthy panther — but now aftbrding excellent pasturage
for sheep and cattle ; that is to say, when the latter
are not swept away by those wild beasts, which so
often prowl over this fated district, in the shape of
savage Kaffirs !
We pulled up, to breathe our horses, on the banks of
a small, clear, inland lake, reflecting with pictorial dis-
tinctness on its smooth bosom the undulations of the
irreen knolls and hillocks around. Its waters were
bright and pellucid, but our thirsty nags refused the
inviting draught, which proved to be salt as brine.
This sheet of water was, in fact, what the Dutch term
a •' Zout-pann;" a feature of common occurrence in
this part of the world, and by means of which, the
inhabitants are abundantly supplied with the finest
and whitest of salt. As this phenomenon has been
variously accounted for and explained by different
learned authors wlio have written on the Colonv of
12 FIRST day's " trek"
the Cape of Good Hope, the reader is referred to their
works for a full descriptiou of the same."
We overtook the waggons on the banks of the
Zwartkops River, about twelve or fourteen miles from
" the Bay," as Port Elizabeth is always, in colonial
phraseology, called "par excellence." The convoy had
" outspanned" for the mid-day meal of both man and
beast; and this said " out-spanning" and "in-spann-
ing" were so incessantly dinned with sickening fre-
quency into our ears during the ensuing " treck,"
that I shall endeavour to initiate the reader into the
mysteries of their signification.
A " spann" means, I believe, in Dutch, a team of
oxen, or other draught animals ; hence the terms " in-
spanning" and " out-spanning," or yoking and un-
yoking. Another term of Colonial import is that of
" saddling-?<p," and " o^saddling." If you pull up
at a farmer's house, after inquiring your name, voca-
tion, and destination, he requests you to " off-saddle ;"
which literally means to partake of his hospitality;
and, when you wish to depart, your order is to
" saddle-up."
In " treking," the waggon is in fact to the Dutch
33oer, neither more nor less than his house placed upon
wheels. He and his family sleep there by night; the
latter travel in it by day ; whilst the Boer himself,
mounted on his hardy galloway, with his " roer," or
lonir ifun in hand, strikes off from the direct line of
march, in quest of sport ; and generally his unerring
aim brings down a duiker, a springbok, or other game,
for the mid-day meal, or evening repast.
' Amongst others, see Barrow, vol. i., pp. 124, 126.
IN LOWER ALBANY. 13
As the oxen are provided with no other food, save
what they can pick up by grazing, whilst " out-spanned""
during a march ; in dry weather, and when the grass
and " vleys"' are scorclied up, these poor animals often
suffer the most dreadful privations from hunger and
thirst ; being sometimes kept without food or water for
two or three consecutive days. And it is astonishing
how they, as well as the Cape horses, can endure such
prolonged periods of abstinence from nourishment of
any kind.
In the morning, at daybreak, the oxen — which, for
security, are during the night kept fastened near the
wa2:""ons — ^raze about for a couple of hours, when
they are " in-spanned.'" The driver, with creaking
crackers,^ and cracking whip, then takes his seat ; a
little ragged Hottentot-boy, called the " Forelouper,"
leads the way in front of the team ; and thus slowly
they plod on till about eleven o'clock ; then a halt ;
next " out-spanning" and feeding again till two or
three in the afternoon ; once more in-spanu, and pro-
ceed till near sunset ; another out-spann, and then
night closes on the scene. The bullocks are now
driven to the camp, either fastened to the waggons, or
confined in a " kraal," or enclosure made of the
' Shallow pools of rain-water, which shortly dry up in hot
weather.
- Two peculiarities of the Colony are the sheepskin trowsers
— which, from the sound they make at every movement of the
wearer, are called "crackers" — and the waggon whip, con-
sisting of a long lash fastened to the extremity of a pliant
bamboo, some eighteen or twenty feet in length ; this, in ex-
perienced hands, is a dreadful instrument of punishment, for
thereby, the bullock's hide can be deeply gashed as with a knife.
14 FIRST day's " TRKK''
branches of thorny trees and shrubs, which, encom-
passing them hke a magic circle, prevents at once their
escape, and protects them from the nocturnal attempts
of wild beasts, or pilfering natives.
This important duty performed, the Hottentot ser-
vants, drivers, &c., crowd round their fires to recount
the adventures of the trek : and, if they can only muster
amon2fst them an " amateur" musician and a little oi'og,
these thoughtless merry rogues will often end a day of
toil, by a night of mirth, dance, revelry, and song. If
sleep at last overtake them — rolled up in a sheepskin on
the bare ground, beneath the shelter of a bush, or under
the footboard of the waggon — they quietly doze away
the hours of darkness, until the dawnino- morn calls
them again to renewed exertions of fatigue and travel.
Meanwhile, the Boer, with his " vrouw and kinder,"
(wife and family) after a good and substantial supper —
generally provided by means of the long gun aforesaid —
seasoned with sheep's-tail fat, and washed down with
a " soupje," (dram) comfortably " turns in" for the
night, securely protected from wind and weather by
the canvass roof of the waggon ; and, spite of the
plaintive wails of the hysena, the yells of troops of
jackalls, or the subdued roar of an occasional prowl-
ing lion, he snores away till daybreak, and then awakes,
with fresh zest, for the morning cup of coffee ; may be,
for an early " soupje."
This sort of life, led sometimes for months together
by the wandering Colonist (for Settler would often be
a complete misnomer) amidst the wild wastes of
Southern Africa, whore tiuie is no object, and where
habit renders a little roughing immaterial, has un-
IN LOWER ALBANY. 15
tloubteclly its charm, and is not inaptly descriLod in
the following lines, extracted from a Colonial publica-
tion of the day :' —
THE TREKBOER AND HIS WAGGON.
" Let Englishmen boast of the s[x;ed of their steam,
And despise the dull life that we drag on ;
Give me my long roer, my horse, and my team,
And a well-seasoned tight bullock waggon.
" Through Afric's wild deserts expanding to view,
I'm then ever ready to fag on :
Who's more independent, the Trekboer or you,
As he slowly moves on with his waggon ?
" The race to the swift isn't always secure.
Nor the fight to the strong, who may brag on ;
The " Tortoise and Hare," though a fable, I'm sure,
Has a moral that points to my waggon.
" Full two miles an hour, do not call this dull life,
'Tis a pace I'm contented to lag on ;
For I bear independence, my children, and wife.
In my castle, my home: in my waggon.
" Should the weather be hot, to forms I'm unbound —
I may wander with scarcely a rag on :
In light marching order I'm oft to be found,
' Al fresco,' at ease in my waggon.
" If venison is wanted, no licence I ask :
Quick, presto! you'll find me my nag on ;
At eve I return, 'tis no difiicult task.
With a springbok, or gnu, to my waggon.
" If butter I lack, I have milk at my beck,
Jly churn is a goodly-sized flaggon ;
'Tis worked without labour whenever I trek,
Being tied to the wheel of my waggou.
' The "South African Journal," ably edited by that highly
talented individual, W. L. Sammons, Esq.
16 FIRST day's " trek"
" From the smouch I obtain coffee, sugar, and tea ;
As for raiment I scarce want a rag on :
Then tell me, who's more independent than he —
The Trekboer confined to his waggon ?
" From Kaffir, or Bushman, no insult I brook :
If they steal — gad ! they find me a dragon ;
So long as they're civil they get a kind look,
And share what I've got in my waggon,
" But my vengeance is quick as the Englishman's steam.
And gives them few minutes to brag on ;
What matters palaver ! — I not only seem.
But prove that I'm king in my waggon.
" Oh ! would other drivers but follow my plan.
With common sense measures but drag on ;
Shun Ex'ter Hall leaders. Then might they out-spann,
And save both their team and their waggon."
*****
As we crowned an eminence overlooking the green
valley of Zwartkops, a pleasing scene — though one
frequently met with in Southern Africa — presented
itself to our siirht. On the banks of the stream which
lazily rolled its dark waters to the neighbouring ocean,
were irregularly dispersed the now teamless waggons,
which, with their white canvass roofs, looked like huge
irondolas stranded on a verdant shore. The whole
encampment, as seen from a distance, bore in many
respects the appearance of an English country fair;
some of the parties " pic-nicking " on the green
sward; some wandering along the river with their
ff)wling-pieces in quest of game, or luxuriating, " al
fresco," in the coolness of its waters. Others miirht
be observed stretched on the grass in every atti-
tude of quiet and repose ; whilst the " knee-haltered"
IN LOWER ALBANY. 17
liorscs,' and "out-ypaiined" oxeu, Avere busily engaged
in gathering, from the green, flower-enamelled carpet
under foot, tlieir principal meal for the day. It was alto-
gether a pleasing and peaceful sight, that mid- day halt,
in the quiet seclusion of an African glen. But muskets,
piled in regular and glittering array, involuntarily re-
minded the spectator of war's alarms ; and that this pas-
toral scene was enacted in the vicinity of a savage and
relentless foe, who — even at that moment — might
perhaps be lurking unseen, amidst the densely wooded
lieights which crowned the opposite banks of the stream.
On arriving at the camp, we found the party making
preparations for a move. The Hottentot drivers, wield-
ing with botli hands their huge bamboo whips, were
cracking them with a noise, which, reverberating
along the valley like the reports of a musket, was
faintly re-echoed from the neighbouring hills. At this
well-known signal, the obedient oxen might be seen
slowly returning from the green pastures around,
meekly to bow again their necks to the galling yoke ;
the tractable steeds were without difficulty caught and
" saddled up ;" the convoy gradually moved off tho
ground ; and amidst the discordant sounds of deafen-
ing Hottentot cries, the successive teams were next
rapidly urged down the steep bank of the ford, and
thence into the bed of the river.
We watched waggon after waggon, as they toiled
across the stream : now jolting over large rocks — now
sinking up to their axles into a cavity, or quicksand —
^ The horse's head being fastened down with a " reim," or
leathern thong, to his fore-leg, he is then suffered to graze at
large, and, thus fettered, can be always easily caught.
,*>■)
IS FIRST day's " TREK
sometimes the entire convoy was brought to a com-
plete stand-still ; and the whole progressing so slowly,
that we began to speculate on the chance of their all
reaching the opposite shore, ere night should have cast
its dark shadows around. Nor could we cease to
wonder at the negligence and apathy of a Government,
which had suffered the only communication between
the coast and the capital of the eastern province to
remain for so many years in such a shamefully neg-
lected state ; and without a single bridge to span the
numerous rivers that so frequently intersect its course —
rivers, or rather mountain streams, which — without
an}' warning, and at the most uncertain times — are fre-
quently so suddenly swollen by a single thunder-storm
amidst the neighbouring hills, that in ten minutes they
sometimes become impassable torrents, and occasion-
ally remain so for days and weeks together.
Havino- "off-saddled" and "knee-haltered" our
panting steeds — which, ere commencing to graze, first
rolled luxuriantly on the still young and tender herbage
under foot — a preliminary, I may remark, en passant,
universally practised on a journey by the horses of the
Cape — we next produced fi'om our holsters a brandy-
flask and a few sandwiches. The leathern " botta,"
with its supply of water, was also put in requisition
(for that of the stream was found to be rather "brack") ;
and havins: attached a handkerchief to the long hog-
spear, and planted it on the elevated bank of the river,
as a signal to the stragglers left behind, we — after
a plunge into the Zwartkops — sat down to our simple
repast, whilst watching the convoy, which, like some
huge reptile, now laboriously dragged its slow length
IN LOWKR ALHANY. 19
along the white, shining track, so distinctly chisollud
out on the steep side of yon opposite dark and thickly
wooded lieights ; over which many a licrd of colonial
cattle had, erewhile, been driven by plundering Kaffirs ;
and had been as often hotly pursued by the plundered
and exasperated Colonists.
Time thus imperceptibly glided by ; till, casting our
eyes on the waters beneath, we were not a little sur-
prised to observe that they had suddenly and most
unaccountably increased. In fact the river here, from
its vicinity to the sea, was evidently within the in-
fluence of the tides. We, therefore, lost not a mo-
ment in saddling up, but just saved our distance, and
avoided a swim ; for the water, as we crossed, reached
to the very flaps of our saddles.
On arriving at the further bank, after bestowing a
hearty " blessing" on the want of a bridge, Ave can-
tered on smartly in pursuit of the waggons ; for the
slanting rays of the sun warned us that a single hour
more would see him close on the verge of the western
horizon. We had to traverse the thickly- wooded heights
before us. It was known that parti(\s of Kaffirs who
had evaded our troops were thcu in the Colony ; and, in
our situation, an encounterwiththesegentry might have
been attended with most unpleasant consequences.
As may therefore be imagined, on entering the
Zwartkops"" bush, we were tolerably on the qui rire ;
but neither this circumstance, nor the celerity of our
pace, as we clattered up the rugged pass, could prevent
us from noticing and admirino- the — to us — new
and varied specimens of wild vegetation wliich now,
at every step, met our wondering gaze.
20 . FIRST day's " TREK ""
The character of the South African " Bush" has fea-
tures quite peculiar to itself, and sometimes strangely
unites — while strongly contrasting — the grand and
the sublime with the grotesque and ridiculous. When
seen afar from a commanding elevation — the undulating
sea of verdure extending for miles and miles, with a
bright sun shining on a green, compact, unbroken sur-
face — it conveys to the mind of the spectator naught
save images of repose, peace, and tranquillity. He
forgets that, like the hectic bloom of a fatal malady,
those smiling seas of verdure, oft in their entangled
depths, conceal treacherous, death-dealing reptiles ;
ferocious beasts of prey ; and the still more dangerous,
though no less crafty, and more cruel Kaffir.
On a nearer approach, dark glens and gloomy
"kloofs"' are found to furrow the mountain sides.
These often merge downwards into deep ravines, form-
ing, at their base, sometimes the bed of a clear,
gurgling brook, or that of a turbid, raging torrent ;
generally shadowed and overhung by abundant vege-
tation, in all the luxuriance of tropical growth and
profusion.
Noble forest-trees, entwined with creepers, encircled
by parasitical plants, and with long gray masses of
lichen, loosely and beard-like floating from their
spreading limbs, throw the " brown horrors " of a
shadowy gloom, o'er these dark, secluded, druidical-
looking dells. Jiut jabbering apes, or large, satyr-like
baboons, performing grotesque antics and uttering un-
' A Colonial term, implying the re-entering elbow or fissure
in a range of hills ; and, whatever be the character of the ad-
joining country, the "kloof" is generally clothed in dense bush.
IX LOWKR ALBANY. 21
earthly yells, f^rate strangely on the ear, and sadly
mar the solemnity of the scene; whilst lofty, leafless,
and fantastic euphorbia — like huge candelabra — shoot
up in bare profusion from the gray, rocky cliflfs ;
pointing, as it were in mockery, their skeleton arms at
the dark and luxuriant foliage around. Other plants
of the cactus and milky tribes — of thorny, rugged, or
smooth and fleshy kinds — stretch forth in every way
their " bizarre," misshapen forms ; waving them to
the breeze, from yon high, beetling crags, so thickly
clothed to their very base with graceful nojebooms,
and drooping, palm-like aloes;' whose tall, slender,
and naked stems spring up from amidst the dense
verdure of gay and flowering mimosas.^
Emerging from such darksome glens, to the more
sunny side of the mountain's brow, there we still find
an impenetrable Bush, but differing in character from
what we have just described — a sort of high, thorny
underwood, composed chiefly of the mimosa and portu-
lacaria tribes ; taller, thicker, more impenetrable, and
of more rigid texture than even the tiger's accustomed
lair, in the for depths of an Indian jungle ; but withal,
so mixed and mingled with luxuriant, turgid, succulent
]>lants and parasites, as — even during the driest wea-
ther — to be totally impervious to the destroying in-
fluence of fire.
The Bush is, therefore, from its impassable cha-
' The aloe arborescent, strongly contrasting, in form and
appearance, with the more common and stiuitcd kinds, called
by botanists the aloe ferox and aloe lineata.
- Named, by Barrow, " the mimosa nilotica," and which the
author of this work has often seen growing on the banks of the
Nile.
22 FIRST day's " TREK ''
racter, the Kaffir's never-failing place of refuge,
both in peace and war : in his naked hardihood, he
either — snake-like — twines through, and creeps be-
neath its densest mazes ; or, shielded with the kaross,
securely defies their most thorny and abrading oppo-
sition. Under cover of the Bush, in war, he — panther-
like — steals upon his foe ; in peace, upon the farmers'
flock. Secure, in both instances, from pursuit, he
can in the Bush set European power, European skill,
and European discipline, at naught ; and hitherto,
vain has been every effort to destroy by fire this, his
impregnable — for it is to all, save himself, an impene-
trable — stronghold .
Of this last description was the general nature of
the country through which now lay our route ; but
the beauties of its details might baffle all attempts at
delineation of a far abler pen ; and the gems of plant,
shrub, and flower, which everywhere meet the eye,
would require a practised botanist not only to de-
scribe, but merely to enumerate.
Geraniums of every colour ; jessamines, redolent of
perfume ; and numberless other sweet-scented, flowering
shrubs and plants, thickly o'ershadowed the thorny,
twisted, or gnarled stems, peculiar to those sterner and
more rigid denizens of this verdant waste; which, car-
peted at so genial a season of the year with innume-
rable bulbs and flowers, now looked the very temple of
that gay and prolific goddess — the South African Flora.
" For, under foot, the violet,
Crocus, and hyacinth, with rich inlay,
'Broidcred the ground, more coloured than wdth stone
Of costliest emblem."
IN LOWER ALBANY. 23
On crowning- the pass of the Zwartkops"" heights,
and emerging from the thick bush whicli clothed its
sides, a novel and splendid view burst suddenly upon
our sight. We found ourselves on — what is a com-
mon characteristic of South African scenery — an ele-
vated table-land, commanding the whole of Alo-oa
Bay ; whose widely- extended shores, now gilded by
the evening sun, were spread out beneath us in all the
richly-burnished and detailed distinctness of a liio-hly-
coloured pictorial plan.
At one extremity of the Bay, near the perilous
rocks of Cape Receif, faintly rose to the sight a small
" forestry of masts ;" whilst, on the adjacent shore,
might indistinctly be descried a few white specks, de-
noting the locality of Port Elizabeth — that lasting me-
mento of J British industry in this distant part of the
world. In an opposite, easterly direction, along the dim
outline of the far watery horizon, we discerned the small
cluster of the Chaon Isles ; on one of which the adven-
turous Bartholomew Diaz — the first discoverer of this
remote part of Africa — erected, in 1486, the sign of
the cross ; hence bestowing on the spot the appellation
of Santa Cruz.
Since that period, how many various passino- events
have intervened ! How often has Southern Africa
changed its different possessors ! Churches, edifices,
towns, and harbours, have in many parts sprung up of
late ; civilization is advancing through its wilds, with
slow, yet — it is to be hoped — unerring steps. But the
locality first consecrated by the symbol of our Holy
Creed, that ground first trodden by the great Lusi-
tanian navigator of old still continues — as when first
24 FIRST day's "trek" in lower ALBANY.
discovered — a barren, deserted, and nearly unknown
rock ; frequented only by the seal, the cormorant, or
the penguin !
Long did we here gaze and moralize on the wide-
spread landscape at our feet. Turning in an opposite
direction, as we beheld the sun fast sinking behind
the dark mountains in the far west, now clad in a
mantle of deepest blue ; that sight reminding us of
the lateness of the hour, as it hastened our unwill-
ing departure from this fairy spot, recalled to the
memory of the old Dutch Colonist who accompanied
us the cruel massacre most treacherously perpetrated
.amidst those very hills, during the war of 1812. He
related how the father of the present Sir Andreas
Stockenstrom, (whilst heading a Colonial force) having
been invited by the Kaffirs there to hold a friendly
conference, was by these savages mercilessly butchered,
with nearly all his train.
As our informant entered into all the details of this
sanguinary event — describing the wild demon-yell, the
quivering assegai, the pale, bleeding victim, and strip-
ped, mutilated corpse — we involuntarily looked around ;
and pressing our jaded horses' flanks, quickened their
pace, instinctively feeling if our weapons were in
readiness for defence. Nor did we — it must be con-
fessed — repine, when a sight of the waggons, and of the
white, bell-shaped tents — standing out in strong relief
against the deep obscurity of the surrounding jungle,
together with the britjht, flickerinof radiance of the
bivouac fires — announced a near approach to the
camp, together with the termination of our toils for
the dav.
A WAGGON MARCH TO THE FRONTIER. 25
CHAPTER II.
A WAGGON MARCH TO THE FRONTIER.
Arrival at the camp — Discomforts — AVant of water — A night
in a waggon — Pugnacious companions — Not in India —
Beating for game — Its scarcity — Plicasants, pauws, and
duikers — An encounter in the bush — A refresliing draught
— The Kougah — Mourderaars Ilooghte — Death of Lieu-
tenant Chuniney — The Addo bush — (^uagga flats — Ant-
hills — Elephants and ostriches — Description of Albany —
Arrival at Graham's Town — A soaking day.
" the patient ' Spann,'
Toiling all daj- along the arid plain,
And thirsty, hungry, to the loaded wain
Tied fast at night ; their sides with bleeding gash,
Scored thickly over by the heavy lash ;
The lolling tongue, parch'd mouth, and plamtivc eye
Of torture, telling the extremity."
Graham's Town Journal.
Darkness had already followed the short twilight of
this southern latitude, when — guided by the numerous
camp-fires, which, fed with a plentiful supply of dry,
thorny underwood collected around, now cheerly sent
up their flickering flames — we reached, as I before
said, our halting-ground for the night. The spot
fixed on for this purpose was situated on that wide
extent of high table-land, which goes by the name of
" Aloe-way flats ;"" an appellation derived, probably,
VOL. II. c
26 A WAGGON MARCH
irom the number of those grotesque-looking trees,
with which this elevated plain is here so thickly
studded.
On our arrival at the Camp, we found culinary pre-
parations in forward progress — cooking and eating ap-
pearing to he, with all hands, the order of the day, or
rather of the uijrht. The w\ao;o-ons had been drawn
up so as to form a sort of hollow square, though not
exactly according to the most approved method of
either Torrens, or Dundas. The horses and oxen
were already secured ; camp-kettles were beginning to
bubble; steaks to crackle on the gridirons of those
who were so fortunate as to possess such a luxury —
in short, every one seemed intent on recruiting from
the fatigues of the da}'^, and on laying in his share of
provisions to enable him to bear those of tlie morrow.
Notwithstanding all I had heard in favour of this
sort of gipsy life in Southern Africa, I soon felt con-
vinced that its numerous unnecessaiy discomforts much
more than counterbalanced the pleasures of a waggon
" trecking" expedition — I say unnecessary discom-
forts, because, in any other civilized or more reasonable
part of the world, such discomforts might easily be
avoided. Had our present party, with all their " ap-
pliances and means to boot,"" been on a march in India,
how differently would things have been there con-
ducted !
In that quarter of the globe;, if the weary campaigner
does not, on reaching the halting-ground, find a tent
ready for his reception, it is, at latest, securely pitched
a quarter of an liour after his arrival. The neighbour-
ing tank supplies him clear water, wherewith to assuage
TO THE FRONTIER. 27
his thirst, and perform his required ablutions; whilst
well-trained servants attend to his every want. After
a comfortable meal, he retires to his camp-cot, and gets
up ere dawn of day, rested and refreshed. In the dewy
coolness of the young morn, he resumes his march ;
and, long before the sun attains its meridian height,
again finds himself under cover ; wliere he — if wise-
remains during the sultry heat of the day, surrounded
in his canvass — or rather cotton mansion — Avith all
the comforts of a home.
What a contrast to our present mode of life !
Though the whole of our party consisted of old cam-
paigners, still "griffins" in this part of the world, we
had trusted to our Hottentot, or INIalay servants ;
and these appeared, according to their wont, to have
trusted entirely to chance. The consequence was at-
tended by every possible discomfort, when there was
not — under existing circumstances — the least necessity
for such roughing ; which is all very well in its way,
and where it cannot be avoided.
It is true, that from the scanty number of attendants
and camp-followers, a man can never, whilst travellino-
in this part of the world, enjoy the luxuries he does in
India ; yet things might be greatly improved ; more
particularly if the old beaten track (or rather "trek'')
so long trodden by the primitive Dutch Settlers, were
abandoned for a more modern and more " macada-
mized" course. But any innovation appears, in this
Colony, to be looked upon with as much aversion as it
could liave been in the land of Egypt during the time
of the Pharaohs !
A\'e here first experienced that feaiful bane of
c 2
28 A WAGGON MARCH
Southei'n Africa — the want of water. To remedy this
deficiency, the only thing requisite is — as in India —
to form '•'■ bunds," or embankments, across the valleys
and hollows, where, during the rains, a sufficient quan-
tity of water could be collected to last through the
whole year ; but such industry and foresight would
but ill tally with Cape Colonial apathy and neglect !
The spot of our encampment was fixed by the vici-
nity of a muddy " Vlei." This, after the oxen had
partaken of its waters — coffee-coloured in their purest
state — was stirred into such a muddy consistence,
that, ere it became fit to drink, an infusion of alum was
necessary to precipitate the earthly particles to the bot-
tom of the vessel used for that purpose. Jiy this expe-
dient, we managed to manufacture a cup of coffee, with
the helpof which, having washed down a certain quan-
tity of singed beef — I for one — without unharnessing,
crept into my waggon-shell, in hopes, after the fatigues
of the day, of obtaining a good night's rest.
In this flattering expectation, I was, however,
doomed to be sadly disappointed ; for, having two
pugnacious horses attached to the wheels of my dor-
mitory, what with a constant succession of kicking (for
heel-ropes are here unknown in camp), squealing, fight-
ing, and pulling, " the honey heavy dew of slumber"
rested not for a single hour on my weary lids ; and,
at dawn of day, as 1 dragged myself out of my lair, I
registered a vow, never again willingly to pass a night
in a waggon, more especially with unsociable quadru-
peds for companions !
Having passed so uncomfortable a night, 1 felt re-
joiced when the first streak of dawn led to the hope
TO TITR FRONTIER. 2!)
that we should shortly be on the move, and thereby
avoid the heat of a mid-day march ; but, as an old
stai^er in the Colony sifjnilicantly observed, " You
are not now in India ;'"'' we were, therefore, obliged to
conform in every respect to the usual slow, tortoiso-
liko "Africander""' movements of treking; and the
morning was far advanced ere both bipeds and quadru-
peds, having first duly breakfasted, began to move off
the ground.
As keeping pace with the slow advance of the convoy
was tedious in the extreme, some of us, shouldering
our fowling-pieces, extended right and left on its
flanks, beating up — in hopes of meeting with game —
the patches of brushwood encircling the low, stunted,
and grotesque-looking aloe trees, with which the sur-
rounding plain was thickly and fimtastically studde<l
over.
But vain was all our toil and trouble ; for thouuh
this covert was, to all appearance, mcII adapted for
harbouring the objects of our search — what with the
long guns of the Colonists, and tlie " keerios''"'^ of the
KafKrs — this part of the country has for many years
been nearly denuded of sylvan inhabitants ; and where
formerly the plains swarmed with qua<;;gas (zebras),
elands, gnus, and ostriches ; and the Hush abounded
with elephants, rhinoceroses, and wild buffaloes ; the
sportsman now considers himself fortunate if he ba<;,
in the course of the day, a single Duiker, or a couple
' A term answering to that of " Creole ;" chiefly applied to
persons of European lineage, but of South African birth.
2 A knobbed stick, which the Katfirs hurl with wonderful
dexterity.
so A WAGGON MARCH
of brace of — what are here called — pheasants. But
if he manaoes to knock over a " pauw," he looks upon
himself as havinf^ attained the very acme of good for-
tune !
In short, sport is now nowhere to be found on this
side of Colesberg. In pursuit of the larger animals
of the chase, such as the lion and rhinoceros, it is even
necessary to go several hundred miles further into the
interior ; whilst elephants and giraffes are only at the
present day to be seen near or beyond the southern
tropic.
Having mentioned the " duiker," the " pheasant,""
and the " pauw," it maybe necessary to tell the sport-
ing reader — uninitiated in South African wood craft —
that the former is a small deer, about the size of a
hare, whose name — meaning, in Dutch, "diver," — is
derived from the strange manner in which he appears
to plunge headlong into those bushes which may op-
pose or impede his flight.
" As to the pheasant, the bird so called at the
Cape is in fact a ' tetrao,"* or grouse, with remarkably
strong spurs on the legs, and two spurious ones just
below the knee-joint. Besides the two species of bus-
tards known in the Colony by the name of Korhaans,
at this place was a third, whicli appeared to be by
much the finest bird in Southern Africa, and which,
though sufficiently common, has not yet been de-
scribed in the Systema Naturae. It is called here the
' wilde pauw,' or wild peacock — a name common with
another large and elegant bird, the ardea pavonina, or
balearic crane. The bird in question is an otis, and
is nearly as large as the Norfolk bustard. The feathers
TO THE FRONTIER. 31
of the neck are long, very thick, and loose, like those
of a (loniestic fowl ; of a bright chestnut colour on the
upper part, and an ash-coloured blue under the throat
and on the breast. The feathers of the back are beau-
tifully undulated witli black and brown lines ; the
belly is white ; and tlio tail feathers, from sixteen to
twenty in number, are marked across with alternate
bars of black and white ; the spread of the wings is
seven feet, and the whole length of the bird three feet
and a half. It is generally met with in the neigh-
bourhood of farm-houses; and, to all appearance,
might very easily bo domesticated. The flesh is ex-
ceeding good, with a high flavour of game."^
Wandering thus, sometimes near the convoy — at
others, extending more widely from its flanks — I at
length found myself alone, and completely bewildered
in tlie mazes of the jungle. A burning sun rode high
in the bright heavens ; — not a breath of air stirred the
thorny stems and rigid foliage around ; and, oppressed
by raging thirst, I sat me down to rest for awhile be-
neath the shade of a thick bush. Whilst looking
eagerly around for some indication to direct my course,
I perceived, at the distance of a few hundred yards,
a dim line of smoke over the tops of the tall under-
wood, faintly struggling against the powerful mid-day
glare ; when proceeding towards the spot, I suddenly
stumbled into the midst of the strangest group of
beings it had ever — during all my travels — fallen to my
lot to encounter.
Under a few branches, disposed so as to form a rude
sort of hut, sat — apparently in the act of feeding —
' From I3arro\v, vol. i., p. 139.
32 A WAGGON MARCH
two or three nearly naked, miserable-looking creatures.
An old hag, in all the wrinkled deformity of African
decrepitude and age ; a young woman, with a child
strapped in a skin to her back, which — in so strange
a posture — she was suckling from her extended and
flaccid breasts ; and a middle-aged man, in the easy un-
dress of Nature ; were the party composing this inte-
resting group. Whether they might prove friendly or
fitherwise, I was at a loss to conjecture ; for, disturbed
at the suddenness of my approach, the only male of
the party sprang nimbly on his feet, grasping firmly,
at the same time, a quivering assegai in his hand.
It was too late to retreat ; I therefore put the best
face on the matter, looking as amiable as possible,
making no end of friendly signs, and intimating, by
expressive pantomime, my extreme thirst, and par-
ticular wish to drink his health. The savage, what-
ever he were, appeared pacifically inclined ; set aside
his weapon ; and saying something to his dingy partner,
she instantly produced a calabash, containing a quan-
tity of thick muddy fluid, anything but inviting either
to the sight or taste ; but which, thirsty as I then felt,
was thankfully received, and swallowed without demur.
Ye gentlemen who sit at home at ease, comfortably
sipping your port and claret, if you wish to know the
true pleasures of " drink," seek them in an African
wilderness, after a hard day's fag under a scorching
sun, even at the bottom of a calabash of brackish,
turbid, and muddy water !
The delight of that draught I shall never forget,
and my gratitude to the donor was proportionate,
though how to express it I was at a loss, for to money
TO TIIR FRONTIER, S']
they did not appear to attach any vahie. Tobacco I
had none, but it was evident that something was
wanted as an equivalent; and for the first time, I then
lieard the since well-known sound of " nazelah," whicli
1 soon found to be of the same import as the " buck-
sheesh" of the Oriental, the "pour boire" of the
Frenchman, the " buona mano" of the Italian, or the
" trink geld" of the German — in short, to mean a
gift, present, or gratuity of any kind.
In former Eastern wanderings, I had learned that if
a stranger but taste salt with the Arab of the desert, it
ensures him safety and hospitality. Barrow says these
niggers are of Bedouin origin. Reasoning therefore
from analogy, that, as they had given me brackish
water to drink ; ergo, if I had not eaten their salt. T
had drank of the same, I therefore considered I had
now an undoubted claim on their friendship ; and ou
the strength of this made myself quite at home, by
taking a seat amidst the family group ; which was
now increased by what I had at first imagined to be a
mere heap of skins, sitting up erect, and showing what
they had hitherto concealed — the form of a child,
some eight or ten years of age. The squalid urchin,
however, merely gazed vacantly around ; and, en-
sconcing himself anew in his kaross, grovelled airain
in the wood-ashes, amidst which, like a dog, he had
formed a sort of lair.
To my surprise, the younger woman now dragged
out from under the bush an old rusty firelock, and
with expressive signs, accompanied by the word "na-
zelah," it was evident that she was begging for powder.
This request I declined to comply with, but generously
C5
34 A WAGGON MARCH
bestowed a couple of charges of small shot, with
which they all appeared much pleased.
I now endeavoured to obtain some knowledge as to
the direction in which lay the Graham's Town road.
Tliis was however rather an abstruse subject, for they
apparently either could not, or would not, comprehend
m}^ meaning ; when fortunately, whilst aftairs were at
this stage of proceeding, the distant report of one
or two ouns afforded me the desired information.
Hereupon I took leave of my wild acquaintances ; and,
after struofo-lino; for some time amidst the bush, at last
retrained tlie hioh road, and struck across the track
of the leading waggons, as they were in the act of
crossino; the small stream of the Kougah.
Whether my late encounter had been with fi-iend or
foe — Fingoe or Kaffir — I was at a loss to determine,
as I did not then know how to distinguish between
them. The party I had fallen in with most probably
belonged to the former, though they might have been
outskirting stragglers of the latter, cut off from the
rest of their tribe ; and whilst prowling about in quest
of food and plunder, reduced to the state of destitution
in which I found them ; for, poor creatures ! they looked
in the last stage of starvation. In the latter case, I
had thus inadvertently subjected myself to the severe
penalty awarded by the Articles of War, for holding
unauthorized communication with an enemy !
The Kougah was the locality where — at the period
when the English first obtained possession of this
Colony from the Dutch — the celebrated KaflBr chief,
Congo, was located with his Tribe ; and who — what
with his Avars with T' Slambie, his treachery towards
TO THE FRONTIER. 35
General Vandeleur, and the extent to wliich he car-
ried his depredations — gave us then so much trouble,
that at last measures were taken for his final exi)ul-
sion from the Zuureveldt, which were at last carried
into effect by Colonel Graham, in the year 1812.
Shortly after crossing this strcaui, we " out-spanned""
on some heights called " Grass ridge," said still to be
the occasional resort of a few ostriches ; but not a
sino-le bird of the kind were we so fortunate as to
meet with. We next proceeded on, to our halting-
place for the night, situated near a solitary house, a
sort of wretched inn placed in a valley, and bearing
the ominous name of " Mourderaar's Hoogte,"* or
" Murderer's Corner," from a massacre committed, as
it is said, on this very spot by some Kaffirs of Congo's
Tribe, about half a century ago.
The story runs thus : General Vandeleur proceed-
ing in 1799 with a British force from Algoa Bay to
Graff Reynet, to reduce to subjection the insurgent
Dutch Boers, was met on the way by Congo, who,
though till then hostile to us, now souglit an inter-
view ; entered into a friendly compact with the
General, promised to evacuate the Zuureveldt, and
retire, according to former treaties, beyond the Great
Fish River.
General Vandeleur having successfully accomplished
his expedition to Graff Reynet, and on the strcugtli
of his late treaty with Congo, now considering t la-
Kaffirs in a friendly light, sent forward to Algoa Bay
a detachment of the 81st Regiment under Lieutenant
* The Dutch word " hoogtc," or corner, means a basin formed
by surrounding hills.
6b A WAGGON JIARCII
(Jhumncy ; followinjy himself without distrust, accom-
panied by the remainder of his force. ^
Kaffir faith was however, then, no more to be relied
on than it is at the present day. The General was
treacherously attacked in his camp at the Bushman's
River, and obliged to make a hasty retreat towards
the coast, which he reached without very serious
loss.
A more melancholy fate awaited poor Chumney.
His small detachment, assailed by overwhelming
numbers of savages, fought with all the valour of
desperation, until reduced to a mere handful of men.
But the ftiry of the barbarians appeared chiefly directed
against its leader ; seeing this. Lieutenant Chumney
— already transfixed with three assejjais — resolved to
sacrifice his own life for the purpose of saving the few
survivors still left under his command. He therefore,
with heroic devotion, ordered them to effect their escape
by flight; turned his horse in an opposite direction,
and galloped off", with the whole troop of Kaffir blood-
hounds at his heels. Of all this ill-fated party, four
men alone reached Fort Frederick, to recount so
lamentable and bloody a deed. The gallant Chumney
was never heard of more; fortunate if he died sword in
hand, nor suffered those tortures and mutilations ever
reserved for a captured foe, by these very fiends in
human shape. ^ The tragedy itself is an historic fact :
' See Barrow, and Colonel CoUins's Report in the "Cape
Records."
- Even in the late campaign, so fully impressed was every
one with the tortures inflicted on their prisoners by the Kaffirs,
that many a pocket pistol was carried for the purpose of com-
mitting suicide, and thus guarding the possessor against those
TO THE FRONTIER. 37
the spot where it was enacted is said to have been the
locaHty of our present encampment.
# * * * ~
Another hot and wearisome march took us across
that broad belt of dense jungle, known as the " Addo
IJush;" which, being a connnon resort of roving Kaffir
hordes, was not entered without requisite precautions
on our part against an attack. We passed through it
however unmolested, and that evening pitched our camp
on the edge of the " Quagga Flats.''
Tliis part of the country, some years back, more
particularly abounded with innumerable species of
game of every size and description. The sportsman
then revelled in all the delights of the most princely
chase ; it was his very paradise, where —
" bears, tigers, ounces, pards.
Gambolled before him ; the unw ieldy elephant,
To make him mirth, used all his might, and wreathed
His lithe proboscis."
* * * »
Barrow thus mentions the appearance, in his time,
of the then more extended " Addo :" — " Here we
started a herd of fourteen buftaloes, that had been
rolling in the spring. They were very shy, and scam-
pered away at a great rate into the thicket that covered
the sides of the hills. For three days'* journey from
this place the road lay over a surface of country
firmly marked with bold hills, plains, gradual swells,
and hollows ; but the whole was entirely covered with
a forest of shrubbery. Sometimes tnr the distance of
sutferings he was sure to endure, if he fell alive into the hands
of these cruel savages.
38 A WAGGON MARCH
teu or twelve miles there was not the least opening
that made it possible to turn a yard out of the path,
either to the rioht or to the left ; and from the
heights, where the bushes were less tall, the eye could
discern only an uninterrupted forest. Nothing could
be more beautiful nor more interesting than this grand
and extensive shrubbery appeared to be, for the greatest
part of the first day's journey ; but the inconvenience
it occasioned towards the evening, when we wished to
halt, was seriously felt. There was no space sufficient
for the tent and waggons, or to make fast the oxen ;
and, what was the worst of all, not a drop of water.
The weather had been very sultry, the thermometer
fluctuating generally from 75° to 80° in the shade,
during the day ; yet the cattle had tasted water once
only in three days. The two nights they were un-
yoked it was necessary to bind them fast to the
waggons, that they might not stray into the thicket,
where they would infallibly have been lost, or de-
voured by lions. The prints of the feet of this de-
structive animal were every where fresh on the road,
and every night we heard them roaring around us.
Besides these, were heard the cries of a multitude of
ferocious beasts, that nightly prowl the woods, in quest
of prey. The roaring of lions, the bellowing of buf-
faloes, the howling of the wolves, the yelping of jack-
alls, and the timid lowing of our oxen ; were parts
in the nocturnal concert that could not be said to
produce much harmony to us, who were encamped in
the midst of a forest of which we could discern no
end."'
' From Barrow's Travels, vol. i., p. 120.
TO THE FRONTIER. 39
To so late a date as a few years subsequently to the
settlement of Albany by the English in 1820, the
" Addo Bush'"' was much frequented by herds of ele-
phants, buffaloes, and other wild animals, in the pur-
suit of which many of our countrymen became mighty
Nimrods ; and equalled, if they did not surpass in
daring, the exploits of the Boers ; who, natives of
these wilds, had, it may be said, been almost born
and bred to the chase.
In reference to the sporting performances of the
latter, Thompson, in his interesting Travels through
Southern Africa, mentions that on the 1st of January,
1823, a party of Boers had assembled to celebrate the
new year at a farm-house on the Quagga Flats. Having
received intimation of the vicinity of a troop of ele-
phants in the neighbouring bush, one of the party, of
the name of Mare, went, for a bet, and pulled out three
hairs from the tail of one of the elephants; but after-
wards returning on horseback to shoot the animal, his
bullet not taking effect, he was pursued, and the horse,
putting his foot into one of the holes made by the
'■ aardvark," or ant-eater, in the numerous ant-hills
with which the Quagga plain is thickly dotted, rolled
over on the rider ; and, ere Mare could recover him-
self, the infuriated elephant came up, and tranipled the
bold hunter into the shape and consistence of a pan-
cake.
These ant-hills are the frequent causes of falls and
accidents to the horseman careering across the South
African plains ; and I have, on more than one occa-
sion, been their victim. The mounds, thrown up by
these insects, are frequently of considerable height, of
40 A WAGGON MARCH
sniootli hardened clay, and sometimes scattered in such
profusion over the plains, as at a distance occasionally
to be mistaken for browzing sheep. The insect by
which they are formed probably mixes the upturned
earth with some glutinous matter exuding from its own
body ; and, for this reason, the ant-hills being first
pulverized, and afterwards moistened with water, con-
stitute the most approved material in the construction
of the flooring of the Settlers' houses. This, when
dry, assuming a smooth, hard surface, fully answers
the purpose of the finest planking ; whilst the Turkey
or Brussels carpet finds here a cool and cheap substi-
tute in a coating of cow-dung and water; which, however
repugnant to ideas refined, is daily sprinkled over the
farm-house floor by the females of the establishment.
The Quagga Flats, where we were now encamped,
derive their name from the herds of that beautiful ani-
mal, the Zebra of naturalists ; which, though now only
found beyond the Orange lliver, used, some few years
past — together with the prancing, grotesque-looking
gnu, and stalking-ostrich — to be in great plenty on
this extended plain. But those sporting days are now
gone by ; hundreds of miles must the keen sportsman
at present traverse, ere he obtain a glimpse of the
" wild horse"' of the first Colonists — beautiful as wild
' So called, in all the old chronicles, even up to Kolben's
time, who wrote at the coniincncement of the eighteenth cen-
tury ; but that both the zebra and elephant of Southern Africa
can be tamed, if sufficient pains are only taken, is proved by
the fact that a team of four zebras were driven about Cape
Town, under Sir Lowry Cole's government; whilst Kolben
mentions that an elephant's strength was tested, by making
him drag a small vessel which had been stranded in Table Bay.
TO THE FROXTIER. 41
— thon considered untameable, and still continuing- un-
tamed.
As to the ostrich, old Kolben says : — " Ostriches
are so numerous in the Cape countries, that a man can
hardly walk a quarter of an hour any way in those
countries, without seeing; one or more of those birds.
For the feathers of the Cape ostrich, some are black,
and some are white. The head, is very small, not
coming near, in proportion to the size of the body,
which is the largest in the feathered world. The neck
is long, and like that of a swan ; the bill is short and
pointed ; the legs are thick and strong ; the feet are
cloven, resembling the feet of a goat. These birds are
easily tamed ; and many tame ones are kept in the
Cape fortress. The eggs of them are so large, that
the shell of one of them will contain the yolks of thirty
hen-eggs. They are pretty good eating ; and one of
them furnishes out a pretty good meal for three or
four persons."
Since the time of this quaint, old-fashioned, Prus-
sian author, the avarice of man and vanity of woman
have caused sad havoc amongst these poor, harmless
birds ; which, for the sake of their graceful plumage,
have been hunted nearly to extirpation. They are,
however, still occasionally, though rarely, seen on the
" Quagga Flats." Having brought the reader to the
spot, a few words relating to the method of their cap-
ture may perhaps not be deemed entirely out of place.
The Boers, when in quest of the ostrich, go out
well njounted, in parties of three and four. The birds
are generally found grazing on the wide, (»pen plains,
and when first started, instead of going straight ahead —
42 A WAGGON MARCH
by which means the ostrich could easily distance the
fleetest horse — like a hunted hare, he circles round in
his course, steadily pursued, at a distance, by one of
the sportsmen. The others meanwhile gathering to-
wards the centre of the wide area — around which the
bird, with outstretched neck and open wings, keeps on
his circling flight — are at hand, to relieve each other
in the chase ; till at last the poor ostrich, overmatched
by a constant succession of fresh pursuers, when com-
pletely exhausted, gives up the race in despair, throws
himself headlong into a bush, and is then easily cap-
tured by the hunter ; who however requires some pre-
caution to effect this finale to the chase, as a single
kick from the ostrich has often been known to break a
man"'s thigh.
* * * *
Tired with the tediousness of the treck, another
officer and myself resolved to push forward on horse-
back, during the last forty miles of our journey, to
Graham''s Town. Leaving therefore the waggons, we
o-alloped on across a country, which has perhaps been
rather too glowingly portrayed in the following de-
scription : —
"• The scenery of this Arcadian country has called
forth the unqualified praise of every inhabitant and
sojourner. Towards the sea, well grassed and gently
undulating meadows are interspersed with park-like
scenery. Natural shrubberies, variegated by flowers
of a thousand hues, everywhere arrest the attention of
the delighted beholder. These elegant prairies are
covered with numerous flocks of sleek and healthy
cattle, and sprinkled with the cottages of farmers,
TO THE FRONTIER. 43
whose dazzling whiteness pleasingly contrasts with the
freshness and brilliancy of the bright verdure. On
the north, the character of the landscape undergoes a
complete and sudden change, passing at once into sub-
limity. There the bold ranges of the Winterberg,
Kat River, and Katfrarian Mountains, with their oc-
casional crests of snow and eternal diadems of hoary
forest, stand out in sharp relief against an intensely
azure sky, and give a grandeur to the scene not sur-
passed in any part of the world. In short, the appear-
ance of the entire country is splendid beyond descrip-
tion, and continues to increase in majesty and richness
as the traveller proceeds eastward into the country of
the Kaffirs."
Such was Albany, in peaceful times — and short
enough they have been ! During our hasty progress,
we saw neither numerous flocks nor sleek and healthy
cattle; the " dazzhng whiteness" of the cottage-home
was now converted into blackened gables and roofless
walls ; and nature — as if sympathizing with the deso-
lation around — mournfully sighed in cold, chilling
blasts, and wept in drenching torrents o'er the dismal
scene. We rapidly spurred on through bush and brake
— flooded ravines — swollen and turbid brooks — over
plain anil mountain — hill and dale ; till, jaded, cold,
and wet, we at last gladly pulled up at the threshold
of a wretched-looking tavern, in one of the, then, mud-
flooded, unpaved, and deserted streets of Graham's
Town.
44 Graham's toavn.
CHAPTER III.
Graham's town, and its attack by the pbophet
MAKANNA.
Arrival at Graham's Town — Uncomfortable quarters — Drunken
servants — Some account of Graham's Town — Improvidence
of the Settlers — The surrounding country — The " Lynx's
Kopf " — The Prophet INIakanna — His ambitious projects —
Opposed by Gaika — He invades the Colony — Attack on
Graham's Town — Boezac — Colonel ^Villshire's account —
Retributive measures — Surrender of Makanna — His seclu-
sion at Robben Island — His attempt to escape, and death —
The Valley of the Kowie — A youthful shepherd.
"Kings yet unborn shall rue iMokanna's name;
And, though I die, my spirit still the same
Shall walk abroad, in all the stormy strife,
And guilt, and blood, that won its bliss in life."
Moore.
The day was considerably advanced, when, amidst
torrents of rain — wet, hungry, and cold — we arrived
at Graham's Town, and pulled up at the miserable
" cabaret," dignified by the imposing appellation of an
" hotel ;" which however appeared to be the fashionable
house of entertainment of this capital of the Eastern
Province ; for it was so crowded with guests, that we
had some difficulty in procuring even wretched accom-
modation, at most extortionate charges.
To add to the delights of our situation, the few
things we had brouijht with us in our saddle-bass were
Graham's town. 45
thoroughly saturated with wet ; there was no forage
to be procured for tlie horses ; and our servants made
such good use of tlieir time — in wetting the inward,
whilst drying the outward man — that, in the course of
an hour, they were reported to be so drunk as to be
completely hors cle combat.
Amongst the guests assembled at this uncomfortable
caravanserai were several officers on have from the
forces then in the field ; and their absence — however
temporary — argued that hostilities were not at this
moment in very active operation. In fact, both parties
— a[)parently weary of the protracted proceedings of
the campaign — seemed to be resting awhile on their
arms ; and negociations were even said to be pending
for the final conclusion of peace. JNIany officers had in
the meanwhile availed themselves of this respite, to
enjoy — after the pnvations and hardships of the cam-
paign — a little recreation at Graham's Town ; and
from them we learned particulars, not at all encou-
raging to men who had come from the other extremity
of the world, for the avoweil purpose of doing some-
thing more than witnessing the patching up of an un-
satisfactory peace ; and of hearing something else than
the pious exhortations of priests and missionaries to-
wards incorrigible savages — to be good boys for the
future — to keep their assegais out of the skins of the
Colonists — and their fingers oft" Colonial cattle !
* # # *
The rain still came down in torrents the day follow-
ing that of our arrival ; and we considered ourselves
lucky in having a roof over our heads, as, one by one —
shivering with cold and drenched with wot — many of
46 Graham's town.
our companions pulled up at the door, in quest of accom-
modation ; which, from the crowded state of the house,
tliey were, one and all, obliged to seek for elsewhere.
The weather at last cleared up ; our baggage-wag-
gons arrived ; whilst, weary of the discomfort of " the
liotel," and of the drunken incivihty of " mine host,""
I resolved — pending instructions from the General —
to seek a change of abode ; and accordingly pitched
my tent on the outskirts of Graham's Town ; relative
to which, I shall take the present opportunity of saying
a few words, for the information of such as may take
an interest in the subject.
The capital of the Eastern Province owes its name
and origin to Colonel Graham, who in 1811 and 1812
so greatly distinguished himself, by driving the Kaffirs
out of the Zuureveldt ; which — in spite of repeated
treaties — these barbarians had long unjustly occu-
pied, to the utter ruin of the former Dutch Colonial
inhabitants. He chose this locality for the establish-
ment of a military post, which, like the baronial castles
of old, soon became the nucleus around Avhich such of
the Settlers of 1820 — who had been sent forward as
scouts to advancing civilization — gradually congre-
gated ; until Graham's Town at last attained its pre-
sent population, size, and importance.
" This place, which had been, a few years before, a
Dutch Boer's farm, was considered so poor an estate,
as hardly to aftbrd the means of existence to its occu-
pants, and so badly supplied with water, as to render
it requisite to remove the stock, at certain periods of
the year ; the same identical spot is now the metro-
polis of the Eastern Province, and the seat of the
ouaiiam's town. 47
Lieutenant-Governor. It has above eijrht liundred
houses, many of them elegant and capacious, besides
several handsome public edifices — a Government house,
commercial luill, public offices ; an Episcopal church
and six chapels ; a gaol, one of the handsomest erec-
tions in the Colony ; forts and barracks ; and is peopled
by upwards of five thousand souls."'
The above account was published in 1843 ; it is
therefore probable that if — since that period — any alter-
ation have taken place in Graham's Town, it has been in
an increase of extent and population. Though, from
its proximity to the frontier, and consequent import-
ance — as regards its being the capital of the Eastern
Province, and constantly subject to stand the brunt of
Kaffir attacks — Graham's Town is singularly deficient
in every means of defence ; nor does the narrow escape
it had in 181.9, (when nearly captured by the " Pro-
phet" Makanna) or the subsequent threatening warn-
ings it has received, appear to have impressed on the
authorities the necessity of providing for its safety,
by the construction of adequate fortifications.
The town is situated in a hollow, forming a com-
plete basin, surrounded on all sides by open downs, or
rather higli table-land covered with grass ; whose sides
are frequently indented with wooded kloofs or ravines,
froni one of which issues a streamlet, constituting; the
principal branch of the River Kowie. Although here
— so near its source, and whilst meanderinjr alonjr the
outskirts of the town — it be a mere shallow brook, it
appears nevertheless, from all accounts, to be peren-
nial ; and therefore, were proper measures adopted of
' From Chase's " Cape of Good Hope."
48 Graham's town.
constructing dams and embankments, (for wliicli the
nature of its bed is peculiarly adapted) any quantity
of water might always be secured, to last through
seasons of the greatest drought.
The neglect of all precautionary measures of this
kind, in ensuring a supply of water during the dry
season, may be added as a further instance of that
want of any spirit of enterprise and improvement,
which appears so peculiarly to characterize the Settlers
of Southern Africa. This neglect is the more remark-
able, as in times of drought — so common in this part of
the world — the very existence of both man and beast is
frequently jeopardized by the scarcity of water ; a
want which, from the abundance of rain falling at cer-
tain periods of the year ; and from the, generally
speaking, undulating nature of the country ; might
always be obviated by the construction — as in India —
of embankments, or " bunds," across the valleys and
watercourses issuing from the hills ; thus forming
tanks or reservoirs, where any quantity of water
might be retained for irrigation, or other purposes,
during the prevalence of dry weather.
But no ! — the Colonist of Southern Africa — though
probably settled there for his own life and the lives of
liis children — appears to have no thought but for the
actual present. His house is unadorned ; his lands
remain uncultured ; his garden displays no care ; and
this, in so genial a climate, and with so propitious a
soil, that trees and plants of every sort grow almost
spontaneously, if merely put into the earth. ^
^ No greater proof of this can be afforded than by visiting
the garden of the veteran commandant of Graham's Town,
Graham's town. 49
This unaccountable apathy, which I have already
noticed, as regards Port Elizabeth, displays itself
e(jually at Graham's Town ; the streets of which are
well laid out, wide, regulai' — and if properly attended
to — would present as respectable an appearance as
those of any provincial town in England. Instead of
this, they remain unpaved and unmacadaniizcd —
full of ruts and inequalities — covered with loose stones
and rubbish ; in dry weather, forming a deep bed of
fmely-pulverized dust, and after rain a very quagmire of
liquid nmd ; whence there is no possible escape for
the unfoi'tunate pedestrian, who vainly looks for re-
fuge to some raised causeway, or friendly " trottoir.""
A slight attempt has however certainly been made
at adornment in the principal thoroughfare, by the
plantation of rows of English oaks, which, as in the
neighbourhood of Cape Town, appear to thrive here
most luxuriantly.' In this street stood, until late years,
the withered trunk of a venerable mimosa tree, on
which Colonel Graham is said to have hung his sword,
when he dismounted for the purpose of bivouacing on
the spot — then a verdant wilderness — at present the
centre of a populous town ; and close to which has
sprung up a handsome church, in which may now be
seen a tablet to the memory of tiie gallant and accom-
Lieutenant-Colonel O'Reilly, which, with its fruit-trees, verdure,
and Howcrs, looks like an oasis in the midst of the surrounding
neglected cultivation.
' In the northern hemisphere, the oak is one of the latest trees
to show the garment of spring; transplanted to Southern Africa,
it in this respect quite changes its character, and in September
(the month of ^larch of this region) I observed the magnificent
oak-trees in the public gardens at Cape Town in full foliage.
VOL. II. D
50 GRAHAM'S TOWN.
plislied soldier, who did so much for this remote, and
then little-known quarter of the globe.
The country around Graham's Town consists, as I
have already observed, of high table-land, formerly
covered with thickets of the tliorny mimosa — long
since cleared away for firewood — and presenting now
the aspect of extensive and open grassy downs, above
which a single white, conical hill raises its sugar-loaf
head in so conspicuous a manner as to be visible from
a distance of many miles. This elevation, known as
the " Lynx's Kopf," (or head) is celebrated as being
the spot from whence the Kaffir chief and soi-disant
Prophet, Makanna, (surnamed the " Lynx"i) directed
the desperate attempt made by the Kaffirs on Graham's
Town in 1819 ; and which was so gallantly repulsed
by Lieutenant-Colonel, now Sir Thomas Willshire, at
the head of a handful of British troops.
Althougli this event, and the name of its perpe-
trator, be in the Colony well known and famihar as
" household terms;"" still some account of so remarkable
a personage will perhaps be novel, and therefore not un-
interesting to the general reader, who may not be, as yet,
fully initiated into the arcana of South African events.
I have already endeavoured to prove that this sud-
den and formidable invasion of the Kaffirs, in 1819,
(though, as usual, defended by certain parties) was
in no wise justified by any encroaching measures on
' " Links" means, in Dutch, " left-handed ;" but I could never
ascertain if this were the meaning of the " sobriquet," which
was applied to Makanna, in whose name there is likewise a
remarkable coincidence with that of Moore's " Veiled Prophet,"
the exploits of whom are also founded on historical facts.
Graham's town. 51
our part ; l)ut that prompted, as on former and sub-
sequent occasions, by a love of plunder, they — led on
by their prophet chief — made such a sudden and ener-
<:jetic attack on Graham's Town, as well nigh to cap-
ture the place,"and destroy the small garrison by which
it was defended.
!Makanna, with whom this invasion originated, was
a KalKr of low origin, but who, by his abilities,
had ac(|uired great influence over that people ; and,
straiiffc to sav, that with these ionorant savages — to
whom the very name of religion was unknown — the
stepping-stone to his ambitious projects was laid on that
spiritual basis which, among civilized nations, has so
often proved a starting point to soaring aspirations of
worldly grandeur !
He had long previously been in the habit of visiting
Graham's Town, where, since 1812, had been established
the head-quarters of the British troops on the frontier.
During frequent residences there, his time was chiefly
taken up in converse and arguments with the garrison
chaplain, from whom he appears to have obtained a
confused notion of the principles and system of the
Christian religion. With this newly-acquired store of
knowledge, he returned to liis tribe ; like his namesake
of Khorassan, boldly announced himself as a prophet
inspired by Heaven, and sent by Divine Providence
to lead the Katlir people from the error of their ways.
He even jrave himself out as the " brother of Christ ;"
and, under this title, industriously propagated the
mystical ravings of a doctrine of his own, grafted on
that divine system, of which he had lately acquired
some indeiinite and vague ideas. ^Naturally endowed
d2
52 Graham's town.
with a wild and persuasive eloquence, the " Prophet"
soon obtained considerable influence, not only among
the Kaffir people, but even over most of their chiefs;
and was thus enabled to attach to himself a consider-
able body of retainers, by whose means he probably
contemplated the possibility of becoming some day
head of the " State" as well as that of the " Church."
Though he had apparently thus gained the con-
fidence of most of the leaders of the Amakosse Tribes,
there was one chief as crafty and designing as him-
self, who watched his movements with the utmost sus-
picion, and ever endeavoured to thwart him in all his
ambitious designs. This was Gaika, head of the
Hahabees, second only in power to Hintza, the para-
mount chief of Kaffirland ; tlien in the prime of life,
and noted equally for his vices, cunning, and — even
among Kaffirs — by his unparalleled duplicity.
Gaika was therefore the peculiar object of Makanna''s
enmity and hatred ; and by his intrigues he at last
succeeded in raising a powerful confederation against
him. Hintza, T' Slambie, Congo, Habanna, and
several other Kaffir chiefs, roused either by real or
pretended injuries, but chiefly instigated by " the Pro-
phet," attacked and defeated Gaika. They followed
np their success by entering and plundering the Colony ;
to avenge which act, and in compliance with the ap-
peals of our allies the Hahabees — with whom had been
estabhshed a treaty — a commando entered Kaffir-
land in 1818 ; the result of which has already been de-
scribed, and which moreover served to divert the
intentions of Makanna into a fresh channel.
Baffled in his designs against Gaika — by our sue-
Graham's toavn. 5:1
cessful interference in supporting our ally, and punish-
ing the inroad of his enemies on the Colonial territory —
Makanna, instigated by a desire of revenge, and tlie
hope of expelling for ever those who had so materially
interrupted his ambitious schemes, now exerted his
utmost influence and energies to raise up a powerful
coalition in KalHrlaud against the British power.
" By his spirit-rousing eloquence, his pretended re-
velations from Heaven, and his confident predictions
of complete success, provided they implicitly followed
his counsels, he persuaded the great majority of the
-Amakosse (dans (including some of Hintza's warriors)
to unite their forces for a simultaneous attack upon Gra-
ham's Town, the head-tpiarters of the British troops.
He told them he was sent by Uteka, the Great Spirit,
to avenge their wrongs ; that he had power to call up
from the grave the spirits of their ancestors, to assist
them in battle against the white men, whom they
should drive, before they stopped, across the Zwart-
kops Kiver and into the ocean : ' and tlien,'' said the
•Prophet, ' we will sit down and eat honey !' Igno-
rant of our vast resources, Makanna probably con-
ceived that, this once effected, the contest Mas over for
ever with the usurping Christians.
" Having called out the chosen warriors from the
various clans, Makanna mustered his army in the
forests of the Great Fish River, and found himself at
the head of between nine and ten thousand men. He
then sent (in conformity with a custom held in repute
among Kaffir heroes) a message of defiance to Colonel
Willshire, the British commandant, announcing ' that
he would breakfast with him next morning'.''
54 Graham's town.
" At the first break of dawn, the warriors were roused
for battle on the mountains near Graham''s Town ;
and, before they were led on to the assault, were ad-
dressed by INIakanna in an aniniatino- speech, in which
he is said to have promised the aid of spirits of earth
and air to assist this cause, and to countervail the
boasted prowess of the ' white man\s fire."*
" Thus excited, they were led on by their various
chiefs, but all under the i^eneral direction of the Pro-
phet himself, and his chief captain, Dushani, the son
of T' Slambie. The English were completely asto-
nished when they appeared, soon after sunrise, march-
ino- rapidly over the heights which environ Graham's
Town ; for Colonel Willshire had so utterly disre-
garded the message sent him, considering it a mere
bravado, that he had taken no precautions whatever,
and was himself very nearly captured by the enemy, as
he was taking a morning ride with some of his officers.
Had the Kaffirs advanced by night, they could not
have failed to capture the place.
" All was now bustle and confusion in the little gar-
rison, which consisted of about only three hundred and
fifty European troops,' and a small body of disciplined
Hottentots. The place had no regular defences, and
the few field-pieces which it possessed were not in per-
fect readiness. The Kaffirs marched on to the assault
with their wild war-cries. They were gallantly en-
countered by the troops, who poured upon them — as
they advanced in dense, disorderly masses — a de-
structive fire of musketry, every shot of which was
deadly, while their assegais fell short, or ineffective.
' Other accounts say two hundred and fifty. — Author.
GRAHAM S TOWX. on
Still, however, tliey advanced courageously, tlie chiefs
cheering them on, almost to the muzzles of the IJritish
guns ; and many of the foremost warriors were now
seen breaking short their last assegai, to render it a
stabbing weapon, in order to rush in upon the troops,
accordincr to Makanna's directions, and decide the
battle in close combat. This was very diflFerent from
their usual mode of Bush-fighting ; but the suggestion
of it evinces Makanna's judgment ; for, if promptly
and boldly acted upon, it could not have fiiiled of suc-
cess. The great bodily strength and agility of the
Kaffirs, as well as their vast superiority in numbers,
would have enabled them to overpower the feeble gar-
rison in a few minutes.
" At this critical moment, and while other parties of
barbarians were pushing on, to assail the place in flank
and rear, the old Hottentot Captain, Boezac, who hap-
pened that day to be accidentally at Graham's Town,
with a party of his buffalo-hunters, rushed intrepidly
forward to meet the enemy. To old Boezac most of
the Kaffir chiefs and captains were personally known.
He was a man of great coolness, too, and familiar with
their fierce appearance and furious shouts. Singling
out the boldest of these, who, now in advance, Avere
encouraging their men to the final onset, ]5oezac and his
followers — the first marksmen in the Colony — levelled
in a few minutes a number of the most distinguished
chiefs and warriors. Their onset was for a moment
checked. The British troops cheered, and renewed
with alacrity their firing, which exhaustion and dis-
may had somewhat slackened. At the same instant,
ihe field-pieces, now brought to bear upon the thickest
56 Graham's town.
of the enemy, opened a most destructive fire of grape-
shot. Some of the warriors madly rushed forward,
and liurled their spears at the artillerymen. But it
was in vain. The front ranks were mown down like
grass. Those beliind recoiled — wild panic and irre-
trievable rout ensued. Makanna, after vainly attempt-
ing to rally them, accompanied their flight. They
were pursued but a short way ; for the handful of
cavalry durst not follow them into the broken ravines,
where they speedily precipitated their flight. The
slaughter was o-reat, for so brief a conflict. Fourteen
hundred Kaffir warriors strewed the field of battle ;
and many hundreds more perished of their wounds
before they reached their own country."*
By this account it would seem that the defeat of the
Kaffirs was mainly attributable to the opportune assist-
ance afibrdedby " old Boezac :" however, in a commu-
nication which I had with Sir Thomas Willshire, on
the subject, the latter did not seem to think he was in
any way indebted to this person for the successful
issue of the contest. Tlie following is Sir Thomas
Willshire's own version of the affair, extracted from
the columns of a Colonial publication : —
" About half-past one o'clock, on 22nd April, the
Kaffirs, amounting to six thousand strong, made a
most determined and well-arranged attack upon the
town, which tlie steadiness and bravery of the officers
and men I have the honour to command repulsed,
killing about a hundred and fifty Kaffirs, w^ounding a
greater number, and their losing from seven to eight
hundred assegai's. I am quite convinced this force
' From the "New Monthly Magazine" of January, 1827.
Graham's town. 57
was collected for a night attack ; but tliey were led to
make it by day, from the following circumstance.
Having the Colonial troop under arms, for inspection,
at half-past ten o'clock, a report reached me that the
Kaffirs had attempted to carry away cattle from a
spot not half a mile from me. I innnediately took
twenty-five of the troop, and pursued the Kaffirs to-
wards Botha"'s Hill ; when, within two miles of it, I
discovered two bodies of Kaffirs on the side of it,
amounting to, 1 imagine, between two and three hun-
dred. Along the foot of this hill there is a small
river: on descending the hill, to cross the river,
the Kaffirs appeared to retreat towards the top of
Botha's Hill ; but, suspecting they might have some
of their strength concealed at the back of the top of
the hill, I left two dragoons on the hill I quitted, to
apprise me, after I crossed and began ascending, if any
additional force appeared, and in what direction they
moved. I was soon given to understand they were
forminu a circle round us, and in ijreat numbers. I
therefore deemed it prudent to re-cross the river with
the cavalry, higher up, and regain the hill I had left.
" Wlien I had done so, I was surprised to find we
were followed by about five thousand, who gave a
horrid yell, rushed down, and crossed the river after
us. Froui their numbers, I instantly concluded they
intended an attack on Graham's Town, and imme-
diately despatched a messenger to direct the garrison
to get under arms ; while, with the cavalry, I made
frequent unsuccessful attempts to check them, their
object being clearly to get, if possible, as soon as us to
Grahanrs Town ; I therefore brought the cavalry on
D 5
58 Graham's town.
as fiist as possible towards Graham's Town, there to
await their arrival. I had not reached the town more
than ten minutes, when they showed on the top of the
hills to the eastw-ard, and extending in large bodies to
the northward. Those hills are about two thousand
four hundred yards from the town, and this was about
a quarter to twelve o'clock ; from which time till half-
past one they continued to increase, till they amounted
to about five thousand. Besides this, I was aware of
a mass of about a thousand, descending by a kloof to-
wards the Royal African Corps'" Barracks, situated on
our right, about two thousand yards distant, at which
an officer and sixty men were left for its defence.
Captain Trappes, previously to my arrival, had pushed
on the 38tli Light Company towards the point by
wdiich he expected they would come. I ordered the
Light Company and Colonial troops to extend along
and below the point of a gentle slope from a plain
about eight hundred yards from the town, to cover
two guns I requested Lieutenant Aitchison to take
across the river, and place on the plain in rear of and
above the cavalry and 38th ; sending the Royal African
Corps to cross, and remain in support of the guns and
extended troops.
" I could now plainly discover they were acting
upon a regular system, (planned by, I suppose, a de-
serter) and that their object was to turn my right, and
ijet into Graham's Town, while I was enn-aired with
their right and centre masses, which were both col-
lected and separated from the body on the hill on which
they assembled. Knowing that, w-lien they moved, it
would be as fast as they could run, and, from their
Graham's town. 59
immense numbers outflanking me, might perhaps com-
pel me to re-cross the river towards the town, I there-
fore left five pieces of artillery at the end of the town,
80 placed by Lieutenant Aitchison, that as soon as we
descended from the plain into the ravine, to re-cross,
those guns would have the Kaffirs open to them all
across the plain, if they followed us. I loft the Cape
Corps in reserve with those guns, in the event of any
attack being made on the town from another point. I
then directed the extended troops to advance, and open
a fire upon numbers of them who were tlirown out in
front, in hopes of inducing the masses to move down
to their support, and by that means get them in range
^f the two guns ; but they would not move till the
mass that went to attack the African Corps Barracks
began firing, (they had several firearms among them,
and many of them were mounted) on which the whole
set up a terrible yell, and rushed down to the troops,
a short distance in masses, and then spread into clouds,
covering the face of the hill as they ran. I imme-
diately crossed over; and seeing immense numbers
pushing on, to pass the right of the 38th, directly
moved the African Corps (from reserve) forward, and
to their right, thereby bringing them in line with the
88th and cavalry, (who had fiillen back to the top of
the slope of the plain) with their right rather kept back,
from which point they opened a well-directed fire, and
completely stopped the Kaffirs from proceeding, though
they would not retreat till I ordered the advance to
sound, wlien the soldiers cheered, and, strange to say,
the savages began retreating directly, pursued by the
troops ; but they run so excessively fast, the men
60 graiiam''s town.
were not long able to keep up with tbem ; and not
wishing them to pursue too far, I sounded the retreat,
and brought the troops back to the place where the
guns were, lest a body of them, that had remained on
the hill, might, by the rapidity of their running, take
advantage of the troops being so fiir from their guns
and the town, and make a rush to get in their rear.
" The Kaffirs, when checked in their advance, were
not more than thirty or thirty-five yards from the
troops, and there they remained kneehng, and ducking
ft'om the shot, while many rounds were fired, and till
the advance sounded, and the men cheered. The de-
termination of those savages to do as much mischief as
possible was wonderful. While kneeling and duck-
in o- in front of the troops, the right hand was always
raised with the assegai, but their fear of looking at the
fire prevented them throwing as often or as correctly
as they otherwise would have done. On seeing a
flash, they immediately placed the left arm, with the
kaross, (bullock's-hide) before their eyes. The firing
still continuing at the barracks, I directed the Cape
Corps to be sent to the troops defending it, and by
half past three o'clock the Kaflirs were beaten in every
direction, and retreated. At dusk, I retired into the
town, placed the troops and guns at the necessary
points for its defence, and who remained lying at
their arms all nii^ht. Previously to this attack, the
Kaffirs had fallen in with five soldiers of the African
Corps, on their way from Hermanns'' kraal, all of
whom they mercilessly butchered."
Housed by this daring attempt of the Kaffirs, the
Colonial government lost no time in chastising our
Graham's town. 61
barbarous foes ; and, whilst Colonel Willsliire, with
his eliaracteristic energy and activity, advanced into
the enemy's country, at the head of all the disposable
troops on the frontier, the present Sir Andreas Stocken-
strom, with a large mounted burgher force, swept it in
another direction ; and so well combined were these
operations, that in a short time the Kaffirs, reduced to
extremity, w^ere glad to come to terms, by the sur-
render of Makanna, and the cession of that territory
between the Keiskamma and Great Fish Rivers.
The latter judicious measure was meant as a safe-
guard against sudden future invasion on the part of
the Kaffirs, by placing an open belt of country between
them and the Great Fish River — until then the
eastern boundary of the Colony — the dense and
entangled thickets of which afforded them ample cover
to assemble and mature — as in the last instance —
their predatory incursions into the British territories.
The justice of this measure — more particularly after
this late daring act of aggression — can scarcely, by any
reasonable person, be called in question. It was at first
agreed upon that this " ceded district" should neither
be inhabited by Kaffirs nor Colonists, but exclusively
reserved for the occupation of our military posts; the
principal of which, named " Fort ^^'illshire,"''' occupied
a central situation, near the banks of the Keiskamma.
This important post, destroyed — as I have before
related — by the Kaffirs in J 835, and afterwards rebuilt,
at an innuense outlay, by Sir B. d'Urban — was linally
given up and demolished, in consequence of those imbecile
and fatuous arrangements — emanatino- from the vilest
intrigues — which, under tlie appellation of the " Stock-
G2 Graham's town.
enstrom Treaties," have laid the foundation to many
of the subsequent misfortunes of this ill-fated Colony.
" In the mean while " — to use the words of one
of the mistaken advocates of the Kaffirs — " the unfor-
tunate Makanna was carried captive to Cape Town, and
confined, by order of the Government, onRobben Island,
in the mouth of Table Bay^ — a spot appropriated for
securing convicted felons, condemned slaves, and other
malefactors, doomed to work in irons in the slate quar-
ries. After being there a few weeks, Makanna at-
tempted to effect his escape, by seizing a fishing-boat, but
was upset, and drowned before he could gain the shore.'"
I may observe, that the author who gives this
account is not celebrated for accuracy, when it suits
his purpose to distort or misrepresent facts ; and in
the present instance it does not seem probable that
had Makanna been obliged, as here stated, to " work
in irons," he could have been able to seize a boat and
row her from the shore. *****
A great outcry was raised at this reclusion and
subsequent end of the " unfortunate Makanna." It
must however be borne in mind, that before he gave
himself up, he was distinctly informed, although his life
would be spared, no guarantee could possibly be given
for his liberty. With a full knowledge of these con-
ditions did he surrender; nor could such a person —
with any regard for the safety of the Colony — have
been suffered to remain at large.
After such a narrow escape from almost inevitable
destruction, it will no doubt be imagined, that imme-
diate precautionary steps would have been taken for
the future security of the garrison and inhabitants of
Graham's towx.
63
Graham's Town. Not so : witli that characteristic
iiidift'erence so peculiar to thi.s Colony — although thirty
years have now elapsed since the occurrence of the
above event — Graham's Town still continues an open,
an unprotected, and a straggling assemblage of liouses.
URAHAM's 'lUWN.
The barracks themselves are not even fortified ; and
the range of buildings miscalled Fort England, about
a mile from the town, might — during the last war
— at any time have been plundered and destroyed by
a hundred Katlirs !
64! Graham's town.
Grahara\s Town — as I have observed — is situated
in a basin surrounded by open table-land; and that
through the valley, in which stands the town, runs a
branch of the Kowie. This river (still in its infant state of
a puny brook) escapes to the eastward through a narrow
pass, the sides of which are densely wooded with mi-
mosas, euphorbia, and various sorts of aloes ; whilst the
verdant banks of the stream, in all the luxuriant ve^e-
tation of Southern Africa, (where irrigation is at hand)
are dotted with farmhouses and cottajjes — once smilins:
in peaceful happiness, under the shade of the orange-
tree, the pomegranate, and the lemon — but now
presenting the forlorn appearance of roofless walls,
blackened gables, and deserted hearth-stones — for the
brand of the Kaffir had even here spread destruction
within musket -shot of the capital !'
This Arcadian landscape — beautiful even amidst its
abandoned ruins — was often the scene of my solitary
rambles. On one occasion, after visiting a deserted
cottage, the rustic porch of which had been over-
shadowed by rose-trees, jessamines, and geraniums —
now in neglected luxuriance, trailing on the ground,
and wasting their " fragrance on the desert air"" — I was
surprised, whilst wandering through what had once
been the adjoining orchards and gardens, to stumble
suddenly on a little boy ; who, seated under a shady
fig-tree — whilst engaged in tending a few lean oxen —
was busily engaged in extracting from its prickly
covering the fruit of the cactus, apparently gathered
^ During the last war, the Kaffirs even plundered " Oat-
lands," Colonel Somerset's residence, situated in a romantic
spot, within sight of Graham's Town.
Graham's town. 65
from a tall hedge of that plant bordering the enclosure
in which lie was tending his cattle.
The child's appearance, with his round, chubby face,
blue eyes, and long, flaxen locks, was so truly English,
and offered so strong a contrast to the tropical vegeta-
tion of the surrounding African solitude — shrouded as
he was by masses of the cactus, the aloe — of gaunt
and skeleton euphorbia, and other characteristic attri-
butes of this far Southern clime — that I stood for some
time musing in silent contemplation on the scene, be-
fore he was even aware of my presence.
At last, raising his eyes, he beheld me, but without
evincing emotions either of interest or alarm. " My
lad," said I, "what are you doing, all alone in this wil-
derness?" — " Fm herding them oxen, sir." — "Who do
they belong to f — " To my grandmother." — "^Mlere
does she live ? for the Kaffirs appear to have destroyed
all the cottages around V — " Up the kloof, yonder.
The Kaflirs came and sot fire to our house, and killed
father ; but we had no whore else to go, so grand-
mother and T went back there again." — " And where
is your mother?" — " She died, broken-hearted, after
they killed father." — " Are you here quite alone with
your grandmother?" — "Yes." — "But suppose the
Kaffirs come again, some night — what do you think
they would do I — " I suppose they would kill us."
"Are you not afraid?" — "No; that would be of no
use."
Such, as far as I can recollect, was the substance of
our conversation. Such is a true specimen of usual
Colonial apathy. Clovornment will do nothing for the
Colony — the Colonists will do little for themselves !
6Q A GALLOP TO WATERLOO BAY
CHAPTER IV.
A GALLOP TO WATERLOO BAY AND FORT BEAUFORT.
Letter from Graham's Town — A wet ride — The Blauw Krantz
— Cawood's Post — Passage of the Fish river — Head-quarters
— The General-in-Chief — An invite to dinner — A young
church militant — Shakespeare — The Kaffirs — Neglect of
"necessary" precautions — Disturbance of the force — Native
Levies — A knotty point — The omnibus — A hot ride — Con-
clusion of the letter — Start for Fort Beaufort — The " Tiral-
loos" — The Eccah Pass — Land tortoises, &c. — Scarcity of
game — Kaffir mode of hunting — The Koonap — The Queen's
road — Dan's Hoek — Origin of the " Hatchet war."
Some days elapsed after our arrival at Graliam''s Town,
ereorders reached us from tlie head-quarters of the army,
then established at Waterloo Bay, near the mouth of
the Great Fish Iliver ; wliere the General was await-
ing the arrival of supplies, and a considerable reinforce-
ment, consisting of those regiments which had lately
arrived at the Cape. The wished-for summons at
length, however, arrived, requiring our immediate
attendance at Waterloo Bay, there to receive instruc-
tions as to the nature of the duties we " staff-officers"
would have to perform during the courseof the campaign.
An account of this trip will be found in the follow-
ing letter, written on my return to the capital of the
eastern province, and dated
"'Camp,' Graham's Town, October 30th, 1846.
" I shall resume the thread of my narrative from
where I left oft", announcing the arrival here of my
AND FORT BEAUFORT. 67
waggon with the rest of the convoy, and pitching my
tent in the ' Drosky' square : an extensive piece of
ground adjoining the barracks.
" The marquee 1 brought out from England is now
of great use ; for the miserable little bell-tents sup-
plied by the Commissariat are positively no better than
our cooking tents in India; and to this purpose the
one with which I have been furnished has been applied
by my servants, who have the choice of sleeping in it
or in the waggon ; the latter being drawn up in rear of
my little encampment. I have been busy making a
few additional preparations for campaigning in light
marching order ; a small kettle, a frying-pan, a grid-
iron, a couple of pewter plates, and a lantern, being
added to the articles in my saddle-bags, which I
mean to take into the field ; the whole — including
a small patrole tent ' — to be carried by a strong
sumpter horse, which I have been fortunate in pro-
curing.
" My establishment now consists of a drunken Irish-
man : a discharged soldier — who will also be a dis-
charged servant when I can provide myself witli a better
— a Hottentot boy, and a private of the OOtli, of the
name of Weedon, who formed part of tiie escort from
Algoa Bay, and who makes such an invaluable servant,
that I have applied for him to be permanently esta-
blished on my ' personal stall'. "■ I have, as yet, only
* These patrole tents — suggested first, I believe, by Sir
Harry Darrell — made of liglit canvass, painted waterproof,
weighed about twenty-five pounds; and were fretpiently found
of the greatest service by such as were fortunate enough to
possess them.
68 A GALLOP TO WATERLOO BAY
four horses, but rather think I shall have to get two
or three more for the work before me. However, to
proceed with my adventures. After concluding the
former part of this epistle, I lay down on my ' air'
mattress, and was soon asleep ; I was, however, roused
from my slumbers by a hand being placed on my
shoulder, though I had not heard any one enter the
tent. The first impulse was to lay hold of my
' toledo ;' but I was soon satisfied of the peaceable in-
tentions of the intruder, who was no less a person than
Mr. Patrick, my Irish servant, who announced him-
self as the bearer of a letter. I immediately struck a
light, and found it to be an official communication re-
quiring my attendance at the camp near Waterloo
Bay — nearly fifty miles off — where the General, with
his head-quarters, was then established. (If you get
WyWs map of Southern Africa, you will easily be
able to follow me in my wanderings.) I, therefore,
gave directions to have everything ready for a start
next morning at daybreak, when I found that several of
our party had likewise received similar summonses. At
an early hour, we all left Graham's Town under the
guidance of Sir Harry Darrell, of the 7th Dragoon
Guards. The road was considered insecure, as many
strajrslinjr Kaffirs were known to be still scouring this
part of the country ; however, as we were a large
party, we did not think an escort necessary. After
clearing the hills by which Graham's Town is sur-
rounded, we got into a fine, open, undulating, grassy
country, over which we cantered at a slapping pace,
halting for breakfast at a ])lace called Roby's Farm,
twelve miles from Graham's Town,
AND FORT BEAUFORT. 69
" Shortly after leaving this spot, we struck into a
deep wooded kloof, or valley, called the ' lilauw
Krantz"" (blue crags) — from the colour of its preci-
pitous sides, between which the river Kowie finds an
outlet from amidst thick groves of mimosa bushes.
This valley is a celebrated haunt of the Kaffirs ; and
we kept a sharp look-out as Ave passed it, though the
only enemy we met with was a most pitiless rain, with
a piercing cold wind, from the efiects of both of
which / was completely protected by a famous water-
proof coat I brought out with me ; and which, on
that day, did right good service, as, thanks to it
and to the ' antigropolos boots,' I kept perfectly
dry, whilst all the rest of the party were thoroughly
drenched.
" Like Ossian's heroes, of the mist and the mountain,
we charged on through wind, fog, and rain, at a pace
which would have tried the mettle of many an Eng-
lish horse, until we reached a small post of dragoons,
commanded by a subaltern, at a place called Cawood,
or Kaywood. Here we got a little refreshment, gave
our horses some forage, mounted again, still gallop-
ing over a fine, open, grassy country. Passing ' Fort
Dacres' (a miserable attempt at a field-work), we
reached the mouth of the Great Fish River (about
forty-three miles from Graham's Town) at three in the
afternoon.
" Here we found a sort of punt, in which we crossed
over, our horses swimming behind — saddled up again
on the opposite bank ; and, after cantering along the
sands of Waterloo Bay, where the surf was breaking
fearfully over the wreck of a stranded ship (the Cathe-
70 A GALLOP TO WATERLOO BAY
riiio, lost there some time before), and passing a few
tents erected on the shore by speculators in the sale
of stores, &c., we struck inland ; and, about three
miles further on, reached the camp, then the head-
quarters of his Excellency Sir Peregrine Mait-
land.
" The country we had traversed was, generally
speaking, fine grass land, without any object to inter-
rupt the view for miles and miles, except where, here
and there, a bushy kloof occasionally crossed our path.
The entrance of the Fish River at Waterloo Bay
offered one of the most picturesque scenes I ever beheld,
and reminded me strongly of some of the wooded
creeks in Cornwall.
" The head-quarter camp presented a strange medley
of filth and confusion, which said little in its favour;
the carcasses of bullocks — dead, probably, from starva-
tion — were lying thickly around its precincts, over
which flocks of vultures mio-ht be seen hoverine; in the
air ; whilst others were busily engaged in the act of
gorging on their prey.
" I had scarcely entered the camp, when I stumbled
on an old fellow in a pea jacket and a ' shocking bad'
white hat, whom I took for some storekeeper; and
on begging him to direct me to the General's tent, I was
not a little surprised on receiving the following reply
from the individual in question.
" ' AVhy,' said he, ' / am the General, though, per-
haps, not very like one just now ; however, you must
come and dine with me.'
" As to the first part of the remark, I could not in
conscience differ from him ; and, as you may suppose,
AND FORT BEAUFORT. 7 1
at the end of a ride of fifty or sixty miles, the latter
hospitable proposal was most gladly acceded to.
"After all the 'pomp and circumstance'' I had
been accustomed to in Oriental campaigning, I was
not a little surprised at the homely appearance of tliis
specimen of a South-African camp ; which certainly
resembled more the temporary residence of a tribe of
Brinjarees, or Ik'douin Arabs, than that ofaBritish army.
" The party we met at dinner consisted of the
(reneral's personal staff, some of the heads of depart-
ments, and a dandy young civilian in a black coat and
white neckcloth, who was introduced as Mr. ,
holding some appointment in his Excellency's suite ;
presuming probably on which, he appeared to be at
— least, in his own estimation — a person of infinite
importance.
" After dinner, some despatches arrived, were placed
on the table, most unceremoniously opened, and freely
commented on by the said spruceyoung gentleman in the
black coat and white cravat; who, to the astonishment of
the new comers, gave his opinion — in the presence of
grey-headed veterans — concerning matters on which
he could not possibly be conversant, with as much
modest assurance, though rather more flippancy, tiian
would have become him, had he been holding forth in
the pulpit !
" I would have given a trifle to have been able to
notice his conduct by a certain quotation from Shake-
speare : —
' for it made ine mad,
To see him shine so brisk, and smell so sweet,
And talk so like a waiting gentlewoman
Of guns, and drums, and wounds (God save the mark !)'
72 A GALLOP TO WATERLOO BAY
and save me likewise from ever seeing presuming
priests or meddling missionaries within the precincts
of a camp !
* * * *
" The general opinion appears to be, that the busi-
ness may be considered nearly at an end, as the
Kaffirs, now that they liave taken all they can get,
are humbly sueing for peace ; say they won't fight any
more, and that they will lie down, even if we bayonet
them on the ground. I would just take them at their
word, and they would then, no doubt, soon find their
way across the Kye ; for, until that river becomes the
Colonial boundary, no permanent peace can ever be
expected ; at least, such is the idea of many who
are supposed to know a good deal on tlie sub-
ject.
" It is to be hoped that the General will not allow
himself to be influenced by the missionaries, and over-
reached by Sandilla, with whom he is to have an inter-
view in a few days. But Sir Peregrine Maitland is
said not to be made up of that stern, inflexible stuff", to
enable him to deal successfully — influenced as he is
said to be by his spiritual advisers — with these
atrocious thieves and murderers — who, as they behave
like wild beasts, deserve to be treated as such.
" We appear to want somebody here with much more
of the devil in him, such as Sir Charles Napier, of
Scinde, or Sir Harry Smith, either of whom would worry
them to death in six weeks. ^ The audacity of the
^ " If 2000 men of all arms, burghers, volunteers, &c., are
upon the line of defence, it is ample ; and if 2000 men of all
arms for the invading force be most rapidly and energetically
AND FORT BKAIFORT, 7-S
Kaffirs is at tliis very time so great, that they are
constantly hovering round tlie camp within gun-shot,
stealing oxen and horses. The other night a party of
them who came in with a flag of truce, on taking their
departure, walked off" with about twenty head of cattle !
To give you an aniu.sing instance of the state of things
at the camp (which, by the by, is placed, as if inten-
tionally for the convenience of these gentlemen, close
to a dense jungle, or bush, whilst luilf a mile oti' there
is beautiful high and open ground), I must mention
what happened to me on the night of our arrival ;
when, with another officer, who acted as my guide, 1
had occasion to go a short distance from the encamp-
ment. On leaving its precincts, we mentioned our
intention to the sentries, with the request that they
would not fire at us on our return. When we had got
cabout fifty yards off, my friend said we had better not
go any farther, because the Kaffirs might have a crack
at us from the bush — as they had had, on a similar
occasion, at Colonel , some short time back. I
leave you to imagine my pleasant reflections at such
a moment ! Verily, the most ' necessary' rules of
castrametation were sadly neglected in this said head-
(juarter camp of tlie army in Kaffirland !
* * * *
" The purport of our being summoned to head-
quarters was to have our ditt'erent employments carved
out for us during the projected grand advance ; wiiich
(if the Kaffirs do not, in the mean time, talk the
moved, the war would be terminated in two or tliree weeks."
From notes on the Kaffir war, by Sir Harry Smith. See
" Parliamentary Papers" (1848,) relating to the Cape, No. 31.
VOL. II. E
74 A GALLOP TO AVATERLOO BAY
General into a peace) is to take place on the arrival of
the 6th lleginient and of the Eiflcs, expected every day
from the Cape. 13ut I may as well premise by ac-
quainting you with the manner in which the force
is now divided.
" The first division, under Colonel Slade, acting to the
westward, and intended to clear the Amatola moun-
tains, consists of two guns of the E-oyal Artillery ; one
squadron 7tli Dragoon Guards ; the 45th, 90th, and
9 1st Regiments ; and a Burgher, Hottentot, and Fingoe
force, of about 2000 men, to be under my orders. The
second division, commanded by Colonel Somerset, is
to act to the eastward, and to consist of the 7th
Dragoon Guards — the Cape-mounted Rifles (under
George Napier), the 73rd Regiment (with the Rifles
and the 6th Regiment Avhen they arrive) also three six-
pounders ; and a Burgher and Native force, under
Lieutenant Colonel Mackinnon.
" At the present head-quarter camp, at Waterloo
Bay, will be left three guns, one troop 7th Dragoon
(jruards — and some Burghers, under the command of
Major Wetenhall (one of our party), whilst the ser-
vices of the rest of the ' Field Officers on the Staff' —
for whom the General appears very much puzzled to
find occupation — are to be made available in a manner
which they little expected when ordered off in such
fiery haste on this especial service ; — for they are
to remain in comparative inactivity in the command
of forts and garrisons, whilst two of the number have
positively no occupation at all.
" Colonel Mackinnon and myself may consider our-
selves the most fortunate of the party; ho having
AND FORT BEAUFORT. 75
charge of all the burgher and native levies attached
to the second division, whilst I hold a similar position
with the first division ; which places between fifteen
hundred and two thousand men under my charge;
and will, I hope, give me a chance of having something
to do, when this long-talked of ' forward move' takes
place.
" Though I gladly accepted this charge, I had con-
siderable difficulty in obtaining from Sir Peregrine
Maitland a decided answer, on rather a knotty point.
As it was probable that, on joining the division to
which I had been appointed, I should find myself
second in command to a force of some five or six thou-
sand men, I was naturally anxious to know positively
what my position was to be, in the event of becoming,
by any circumstance, the senior officer of that part of
the force ; for, although the custom of the service ap-
peared clearly to provide for such a contingenc}-, there
seemed to be some doubts on the subject, in conse-
quence of my being on half pay.*
" I referred the matter to the Deputy Quarter
Master General, who said he had himself mooted the
question, but could get no decided answer from his
Excellency, and recommended me to try what a per-
' To prove that this was not a purely suppositious case, it
shortly after actually occurred with the second division, in the case
of Lieutenant Colonel i\Iackinnon ; who, during a temporary
absence of Colonel Somerset, succeeded by seniority to the
command of that i>art of the forces. Ilis right was, however,
disputed by a junior Lieutenant Colonel connnanding a regi-
ment. The matter was referred for decision to the General ;
and, strange to say, left in abeyance until Colonel Somerset's
return put an end to the discussion.
E 2
76 A GALI>OI' TO WATERLOO BAY
sonal interview would effect in tlie matter. The
General being about to start, to hold a conference with
some of the Kaffir Chiefs — his tent had been struck,
and he had ensconced himself in his usual travellinjr and
campaigning abode — a long hearse-like omnibus, I
had to dig the old gentleman out of the furthermost
recesses of this snuggery, when a long colloquy took
place at the entrance of his den — he being inside
and I out ; and never had I a more difficult task
than to draw from his Excellency on this occasion
only a verbal decision as to the point in ques-
tion ; which was, that I should assume, with the
portion of the force to which I was attached, that
position I was entitled to by my standing in the
service.
" There appear to be several opinions here as to the
particular qualifications possessed by * * * * , for this
desultory and harassing warfare. Some say that he
is too good and pious a man to deal with such a set of
ruthless savages ; others, that he has not half enough
fire and activity in him for this sort of campaigning ;
whilst all appear to agree, that he is too old for his
work. However, as yet, I am of course not competent
to pronounce on the matter — but time will show how
far the above opinions are correct.
" I gave my horses a day's rest at Waterloo Bay,
which I left yesterday morning, in company with an
artillery officer who was returning to Graham's Town ;
but, instead of fog, wet, and rain, we had now, during
our journey, a cold wind and burning sun ; from the
combined eftects of which I this mornina' found both
AND FORT BEAUFORT. 77
hands and nose well covered with hlisters ; and, spite
of tallow grease, the skin of my face much of the same
consistency as the ' crackling'' of a roasted pig !
" The news came in this morning, that yesterday,
a few hours after we had passed Roby's farm — where
we gave our horses a feed — fifty head of cattle had been
stolen by the Kaffirs, who, at the moment we passed
the ' Blauw Krantz,'' were possibly concealed amongst
its rocks and thickets ; but the object of the rascals
appears to be chiefly stealing ; for which reason they
probably did not molest us.
" Colonel Nicolls, Colonel Montresor, and myself,
start for lieaufort — which lies about forty-iive miles
to the nortliward of this — as soon as we can get wag-
gons for our bao'irao'e — the former to remain at Fort
Beaufort, whilst we join the head-quarters of the first
division, which are now established about fifteen miles
from thence."
" 31^^ October^ Grahanis Toicn. The post leaves
this afternoon ; I shall therefore close this long epistle.
I have just sent in a requisition for a waggon to take
my heavy baggage to the head-quarters of the first
division; for, being allowed tliis conveyance, I may as
well make use of it, as leave my traps to rot here in
store, although one led horse will carry all I want for
the campaign. If possible, I will got the waggon off
next Monday, and follow, myself, the day after ; as my
' native levies"' — consisting, I am told, of a strange
medley of Hottentots, liberated Africans, Fingoes, and
' friendly"' Kaffirs, are — I understand, scattered over
the whole country, and it will re(|uire some time for me
78 A GALLOP TO WATERLOO BAY
to inspect them all. Our duty will probably be se-
vere, as I suppose, in the ensuing movements, we shall
have to hunt out the Kaffirs from the Amatola Moun-
tains. I only trust the scoundrels will prove game ;
but this is not likely, as Macomo, the principal chief —
who is now negociating for his own surrender — says
they will lie down, and be bayonetted rather than fight
any more, as they wish now to plant their gardens and
sow their lands ! However, I hope they may yet make
some sort of a stand-up fight, as it would be a pity if
they did not give us an opportunity of punishing them
for all the atrocities they have committed. It is
enough to make one's blood boil to see the desolation
that is spread around, even within a couple of miles
of this. The beautiful valley through which runs the
Kovvie River, just outside the town — disfigured Avith
the blackened walls of unroofed cottages, neglected
irardens, and fallow fields — bears witness to what it
must have been in peaceful times, contrasted with its
deserted and abandoned state at this moment. In
fact, this part of Southern Africa is one of the finest
portions of the globe I ever visited, and capable of
the greatest improvements. The climate is probably
the most salubrious in the world ; for, though warm
during the day, and often chilly at night, colds are
unknown, and you can sleep with impunity almost at
any time in the open air. The greatest annoyance
one experiences, consists in the sharp winds which
almost constantly prevail, and which, together with
the sun, gave me such a benefit in my ride from
Waterloo Bay. The skin is however now beginning
AND FORT BEAUFORT. 79
to peel off my face ; and, in a day or two, I shall bo
like a snake casting his old coat, and coming out in
fresh bloom and splendour ! These winds, I think,
are the cause of people looking more wrinkled here than
tlioir age would otherwise warrant, and I fancy I begin
already to see a few crows'' feet about the corner of my
eyes, but never felt in more robust health in my life,
and equal to any work."
♦ * * *
Having at last been provided with waggons to carry
our heavy baggage, in company with Colonels Nicolls
and Montresor, I took my departure from Graham's
Town. The former officer was going to assume his
command at Fort Beaufort — the latter and myself to
join the first division of the army encamped at Block
Drift, on the banks of the Chumie, about fifteen
miles further to the eastward.
With an escort of mounted Graham"'s Town volun-
teers — who called themselves " Tiralloos"'"' — (meaning
probably " Tirailleurs'") of most unique costume and
appearance, we cantered for eight or ten miles along
;in open grassy country, when we entered the " Fish
River Busli" — that renowned stronghold of tlie Kaffirs;
and from whence, for upwards of half a century, they
have ever sallied out to plunder and devastate the
colony.
This belt of dense thicket varying nuich in breadth,
but covering an immense tract of impenetrable coun-
try, may be said to extend from the mouth of tlie
Great Fish River to the foot of the Great Winterberg
Mountains. In appearance it somewhat resembles the
Addo Bush, though apparently more plentifully in-
80 A GALLOP TO WATERLOO BAY
tfirspersed than tlie latter with the " speck Loom,"' the
graceful tree aloe, and tall skeleton euphorbium ; the
two latter of which thickly lino the edges of the
ravine, along the downward slope of one of whose
steep sides is scarped the " Queen^s Road," leading
from Graham's Town to Fort Beaufort, through the
" Eccali ;" for so is called tliis dense portion of the
Fish lliver jungle, which, from the pass above, might
for miles and miles be seen extending itself in all
directions around and below us.
Our brave "^'Tiralloos" represented this as a dangerous
part of the road ; and certainly nothing could have been
more favourable for tlie designs of an ambushed foe,
particularly against a force like our own, consisting
W'holly of cavalry. For whilst on one side the road
looked down on the yawning depths of a deep ravine,
clothed in all the tangled mazes of grotesque African
foliage and dark impeneti-able brushwood, on the
other, the precipitous and overhanging rocks left us
completely at the mercy of any foe who might have
chosen to assail us from that quarter. No enemy
however appeared. We issued unmolested from the
" Eccah" pass; and, leaving Fort Jh-own on the left,
pursued our course for some miles over level ground,
tliickly covered with low jungle.
Though, from the shelter it affords, this part of the
country appears well adapted to harbour game of every
' Sometimes called the Elephant Bush, because those animals
are said to be very partial to it. It is a shrub, with small fleshy
leaves, the taste of whicli is pleasantly acid ; and when boiled
forms a very palatable dish. Its botanical name is, I believe,
" Tortukcaria Afra."
AND FORT BHAUFORT. 81
description, not a living creature of any kind did we
see, excepting several land tortoises, huge centipedes,
scorpions, and tarantulas, which I frecjuently observed
crawling across that portion of the road lying between
the Eccali pass and the ford at the Great Fish River.
]?ut game is proverbially scanty wherever the
Kaffirs have approached, and the sportsman now in
vain looks for those noble objects of his pursuit, de-
scribed in such glowing terms by Sparmann, Le Vail-
lant, Bari'ow, and other travellers of old, as being in
their time so plentiful in this part of Southern Africa.
But instead of cantering, as we now did through the
Fish River Rush, along the "Queen's Road," the ad-
venturous explorer of these woodland regions had in
those good old times to force his way through the
narrow thorny paths, fi*ayed by the elephant and the
rhinoceros. His passage was moreover often disputed
by the wild buffalo ; and, whilst resting at night by
the fire of liis bivouac, he would not unfrequ(;ntly be
aroused from his slumbers, by the heavy footstep of
the. hippopotamus, or the subdued roar of some prowl-
ing lion.
Those palmy days for the hunter are now for ever
gone by. Towards the close of the last, and at the begin-
ning of the present century, the Dutch lioers. fornirrly
scattered over these then abandoned tracts of the Hot-
tentots of old, were by the encroaching Kaffirs forced
back to the westward, and driven entirely from the
Zuureveldt. The latter people — adopting their usual
destructive manner of hunting, by " battues" — in the
course of a few years eft'ectually cleared this part of
the country of nearly every vestige of game, which,
E 5
82 A GALLOP TO WATERLOO BAY
from the subsequent increase of a white population — ■
more particularly since the arrival of the British
Settlers of 1820 — has never been allowed to recover its
former abundance.
The Kaffir mode of hunting consists in surrounding
with a great number of beaters a large space of ground,
towards the centre of which the game is gradually
driven. As the hunters close in upon a given point, and
whilst the larger sort — even the lion and the elephant
— fall under showers of assegais, the " knob keerie,"
(a sort of small club) hurled with unerring aim,
brings the smaller animals to the ground ; and, so
great is the skill which the Kaffir displays in the use
of this missile, that birds are said to be often brought
down with it in their most rapid flight.
By such destructive means has this extensive pre-
sei-ve been gradually but effectually cleared of nearly
all its former sylvan denizens, which now — like angel's
visits — are only to be met with few and far between,
and at distant and uncertain intervals.
I may here remark that, until the late introduction
of fire-arms, the " umk' honto" (or, as we term it, the
assegai) and the " keerie" were the only weapons used
by the Kaffirs. The former is a long iron-headed
javelin — the latter, a stick of very hard wood, with a
large knob at one end, is either used as a missile for
destroying game, or as a club to brain a wounded or
captured foe.
On reaching the banks of the Great Fish River, we
in vain looked out for the accommodation of a bridge.
The " Queen's Road," meant for a military communi-
cation between the capital of the eastern province and
AND FORT BEAUFORT. 83
the important frontier post of Fort Beaufort, has now
been several years completed j it was constructed with
infinite hibour, and at an enormous outlay; but with-
out means of crossiu": the rivers wliich often here are
swollen into raging and impassable torrents, its purpose,
of course, remains unaccomplished. There does exist,
it is true, an unjinished bridge, intended to have
spanned the course of the Great Fish River ; but this,
instead of being in the direct line between Graham's
Town and Fort Beaufort, is completely off the road,
near a military post called Fort Brown — which, for
some unaccountable reason, has been erected in such
an out-of-the-way spot !
The Great Fish Eiver had — fortunately for our
progress — considerably subsided since the late violent
rains. But a wide and deep bed of mud on each side
of the turbid stream — with the " water line" distinctly
marked along the bushes, some twenty or thirty feet
above its bed — clearly showed the nature of the ob-
stacle, wliich would, a few days previously, have
brought us to an unavoidable halt.
It was nearly dark by the time we forded a second
river, called the '' Koonap," and arrived at the small
military post bearing that name. Here we found
capital accommodation at an inn kept by an old
Life-Guardsman named Tomlinson, long settled in
this part of the world ; and who — in more than one in-
stance — proved that he had not quite forgotten his for-
mer liabits, by bravely defending his habitation against
troops of marauding Kaffirs ; many of whom on these
occasions are said to have fallen beneath his double-
barrelled gun. The inn itself was still, at the time of our
84 A GALLOP TO WATERLOO BAY
visit, in a perfect state of defence, beins; looplioled, and
barricadoed in the most scientific manner.
Our horses here suffered from a defective commis-
sariat ; and, after a gallop of twenty -live miles, were
obliged to be satisfied with a roll in the sand, and a
couple of handsfull of corn for the night. But, like
the old woman's eels, the Cape horses appear to get
accustomed to this sort of treatment ; and manage,
somehow or other, to go through a deal of work, with
very little food. The bipeds of the party however,
thanks to Mr. Tomlinson's well-stored larder and his
celebrated " cutlets," had no reason to complain of
their fare. We were accommodated with excellent
beds ; and, after a good night's rest, and a morning
cup of coffee, we took our departure soon after day-
light.
The " Queen's Eoad," in leaving Koonap, ascends
for a few miles along the side of a picturesquely-
wooded ravine — similar, in many respects, to the
Eccah pass — shortly after reaching the summit of
which, a road brandies off to the right, leading
through a small military station called ]3otlia's Post,
to Post Victoria ; whilst keeping to the left, in a
more northerly direction, the Beaufort track passes
tlirough another station, called " Leuwe Fonteyn," or
the Lion's Fountain.
Anxious to reach Fort Beaufort in time to push on
to Block Drift the same day, I left the rest of the
party at this place; and, accompanied by my Hotten-
tot servant, cantered forward to niy destination. We
soon arrived at a pass scarped out of the side of a
wooded hill, called, by my attendant, " Dan's Hock,"
AND FORT BEAUFORT. 8n
overlooking tlio waters of the Kat River, wliich mean-
dered in its tortuous course amidst the briiilit oreen
thiekcts below.
This spot seemed peculiarly adapted for a Kaffir
ambu.sh ; and, when Mr. Jacob hinted as nmch, and
informed me we were near the very place where the
cruel murder was perpetrated by them, which proved
the immediate cause of the present war, 1 instinctively
gathered up the reins, and put my hungry and jaded
horse on liis best mettle. AVhilst alluding to this loca-
lity, I shall avail myself of the opportunity of saying
a few words concerning the barbarous deed to which I
have just adverted.
Although s^'mptoms of discontent had, long before
the last outbreak, been manifested by the Gaikas —
although occasional acts of plunder, as usual, took
place on the Colony ; and a war at some future period
was looked upon as inevitable, in consequence of the
scarcely disguised inimical sentiments of Sandilla,
backed as he was by the whole of " Young Kaffirland"
— and further encouraged by most injudicious conduct
on our part' — still, ncjthing had occurred to warrant a
belief of the inmiediate commencement of hostilities.
Macomo, the brother of Sandilla, with his wives and
concubines, frequented as usual the canteen of Fort
JJeaufort; and there he was as usual in a constant state
of intoxication. However, on the occasion of one of
these bacchanalian visits, a follower of his committed
a theft, of which no further notice was taken than
causing the restitution of the stolen property, and
' Alluding to the " Survey" business at Block Drift, wliich
will bo furtlior noticed in another portion of the work .
86 A GALLOP TO WATERLOO BAY
driving the offender out of Fort Beaufort. But the
thief shortly returned ; aud, liaving been again detected
purloining a hatchet from one of the commissariat
stores, he was made prisoner, and despatched, under
an escort, with other malefactors, to Graham's Town,
to be there tried by the civil power for his offence ;
which havino- been committed within the bounds of
the Colony, was, of course, amenable to its laws.
The prisoners thus sent to take their trial were : the
above-mentioned Kaffir, a Hottentot — to whom, for
the sake of security he had been manacled — an
English soldier, aud a Fingoe, (the two latter also
ironed together) and the whole guarded by a small
escort. They had not proceeded many miles from
Fort Beaufort, when, at the pass above described, they
were suddenly attacked by a strong body of Kaffirs,
who liberated their countryman, dreadfully mutilat-
ing, in so doing, the poor Hottentot ; whose wrist, bear-
ing the handcuff, was first severed from his body,
after which he was deliberately pierced to death with
assegais. Meanwhile the English soldier and the
Fingoe, taking advantage of the confusion, managed
to creep into the Bush ; and, in their endeavours to
conceal themselves under the bank of the Kat River,
were, owing to their fettered condition, nearly drowned
in the stream.
Such was the event which at last caused the final out-
break of the long-smouldering Kaffir War of 1846-7.
On Sandilla's refusal to deliver up the perpetrators of
this daring and unprovoked outrage, hostile operations
were immediately undertaken on our part ; and it was
decreed, that this " war of the axe" should be pro-
AND FORT BEAUFORT. 87
tracted — we will not inquire how or wherefore — during
the space of nearly two years, and at an enormous ex-
pense to the British public, until the appearance of
Sir Harry Smith instantly put an end to the squabble.
* » * *
Rapidly cantering along the pass which had wit-
nessed this scene of Kaffir aggression, I shortly after-
wards crossed the Kat lliver over a handsome bridge,
(the foundation of which wa^, I believe, laid by Sir
(leorge Napier, during his governorship of the Cape)
entered the straggling town of Fort Beaufort, and
gladly pulled up at the door of Mr. Berry's snug little
hotel ; where a substantial breakfast, and a good
supply of oat-straw forage, soon recruited both man
and horse, after a sharp morning's ride of some five-
and-twenty miles.
88 THE CAMP OF THE FIRST DIVISION.
CHAPTER V.
THE CAMP OF THE FIRST DIVISION.
The encampment — Appearance of the troops — Extracts from
letters — Macomo — The Chumie River — Excessive heat —
Kaffir women — A narrow Escape — Fort Cox — Campaigning
establishment — A missionary — Fort Ilare — A view of the
camp — Picture of a Kaffir — The kaross — Kaffir women and
children — The " Wacht-een-Beetje" — Mr. George — Sandilla
and the Commander-in-Chief — Ilead quarters — Variations
of temperature — Salubrity of climate — Occupations in camp
— IMacomo's family — Steeple chases — The " Irregular Horse"
— Field days — Captain Hogg's levy.
" On the banks of Chumie water, when summer time did fall,
Was Macomo's lovely daughter — darkest of them all.
For his bride a soldier sought her — a winning tongue had he ;
On the banks of Chumie water, none so dark as she."
It was during the still quiet of evening, succeeding
a day of intense boat, about tlie beginning of No-
vember, 1846, that, after a wearisome ride of some
forty or fifty miles, Colonel M and myself at
last reached our destination — the Camp of the -first
division of the army in Kaffirland, which lay about
fifteen miles to the eastward of Fort IJeaufort, in a
picturesque nook, on the wooded banks of a small
•stream called the Cliumie, near the missionary station,
and former residence of the political agent at Block
Drift.
TllK CAMP 01' THE FIHST DIVISION". 89
My appoiiitiiieiit as superintendent of the Native
Levies attached to the first Division promised to be
rather more satisfactory than that of my fellow-tra-
veller, whose position on joining this portion of the
force appeared to be most undefined. The tact is, that
the General was extremely at a loss to find employment
for seven staff officers of our standing in the service,
thus suddenly thrust upon him unawares ; and, after the
unaccountable proceeding of prematurely dismissing
the Burgher forces, (whom we had been especially sent
out to organize and command) now that our services
were no longer required for this purpose, his Excel-
lency would not take upon himself the responsibility
of ordering us liome — a measure ardently wished for
by many of the party, who, generally speaking, found
themselves awkwardly placed, and in a most false and
embarrassing situation.
The spot selected for this permanent encampment
stood on what — in colonial phraseology — is usually
termed a " Hoek," or basin, formed by the re-entering
gorge in a branch of the ^V"interberg range of hills,
through which gently meandered the clear waters of
the Chumie ; the opposite banks being crowned bv a
spur from the Amatola Mountains, whose darklv-
woodod heights l)oldly towered in the tJir distance above
the eastern horizon.
Block Drift had, in the previous month of April,
been the field of a hard-fought engagement with the
Kaffirs ; when, after the loss of our waggons at Burn's
Hill, we retreated here with a quantity of captured
cattle, but closely followed by our barbarous foe. It
had however now for some time been left undisturbed
90 THE CAMP OF THE FIRST DIVISION.
by the war-ciy of the savcage ; and, as we approached
over a neighbouring height, on surveying the well-
ordered regularity of the canvass city beneath us, ap-
parently — as viewed from a distance — ensconced amidst
the bright verdure of a wilderness of mimosas, backed
by the commanding hills in its rear, partly encircled
by the gleaming waters of the Chumie, and the whole
scene glowing under the last rays of the evening
summer sun — it required but little stretch of imagina-
tion to identify the Camp with the reposing image
of Bellona, overshadowed by emblems of peace, and
quietly slumbering in the arms of the African Dryads
and Naiads of this sylvan scene !
Nor did a closer approach belie its distant warlike
appearance ; but only tended more clearly to show the
military master-spirit which pervaded throughout, and
to evince that regularity, attendant on the strictest
order and discipline. But, though the British soldier
stood here as erect on his post — though his arms glit-
tered as brightly, and though he trod as proudly as if
pacing in front of St. James's Palace — in person,
dress, and general appearance, he evinced unequivocal
tokens of the many hardships and privations of a pro-
tracted and harassing campaign. His grim visage —
now shadowed by moustache and beard, weather-
beaten by rain and wind, by sun and dew — had as-
sumed the appearance, and apparently the consistence,
of old and well-seasoned oak. The once bright scarlet
of Britain"'s blood-red garb was sadly sobered down
to a dark and dingy maroon — whilst the nether gar-
ments, well patched and strapped with leather, bore
evidence to tlie hard service they had undergone, and
THE CAMP OF THE FIRST DIVISION. 91
showed but few siccus of the materials of which they
had been originally fiishioned.
Beneath all this disguise, amidst all the privations
of this unsatisfactory warfare, their bold bearing and
undaunted look stamped these hardy veterans as of
that same fearless race which had fought and conquered
at Cressy and Agincourt — at Victoria,^ and Waterloo ;
who more recently, on the banks of the Sutlej and
Indus — whilst led on by a Hardinge, and a Gough —
a Napier, and a Harry Smith — had caused the far East
to resound with the loud fame of their gallant and
immortal deeds.
* « * ♦
The insertion of the following extracts, from letters
written at Block Drift during different periods of my
residence there, may not perhaps here be deemed quite
out of place : —
" After the toils of a burning day, the Camp, in the
calm coolness of the evening, presented a beautiful
sight, as it suddenly appeared to our view, on sur-
mounting one of the undulating grassy slopes, thickly
dotted with the flowering mimosa, so characteristic of
this part of Katlirland. Notwithstanding the excessive
heat, the country, from the effect of the late rains, is
now of a bright emerald green, strongly contrasted
with the white canvass city spread at our feet.
" Colonel Slade, who connnands the first division, has
the name of being a first-rate officer ; and, on approach-
ing his camp, every thing which met our sight appeared
fully to corroborate this statement; for all was in the
liighest state of military order and regularity. The
' Not Post Victoria, in KafRrland,
92 THE CAMP OF THE FIRST DIVISION.
force at present under liis orders consists of a party of
Royal Artillery with Sappers and Miners ; some of the
7th Dragoon Guards; the 27th, 45th, and 90th Regi-
ments; part of the Cape INIounted Rifles — besides the
Native Levies which are under my own superintend-
ence ; the latter amounting, when assembled, to be-
tween sixteen hundred and two thousand men, of every
colour, form, and complexion.
"The first person I recognised, on entering the Camp,
was Sir Peregrine Maitland, who had lately arrived
from Waterloo Bay : he kindly invited me to dinner,
and presented me to my immediate commandant,
Colonel Slade, whose frank, soldier-like manner was
highly prepossessing. The General had come to Block
Drift for the purpose of having a conference with some
of the Kaffir chiefs, the result of which is that they
have been required to give up twenty thousand head
of (plundered) cattle, two thousand five hundred mus-
kets, and to evacuate entirely this side of the Chumie :
fourteen days' truce has been granted them, to con-
sider of these terms ; and at the end of that period, if
they be not complied with, hostilities are to be renewed.
" Macomo, Sandilla's half-brother, says he has had
enough fighting ; and is so anxious to resume his old
habits of daily getting drunk at the canteen of Fort
Beaufort, that he is delivering up as many arms and
cattle as (so he says) he can possibly collect. Yester-
day evening he made his appearance in Camp, having
brought in a few dozen rusty firelocks ; and I seized
the opportunity of being introduced to this renowned
warrior, who, during the last war of 18.84, committed
such depredations on the Colony. To my surprise,
TllK CAMP or Till-: FIRST DIVISION. 93
instead of finding- him in all the beauty of unadorned
nature.^ or merely enveloped in lii.s leopard-skin kaross,
I beheld a mean-looking old man, evidently the worse
for liquor, with a bare and closely-shaved head, a most
villanous expression of countenance, as black as my
boot, and rigged out in a blue diplomatic uniform,
plentifully bedizened with gold lace, and said to have
been a present from Lord Glenelg !
" I commenced the conversation by telling Iiim,
through an interpreter, that his fame having reached
the remotest limits of the world, I had come from
]'higland purposely to behold so celebrated a hero, and
hoped I saw him in the full enjoyment of health. His
swarthy majesty, after listening with royal conde-
scension to this eloquent and appropriate address,
widely opened an enormous mouth, and displayed a
most capital set of teeth, but remained so long in this
unaccountable and ludicrous attitude, that at last,
losing all patience, I in a most uncourticr-like manner
turned on my heel, and proceeded to examine his
brother ' Ned,"" and a chief counsellor, or Pakati,
whose name has escaped my memory. ]Joth these
illustrious individuals were in the primitive Kaffir
costume, consisting merely of a sort of Etruscan
mantle of ox-hide, cast over the shoulder, nnich in the
same fashion as Hercules is depicted with the Xo'inean
spoils. Hosvever, the ' Illustrated London News'* has
so faithfully portrayed these 'gentlemen in black,^
that I shall waste no more time on the subject.
•' On the arrival of my baggage- waggon, with tent,
&:c., this will be my head-quarters, from whence I
shall be able successively to visit the diflercut posts
94 THE CAMP OF THE FIRST DIVISION.
occupied by the various Native Levies under my
charge, and widely scattered over ever\^ part of the
country. Nothing in the fighting way however can
be done until the expiration of the present truce ; and,
although Sandilla shows some disposition to be saucy,
it is generally imagined that the war is at an end ; in
which case, we shall have had the trouble of coming
here for nothing.
" This morning, at dayhght, I had a delightful
bathe in the Chumie, enjoying, under a beautiful clear
cascade, all the luxury of a shower-bath, canopied with
dark foliage, from whence was suspended the oblong
matted nests of a pretty little bird, resembling the
baya of India, whicli there builds its aerial habitation,
in the same manner, over the tanks and bowries.
"After breakfasting at the mess-tent of the 90th, I
paraded one of my Fingoe corps ; and a more disrepu-
table-looking set of vagabonds I never set eyes on.
Some of these sable warriors were armed with assegais,
others with clubs ; a few with rusty firelocks, of most
approved ' Brummagem ' pattern — some classically
habited in check shirts of uncommonly scanty dimen-
sions, enjoying ' al fresco ^ the absence of inexpres-
sibles ; whilst others, who possessed such superfluous
articles of dress, were innocent of shirt, jacket, or any
other covering. Their manoeuvring ftilly corresponded
with so soldier-like an appearance ; and I would give
a trifle to have them paraded, for Cockney edification,
in Hyde Park, alongside of the Household troops !
" The heat in the small canvass bell-tents, with which
Government considerately, provides the troops in this
Colony, and in one of which I am now writing, passes
THE CAMP OF THE FIRST DIVISION. 95
all belief. The thermometer, at this early hour of
the forenoon, is standing at 113°.* Yet, spite of all
this grilling — with the exception of my eyes being
aftected by the glare — I never felt better in my life.
But the tents are complete furnaces, enough to frv a
salamander ; and, after concluding my epistle, I shall
stroll down to the banks of the Chumie, in hopes of
finding shade, and some degree of coolness beneath the
thick foliafje of its overhanf;in2: trees.
" November 7th, ] 846. After concocting the above,
I was fairly driven out, by the suffocating heat of the
tent ; and, taking my old double-barrelled gun, I
wandered along the edge of the river, in hopes of
getting a few shots at quail, which at this season are
very plentiful, or falling in with some of the numerous
little black-faced monkeys often seen gambolling here,
amidst the branches overhead. But coolness was the
chief object of my search ; and, wearied with the
pursuit of this phantom, I at last lay do\n\ under a
shady bush; next, what with the excessive sultriness of
the atmosphere, and the gentle murmur of the stream,
soon found myself in the land of Nod. I was aroused
from my slumbers by a rustling in the thick under-
wood on the opposite side of the brook; when, mv
attention being drawn to the spot, I saw an animal
in the act of drinking — then down crept another, and
a thiril. There was something peculiar in the move-
ments of these unknown creatures, as indistinctly seen
through the matted foliage, which caused me to pause
before T let fly both barrels amongst them, when — ere
' As the suinnicr advanced, tlie average height of the glass,
in these tents, was l-20° and upwards.
9G THE CAMP OF THE FIRST DIVISIOX.
jtulling the trigf^ei*' — 'One of them, after drinking, sud-
denly rose on its hind legs ; and, to my astonishment,
they proved to be neither more nor less than KafHr
women, who, closely wrapped in their garments of
hairy skins, looked so like the beasts of the chase, that
I was within an ace of being guilty of womanslaughter !
Had such an accident occurred, and Mr. Pringle' been
still in the world, to record it, what a strong case would
he not have made out of so barbarous a transaction!"
" Camp, Block Drift, November 9th. I cannot
allow this day to pass without sending you a few lines.
I rather think the game is quite up — the Kaffirs will
not fight at any price. Yesterday, I went to visit
one of my posts at Fort Cox, about fifteen miles off' ;
passing through a beautiful grass country, where herds
of Kaffir cattle were grazing, as if in times of profound
peace. The women were also digging their fields ;
and I passed on the road several Kaffirs, neither party
attempting the least act of molestation. This is a
curious state of things to happen close to Burn"'s Hill,
where the Kaffirs captured our waggons and killed
Captain Bam brick, of the 7tli Dragoons, only a few
weeks ago. Colonel Campbell, of the 9Lst regiment,
who was present in all those affairs, pointed out to me
the identical spot, from a commanding point near Fort
Cox. This said Fort Cox, which derives its name
' This poetic adventurer (originally a broken-down school-
master) is, in his writings, one of the greatest detractors of his
fellow-countrymen ; and shooting Kaffir women and children
is a charge he frequently brings, not only against the Colonists,
but even against British troops.
THE CAMP OF THE FIRST DIVISION. 97
from an officer engaged in the Kaffir war of 1834, is a
wretched station, in the heart of Sandilla''s country,
amongst the Amatola Mountains ; where part of the
91st and of the Native Levies, have hecn buried
alive for some months past, in want of everything ;
and, until the last few days, (since the truce) not able
to venture one hundred Awards from the fort ; whilst
their horses were actually dying of starvation. Colonel
Campbell told me, he had himself lost several horses
fi'om this cause.
" I assembled my Burgher Forces on the parade-
ground, to the number of two hundred, (and a nmch
more respectable body than the Fingoes I last paraded)
formed them into square, made them an 'appropriate'
speech, and, after listening to their wants and com-
plaints, dismissed them. We afterwards went to look
at the Kaffir women, who could scarcely be kept out
of the Fort, and who crowded around, in hopes of
picking up something to eat. The Kaffirs themselves
are (their faces excepted) fine-looking fellows, and
step as if they were lords of the creation. IJut their
women are the most wretched creatures I ever beheld.
If you only saw them, you would not be surprised at
my having, the other day, nearly shot them for
monkeys. On my way to Fort Cox and back, I
crossed several romantic-looking streams, and amongst
others the Keiskamma ; returned in time to have
a bathe in the Chumio, and to dine at the mess of the
90th, of which I am an honorary member. I had
just recovered the blistering of the Waterloo Bay
trip, but my face is again nearly as bad as ever,
the eftects of a dry, sharp wind and hot sun. In
VOL. II. F
98 THE CAMP OF THE FIRST DIVISION.
fact, this constant wind appears to be the curse of
the Colony.
" My official occupations have now fairly begun ; I am
to-day up to my eyes in pa])ers, answering complaints,
requisitions, &c., from my ' Forces,"" and to-morrow
I start off again, to visit a post twenty-five miles dis-
tant ; so that you see I do not live a life of idleness.
I have got my baggage and waggon in camp ; the tent
I brought out with me is pitched, and, I am glad to
say, much cooler than the small bell-tents — the ther-
mometer standing at this moment, (eleven, a.m.) only
1 04°. ! However, 1 never was better in my life ; and
having now fixed head-quarters, I am very comfort-
able ; as, when I go on my expeditions, I start off in
light marching order, with an orderly of the mounted
Cape Corps Rifles, and one of my servants leading a
pony, carrying forage, provisions, &c. My establishment
consists of a man of the 90th, a most excellent servant,
and my general factotum ; of a discharged soldier of
the 75th, a drunken, but rough and ready sort of fel-
low, and useful enough in his way, as he has the ex-
clusive care of my horses, watches over them whilst
grazing in the daytime, and sleeps in the open air
amongst them during the night ; lastly, of Mr.
Jacob, a Hottentot lad, and light weight, who acts as
' esquire"* on my distant expeditions ; performing, at
the same time, the various duties of cook, groom, and
valet-de-chambre ; whilst my stud is composed of six
or seven horses and ponies of one sort or another, for
which I find constant employment.
" 18th November. In Camp all day. Sandilla sends
in some old firelocks and a few head of cattle. One
THE CAMP OF THE FIRST DIVISION. 00
of the present rumours is (for all here is rumour
and mystery) that a Mr, , a missionary who lias
been employed to negociate by the General, has como
to some arrangement about fixing the boundary, which,
it is said, will be the Keiskamma and Chumie Rivers,
up to the Chumie Hills j and that all Kaffirs within this
space are to be looked upon and treated as British sub-
jects ; that moreover the said Mr. is to be ap-
pointed political agent, with a salary of <iC500 a year
— not a bad exchange for his missionary labours ! To
my surprise, (not having had any official intimation of
the same) I heard to-day that a large body of the
irregulars which are under my supei'intendence are to
join Colonel Somersefs division, for the purpose of
forming part of an expedition across the Keiskamma.
According to the tenour of my instructions, I ought
most certainly to have been made acquainted with this
move ; however, I contented myself with applying to
the officer commandin<; the division for leave to ac-
company the detachment, which has been granted. I
rode out this afternoon across the Chumie, attended by
my orderly and Hottentot servant, for the purpose of
making a sketch of the Camp, and passed through,
on my way, the encampment of the -iotli regiment,
where they are planning a fortified post, to be called
' Fort Hare.'i
" After paying a visit to the officer commanding the
45th, I struck oil" to the highest hill in the neighbour-
hood, but was shortly obliged to change my position,
as a great number of mounted Kaffirs were at the base
of the mountain, on the other side of the eminence ;
^ See Appendix, at the end of the vohime.
F'2
100 THE CAMP OF THE PIRST DIVISION.
aud, as some of them began to ascend, I thouglit it as
well to decamp, not knowing exactly if these gentlemen
would consider the truce as binding, should 1 happen
to fall into their hands, I therefore galloped off in
another direction, to a more distant range of hills, from
whence I got a very good sketch of the Head-Quarter
Camp, also of the 45th, and of that of the Native
Levies, with the towering hills of the Ohumie in the
background, to which a thunderstorm, just then brew-
ing, added greatly to the effect."
" It is difficult to picture the grandeur of this South
African scenery; the green undulating slopes — here
and there dotted with mimosa trees — following each
other In endless succession, only broken by the darkly-
wooded valleys, through which some clear silver stream
generally meanders ; and backed by dark blue hills,
forming the framework of a picture, which — particu-
larly at this season of the year — it would puzzle an
artist to do justice to. After making a hasty sketch —
Mr. Farley, my Hottentot orderly, who belongs to the
Cape Corps Rifles, remaining mounted, and keeping all
the time a good look-out against surprise — I next pro-
ceeded to Captain Hogg's Camp. Here a busy scene
presented itself. The setting sun shone brightly on
the tents, aud brought them out in powerful relief
from the dark foliage on the banks of the Chumie, over
which peered, at intervals, the skeleton branches of
the euphorbium, or cactus milk-tree — whilst the fore-
ground was enlivened by flocks of cattle going to
their kraals for the night ; by the fires lit to cook the
evening meal; and by the careering over the green-
sward of numerous cavaliers ; not like knights of old,
THE CAMP OF THE FIRST DIVISION. 101
clad in steel, on mailed chargers, but galloping to and
fro, in their ' crackers,' on uncommonly lean and
hungry-looking KafBr ponies ; with a sheepskin and
leather thong doing duty for saddle and bridle, whilst
the ostrich feathers in their broad beavers waved gaily
in the evening breeze."
" Camp. Block Drift, 19th November. Here we
are still ; — the truce expired, and nothing definitive
done. Sandilla has brought in a few firelocks and a
small number of cattle, but nothing like the amount
required of him. The 'on dit'' is that he has ten
days more law. One thing, however, is evident — that
we are resting here on our arms, and that the Kaffirs
are determined not to fight any more. The missionary
I before alluded to as being in the confidence of the
General, has been very busy settling the business ;
and ' on dit' (again) is — as I remarked — to have a
berth here of i?500 a year for his trouble. In the mean
time, we are laying the foundations of a Fort ; and
I should not be surprised to hear, some twenty years
lience, of Block Drift, Fort Hare — or whatever else
it may be called — having become, in point of import-
ance, a second Graham ""s Town or Port Elizabeth ;
although there are at present only two houses here —
one, a buihling for the missionaries ; the other be-
longing to Mr, Stretch, the former political agent, who
now commands one of my Fingoe levies. But our
canvass cities have sprung up like mushrooms, and
we have already four distinct camps in this locality —
which at the present vernal season is certainly very
beautiful, with the clear Chumie bursting from the
hio;h blue hills in the backirround, and gurgling?
102 THE CAMP OF THE FIRST DIVISION.
beneath the dark foHage which overshadows its
banks."
" Thursday, 29th. I got up at r^veihee ; and, after
a bathe in the Chumie, under my favourite old tree,
mounted my horse, to take a ride, and have a look at
a forest, distant some five or six miles, where a large
fatigue-party is employed in cutting wood for the con-
struction of Fort Hare ; my way led me to the north,
along some wooded heights, overlooking the valley of
the Chumie. The beauty of the landscape, now lit up
by the morning sun, struck me, if possible, as finer
than that of the preceding evening. With my tele-
scope, I followed for miles and miles the windings of
the Chumie, watching the Kafiirs on the other side, as
they drove their herds of cattle from the kraals on the
opposite banks, for the purpose of taking them to
pasture. On this side of the river, not a Kaffir is to
be seen, though the women venture across in great
numbers, and employ themselves in cutting grass for
our horses, selling milk, &c. I met a party of these
grass-cutters, during my ride, and their application
was immediately for ' Coubah"' (tobacco) and 'Nazelah'
(a present). Nazelali is the first word of the Kaffir
language that a man learns. It is equivalent to the
' Bucksheesh" of the Arab or Turk ; and, as from their
greatest chiefs downward a more complete set of
beggars do not exist, it is here constantly dinned into
one''s ears. On coming back, I entered some deserted
Kaffir huts on the side of a hill ; they had apparently
been left in a great hurry, as I picked up in them a
few bead ornaments, which will, I hope, be added some
day to our store of curiosities."
THE CAMP OF THE FIRST DIVISION. 103
" I found to-day the hot wind and dust so un-
pleasant in camp, that I strolled out with my gun,
and, after taking a bathe, ventured across the river,
as there appeared now to bo a mutual understanding
that hostilities had ' de facto' ceased, at least with
Macomo's and Saiidilla's Tribes. Wandering on at
random, I suddenly came on a Kaffir, as naked as
he was born, seated on his kaross, with a bundle of
assegais by his side, and in the act of lighting a fire.
I advanced without hesitation, and addressed him with
the Dutch salutation of ' morrow,' (good morniu"')
which they all understand, and seating myself on a
stone opposite to him, began to watch his proceedings.
After receiving no encouragement to his demand of
' Nazelah,' he continued his operations, without taking
anv further notice of me. Having made a eood
blazing fire, lie next took from a bag made of the skin
of the wild cat (in which they generally carry all their
kit) a large lump of raw meat, and, cutting it into
strips, put it on the embers. At this stage of his
proceedings, he was joined by two other savages.
' Nazelah'' was again the word. I shook my head, and
they then commenced operations on the meat, whilst
still nearly raw, or at most scarcely warmed through.
Like the Bedouin tribes of the Syrian desert, they
despise the use of both knife and fork. A long strip
of meat was first cleared of ashes with the blade of an
assegai, and, after being laid hold of with the teeth,
the assegai was again employed, to sever a morsel of a
convenient size, which, being duly masticated, was
swallowed without further preliminary, until the whole
had disappeared. This, I understand, is their usual
104 THE CAMP OF THE FIRST DIVISION.
mode of feeding ; and one peculiarity they observe is
always to cut from them ; the blade of the assegai
being, in this instance, placed under the meat, and cut
upwards and outwards in a slanting direction.
" This, my first appearance at a Kaffir entertain-
ment, gave me a tolerable idea of a cannibal feast. In
short, from all I see and all I can hear, the Kaffir is
a most complete ' savage,' in every acceptation of the
term. My Naplouse mountaineers, in Syria, I used
to consider as such ; but they were comparatively
speaking civilized, and had their redeeming qualities.
The Kaffir has none. He is rapacious, cowardly, and
cruel — besides being the greatest beggar — the greatest
thief — and the greatest liar — in the world."
" But I have been sadly digressing. After witness-
ing the termination of this raw-meat feast, my refined
acquaintances threw their sheepskin karosses over
their shoulders, and quietly departed.
" Since I have mentioned the ' kaross,"" I may as
well give you some description of this sole garment of
the Kaffir, which, however, when actually engaged in
war, he entirely throws off, and then appears in puro
naturalihus, or, at least, with a portion of clothing so
very small as quite to baffle description. The kaross
of the men is generally made of ox or sheep-skins
sewed together, the wool or hair being worn next the
body, and in a style which strongly reminded me of
some of the old Etruscan statues representing Hercules
in the lion's spoils ; and as they are, in person, fine,
tall, athletic-looking fellows, the simile — except in
colour, which is dark bistre, unless when they smear
THE CAMP OF THE FIRST DIVISION. 105
themselves with fat and red clay — might hold good.
The kaross of the women is invariably of ox-hide ;
sometimes worn with the hair inside, sometimes the
reverse; it is their office (as, in fact, is the performance
of all laborious work) to prepare and soften these skins,
which is done by a very lengthened process of wetting
and rubbing them with stones, until they become as
supple as a glove — when they are tanned with a decoc-
tion of mimosa bark, generally used here for dyeing
leather or even linen, which it turns to a brownish
colour. The kaross of the women is much more ample
than that of the men, as they can shroud themselves
completely in it ; and, when marriageable, are entitled
to wear a long, broad strip of leather, thickly studded
with brass knobs, reaching from their shoulders to
the ground. This, together with a tanned hide, wrap-
ped round the loins, and a sort of cap, completes their
toilette. The men are well made, tall, and muscular,
particularly about the legs, but with a most villanous
expression of countenance. The women have nothing
in their appearance to recommend them, except their
teeth, which, in both sexes, are of the most brilliant
whiteness, and perfect regularity. The children, until
the}' can walk, are slung in a sort of leathern bag
at their mother's back ; the boys are generally naked,
and the little girls wear a sort of apron made of strips
of leather. They are fond of having brass rings on
their arms and legs, and necklaces of large glass beads ;
whilst monkey's or jackalPs teeth, with pieces of a
certain root, are strung together, and worn round their
necks ; this they consider as a sort of charm.
" At the termination of the ' feast' above alluded
F 5
] OG THE CAMP OF THE FIRST DIVISION.
to, I strolled on towards the camp, keeping still on
the Kaffir side of the Chumie ; and the signs of ap-
proaching peace now became very evident. A day or
two before, not a Kaffir was to be seen, and only a few
of their women ventured thus close to the camp ; but
now not only were the men thickly scattered in groups
under the bushes, but some had actually commenced
huttins: themselves, as if with the intention of taking
up a permanent abode.
" I approached one group squatted round a fire,
roasting oxen's feet under a ' Wacht-een-Beetje'i tree;
which means, in Dutch, 'wait a little:' the tree —
or generally speaking, bush — being so denominated, as
if you attempt to get through it, you are invariably
stopped by the sharp, crooked thorns which lay hold
of your garments. But if you do not interfere with,
or touch him, the Wacht-en-Beetje is a decent fellow,
in a gay -coloured green jacket, and affording ample
shade and freshness. Well, I went up to the group
under one of these bushes ; and, after being saluted
with ' Nazelah,' tried to string together the few Kaffir
phrases I had learned, in order to buy a pipe, which
one of them was smoking ; when to my surprise he
addressed me in very good English, having been for-
merly employed in Graham's Town as a servant, under
the appellation of George. Mr. George and I had now
a loniGf discussion on the merits of the war, which he
sincerely hoped was at an end. On my reproaching
him with taking up arms against us, after being well
treated by the white people, he said it was not his
fault, as his Chief had obliged him to do so — that the
^ The Acacia Detinens — so called by the botanist Burchell.
THE CAMP OF THE FIRST DIVISION. 107
Chief was a big man, and ho a 'little man/ ami what
could he do ? To this there was no replying ; hut he
could not deny the accusations I made of his country-
men having been guilty, during the war, of great cruel-
ties towards the few of our people whom they had
taken prisoners. By the by, talking of prisoners : the
man who stole the hatchet, the ostensible cause of the
war — and the one who shortly afterwards murdered
the Hottentot — have been given up by Sandilla. I
questioned my new friend, Mr. George, if they were
the real offenders. lie assured me they were, and
asked what would be done to them ? I replied, that
I thought it very likely the thief would be flogged,
and the murderer hanged. This fellow, who appeared
to be a most intelligent 'barbarian,' offered me his
services as a servant, which I declined ; but he ma-
naged to ' inveigle"' me out of sixpence and a roll of
tobacco, before we parted. Do not hence imagine I have
taken to ' chewing,' or even smoking, but carry it
about as a useful Kaffir currency. I find, however,
that sixpences now go much further than the weed,
and that they begin fully to appreciate the current
coin of the realm. But I in vain tendered sixpences
and shillings to a Kaffir woman who was of the party,
for her ox-hide kaross ; she would not part with it
at any price, and very naturally so — as this, being her
only garment, she would thereby have been left much
in the condition of Eve before the fall."
*****
At the period of our arrival at Block Drift, the state
of affairs seemed to prognosticate a speedy termination
of the war. Macomo, weary of fighting, and longing
108 THE CAMP OF THE FIRST DIVISION.
for his accustomed carousals at Fort Beaufort, was
bringiDg in arms and cattle by driblets, and nego-
ciatiug for the surrender of himself and family ; whilst
Saudilla, with his followers, bivouacked on the other
side of the Chumie, had obtained a further cessation
of hostilities, under pretence of considering the terms
of peace proposed to him.
When these terms were first named to Sandilla, it was
intimated that Sir Pereo-rine Maitland would be <rlad to
have a personal conference with him at his (the Gene-
ral's) tent. Sandilla demurred. " In my country," said
the officer who held the parley, " it is customary for the
young to come to the old;" "and in my country," replied
the son of Gaika, " we conclude peace on the field of
battle, not in camp ; let your General come here."
There was a cutting sarcasm in this allusion to the
" field of battle," whither the exulting Kaffirs had so
lately followed our troops, after their reverses in the
Amatola. But the insolence of the barbarian was at
the time passed over, apparently unheeded, or deemed
unworthy of notice. However, as regards the said
interview : the mountain being unwilling to go to Ma-
homet, Mahomet was fain to go to the mountain.
The apparent result of this conference was further
delays and prolonged truces, in order — as Sandilla
now said — to give him time to collect the arms and
cattle required. During all these negociations, a force
of nearly ten thousand effective men was lying idle —
though in perfect readiness — and straining in the slips
to be at their barbarous foe ! But the object of the
wily Kaffir was evidently to procrastinate and gain
time, until the grass should wither under the sumnier
THE CAMP OF TllK FIRST DIVISION. 109
heats ; and Avith it, he foresaw must also cease our
means of transport, and, consequently, all hostile ope-
rations for the ensuing year.
Block Drift being now likely, for a most indefinite
period, to form my head-quarters, I resolved — when-
ever duty allowed me to be there — to make myself as
comfortable as 120 decrees of Fahrenheit would admit
of. Accordingly, on the arrival of my baggage-waggon,
it was duly inserted into the line of defence, composed of
those vehicles, which ran — "Africander" fashion — round
the precincts of the camp. The horses were securely
fiistened to its wheels ; and, whilst it served as a snug
habitJition for my attendants, I pitched a large mar-
quee for my own residence, and was admitted, through
the kindness of Colonel Slade and the officers of the 90th,
as a member of their excellent mess, w^here I soon found
myself quite at home. Nor can I omit this oppor-
tunity of testifying the obligations I was ever under
to that splendid corps, whilst serving under their gal-
lant chief, who always aftbrded me every assistance
and support in the execution of my several duties.
Time, meanwhile, wore on apace ; — day followed
day — and week was added to week ; — all passed in a
succession of interviews and palavers with Kaffir chiefs ;
consultations with missionaries ; truces constantly re-
newed ; the occasional delivery of a few rusty firelocks,
starved oxen, and lame ponies; — in short, in most
able negociations on the part of Sandilla and his coad-
jutors, for the evident purpose — as I before said — of
obtaining further delays.
The excessive heat to which we were exposed during
this idle period, is not to be conceived. Whether it
110 THE CAMP OF THE FIRST DIVISION.
were owing to the situatiou of the camp — surrounded by
hills, and placed in a sort of basin, which concentrated
as in a common focus the fiery particles of heat — or to
the inadequate means of shelter afforded by the small,
single-walled bell-tents ; it is certain, that in the course
of a long experience of life passed under canvass in India,
I never felt such inconvenience, in this respect, as during
my occasional and temporary residence at Block Drift.
The delights of so enviable a state of existence
were enhanced by clouds of dust, sometimes raised by a
sharp south-easterly wind ; at others, by the burning
breath of the north ; which, sweeping over the great
desart karroo, here came — like a blast from the in-
fernal regions — to fry our eyes out of their sockets, to
shrivel up our parched frames, and — with the assistance
of the now vertical sun — to blister the delicate hands,
cheeks, and noses of some ; whilst on others, it produced
the equally unpleasant effect of causing deep, bloody
fissures on the lips ; a source of cruel martyrdom,
whenever the mouth was brought into play, either for
the purpose of eating, speaking, or having a hearty
laugh — for such we oft times indulged in — spite of
our manifold discomforts.
The inconveniences above alluded to, were particu-
larly felt by the possessors of lily-white skins and
flaxen locks. These poor fellows' hands and faces were
frequently — spite of grease and pomatum — an entire
mass of blister and sores ; and one unfortunate wiglit
I remember, whose disfigured countenance ever recalled
to mind a well basted, rich plum-pudding !
Nor were the swarthiest and most weather-hardened
amongst us entirely proof against these united attacks
THE CAMP OF THE FIRST DIVISION. 1 1 1
of the scorching Phoebus, and fiery Eolus of the South ;
and never did I more strongly advocate against " re-
peal" than after the first regular peeling my face ex-
perienced at their hands ; for, instead of the common
blistering process, the skin used in large flakes to
slough completely off ; leaving my phiz much in the
condition of a newly barked tree !
Every thing in Southern Africa is in extremes,
and: u xhose blazing suns that dart a dowTiward ray,
And fiercely shoot intolerable day,
While oft in whirls the fierce tornado flies,
Mingling the ravaged landscape with the skies,"
were often accompanied — the first — by excessive heat
— the latter — by heavy rain and piercing cold.
Occasionally, after experiencing whirlwinds of
simoon-like blasts, dense masses of clouds gradually
congregated along the summits of the surrounding-
hills. Then would follow a perfect calm — a death-like
stillness — as if exhausted Nature were at her last dying
gasp. The most unaccountable feeling of heaviness,
lassitude, and languor appeared at once to pervade both
man and beast. The horses despondingly hung their
heads ; the lowing of the oxen had in it a subdued,
UK'lancholy sound — all Nature, animate and inanimate,
seemed as in a trance ; when suddenly — amidst this
dreamy unearth-liko quietude — red, forked, and vivid
lightning would dart from the electric-charged vapours
around; the thunder crashed overhead in deafenino-
peals,
" not from one lone cloud,
But every mountain now hath found a tongue ;
Winlerberg answers through her misty shroud
Back to the Amatola., who call on her aloud!"
112 THE CAMP OF THE FIRST DIVISION.
Next came down — not'torrents of rain — but very sheets
of water ; deluging in an instant the camp, over which
then often swept a furious, chilling blast; uprooting
many a frail canvass tenement, and obliging their now
drenched and shiverins; inmates to seek refujre where-
ever they could — creeping for warmth and shelter,
under blankets, sheepskins, horse-cloths, or other
coverintj which mio-ht be at hand.
Ye grumblers at the mutability of our English
climate ! be reconciled to your fate, when reflecting
on these weathercock propensities of a South African
summer ; for, in the course of a few short hours, I have
often there seen the thermometer sink from 120° in
the shade, to within a very few degrees of the freezing
point !
Such, however, is the very remarkable salubrity of
this distant part of the world, that — in spite of these
great and sudden variations of temperature, together
with exposure to its utmost influence, added to a life
of inactivity (with the soldier a frequent cause of
sickness) — there was little or no serious illness among
the troops. But the intolerable glare — perhaps added to
the above causes — occasioned many cases of ophthal-
mia ; and most feelingly could I, as a fellow-sufierer,
sympathize with the martyrs to that painful and dis-
tressing disease.
The particular nature of my duties obliged me
always to be much more frequently in the saddle than
within the precincts of the camp ; and I generally ma-
naged to keep six horses in constant work : one set, con-
sisting of three (for myself and attendant, with a surapter
animal), relieving the other; which, during my absence.
THE CAMP OF TIIK FIRST DIVISION. 113
enjoyed a short period of rest, and recruited their
strength with such food as the neighbourhood of the
canif) afforded, together with a scanty supply of barley
or Indian corn; for, owing to the insufficiency and in-
efficiency of the means of transport, and the distance
of land-carriage,' there was always some screw loose
in the connnissariat department, which caused the
army to be often but indifferently supplied with pro-
visions and dry forage.
This sort of Bedouin life, passed in the open air,
was preferable — even during the hottest weather — to
the sweltering closeness under canvass in those furnace-
like tents at Block Drift ; to escape from whose smother-
ing influence I frequently mounted my horse and gal-
loped forth in quest of the refreshing breeze. Yet the
inmates of that camp, confined as they were for so
many weeks to its limits, or their immediate vicinity,
still managed, somehow or other, to dissipate ennui,
and kill time to the best advantaofe.
At the early hour of " r^veill^e," whilst the young
morn was still in ' russet clad,"* officers might be seen
strolling down, with camp-stool and towels in hand,
to the wooded banks of the Chumie, for the purpose
of performing their matutinal ablutions. The stream —
at the distance of a stone's throw from the camp — leapt
in a mimic cascade over opposing rocks, into a deep,
clear, and transparent pool, overshadowed by a mag-
nificent tree, the character of whose dark foliage bore
a close resemblance to that of the northern yew ;
whilst its gigantic arms, extending like those of the
' Which might liavc been easily obviated by disembarking the
stores at the mouth of the Buflulo river, instead of at Algoa Bay.
114 THE CAMP OF THE FIRST DIVISION.
Italian pine, ' overcanopied bright walls of blossoming
verdure; from whose waving boughs gracefiilly de-
pended numerous lianging nests, thickly peopled by
the yellow gross-beak, or Indian JJaya bird ; and which,
reflected in the waters below, often seemed to rest on
the hard, smooth, sandy flooring beneath their trans-
parent surface.
" In a more shady spot,
More sacred and sequestered, though but feigned,
Pan or Sylvanus never bathed., nor Nymph
Nor Faunus haunted."
At the gray dawn of day, this embowered spot
was as silent and secluded as could have been desired,
even by the Naiads and Dryads of the surrounding
scene. Untenanted, then, by aught save the chirping
tenants of the aerial nests — some stray, rakish monkey,
returning, maybe, from a nocturnal revel — or the
dusky attenuated forms of a few Kaffir women, bearing
on their heads, towards the camp, heavy burdens of
grass and firewood; and who — picking their way across
the stream, over the slippery fragments of rock — would,
for a second, pause to scan the white forms of the
Amaglezi (English) bathers ; and then, with noiseless
steps, silently pursue their onward course.
Far diff'erent, as day advanced, became the scene
at this then frequented spot, to which the soldiers and
camp followers all eagerly crowded, as well for the
purpose of the bath, as for that most unromantic one
— of cleansins: their soiled clothes. The " human form
divine," in shades of every hue — white, black, brown,
^ Probably the "geel hout," or yellow wood tree of the
Colonists.
THE CAMP OF THE FIRST DIVISION. 115
and yellow — might now be viewed in Nature's most
unadorned simplicity of garb, as Englishmen, Fingoes,
Mulattoes, and Hottentots, rushed promiscuously into
the stream, whose heretofore pure, crystal waters — now
troubled and defiled — seemed angrily to scowl on such
unprecedented intrusion. Gentle Clmmie ! beneficent
Naiad ! thy kindness was — spite of such casual frowns
— universally bestowed alike on all ; and without thy
cooling, shadowy, and reviving influence, sad indeed
would have been the fate of yon sun-stricken, heat-
blasted camp !
The early morning bath was therefore, generally
speaking, the first move of the idlers of the camp.
Then followed, maybe, a lounge to the cattle-kraal,
to examine and descant on the merits of the horses
either freshly captured from, or given up by the Kaffirs;
and in the selection of which I was then busily en-
gaged, for the formation of an irregular body of cavalry,
which subsequently did good service during the war.
After breakfast, some would stroll down to the former
residence of the political agent for this part of Kaffir-
land, where Macomo (who had now surrendered) was,
with his numerous wives and children, comfortably
located in a sort of shed, or outhouse — to him a
princely palace !
The Kaffir Chief here, to his hearfs content, re-
velled in beef and brandy — the former in Govern-
ment rations — the latter the gift of many visitors
from the camp, who, to the importunities of his queens,
for " Nazolah," were equally profuse in donations of
tobacco. In short, never was there a more complete
set of beggars than the whole of this said royal tainily,
116 THE CAMP OF THE FIRST DIVISION.
and even the eldest princess, the fascinating " Miss
Macomo" — during the deepest flirtations with her many
admirers, amongst our young officers — woukl ever so-
licit, in the most engaging and irresistible manner,
" Coubah" and " sixpences,"' as a token of their affection.
Many other worshippers of " dolce far niente" might
be seen lounging listlessly about the camp, throwing
the assegai, or bartering with Kaffir women for brass
armlets, beaded ornaments, or bundles of grass ; till,
at last, the excessive heat would drive all hands for
shelter, either under the waggons — to some arbours
rudely fashioned of boughs and reeds — or else to the
banks of the Chumie, with its cool, clear waters and
refreshing shades.
Then the sporting characters of the force got up
races and steeple-chases. But the education of the
Kaffir ponies in the important point of " fencing" had
been sadly neglected, and consequently many were the
" purls" over hurdles, and " spills" into ditches,
wherewith they indulged their venturous riders ; two
or three broken heads and dislocated shoulders being
the sad consequence of this want of civilization
amongst the Amakosa equine species. Still — spite of
broken heads — these sporting undertakings proved a
welcome occupation and amusement, both to officers
and men. They used all to flock down to the race-
course ; and, at the conclusion of tlie equestrian per-
formances, purses would be made for foot-races amongst
the soldiers, which were frequently contested with the
greatest spirit. In fact, every thing was done by our
considerate and able commander, Colonel Slade, to
make all as happy and comfortable as the circum-
THE CAMP OF THE FIRST DIVISION. ] 17
Stances of the case would admit of. Altliou<;h a strict
disciplinarian and an acknowledged good " drill,"
neither men nor officers under his connnand were
harassed with useless parades or wearying field-days.
And why should they ? Fighting appeared to have
been laid on the shelf, and to have given way to talk-
ing. Sandilla had beaten us at both games; and as
long as the duties of the Camp were properly per-
formed, and that it was guarded from any possibility
of surprise, no more appeared to be requisite to en-
sure the successful result of this "unique" campaign.
Whilst the " Rej^ulars"''' were thus allowed to rest
on their arms, some of the Native Levies occasionally
aftbrded us a little amusement as well as instruction,
by " playing at soldiers" after their own fashion.
I had been authorized to form a body of >' irregular
cavalry," and accordingly mounted a portion of the
Fingoe Levy, on the horses, or rather half-starved
ponies, above alluded to, which had been captured
from, or surrendered by the enemy. In order to iden-
tify them if stolen from the Camp kraal, or being other-
wise not forthcominix, thev were all neatlv " hojrired"
and '• docked." The General however would take upon
himself to grant neither saddles nor bridles for the use
of my embryo corps ; and as the gallant horsemen were
likewise mostly unprovided with trowsers — that very
requisite part of ecjuestrian ecjuipment — and in some
cases equally guiltless of shirts and jackets, it must
be acknowledged — though with pain I make the ad-
mission — that they scarcely equalled in appearance the
7th Dragiions ; and that my " Blacks," if brigaded
with the Household troops, might possibly have been
118 THE CAMP OF THE FIRST DIVISION.
thrown somewhat iu the shade by the better appointed
" Blues."
Still, though I say it who should not, the " Irregular
Horse" was certainly a most striking and imposing
looking corps; and those African " sans culotte"
" Black Guards," thus served up au naturel, always
reminded me — such is the force of early associations —
of what I had in schoolboy days read of the Numi-
dian cavalry of Hannibal, or Jugurtha!
These ebony " death and glory boys" were headed
by an ensign of the 90th Light Infantry, who became
thereby suddenly exalted (though without the pay)
into a lieutenant-colonel of cavalry, whose staff con-
sisted of — for adjutant — of a late serjeant-major of dra-
goons, a drunken old fellow, long since discharged from
the service ; whilst the post of quarter-master was
filled by an ancient pensioner of infantry. With such
tools, and such materials to work on, it will not be
matter of surprise if the Fingoe Irregulars — spite of
bare backs (both in men and horses) — soon by their
brilliant performances elicited universal admiration,
and " witched the wondering Camp with noble horse-
manship."
So proud did I feel of this noble corps, that, on
being refiised a supply of saddles and bridles, I mag-
nanimously resolved to equip them at my ov\ti ex-
pense, and accordingly went to Graham's Town for
that purpose. But whilst negociating a saddle con-
tract, I learned that, although my application for
equipments was disregarded, that of Colonel Somerset,
relative to a company of the Rifles which he had like-
wise mounted on captured horses, had been readily
THE CAMP OF THE FIRST DIVISION. 119
acceded to — saddles and bridles for which purpose beino-
iu course of preparation at Graham's Town. This so
completely disgusted and cured me of my " esprit do
corps" — when it appeared to be so little appreciated —
that I returned instantly to camp; and " Napier's
Irregular Horse" remained henceforth " saddleless," as
well as breechless and shirtless, after my " bootless"
expedition in their behalf!
Although, as I have remarked, the first division
was little troubled with unnecessary drills, brigade
field days and other — in this case — useless exhibitions
of pipe-clay and martinetism ; the gallant Native
Levies were occasionally called upon to display their
own peculiar mode of bush-fighting; and used to initiate
their European companions in the elaborate mysteries
of African warfare, and the levying of " black mail.""
For this purpose, the services of the cattle kraal
were greatly iu requisition, the oxen being taken to
some neighbouring pasture under the guardianship of
one portion of the Native Troops, whilst another body
enacted the part of assailants, and endeavoured for-
cibly to carry off the herd. This attack and defence
of what is held most precious in life, by the natives of
Southern Africa, soon brought into play all their cha-
racteristic attributes of savage warfare ; the plunder
of cattle being ever the chief object of hostilities in
this part of the world ; and both parties, forgcttini;
the mimic nature of the contest, and carried away by
the impulse of the moment, frequently engaged in this
guerilla fight with such earnestness and good will, as
to render the whole scene one of considerable interest
and excitement.
120 THE CAMP OF THE FIRST DIVISION.
The wily ambush, the sudden rush on their prey,
the savage war-cry, the shrill whistle with which, as
if by a charmed power, the Kaffir urges forward and
controls the most numerous and refractory herd — all
was enacted to the very life, amidst a well-sustained
fire of musketry ; and, if no lives were lost during
this animated rehearsal, it was certainly not owing to
any spirit of forbearance displayed by the respective
combatants, but rather thanks to the blank cartridges
with which their pouches were filled.
The cliief sufferers in the fray were the unfortunate
oxen, which, in the course of these sham fights, under-
went all the painful vicissitudes of actual and real
warfare. They were captured and re-captured — seized,
and liberated — a dozen times during the day ; and what
with firing, shouting, whistling, and blows, the poor
animals were, on the conclusion of the fight, well nigh
scared out of their seven senses, driven nearly to mad-
ness, and completely so oS" their legs.
That part of my " brave army," consisting of Cap-
tain Hogg's Native Levy, was particularly well trained
in such cattle-lifting warfare. It consisted of about
six hundred Hottentots, whom this active and able
officer had brouo-ht into an admirable state of effi-
ciency ; and they had, during the course of the cam-
paign, rendered the most valuable services ; a great
portion of the roughest work (where there was so much
roughing) having devolved on them and the Cape
Mounted Rifles.
Whenever a hard day's fag was required, either to
escort convoys, to take charge of captured cattle, or to
dislodge a formidable body of Kaffirs from the fastnesses
THE CAMP OF THE FIRST DIVISION'. 121
of the Bush, Captain HoIrg^s Corps was sure to be
called upon ; and l)()tli eoininander and men were admi-
rably adapted tor enduring the liardships of this sort
of rough guerilla warfare. Active, enduring, and
wiry — iniimpeded by aught save their musket and car-
touch belt ; without the encumbrance of tents or com-
missariat ; equipped in the easy and serviceable dress
of a broad-brimmed " Jem Crow" hat, a fustian jacket,
leather " crackers," and shod with light " veldt-
schoonen" — these hardy, willing fellows would, at a
monient''s notice, at any time of the day or night, at
any season or in any weather, start oft" wherever re-
quired ; and with their indefatigable leader somewhat
similarly' attired, and " footing" it along at their head,
(for he made a point of sharing all their fatigues and
privations) frequently accomplished the most asto-
nishing marches, both as to time and distance — marches
which would have utterly crippled any European
troops of the army.
Such had been, since nearly the commencement of
the campaign, the life led by this active partisan leader
and his tawny guerillas. From that period they had
l)een constantly engaged with the enemy ; had cap-
tured and conveyed back to the Colony great numbers
of cattle ; ever acted as skirmishers and pioneers to the
army ; in short, in every way rendering the most
efficient services, which were however seldom noticed
or in any way acknowledged ; for praise and encou-
ragement — those great stimulants to military exer-
tion — were ever most charily dealt forth throughout
this harassing campaign. It was certainly far from
cheering either to men, or officers, in such a warfare,
VOL. II. G
122 THE CAMP OF THE FIRST DIVISION.
to work liarcl without ever receivins; thanks or com-
niendation ; and with no other prospect before them —
save hard knocks, hard fare, and hard fagging of every
description — to reward them for all their trouble ; for not
even the usual stimulant of expected prize-money was
here in view. The zeal of the most zealous, will, and
must, under these circumstances, finally sink under
such cold chilling neglect ; and, during the course of
the memorable KafRr campaign of 1846, a leaf should
most assuredly have been taken out of the military
field-book of Sir Charles Napier of Sciude, in which
the services of the smallest drummer — if found de-
serving of record — were as surely mentioned and
brought prominently forward to public notice* as those
of a general on the staff.
Scinde, defended by the warlike Beloochees, was —
under such a leader — conquered in six weeks. Kaffir-
land, and its hordes of naked savages, remained still
unsubdued, until the appearance of a soldier " stamped
patent" like the conqueror at Meanee. But no sooner
did the hero of Aliwal cross the frontier, than Kaffirland
quailed beneath his glance. He ordered its chiefs, in
token of submission, to kiss his foot, and they with
fear and trembling instantly obeyed [^
^ " For the first time in English despatches, the name of
private soldiers •who had distinguished themselves were made
known to their countrymen." — SeeMajor-General W.Napier's
*' Conquest of Scinde," p. 323.
■'' See Mrs. Ward's " Five Years in Kaffirland," vol. ii., p. 334.
THE AMAKOSiE. 12o
CHAPTER VI.
THE AMAKOS^.
Extent of the Becluiana race — Common language — The Ania-
tombiu — The Amapondie — The Amakosiu — The T' Slanibie
and Gaikas — Ama])akati, or Councillors — Religious belief
— Circumcision — Propensity to " cattle lifting" — Encroach-
ments of the Kaffirs — Kaffir women — Cruel treatment of them
— Appearance and dress — Superstitions —Rain-makers and
Witch Doctors — A Witch dance — Cruelty and torture —
Cannibalism — M.staken humanity — Sir Harry Smith.
" The tribe that occupies the country on the Eastern Frontier
of the Colony is called Amakosai, and their country is called by
them Amakosina. These words are formed I'rom ' kosie,'
which is used to designate a single individual, and the plural,
by prefixing the article ' ama.' — From Rose s '■'■Four Years
in Southern Jfrica" p. 78.
From what lias been said iu the preceding chapter,
relative to the Kaffirs, the reader may perhaps wish
to be made acquainted with further details respectinu'
this remarkable people; I shall therefore proceed to
recapitulate all I have learned on the subject, partly
from personal observation, but chiefly on the authority
of those authors whose accounts are most to be relied
upon ; on the present occasion, however, confining these
particulars to that portion of the Kaffir race, known
as the Amakosro, who were principally our opponents
during the last war.
G 2
124 THE AMAKOS^.
Of all the various ramifications into which the human
species is divided, probably few exceed in number, and
the wide extent of tei-ritory they occupy, those of the
Bechuaua race, of which the Kaffir nation is a widely-
spreading branch. And if similarity of language, cus-
toms, and appearance, be proofs of a common origin,
the course of this people may be traced as flowing
south of the equator, from the furthest discovered
limits of the interior of Africa, along its eastern shores
— thence skirting the vast sandy deserts which divide
this little-known continent — across the peninsula, to
the western coast, through the country of the Damaras,
and extending to the Portuouese settlements of Ben-
guela and Angola.
" The Bechuana, or, as some term it, the Sichuana
dialect, prevails universally among the interior tribes,
so far as they have yet been visited, and varies but
slightly from that of the Damaras and Delagoans, on
the opposite coasts."^
Captain Owen, whose labours in surveying the
eastern shores of Africa are so well known, states that
the language at Delagoa Bay is the same as that
spoken to the eastward, as far as the Bazaneto Islands,
and that both Kaffirs and Zoolahs can communicate
readily with the Delagoans. ]\Iajor Denham, who
succeeded in penetrating from the western coast,
further into the interior of Central Africa than pro-
bably any other European, describes the Fellatahs —
inhabiting the portion of this immense and nearly un-
kno^vn continent, which is situated about 10° north
^ From Thompson's " Travels in Southern Africa," vol. i.,
p. 332.
THK AMAKOS^E. 125
and 5° cast — as clothed in the " spoils of the chase,"
and possessing characteristics which are recognised as
common to the Kaffirs and other hordes of the liccli-
uana race.
The many theories advanced as to the origin of the
Kaffirs have already heen adverted to ; hut although
Barrow and other writers boldly affirm them to be
the descendants of Ishmael, there appears — on many
accounts — more reason to consider them analo-
gous with the neoroes of Central Africa, or that
their derivation may be traced from Abyssinia; an
hypotliesis which might perhaps be greatly elucidated
by Sir Cornwallis Harris, who, from his mission to
that part of the world, and former travels in Southern
Africa, would no doubt be well qualified for such a
task.
Of the three Bechuana nations, viz., the Ama-
tombw, (or Tamboukies) the Amapond;e, and tlie
Amakosjp, (indiscriminately known to us, under the
extraneous appellation of Kaffirs) with the latter —
from their geographical position, and constant depre-
dations during the last half century, on the eastern
province of the Cape of Good Hope — we have had
more intimate relations, and are better acquainted,
than with any other tribe of the whole race ; and, as
part of this knowledge has been acquired at a cost of
several millions sterling to the British nation, it may
not at this moment — when hostilities with them havt-
so lately been brought to a close — be deemed out of
place, to give a short description of these restless
barbarians.
The nominal territory of the Amakoste now extends
126 THE AMAKOS^.
from the Umtata to the Keiskamma; and though
Kreili, whose residence is beyond the Kye, be ac-
knowledged as their paramount sovereign, the Nation
is divided into several Tribes, independent of each
other, and governed by hereditary chiefs, who possess
the power of life and death over their subjects. The
principal Amakosse Tribes, besides those of Kreili,
are the T' Slambies and the Gaikas. But these are
subdivided into several minor chieftainships, whose
aggregate amount of population is supposed to exceed
170,000 souls, amongst whom may be reckoned,
at the very least, between forty and fifty tliousand
Avarriors ; though some aver that they can bring
even a larger number into the field. It says little
in favour of the prudence or precautionary mea-
sures adopted by the British government for the pro-
tection of its Colonial subjects, that, in the face of such
a host of treacherous and warlike barbarians, united
by the strongest and most tempting motives to plun-
der, the eastern frontier has so often been left nearly
denuded of troops. The whole amount of force for its
defence, in 1834, and for several years previously,
was — " 400 British infantry and 200 Hottentot
cavalry, to protect one hundred miles of a fertile and
tempting frontier, in the face of 80,000 savages on the
opposite border, of habits innately predatory; a frontier,
too, without fortified works, or cannon — a weakness
which invited tlio spoiler, who was a close observer,
and knew it well.'"^
1 have, in a former chapter, described the principle
^ From Sir B. d'Urban's Despatch to Lord Glenelg, dated
9th June, 1836.
THE AMAKOS/E. 127
of succession amongst the Kaffirs as hereditary. ]5ut
though the powers of the cliict's are great — being both
legislators as well as judges of their respective tribes
— the " Ainapakati," or councillors, composed of the
most experienced of their subjects, are always con-
sulted in affairs of importance. Their laws are few ;
and, having no written documents of any kind, are
transmitted by tradition. The decisions of their courts
of justice are founded on precedents handed down
from father to son, and which the elders of the tribe
take care to inculcate in the minds of the younger
warriors.
The crimes chiefly prevalent amongst the Kaffirs
are murder, theft, adultery, and witchcraft ; the latter
is considered by fjir the most heinous offence of all, and
often made, by the chief, a pretext for extortion, com-
mitted under circumstances of the most revolting bar-
barity. As to the former delinquencies, they are
rarely punished Avith death, a proportionate fine of
cattle being generally deemed an equivalent, even for
the shedding of blood.
Their belief in a Supreme Being, or knowledge of a
future state, is extremely doubtful ; and tlie celebrated
missionary. Van der Kemp — who probably possessed
more information relative to the Kaffirs than has ever
been since attained by any other European — states that
he could never perceive they had any religion at all,
or any idea of the existence of God. Like most of
the savage nations of Africa, they appear however to
entertain some indefinite sort of veneration for the
moon, the full of which is generally with them a sea-
sou of gladness and rejoicing ; and they will then
128 THE AMAKOSiE.
often pass wliole nights in song and dance, under tlie
mild influence of her silvery liglit.
This custom, or, possibly, vague species of worship,
was likewise prevalent, if we may believe Kolben, with
the Hottentots of old. It is still observed by the
modern Bushmen. The Finooes and other Bechuaua
Tribes, as already adverted to, practise it to the pre-
sent day, and it also prevails — according to Mungo
Park and Lander — even amongst the Negro nations
on the banks of the Niger and the Gambia.
The Kaffirs still adhere to certain customs, which
lead to the supposition of having reference to previous
religious institutions, now sunk in oblivion, and to a
former much higher state of civilization than that
which they at present enjoy. Amongst these may be
reckoned the rigid manner in which they abstain from
anything approaching to incestuous intercourse — an
observance carried to such an extent, that if a Kaffir
happens to meet the wife of his brother, she instantly
steps aside, and endeavours to screen herself from
his view. Nor are persons coming within this, and
certain other degrees of relationship, allowed to sit
together in the same hut, mix in the same company,
or hold any sort of communication, though for years
inhabitino; a common neighbourhood.
The universal practice of circumcision amongst the
Kaffirs, has, by some authors, been adduced as a cer-
tain proof of a Jewish or Arabic extraction. But
a like custom prevails amongst some of the Negro
Tribes to the north of the equator, ^ and affords no
more grounds for such an hypothesis, than the habit
^ See " Mungo Parke's Travels," p. 226.
THE AMAKOSiE. 129
of exposing their dead to be devoured by wild ani-
mals, would lead to the conclusion of a common
origin with the ancient Guebres, or fire-worshippers
of Persia ; who adopted — and wliose descendants in
India to this day adopt — a similar mode of disposing
of the remains of humanity.
The Kaffirs liave other striking peculiarities, to
which an imaginary importance has been attached by
writers wishing to establish some favourite theor}- —
such as an aversion to the flesh of swine, and to cer-
tain kinds of fish. Nothing, either in their appearance
or language, (the latter the strongest of all evidence
in such cases) seems however to justify the supposition
of the Kaffirs, or, in short, any of the liechuaua race,
being of Caucasian origin.
Though tall, well made, and in body and limbs a
model of symmetry, the Kaffir head — wdiatever some
authors may aver to the contrary — bears too evidently
the African stamp, ever to be mistaken. The crisp,
woolly hair, thick hps, and depressed nose, are cer-
tainly no proof of Asiatic derivation. Nor could T,
even in the most extensive vocabulary of thoir lan-
guage — spite of Barrow's surmises founded on the
Oriental sound of ^'- Eliang"' (the sun) — discover more
than a single word having any atKnity to the Arabic,
and that is the affirmative " Eywali," (yes) which is
common to both languages.
Notwithstanding the Kaffirs possess a knowledge of
cultivating the ground, even make bread, and also
' Which certainly boars little resemblance to " El Shums,"
the Arabic appellation for the sun. Sec Barrow, vol. i., p. 219.
G 5
130 THE AMAKOSiE.
brew a sort of beer, they may be considered as almost
exclusively a nomadic race, living cliiefly by the pro-
duce of their herds ; and cattle being by them regarded
as specie — the current coin of the country — a pro-
portionate value is therefore set on what this people
look upon with real veneration, nearly approaching
the symbolical worship evinced by the ancient Egyp-
tian for his god Apis, or that homage paid by the
modern Hindoo to the sacred cow.
Cattle may therefore be said to constitute the whole
" capital" of the Kaffirs. Every commercial or bar-
tering transaction is, generally speaking, carried on
amongst themselves through this medium, and — as
with other savages — woman is likewise considered by
them merely as an article of trade, adapted to pur-
poses of labour and servitude. The Kaffir who wishes
to enjoy the domestic felicity of a wife, or rather the
useful commodity of a female slave, has to consult —
not the taste or inclination of the latter — but the cu-
pidity of her relations. The price of the bride is fixed
at a certain number of oxen ; which amount he cal-
culates on realizing (as if purchasing a cow or a mare)
by the service she may be supposed capable of render-
ing, and in the amount of " stock" she is likely to
produce, in the shape of female children ; to be, at
some future period, with interest, converted into cattle
currency !
Now, although the candidate for matrimony may
not possess the requisite " funds" to conclude the pur-
chase, and make such an investment, he knows they
can be readily procured in the Colony ; and therefore
associating with other youths in the same predicament
THE AMAKOS.li:. lol
as himself, the party unhesitatingly cross the frontier ;
rob the Colonists of the re<juire(l amount of cattle ;
with the fruits of their plunder take unto themselves
wives, and beget children, the male part of whom, in due
course of time, do not fail, in their matri'monial spe-
culations, to follow the example of their sires ; whilst
the girls, when marriageable, fetch their due price at
the same market. Hence — with other concomitant
causes — the real oriijin of our never-ceasing " Kaffir
wars," or rather of those unavoidable retributive mea-
sures on the part of the Colonists, which in the end
always lead to such a result.
From the earliest period of European occupation in
Southern Africa, aggression has ever, in this manner,
originated on the part of the Kaffirs. In fact, neither
the Colony nor the British Government can have any
possible interest in waging war with these savages ;
for, whatever may be the result of such hostilities, their
effect has always been loss of life and property to the
former, together with a severe drain on the exchequer
of the latter.
In the face of these incontrovertible truths ; the
Government at home and the opinion of the British
public — from our first intercourse with this part of
the world — have ever been, as before remarked, con-
stantly misled regarding the nature of our relations
with the Native Tribes of Southern Africa, by theorists,
who, blinded to facts, and carried away in support of
fancied conclusions of their own, were themselves the
victims of artful misrepresentation; or by others, shame-
fully lending themselves as tools of imposition, and
employed by certain designing and meddling societies,
] 32 THE AMAKOSiE.
which — under the cloak of religion — have been long suf-
fered to hold the most unaccountable and undisputed
sway in this part of the world, and been the cause of
incalculable mischief to the Colonists and to the
Colony in general.^
I have already shown that the Kaffirs, so far from
having been driven back from the boundary they oc-
cupied at the period of their first relations with the
Dutch, have ever invariably encroached and crowded
on the eastern province. In proof that they are now —
spite of ever renewed assertions to the contrary —
infinitely more opulent and powerful than they were
half a century ago, instead of being impoverished, or
having in any manner suffered from their vicinity to
the " white man," it need only be stated, tliat when
Mr. Barrow was sent in 1797 on a mission by Lord
Macartney to Gaika, not a single horse, or firelock,
appeared then to be in possession of the Tribe ; and
the chief himself approached the place of rendezvous
mounted " on an ox in full gallop, attended by five or
six of his people."^
This offers a strong contrast to that interview Avhich
took place immediately before the commencement of
the late war, between Sandilla (the son ofGaika), and
the Lieutenant-Governor of the eastern province ; when
the former was accompanied by a host of warriors —
several thousands of whom were mounted on horses
1 See " Case of the Colonists," by tbe Editor of the " Gra-
ham's Town Journal," p. 29, et seq. This compilation, pub-
lished at Graham's Town in 1847, throws much light on the
subject in question.
- "Barrow's Travels in Southern Africa," vol. i., p. 191.
THE amakos.t:. 133
stolen from the Colony — and a still greater nuniljcr
were provided with fire-arms and ammunition.'
To revert to the comparative state of the Kaffirs
fifty years ago, with that of their condition at the
present day. At the first-mentioned period, they pos-
sessed neither sheep nor goats. Their flocks of the
latter are now innumerable. They have robbed the
Colony of immense quantities of the former (the more
valuable, from being chiefly of English breed.) JJy the
same nefarious means, their herds have, in like man-
ner, greatly increased both in quality and number;
and, as a proof of this augmentation of their riches,
no better evidence could be adduced, than the depre-
ciation which has consequently taken place amongst
the Kaffirs, in the value of cattle.
Barrow states that the amount generally paid in his
time for a wife, was " one ox, or a couple of cows."
Of late years, the price of a bride has increased to
ten oxen. This refers to women of " plebeian" origin.
But the chiefs, when they take unto themselves partners
of high lineage, are now expected to open their "cattle
kraals "■ to the tune of five or six times that number.
As no alteration has probably within the last half cen-
tuiy taken place in the intrinsic qualifications of either
" women or oxen," we must come to the conclusion
that the former are ten times more scarce, or the latter
' A detailed account of this interview will be found at p. 217
of a late pulilicatioii called " Case of the Colonists (1847)," by
the Editor of the "Graham's Town Journal." (See Appendix.)
It still remains a mystery how and by whom the Kaffirs are
supplied with muskets and gunpowder, a mystery which how-
ever Sir Harry Smith will probably succeed in unravelling.
154 THE AMAKOSi^.
ten times more numerous than .at tlie time mentioned
by T3arrow.
The Kaffirs, like all other barbarous nations, treat
the female sex (for it would be a misnomer to call it
either " fair" or " gentle") with the greatest harsh-
ness and neolect. Women with them are like bul-
locks, considered a sort of currency, and mere articles
of barter. But the Kaffir shows to his oxen far more
kindness, consideration, and respect, than he deigns to
bestow on his unfortunate wives; for, whilst the greatest
care is lavished on the former, who lead a life of indo-
lence and repose, the latter are condemned to every
sort of drudgery ; the occupations of their lordly
masters being confined to the pleasures of the chase,
to the care of milking their cows, or idly basking
about the precincts of the kraal, whilst smoking and
reciting to each other the news and gossip of the day,
which, with the Kaffirs, is a most favourite recreation.
The temperate habits of this people, combined with
the exercise of hunting ; living as they do mostly in the
open air of a fine salubrious climate, and eschewing all
sedentary and laborious employment, tend to produce in
them the most perfect development of which the human
frame appears susceptible ; and, could a less satyr-like
and repulsive expression of countenance be placed on
such a "torso," a Kaffir warrior might be considered
the living image of those bronze statues of antiquity,
which still serve as models for the sculptor. Similar
to many of such classical imitations of the human
'• form divine," his shape is concealed by no superflu-
ous drapery ; " the " kaross" and " noutchee" consti-
tuting his only garments. The former, during war.
THE AMAKOS/E. 135
ill the exertions of the chase, or in tlieheat of suniiiiir,
is usually cast aside ; and the scanty dimensions of
the latter are not to be described. ^ Whilst the Kallir
thus —
God-like erect, Avith native " bronze" well clad,
In naked majesty seems lord of all —
far different is the aspect of his poor Helot wife, who
visibly bears on her features and person the degrading
stamp of that cruel slavery to which she is irrevocably
doomed.
The Kaffir women are, generally speaking, spare
in shape, small in stature ; and, in my humble opinion,
(notwithstanding the eulogies so lavishly bestowed on
their attractions by some poetic writers) fully deserving
the epithet of : "hideous females of Caftraria," given
them by Goldsmith. They, nevertheless, are said to
possess the full amount of vanity for which the sex —
whether with foundation or not — has universally the
credit ; and, according to the relations of some travel-
lers, their spirit of coquetry is often carried far beyond
what we consider the usual bounds of innocent 11111-
ation.2 However that may be — or whether such con-
duct towards strangers is merely considered by them
iu the light of hospitality — there is most assuredly
nothing immodest in either the costume or appearance
of the Kaffir ladies ; for their sable charms are as
securely shrouded in the thick folds of an ample kaross,
' For an account of this part of the KafHr dress, the inqui-
sitive reader is referred to Le Vaillant's " Travels in Southern
Africa."
' See "Rose's Four Years iu Southern Africa," p. 185 : also
Appendix.
136 THE AMAKOS^.
as the persons of their lords and masters are always
shamelessly exposed to the view of every spectator.
From the remotest era of which history makes men-
tion, the dress of all nations in an uncivilized state has
generally been composed either of the skins of domestic
animals, or of the spoils of the chase. Thus, Hercules
is represented with a mantle flayed from the Nsemean
lion ; which probably, likewise, occasionally served as a
shield — and the garment of a Kaffir chief similarlv
consists of the leopard skin kaross. If, when divested
of this, the classical spectator be — in the naked Aft-ican
warrior — reminded of the bronze Perseus of Ben-
venuto Cellini, a sight of the Kaffir, while enveloped
in his coriaceous covering, will no less call to recollec-
tion those old Etruscan sculptures, similarly draped,
and executed during the earliest and most barbaric
infancy of the art.
# * * *
Though without any apparent religious belief, the
Kaffirs, like most other barbarous nations, are super-
stitious to a degree. They suppose the very ele-
ments to be under the control of certain Amaquira,
(" rain-makers," or " witch-doctors,") who are consulted
on every occasion, particularly when a prolonged
drought endangers the produce of their fields and gar-
dens. The "doctor" is then bribed with a present
of cattle to obtain the desired showers. If the latter
come not, he says the cattle offered through him to the
spirit of the clouds were either too poor, or else insuffi-
cient in number, to propitiate his favour, A further
donation is then exacted ; but should — at the end of a
given period — the flood-gates of Heaven still continue to
I
THE amakos;f:. 137
be closed, he fixes the blame on some unfortunate wretch,
whom he accuses of magic, and who i.s mercilessly
sacrificed for the imputed ofience ; wliich is supj)osed
to consist either in the power of driving away rain ;
in causino; sickness ; holdin<r nocturnal intercourse with
wolves, and sending them amongst cattle ; exerting an
influence over monkeys and baboons, by directing them
to plunder the fields and gardens ; with other things
equally puerile and absurd. This accusation of magic,
or witchcraft, however frivolous it may appear, is,
amongst the Kaffirs, made the excuse for robbery and
extortion, committed under circumstances of the
greatest atrocity and most refined cruelty.
If a Kaffir chief take a fancy to the wives or herds
of one of his dependants, he consults a witch-doctor on
the subject. This w'orthy soon finds out a real or
imaginary case of sickness in the Tribe. He next
conceals, in the cleft of a rock, or under a stone in
some remote spot, small pieces of hide — a handful of
hair — a few bones, or other similar objects. Having
taken these preliminary measures, he goes to his em-
ployer, the aforesaid chief, and officially reports that
such or such a case of sickness, attributable to witch-
craft, has come to his knowledge, whereupon the
" Father of the Tril)e,''"' with a laudable anxiety to
repress so abominable a crime, congregates all his
children at a given place. The doctor (in some cases
an old woman) attends the gathering, o;ravely inspects
the assembled multitude, and invariably points out,
as the culprit, the unfortunate individual whose' fat
oxen or beauteous wives have excited the cupidity or
lust of the irreat man.
138 THE AMAKOSiE.
The accused is instantly seized, and desired to de-
clare how he has caused the sickness alluded to ? He
in vain protests his innocence of tlie charo-e, and igno-
rance of every thing relating to it. The doctor is
inexorable, and persists in the accusation. The victim
is thrown on the ground, his arms and legs are ex-
tended, and securely fastened to pickets driven into
the earth. The poor wretch's miseries now com-
mence, and are usually borne with the most unflinch-
ing endurance. Long needles, used in sewing their
karosses, are thrust by dozens into his flesh — yet he still
perseveres in averring his innocence. Honey is next
brought, with which his face and body are smeared over,
and a nest of the large black ant is broken up and
thrown upon him. The venomous sting of one of
these insects is of itself excruciating ; but when my-
riads are at the same time inflicted, their effect can be
more easily imagined than described.
The only virtue of the Kaffir is a stern, stoical forti-
tude, and that pride in being capable of unshrinkingly
bearing pain, which sustains the Cheroquee Indian at the
stake. The suff'erer still stoutly resists every exhorta-
tion to admit his guilt ; and, mild expedients having
thus failed, recourse is had to more rigorous measures.
A fire is next kindled at his feet, and, lest — by the
time they are reduced to seared, smoking, and shape-
less stumps — he should continue obdurate, large stones
are heated in readiness for the perpetration of further hor-
rors. The poor maimed and tortured wretch, tliough
still disallowing the charge, so far quails beneath
his protracted suff"erings, wdiich have already lasted
for hours, that he entreats for the coup de grace — but,
THE AMAKOS.^S. 139
110 ! the ends of justice must l»e fulfilled. By means
of forked sticks, the stones, now calcined by heat, are
taken from the fire, and studiously applied to the
most sensitive parts of liis body ; but the very stones,
as it were in pity, glide off the writhing flesh, slipping
under the unctuous animal matter drawn by their
burning iniluence from the quivering mass. They
are, however, instantly replaced, and kept, by these
infernal fiends, against the now crackling, shrivelled,
and smoking carcase. Exhausted nature is at her last
grasp — life holds by a single thread ; but that thread
is not allowed to snap, until the " witch doctor" ob-
tains the required avowal from the expiring sufferer.
This being at last effected, he is then asked if the
proofs of his guilt are not buried in a certain spot ?
" They are," is the reply. The desired object is thus
accomplished ; the convicted culprit either dies from the
effects of the torture he has undergone ; is put out of
pain by strangulation ; or brained as he lies, by a blow
of the " knob kerrie."'
The assembled multitude follow the " sage" to a
place already previously decided upon by him ; — the
pretended magic spells, here concealed, are now ex-
posed to view, the doctor is extolled for wisdom, the
chief for his justice — and they both share the spoils
of the murdered man !
Such scenes as these are not mere matters of tradi-
tion — events of by-gone times. They are eveiy
day occurrences with this " pastoral" people, in this
most enlightened and civilized age ; occurrences
' A kind of club used by the Kaffirs in the destruction of
game ; or in war, to put an end to a wounded or vanquished foe.
140 THE AMAKOSiE.
which, moreover, constantly happen close to the Co-
lonial border. As an instance in point, a disgraceful
transaction, such as the one above described, took
place on occasion of the illness of Kona, the son of
!Macomo ; and that " good and intelligent chief*' tried
hard to award a like fate to the " ^reat wife" or rather
widow of Gaika (his stepmother, Sutu), who had a
most narrow escape of being burnt to death as a witch !
The mother of the only Kaffir convert to Christianity
— the petty chief Kama — bore tlirough life the marks of
such an ordeal ; and all classes, without regard to age
or sex, appear liable to similar tortures, sometimes in-
flicted through interested motives, or a spirit of revenge,
but which are often the results of mere whim and caprice.
Cruel to such a degree towards each other, it is not
matter of surprise, if the Kaffirs should carry vengeance
and barbarity against their enemies, to the greatest
lengths. " Death and destruction" are ever, durino"
their bloody wars, the watchwords among all the
Bechuana race, comprising Kaffirs, Fetcani, Mantatees,
Zoolahs, and other tribes of this savage people.
These assertions have been fully verified, and that
very recently, by the desolating irruptions of Dingan,
of Chakah, of Moselekatse, Matiwana, and many other
swarthy Attilas, whose footsteps were ever marked by
universal slaughter and the most sweeping devastation ;
sparing neitlier man, woman, nor child, in their anni-
hilating course, and converting populous and fertile
tracts into vast deserts, now solely covered with ashes
and bleaching bones. ^
" The misery already inflicted by the wars of Chakah
' See " Harris's Travels in Southern Africa," pp. 236, 309.
TIIK AMAKOS.'E, 141
(the Zoolah cliief) upon the Kaffir and Bccliuana Tribes,
is incalcuhible ; and far from beini;^ confined to tlie mas-
sacre and destruction directly occasioned by his arms.
By plundering and driving off the adjoining nations,
he has forced them to become phniderers in their turn,
and to carry terror and devastation through the re-
motest quarters of Southern Africa. In short, the
peopk^ dispossessed by Chakah became the marauding
and cannibal Mantatees.""^
Though starvation may have, perhaps, in this in-
stance, driven the Mantatees to devour their enemies,
the Kaffir Tribes with whom we have lately been at
war never had a similar excuse. And yet, prompted
by a natural ferocity, combined with certain super-
stitious notions — which leads them to suppose, that by
(\ating the vital parts of a fallen foe, his strength and
power are thereby inherited — they not only, during
the late hostilities, made a practice of torturing such
of our people as fell into their hands, ^ but it is posi-
tively averred that, when any officer had the misfor-
tune to be captured — after enduring a cruel and linjjer-
ing death, and subsecpient horrible mutilations being
committed on his body — the heart and liver were ia
some instances next torn out, and made the materials
of a diabolical feast by these fiends in human shape !
Similar to the Hottentots of old, this spirit of in-
nate cruelty extends even to the mode in which they
slaughter their cattle for a feast ; the amount of suffer-
ing inflicted on the unfortunate victim appearing pro-
portionately to enhance the enjoyment it aftbrds.
' " Thompson's Travels in Southern Africa," vol. i., p. 360.
^ See Mrs. Ward's "Five Years in Kaffirland," vol. i., c. 7.
142 THE AMAKOS^.
The following account of a scene descriptive of the
subject in point, is given by Sir James Alexander in
his interesting narrative of the Kaffir war of 1834-35.
" Hintza and his people now returned to tents which
had been pitched for them, strongly guarded at a re-
spectful distance by a circle of Highlanders.
" According to the South African custom, a fat ox
was driven to the Kaffirs to slaughter ; and we then
witnessed a most strange and revolting spectacle, illus-
trative of savage customs.
" Half a dozen Kaffirs started up, laid aside their
karosses, and approached the ox ; one, with a noose
of riem, or hide, on the end of an assegai, after a few
attempts, slipped it over the liorns ; another held the
tail, a third put a riem round the left fore leg, and
another round a hind leff : the head and leos were
then drawn together ; and the ox fell bellowing to the
ofround. The animal was now secured firnilv, and
prevented from rising. The chief butcher then, with
an assegai, cut open about a foot of the skin of the
belly ; and lying on the ground, amidst the groans of
agony and helpless struggles of the unfortunate brute,
he thrust his right arm up to the shoulder into the
ox ; gave a twist and a pull at the heart ; ruptured one
of the large arteries ; and drew away the omentum,
which was thrown on a fire, cooked and eaten, before
the last convulsions of the victim had ceased !
" We were all exceedingly disgusted ; and some
felt very sick on witnessing this barbarous sacrifice.
Not so the Kaffirs ; they were all alive, and imme-
diately proceeded to flay tlie animal with their assegais
grasped short j with an axe, they broke in the ribs
THK AMAKOS.^. 143
across the middle ; the ox was in a pool of blood ;
and one fellow, taking out the gall-bladder, went oflf
with it, and drank the warm gall ' to make him
strong/ He evidently enjoyed the offensive potation ;
but making faces after it, like a Highlander after a
dram, alibctinir reluctance to take what miiiht not
agree with him ; and, when it was all over, giving vent
to a liearty ' pegh V "
And yet, by some writers, it has been gravely
asserted that the Kaffirs " are not a cruel and vindic-
tive people !" Sir Harry Smith, howrvcr, whoso long
experience in Katlirhind entitles his opinion to some
weight on this subject, says that self-interest and fear
are the only motives which influence their conduct :
" possessing the character natural to uncivilized man,
easily pleased, readily offended, cunning, avaricious,
treacherous, and vindictive — to which the Kaffir adds
a peculiar restlessness of disposition, thirsting for news,
and ever seeking a grievance, as he meditates mischief."'
It is, nevertheless, in favour of such an amiable set of
beings, that forbearance and conciliatory measures
have been so long preached ; though it be true that
these Utopian precepts have been — generally speaking
— inculcated by disinterested advocates, whose persons
and property were perfectly secure from the attempts
of so " pastoral and primitive a people !"
This very mistaken sentiment of humanity, carried
' Sir Harrj' Smith's opinion of Kaffir character will be found
in the address made by him at Cape Town on the 'iOth of
October, 1837, after he had in disgust thrown up the appoint-
ment he held on the eastern frontier. Vide " Case of the
Colonists," p. '21, by the Editor of the Graham's Town Journal.
144 THE AMAKOSiE.
to a most ridiculous excess, and by wliicli the Colony
has always hitherto so greatly suftered, prevented us
at the outbreak of the last war from availing ourselves
of the proffered services of Mosesh, the Basuto warrior ;
of F'aku, the head of the Amaponda?, and of Uinti-
rara, the Tambookie chief ; who, with their numerous
Tribes, would willingly have thrown themselves on the
flank and rear of our enemies, most gladly taken ad-
vantage of such an opportunity to " eat them up"" (the
expressive and characteristic African term for waging
war), and only awaited from us the signal for so doing.'
But our consent was then — as on former similar occa-
sions — withheld, from a delicate apprehension of our
bloodthirsty and inveterate foes being too roughly
handled by their fellow barbarians !
Though it was the advice of Colonel Hare, the
veteran and experienced Governor of the Eastern Pro-
vince, that we should avail ourselves of the offer of the
friendly Tribes above adverted to, in order to cripple
the enemy, his counsel was disregarded. And why ?
We would answer — from a shrinking dread of respon-
sibility — from the fear of opposing the falsely-founded
opinions of the " religious'*' British public — from the
same mistaken deference to that morbid spirit of
would-be philanthropy, emanating from Exeter Hall—
which has so long pervaded the public feeling in Eng-
land, v.'hich has directed our naval operations on the
coast of Guinea — swayed our proceedings in Southern
Africa — and ever caused us to set at naught the lives
of our fellow-countrymen : soldiers, sailors, and settlers,
1 See in "Blue Book" for 1847, at p, 181, Despatch,
No. 18.
THE AMAKOS^. Ito
as compared with those of a set of, generally speaking,
treacherous, bloodthirsty, and ungrateful savages !
I have shown how we have been repaid by the
Kaffirs for such misplaced lenity and forbearance ; a
system of forbearance, which — whilst holding out the
strongest encouragement to their lawless depredations
— has so continually placed at their merci/ the lives and
property of JJritish subjects ; for even when nominally
at peace, they unceasingly plunder the Colony ; un-
hesitatingly murder, if opposed in their robberies ; and
the reader lias just had an unexaggerated statement of
their conduct towards us when at open war.
* * * *
I can only advert, en passant — as characteristic of
their habits — to the inhuman practice prevalent
amongst the Kaffirs, of exposing their sick and aged
relatives to be devoured by wild beasts. Whenever
a Kaffir is considered beyond hope of recovery, he
is carried into the ]5ush, where a living sepulchre (the
wolf or the jackall) invariably awaits the unfortunate
wretch — for none but the chiefs have the privilege of
being interred ; and the cattle kraal (considered a
sacred spot) is t/ieir last place of abode.
Though in illustration of Kaffir character and cus-
toms I could say much more, tending further to eluci-
date the real disposition of these barbarous savages,
I shall — out of regard to my readers — cease further to
descant on so revolting a subject ; and conclude by re-
marking, that, according to Kaffir interpretation, " for-
bearance is weakness, indecision a want of courage, and
liberality a want of miderstanding ; " that our own
vacillating measures, repeatedly childish conduct, and
VOL. II. II
146 THE AMAKOS^.
misplaced generosity towards these robber tribes, during
the Last half century, have fully confirmed their belief
in the truth of these maxims. Their deportment to-
wards us has been regulated accordingly ; and to this
obstinate continuance of such conduct and measures,
on the part of Government, may be traced the origin
of those calamities which have so often overwhelmed
the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope.
It is, however, to be hoped that the reign of
" humbug" is, in this quarter, at last come to a close ;
that a deaf ear will henceforth be turned to the
ravings of deluded or deluding philanthropists, and of
interested intriguers ;^ that after all our dearly-bought
experience, the Kaffirs will now, under the vigorous
administration of Sir Harry Smith, be dealt with ac-
cording to their deserts ; and, should they give any
further trouble or molestation to the Colony, that they
will — as a just punishment for past, and a security
against future offences — be driven, en masse, beyond
the Kye; the boundary originally fixed, in 1835, by
Sir Benjamin d'Urban, and the only defensible bar-
rier against these truly " irreclaimable savages."
' The reader must ere this be heartily tired of the many
allusions made in these pages to the above mentioned classes.
But their meddling influence has been so constantly and per-
severingly exercised at the expense of the welfare of the Colony,
and so intimately connected with all its transactions, as to render
a frequent mention of them unavoidable, in any subject having
the least reference to the Cape of Good Hope.
MACOMO, THE CiAIKA CHIEF. 147
CHAPTER VII.
MACOMO, THE GAIKA CHIEF.
Kaffir Tribes — Derivation of name — The Gai'kas and T'Slambies
— Polygamy — A "Great Wife" — Sanclilla — INIacoino — His
expulsion from the Coded District — Causes of the War of
1834-5 — Colonel Somerset — Sir Andreas Stockenstrom —
Ruinous measures — Inconsistency — IMacomo's dissolute
habits — His surrender and residence at Block Drift — His
family circle — The Princess Amahka'iah — jNIisstatenients as
to the Kaffirs — Present government of the Cape.
" Though never yet hath daybeani burn'd
Upon a brow more fierce than that —
Sullenly fierce — a mixture dire,
Like thunder-clouds, of gloom and fire."
Lcillah Rookh,
Many of the Kaflir Tribes, against whom we have
lately been carrying on hostilities, derive their respec-
tive appellations from some powerful chief, renowned
either for successes in war, riches in cattle, or the
number and extent of his Tribe. Such was Hahabee,
the grandfiither of Gaika, whose subjects, thellahabees,
— at present known as the Gaikas — have, for several
years past, been located in a portion of the territory
lying between the liutlaloe and the Great Fish Rivers ;
their chief stronghold being the wooded fastnesses of
the Amatola jNIountains. They were first led to this
part of the country by the notorious robber chief,
T' Slambie, who, on the death of Omlao, his elder
H 2
148 MACOiMO, THE GAIKA CHIEF.
brother, and the rightful successor of Hahabee, became
guardian to his nephew, Gai'ka, the infant son of the
former.
Gaika, on arriving at manhood, and assuming the
command of his Tribe — which, by the bj, was most un-
willingly given up by his uncle — soon quarrelled with
the latter ; and the wars of the Gaikas and T' Slambies,
towards the end of the last century, or about the time
we first obtained possession of the Cape of Good Hope
from the Dutch, kept, not only the whole of Amakosa
Kaffirland, but also the entire Eastern border, in a
constant state of fermentation and disturbance ; for,
on the defeat of either party, refuge was immediately
sought by the vanquished within our boundaries,
whither they would be followed by their conquerors j
and on such occasions, both the pursuers and the
pursued invariably carried on — at the expense of the
unfortunate Colonists — a ruinous system of theft,
plunder, and devastation.
As polygamy is allowed with the Kaffirs, and division
of territory and property amongst the sons of the chiefs
appears to be the established custom with them, these
combined circumstances no doubt frequently give rise
to disputes as to the succession. There seems, how-
ever, to be in this respect an invariable rule, which
grants the supremacy to one son over the rest of his
brothers ; a privilege which is affected not by priority
of birth, but by the superior rank of the mother; the
eldest male offspring of the " great wife" of a chief
being invariably considered as the representative of
the family, and tiierefore superior to his senior half-
brothers of less illustrious maternal descent.
MACOMO, TIIF- GAIKA CHIEF. 14-9
Such was tho position in which, on tlie death f)f
Gaika, was placed his infant son Sandilla — whose
mother, Sutu, was tliat cliief's "great Tambookif"
wife. During the long minority of Sandilla, the
regency was assumed by his step-brother, Macomo,
whose name has for so many years been conspicuous
in the course of our transactions with the Kaffirs — who
was lono; considered the most talented and eneriretic
of their chiefs — and who, for the last quarter of a cen-
tury, has rendered himself no less notorious for his
treachery and ferocity, than for the evils he has been
the means of inflicting on the eastern province.
As a penalty for their unprovoked aggression on the
Colony, and sudden attack on Graham's Town in
1819, and as a security against the recurrence of such
repeated outrages, the Kaffirs were then expelled from
that fertile tract of country running between the Keis-
kamma and Great Fish Eivers, which, under the name
of " Neutral Territory," or " Ceded District," it was
then decided should remain entirely unoccupied, save
by a few of our military posts. A short time however
after the adoption of this resolution, and when the
above plan had been duly carried into effect, Govern-
ment — actuated by that mistaken leniency and vacil-
lating system of policy which has so long marked our
conduct towards these savages — most un\\'isely per-
mitted Macomo, with his Gaika followers, to occupy
on sufferance, and under the promise of good behaviour,
the upper part of the Kat River Valley, at a place
situated a few miles to the north of Fort Beaufort,
and within the bounds of this " Ceded District."
But Macomo's promises were as bindins: as those of
150 MACOMO, THE GAIKA CHIEF.
any other Kaffir ; and his people soon commenced
their usual system of plunder on the Colony. More-
over, in a war he waged with the Tambookics, he
defeated and pursued some of that Tribe across our
border, and then committed such excesses, that he
was, as a punishment, ordered to leave the Kat River
valley, and remove eastward with his followers, to the
banks of the Chumie.
This event happened in 1829, when the Colonial
government, having thus partly rectified one gross
error, immediately fell into another equally great, by
establishing, on the locality recently vacated by Macomo,
a settlement of Hottentots, under missionary super-
intendence. This ill advised measure, instead of
proving a protection to the frontier, served to congre-
o-ate, together on its border, a dissolute and idle set of
vagabonds,* who, under their meddling spiritual di-
rectors, were constantly in communication with the
Kaffirs, fomented the discontent of the latter, and en-
couraged them in nourishing the remembrance of ima-
ginary wrongs as to their expulsion from the Ceded
District, but more particularly from the Kat River
valley, wliere the Missionary Establishment — tlms in-
judiciously located — is allowed to have been one of the
^ See Chase's " Cape of Good Hope," pp. 45, 85 ; and Sir
Harry Pottinger's Despatch (No. 1-3) to Earl Grey, dated
Graham's Town, 13th March, 1847; also his Despatch No. 17,
where he says: "I wish I could here stop regarding this ill-
conducted and hitherto worse understood Settlement ; but
it is not possible I can do so with a proper regard to the public
interests and my own exculpation and credit." See also Sir
James Alexander's work, vol. i., pp. 37G, 381, 409,421; and
vol. ii., p. 233.
MACOMO, THE GAIKA CHIEF. lol
main causes which lod to the disastrous Kaffir war of
1834- and 18:35. This irruption " may be traced to the
remissness of Government, in allowins: a fatal dimi-
nution of the mihtarv force on the border ; in failing
to watch and check the first symptoms of aggression
on Colonial subjects in Kaffirland, and on Colonial
property within the boundary ; and also in neglecting
to curb certain intriguing demagogues and mis-
chievous partisans in the Colony, who, under the
mask of philanthropy, tampered with the ignorant
natives on the subject of their imaginary wrongs, and
thus precipitated them upon their own countrymen,
the unoffending Settlers.""'
Sir Benjamin d'Urban, in his official letter to Lord
Glenelg, of June 9th, 1836, states in direct terms,
that " the chief cause which led to this calamity was
the injudicious and dangerous tampering with the dis-
contents of the Kaffirs, by Dr. Phillip, of the London
mission, and his subordinate partisans," together with
the baneful doctrines propagated by a Colonial pub-
lication, edited 1)y the relative and organ of the above-
named reverend gentleman. So much for the Hot-
tontot establishments under missionary superinten-
dence !
To return, however, to Macomo. His expulsion
from the Kat River, backed by such incentives, was
ever with him a theme of constant grievance and com-
plaint. And when, in 1833, for further misconduct,
he was ordere<l to quit this side of the Chumie, his fury
became unbounded, and he resolved on revenge, by
carrying into effect the long-meditated invasion of the
' From Chase's " Cape of Good Hope," pp. 84, 85.
152 MACOMO, THE GAIKA CHIEF.
whole eastern extent of the Colonial territory ; pur-
posing further to preface this measure by inviting
Colonel Somerset, the Commandant of the frontier, to
a personal interview, in which he was to have been
treacherously massacred, with all those who might
have accompanied him.
" This intended deed of treachery and blood had a
peculiar aggravation in the fact, that those chiefs who
had projected it — Macomoand Tyalie — had for many
years been treated with the greatest personal kindness
by Colonel Somerset — had been frequently guests at
his house for days together — had been almost domes-
ticated in his family — and had been in a thousand
ways objects of his favour and munificence.''''^
Colonel Somerset fortunately received timely inti-
mation of this nefarious design ; otherwise there is
little doubt but that he would have shared tlie same
fate as the father of the present Sir Andreas Stocken-
strom, who, in the war of 1812, was murdered in the
Zuureberg Mountains, during a conference held with
these treacherous savages. The sudden and unpro-
voked irruption on the Colony — which, under the
direction of Macomo, and without any warning on his
part, shortly afterwards ensued — and the consequent
Kaffir war of 1834-5, have already been adverted to :
suffice it here to say, that during its continuance, this
chief displayed, in the manner of conducting his hos-
tile operations, an equal degree of ability, ferocity, and
determination ; which qualifications then acquired for
him the reputation, he long afterwards retained, of
' From Sir Benjamin d'Urban's official letter to Lord Glenelg',
dated 9th of June, 1836.
MACOMO, TIIK OAIk'A CHIEF. 153
being the most skilful as well cas the most dangerous
of our imnierous Kaffir eiiemics.
On the conclusion of the war of 18o5 — and after the
fruits of Sir Benjamin d''Urban"'s labours and Colonel
Smith's valour had been scattered to the winds, in
consequence of the adoption of an absurd system
of policy — Captain, now Sir Andreas Stockenstrom,
was established in the important post of Lieutenant-
Governor of the Eastern Province, and entrusted with
the direction of carrying into effect " the Stockenstrom
Treaties ;" so called, as being supposed to have ori-
ginated chiefly from suggestions of his own.
In consequence of acting on these suggestions,
greater scope than ever was given to the Kaffirs. Not
only was the territory lately annexed to the Colony
by Sir Benjamin d'Urban, under the name of the
Province of Adelaide, surrendered to them — but the
Ceded District, which we had obtained in 1810, like-
wise in "just and retributive warfare," was also given
up. The numerous forts and military posts, erected
at great expense to maintain these conquests, were
now demolished ; and amongst others. Fort WilLshire ;
whose reconstruction had latel}' cost no less than
i?50,0()0 !
Still, in prosecution of our wretched policy in South
Africa — as if determined to be consistent only in in-
consistency — after thus apparently admitting the claim
of the Kaffirs to the Ceded District, we gave them
further cause of discontent, by withholding that por-
tion before adverted to, as located b\- a colony of Hot-
tentots in the valley of the Kat River.
This portion of territory is, from its situation and
II 5
154 MACOMO, THE GAIKA CHIEF.
fertility, greatly prized by the Kaffirs : Macomo laid
a particular stress on its restitution, as being the place
of his birth, and where he had spent his early youth
and manhood. Some years afterwards, when Sir
George Napier had a conference on the frontier with
the Gaika chiefs, he continued to urge this as one of
his o-reatest grievances ; and its non-redress is even said
to have been amongst the many concomitant causes of
the war of 1846.
Whether to console himself for this supposed ill-
usage, or in consequence of inheriting from his father,
Gaika, a strong predilection for the "bottle," Ma-
como, at the conclusion of the war of 1835, took to
excessive drinking. To indulge this propensity, he
became a constant visitor at Fort Beaufort, where he
was frequently to be seen considerably the worse for
liquor ; and, whilst in this condition, was often carried
away insensible, by his wives or attendants ; some of
whom always accompanied him on these jovial oc-
casions.
These continued excesses must have at last affected
both the physical and intellectual powers of Macomo;
for, at the outbreak of the last war, he no longer
showed himself the same energetic and active leader,
who had in 1834 headed the congregated hordes of the
Amakosse, across the Colonial border.* Enfeebled in
bod}^ and mind, loathing those hostilities which pre-
* The system which tlie Kaffirs so successfully adopted, during
the last war, of crippling our resources by cutting off the cum-
brous trains of waggons carrying our supplies, originated at
the suggestion of Macomo, " a policy which he used often, in
times of peace, to declare would be adopted by them in the next
war, as they had learned to know the importance of stopping
MACOMO, THE GAIKA CHIEF. 1-TO
vented liiin from indulging in his favourite — and now
to liini indispensable recreation — Maconio, after some
preliminary ncgociatious, came to the head-quarters
of our forces, then established at Block Drift, and
finally surrendered himself, unconditionally, on the
10th of November, 1846.
*****
13y one of those sudden and extraordinary transitions
of climate, so common in the summer season of this
part of Southern Africa, a day of such intense heat —
that, as we used to say, the mercury ran up to the
very top of the tent-poles — was succeeded by a night of
heavy rain, during which the cold was so severe, that
blankets, sheepskins, and boat-cloaks, were — under our
canvass habitations — considered most desirable bed-
fellows. The following mornin": still continued wet,
raw, and uncomfortable; whilst a small, drizzling rain
might have almost made us suppose ourselves amidst
the bleak highlands of Scotland, instead of being deni-
zens of " Afric's burning clime."
Such was the unpropitious state of the elements at
Block Drift, on the day of Macomo's surrender ; and
I shall never forget the drenched and miserable ayipear-
ance of that Chief and his party, as they awaited in-
structions at the outer precincts of the camp. He had
brought with him his whole " hareem," consisting of
about a dozen wives, queens, or concubines, with no
our supplies, and their own streng^th in such a line of war-
fare." The above is quoted from one of the despatches of Sir
P. Maitland ; and it seems strange, that with a knowledge of
this fact, a single waggon should have been permitted to accom-
pany the army, when it was so easy to substitute pack animals.
156 MACOMO, THE GAIKA CHIEF.
end of little Macomos ; his brother " Ned," his son
Konah, a few attendants, and his private stud of
horses.
On visiting this motley group, I found it huddled
up in a dripping mass. Macomo, wrapped in a blanket,
with an assegai in his hand, stood in the midst of his
female domestic circle, who, seated on their scanty
baggage of a few skins, mats, and calabashes, were en-
deavouring — whilst assiduously smoking out of short,
gipsy pipes — to protect their own persons and those of
their offspring, from the damp, by closely shrouding
themselves in their ox-hide karosses ; which, now
soaked with rain, clung closely, and with the utmost
pertinacity, to their shivering forms, whose outlines
were tlius fully developed.
In Southern Africa, the "tannerV opinion that there
is " nothing like leather," appears fully to prevail.
Everything here is coriaceous, from the Hottentot
" crackers" to the Kaffir " inghubo," or kaross. But,
at the same time, it can easily be imagined that no-
thing is more unpleasant to the wearer than a
garment of this material, when thoroughly saturated
with wot.
No time was lost in allotting quarters to these illus-
trious captives, who were forthwith installed in a sort
of stable attached to the abode of Mr. Stretch, (the
late political resident at Block Drift) and which, in
comparison to their own confined and smoky huts,
were no doubt considered by them as first-rate
quarters.
Desirous of basking, as much as possible, in the
sunshine of royalty, I was frequently an inmate of
MACOAIO, THE GAIKA CHIKF. 157
Macomo's now abode, to wliicli a large well filled
brandy-flask, some tobacco, aud a few sixpences, always
gained me ready admittance. I thus soon became as
it were domesticated in his family circle ; and, by the
assistance of the above passports, was able to obtain
sketches of the Chief himself, and of most of his
relatives, together with whatever imperfect informa-
tion I occasionally gleaned through the unsatisfactory
medium of an interpreter.
A glass of brandy was always the price of a ten
minutes"' sitting from Macomo, who, though apparently
reduced to a state of idiotcy through drink — or, ac-
cording to the opinion of some who well knew him of
old, only sinmlatiug that state — was ever sufficiently
on the qui vive, to insist on a bumper, regardless of
the size of the goblet. But, whether really imbecile,
or only for purposes of his own, feigning to be in that
condition, he certainly did not, at this period, answer
the following description of a late writer, who had an
opportunity of seeing him at the very same place,
but under more auspicious circumstances, when, in
1838, Sir George Napier, then Governor of the Cape,
visited the eastern frontier; though even at that time
Macomo was said to have been " excessively addicted
to di'ink."
" The celebrated chiefs, Macomo and Tyali, who
took the most prominent part in the late Kaffir war,
dined with us at Mr. Stretch"'s, and behaved like gen-
tlemen, seeming quite accustomed to European habits,
and perfectly at their ease. We had much con-
versation with them, by means of an interpreter.
They showed a quickness of repartee, and a tact and
lo8 MACOMO, THE GAIKA CHIEF.
dexterity in conversation, which would have done
credit to civihzed men."^
Great is the change which, since then, appears to
have come o'er the spirit of Macomo ; for the only
reply we could now elicit to any question was — " na-
zelah," a present, or "coubah," and "kiolah," (tobacco
and brandy) on which objects all his ideas appeared
exclusively concentrated. In fact, never could I have
imao-ined a more complete picture of brutalized bar-
barism, than that presented by this Chief and his
" domestic circle," in which there was certainly not a
vestige to be seen of aught either " gentle," or royal.
In person, Macomo is below the usual Kaffir height,
but muscular, and powerfully built, with a most for-
bidding expression of countenance, strongly indicative
of ferocity, blended with subtlety and cunning. He
is of a very dark hue, nearly approaching to black ;
in short, altogether much more resembling a Fingoe
than the generality of Kaffirs.
The following sketch of Macomo, taken in 18.35, is
from the pen of Sir James Alexander, author of the
" Campaign in Kaffirland :" " In the centre of the
group, supported under the arms by two counsellors,
was a short, thick-set, and very black Kaffir, wearing
a blue cloth surtout and leather trowsers. Round his
waist was strapped a brown ball pouch, recognised as
Lieutenant Baillie's, whose bones were lying on the
side of a hill in sight. The eye of the chief was very
keen, restless, and intelligent ; his nose was depressed ;
and his lips were thick, with lines of debauchery
^ From " Buabury's Residence at the Cape of Good Hope,"
p. 157.
MACOMO, THE GAIKA rilli;!', IN 1834.
From <i Portrait takin liy F. loiia, Eaj., of Graham's Tuiiii.
MACOMO, THE OAIKA CHIEF. 169
about the mouth and chin. This was Macomo, tlic
great warrior of all the Kallir chiefs — the most active
and darinjx in the field, and cunninfj in counciL"
Divested — whilst surrounded by liis amiable family,
and in domestic retirement at Block Drift — of the usual
attributes of his rank ; he no longer sported either the
leopard-skin kaross,' or my Lord Glenelg's munificent
gift : the gold-laecd diplomatic suit of clothing ; but
now comfortably smoked a pipe and enjoyed his bottle,
in the easiest undress furnished by Nature ; or, at
least, with no other garment save the " noutchee."
Thus, during the wet weather wliich had lately set
in, he usually passed his time in a dolce far niente
state, by the side of a fire lit in the middle of the
apartment ; his English visitors being thereby always
blinded with smoke, which appeared however to have
no effect on Macomo\s visual organs, or those of his
sultanas and numerous offspring. The latter crawled
about in all directions over the mud floor — like so
many huge, dark-coloured toads — perfectly naked^ and
with distended abdomens, nearly bursting from exces-
sive repletion.
The fact was, the poor wretches — men, women, and
children — had apparently been, ere Macomo's surren-
der, in a state almost approaching to starvation ; and
now that they were supplied with as much commis-
sariat beef as they could possibly devour, they knew
not how far good " digestion might wait on appetite."
On the first day of their arrival, more particularly,
they tore the bleeding flesh — generally speaking,
' The karops, or mantle of leopard's skin, is the distinctive
mark of a Kaffir chief.
IGO MACOMO, THE GAIKA CHIEF.
scarcely warmed on the embers, and in some instances
perfectly raw — with such hearty good will, as might
have caused the envy of many a satiated gourmand, or
blazed epicure. In short, it would have been difficult
to conceive that human nature could ever possibly
approximate so nearly to the brute creation. Tlie very
infants, like the ravenous whelps of wolves, appeared
to have an innate relish for blood ; and whilst these
royal imps, being in the fearful state of repletion above
alluded to, and disputing with hungry curs the pos-
session of a few morsels cast to them by their affec-
tionate parents, the followers outside the shed were
equally busy with the more disgusting offal, which
had been rejected from the regal repast ', at the con-
clusion of which, the royal paws, covered with the
greasy residue of the feast, would be purified by ample
ablutions of cow-dung !
The reader will, ere this, have no doubt entertained
a wish to drop all further acquaintance with these spe-
cimens of African refinement ; but I cannot close the
subject without saying a few words relative to those
sable queens to whose transcendent charms I often
paid homage in that courtly circle. Beauteous Clinah !
graceful Nomah ! charming Gaamah ! with some fur-
ther half score of frizzly-headed houries — would tliat
I could immortalize in song one tithe of your personal
and mental perfections !
The facility with which the huge-mouthed Nomah
could, at a single sitting, devour pounds of nearly raw
beef, well seasoned with wood-ashes; the ease with
which the gentle and meditative Gaamah, through a
little " doudeen," converted into smoke a well-filled
MACOMO, THK fJAlKA CHIKF. IHl
pouch of tobacco; or the graceful mauner wherewltli the
golden- coh)urctl' Clinali performed the most charitable
offices on the woolly head-pieces of her sister-queens ;
whilst, with truly miiternal solicitude, imparting nou-
rishment, over her shoulder, to the dark cherub securely
straj)ped at her back — all these, and a thousand other
touching instances of female grace, delicacy, and re-
finement, on the part of these ebon queens of the great
JSIacomo, would require a far abler [)en to award them
the full justice they deserve. And were those at-
tractions duly recorded, according to their deserts, the
long-famed Beauties of the Courts of Charles II. and
of Louis Quatorze would sink into insignificance, and
henceforward hide their diminished heads !
Neither shall 1 attempt to descant on the dazzling
charms of the royal princesses — relate the conquests
achieved in camp by the captivating "Miss" Macomo^
— the number of hearts she seared with her piercing
glances, or the proofs of afl"ection she could show,
duly embodied in " nazelahs," and safely secured in
the shape of drams, tobacco, and sixpences — all this
would be foreign to the subject ; and I shall therefore
' The natural hue of the Kaffir appears to be a dark bron2C(i
bistre ; but it becomes many shades lighter when crossed with
the Hottentot or Griqua race.
'" Amahkaia, the ehlcst daughter of the Chief, was as com-
plete a flirt, and as thorough a coquette, as ever issued from
the most fasliionable "seminar}^ for young ladies." An olHcer
of rank used to be much bantered on the subject of " Miss
^Macomo:" but he constantly avowed the attachment to be
purely " Platonic." The Amakosa princess has been immor-
talized by the author of "Five Years in KatKrhind," in an in-
teresting article which appeared in the "Xew Monthly ^Nlaga-
zine " for January, 1 849.
162 MACOMO, THE GAIKA CHIEF.
return to tlie hero of my tale, whose story now draws
to a close.
JVIaoomo, after his surrender, became more than ever
addicted to drink. He made several attempts to reach
his old haunts at Fort Beaufort ; but, being always
foiled in these endeavours, the savage grew morose and
sullen to a degree ; and then, in real or feigned in-
sanity, gave way to uncontrollable fits of fury, during
which, he not only unmercifully used blows and vio-
lence towards his wives and children, but is even said
to have seized one of the latter by the legs, and dashed
out its brains against the floor.*
Terrified at the consequences of his ungovernable
temper, and probably glad to escape from their tyrant,
Macomo's wives and attendants gradually deserted
him ; till at last, having no one left on whom to vent
his rage, I have seen him mounted on his horse,
furiously o;allopiug about with the most frantic ges-
tures, and probably in search of those who were thus
" absent without leave." At length, his conduct be-
coming so completely that of a maniac, it was neces-
sary to have him placed under personal restraint, and
confined in Fort Armstrong, from whence he was sub-
sequently conveyed to Algoa Bay; which I believe,
until lately, continued the scene of his banishment.
Since the above was written, (in 184-8) the last notice
we have of Macomo is his interview, at Port Elizabeth,
with Sir Harry Smith, who, ordering the drunken
savage to crouch down before him, placed his foot upon
his neck, saying — " This is the way in which I shall
* See "United Service Magazine" for July, 1847, p. 390.
MACOMO, THE OATKA CHIEF. 163
treat the enemies of the Queen of Enc^hmd !"'*' — a much
more suitable posture for such a wretch, than the one
in which he is described by a recent author, as seated
at the table of our political agent, and delighting the
company present, by his " tact in conversation, and
readiness of repartee !"
The above outline of Macorao's career and general
character, founded chiefly on official documents, is, I
believe, not the least overdrawn ; yet in the class of
writers before alluded to — as having by false state-
ments respecting this part of the world so long misled
the public — there are not wanting some who attempt
to palliate, if they cannot justify, the most sanguinary
acts of this ferocious barbarian. " Macomo," says one
of these veracious historians, " is acknowledged by
all who have been personally acquainted with him, to
be a man of superior sense, talent, and integrity !"^
"When we find such statements as these, regarding
a savage, notorious for every crime by which humanity
can be defiled, backed by grave assertions of " Pato
becoming a convert to Christianity" — of " Macomo
doing his utmost to promote the same cause" — of
European encroachment, and oppression of the Kaffirs
— it is no longer matter of surprise that the British
government and British public should have been so
long blinded and kept in the dark as to the real state
of our relations with the Native Tribes of this part of
the world — that the latter should hitherto have been
considered as " more sinned against than sinning ;"
that the laws consequently enacted, instead of having
* See Pringle's "Soutfi African Sketches," p. 108. See also
Appendix.
164< MACOMO, THE GAIKA CHIEF.
been framed for the protection of the Colonist, were
invariably in favour of the savage. It may hence
be accounted for, that treated thus with a most mis-
taken leniency, a set of ruthless and treacherous bar-
barians should have always been countenanced and
encouraged in their lawless depredations on our ter-
ritory ; until one portion of its unfortunate inhabit-
ants have been driven, in despair, to emigrate, " en
raasse," across the border, whilst others have been
irretrievably ruined ; that immense loss of life and
property have ensued, with the finale of a disastrous
and inglorious war, causing a drain of nearly three
millions on the exchequer of Great Britain !
A brighter prospect however now dawns on so
valuable, though long-neglected and ill-used portion of
the J3ritish dominions. Our possessions in Southern
Africa are at present governed by a man, whose long
experience in this part of the world — combined with a
thorough knowledge of the Kaffir character — added to
his well-known activity and determination of purpose
— fully qualify him for the difficult task. And — un-
less his hands be tied — the most beneficial changes
may now not unreasonably be looked for, in the state
of the Colony of the Cape of Cood Hope, under the
paternal, though firm and energetic rule, of Sir Harry
Smith. J
' The above was written, ere the suggestion of that hopeful
scheme of converting the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope
into a Penal Settlement.
LIFE IN' Tilt: BUSH. 165
CHAPTER YIII.
LIKE IN THE BUSH.
Injudicious conduct previously to the War of 1846 — Unsuccess-
ful operations — Burgher Levies — Discontented feeling —
Suspension of arms— Contradictory statements — Life in the
Bush — Southern Africa well adapted to a Sportsman's ex-
istence — Quantity of game — Kolhen's account — Wild beasts
at Cape Town — Lion hunts — Celebrated Sportsmen — Prepa-
rations for a shooting expedition — The Author's mode of
travelling — " Treking" — Horses done up — The " Spoor" —
The Cape Corps orderly — Scarcity of water — The Fish
River Bush — Water at last — A bivouac by the stream — A
night in the Bush.
After the occurrence — at the conunencement of 1846
— of the " untoward''"' event of a military surveying
party having unauthorizedly been sent by us to make
a phm for the erection of a fortress beyond our own
boundary, and within the Hmits of a state with which
we were, at the time, professedly in a state of alliance
and fri(Midsliip — after the precipitate withdrawal of
that military party, at the peremptory order of the
Chief whose territory we had .so unaccountably vio-
lated — after the consequent unsatisfactory interview
of the Lieutenant-Governor with Sandilla, at Block
Drift — after all these prognostications of a coming
storm, a short lull occurred tor a while. ]3ut it was
1 G6 LIFE IN THE BUSH.
only tlie treacherous stillness preluding tlie approach-
ing hurricane.^
Though evidently desirous of war, " Young KafRr-
land" not being as yet fully prepared for the same,
condescended — albeit with very ill grace, and spite of
our injudicious conduct — to temporize yet for a brief
period ; till, at last, the outrageous act of attacking
an escort on this side of the Colonial boundary, and
rescuing a Kaffir, (who had committed a crime within
its limits, and was being conveyed to Graham's Town,
to take his trial for the same) rendered hostilities in-
evitable on our part.
The campaign was opened by the " three days'
affair" at the Amatola ; the startling loss of the wag-
gons and baggage at Burn's Hill ; tlie retreat on
Block Drift, and abandonment of Post Victoria ; till
the savages, stimulated by such unexpected successes,
became so daring, as not only to intercept our convoys,
but to make an open attack on Fort Peddie, and drive
off a large quantity of cattle from under the protection
of its guns. Thus elated, it is difficult to say how far
they might have followed up these advantages, had
not the fortunate — though quite accidental — check
which they received in the month of June, on the
plains of the Gwanga, most opportunely occurred to
damp their warlike ardour.
Shortly after this event, the grand simultaneous
' For a detailed account of all these foolish transactions —
and for which poor Colonel Hare, the Lieutenant-Governor of
the Eastern Province, was so unjustly blamed — the reader is
referred to the official correspondence contained in the " Blue
Book" for 1847, on affairs of the Cape of Good Hope. Vide
Appendix to Chapter V. of this volume.
LIFE IX THi: nusii. 1G7
forward movement took pUico on our part, wliicli liow-
ever turned out a complete failure. It was undei'taken
at an unfavourable season for the horses and cattle
(the grass being then withered up) ; whilst the supplies
for the troops, instead of being disembarked at the
Buffalo mouth, were landed (sometimes only attempted
to be landed) at Algoa IJay ; from whence — through
apparently faulty arrangements of the commissariat
and carriage departments — the most tedious delays
invariably occurred, ere they reached their destination.
The upshot of all this bad management was, that — men
and horses being nearly in a state of starvation — we fell
back on the line of frontier, along which we were then
obliged to assume a defensive attitude; posts being
next established, to keep up the comnmnication be-
tween the head-quarter camps of the first and second
divisions of the army, which were now permanently
fixed — the former at Block Drift, the latter on the
coast near Waterloo Bay. Affairs continued in this
position, when, as " Superintendent " of the Native
Levies of the first Division, I — as before described —
joined the head-quarters of that part of the force.
My charge, which consisted of between fifteen hun-
dred and two thousand men, comprising Baastards,
Hottentots, Fingoes, and friendly Kaffirs, were — under
various loaders — widely distributed over the country,
to the front, fiank, and rear of Head-Quarters j their
duty being mainly to guard the different passes, and
keep up the lino of connnunication above referred to.
The wants of those ]}urghor Levies (some of which,
as that of Clanwilliam, had marched nearly a thousand
miles to the scene of operations) were sadly noolectcd;
nor had the promises made to them, when embodied
1 68 LIFE IN THE BUSH.
at the outbreak of the war, been very religiously ob-
served.' The consequence was, considerable discon-
tent amongst this, otherwise, very efficient — indeed,
indispensable — part of the force. On observing the
state of ragged wretchedness of such portion of these
Levies as happened at the time to be stationed in
the immediate neighbourhood of Block Drift, I came
to the conclusion that their murnmrs were not entirely
groundless ; and therefore resolved thoroughly to in-
vestigate into the nature of their complaints, and —
should I find them well founded — obtain, if possible,
proper redress for such alleged grievances.
Meanwhile, the wily Kaffirs, whose object (now that
grass had become plentiful) was evidently to gain
time — until the green forage should again be withered
up — had, by unbounded promises of the restitution of
cattle, the surrender of arms, and of future good con-
duct — succeeded, with the help of their peace-making
friends, the missionaries — in obtaining a suspension of
arms, for the purpose, as they said, of enabling them
to carry these promises into effect. But the time for
the expiration of this truce was now rapidly approach-
ing, without having produced any of the anticipated
results : " active operations "" were again talked of;
and I was therefore anxious, ere those operations took
place, to visit all the different posts occupied by the
Native Levies under my charge, in order that the
latter might — by having their different wants properly
represented and attended to — be rendered as efficient
as present circumstances would admit of.
It is not my purpose — as I have before observed —
' See Sir Henry Pottinger's despatch, dated Graham's Town,
March 13, 1847, at p. 36 of "Blue Book" for 1848.
LIFE IN THE BUSH. 1 69
to enter into any detail of the operations of the last
Kaffir war; that task having already been accomplished
by a far abler pen. I shall therefore, in the ensuing
chapters, confine myself to the recital of a few personal
adventures — mingled, as occasion may present — with
an account of such occurrences of any interest, as may
have previously taken place at the different sites which
I visited during my various excursions in those wild
regions of Southern Africa.
Pursuant to this design, I have, in the following nar-
rative, given — as much as possible in the words of nij-
informants, or by extracts from official documents — the
relation of those events which I did not myself witness,
but as connected with the localities through which I
passed in the course of my peregrinations. These ac-
counts will perhaps, in some cases, be found contradic-
tory ; but when was the same event ever described in a
similar manner, and with the same view of its various
bearings, by two ditfcrent persons? — although they
maj' both have been in common engaged in what they
attempt to describe, and as each no doubt imagines,
with every regard to accuracy. Yet of such materials
is History unavoidably composed !
To prevent useless repetition in describing the mode
of life 1 generally led, whilst engaged on my profes-
sional avocations in Kaffirland, I have taken the
liberty of making a digression (if I may so term it)
which 1 trust the reader will forgive, on perusing the re-
mainder of this chapter — called, for want of a better title,
•' LIFE IN THE HUSH."
The wilds of Southern Africa appear, as it were,
peculiarly adapted to an adventurous and roving
VOL. II. I
1 70 LIFE IN THE BUSH.
course of life ; and in no portion of tlie globe can the
real lover of Nature, in her most unadorned and pris-
tine garb, find more ample scope for the indulgence of
his meditations. The mildness and salubrity of the
climate in this part of the world — which renders the
wanderer over its boundless " karoos ;" vast, ocean-like,
undulating prairies ; high and extensive table-lands ;
or amidst the recesses of its dense jungles, perfectly
independent of house or home ; where the shelter of
his waggon, of a small patrole tent, carried on a
sumpter-horse ; of his boat-cloak, or even that of the
" Bush ;" — answering every purpose of the kind — ^gene-
rally contribute to render a wandering, gipsy sort of
existence, amidst these wild and primitive regions, one
of never-failing zest and enjoyment.
To the enterprising and daring sportsman, it likewise
affords an ample field for his favourite pursuits ; and
one which — from the numerous and varied nature of
its sylvan denizens — may be safely " beat over," with-
out danger of satiety or want of success ; although, it
must be confessed, that, within the limits of the Colony
itself, game, and especially the larger sort, is no longer
to be found in such abundance or variety as in former
times, during the first occupation of the Dutch. At
tliat period, the animal creation — birds, fishes, and
beasts — still unfettered and unawed by the dominion
of man, not only in vast numbers overran its virgin
soil, but in some instances — as witli the elephant and
lion — by their nund^ers or fierceness, caused the savage
inhabitants of the laud to fly in terror before them ;
and remained thus in undisputed possession of their
accustomed haunts.
LIFE IN THE ni'SII. 171
Tlie western coast, from SalJiiulia T3ay to the
" Cape of Storms,'''' was, at certain seasons of the year,
so much resorted to by countless flocks of aquatic
birds, that the atmosphere became sometimes literally
darkened with their locust flights ;i whilst every creek
and inlet swarmed with innumerable quantities of the
finny tribes. Huge whales then gambolled in the
waters of Table Bay. Ravenous sharks were, in
days of yore — as at present — not its unfrequent
visitors. The sea-lion often sported his ungainly
form on the sands ; and Robben Island was thus
named by the Dutch, in consequence of the number
of seals which might constantly, in those good old
times, be seen basking on its bleak and barren shores.
Van Riebeck, the founder of the Settlement, and first
Governor of the Cape, quaintly informs us in his
Journal, of the number of times he cast the " seine,''''
and of the immense quantities of fish he thereby pro-
cured for the refreshment of tlie disabled, weary, and
wave-worn followers of his enterprising expedition.
Kolben states that, even in his da}', (about the
year 1705), " Ostriches were so numerous in the Cape
countries, that a nuin can hardly walk a quarter of an
hour any way in those countries, without seeing one or
more of these birds ;" and the same author bears wit-
ness to the abundance of large game, at that period,
in the immediate vicinity of the Fort.
* The reader is referred to Le Vaillant's work for an account
of the immense numbers of sea-birds which wore, in his time,
(1787) found at Saldanha Bay, and his statement is fully con-
firmed by the quantity of jjuano of late years shipped off from
thence, and which was found in layers of from thirty to forty
feet deep.
I2
172 LIFE IN THE BUSir.
The eland, the koudou, and many other species of
antelope, are said, in those days, to have frequented
the foot of Table Mountain ; and althouoh no mention
is made of the girafte, zebras — and quaggas (called by
the old Dutch Colonists " wild horses"), were occar
sionally brought in by their Hottentot allies. The wild
buft'alo then revelled — almost in sight of the capital —
amidst those marshes which still exist between Con-
stautia and Muisenberg. The unwieldy rhinoceros
wallowed there, to his heart's content, in the mire.
Troops of elephants roamed unmolested amidst the tall
forests (long since levelled to the ground), and sedgy
swamps of Hout Bay. Lions, wolves, and tigers,*
are described to hav(i been in such numbers, as to be-
come a subject of serious annoyance to Van Riebeck;
who complains that they not only carried off cattle
under the very eyes of the sentinels, but, that on some
occasions, they seemed inclined to " take the fort by
storm ."2 This happened shortly after the arrival of
tlie first Dutch Settlers at the Cape ; though Kolben re-
lates, that in his time — more than half a century after
the above occurrence — "a sentinel, standing at his
post before his officer's tent, was knocked down by a
lion, and carried clean oft'."
The above author, after adverting to the great dex-
terity displayed by the Hottentots of that period in
' The hyaena is, in the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope,
generally known as tlie " wolf." In like manner, the leopard
is miscalled a "tiger;" though the latter has never been known
to exist in that country.
* See Van Riebeck's "Journal" for January 23rd, 1652, in
the " Cape Records."
LIFK IX TITK RUSH. 173
the use of the " has.sagtaye" and " rackumstick,'"'
gives the following account of their mode of hunting,
which may perhaps not prove wholly uninteresting : —
" When all the men of a kraal are out upon the
chase, and discover a wild beast of any considerable
size, strength, and fierceness, they divide themselves
into several parties, and endeavour to surround the
beast, which, through their nimbleness of foot, they
generally do very quickly ; though, upon the sight
of such danger, the beast, of whatsoever kind, always
betakes liimself to all his shifts and to all his heels.
" When a lion, tiger, or leopard, is thus encom-
passed, they attack him with hassagayes and arrows.
With flaming eyes and the wildest rage, the creature
flies upon the Hottentots who threw them. He is
nimble; they are nimbler, and avoid him with asto-
nishing dexterity, till they are relieved b}^ others of
the ring, who, plying him with fresh arrows and has-
sagayes, bring him, in all his fury, upon themselves.
He leaps towards one so quick, and, as you would
think, with so sure a pace, that you shudder for the
fellow, expecting to see him in an instant torn all to
pieces. But you see no such thing. The fellow in
danger leaps out of it in the twinkling of an eye, and
the beast spends all his rage upon the ground. He
turns and leaps towards another, and another, and
another ; but still in vain. The nimble fellows avoid
him with tiie quickness of thought, and still he fights
only with the air. All this time, the arrows and
hassagayes are showering upon him in the rear. He
* Answering to the assegai and knob-kerrie, used by the
Kaffirs of the present day.
] 74 LIFE IN THE BUSH.
grows mad with pain ; and, leaping from one party to
another of his enemies, and tumbling from time to
time on the ground, to break the arrows and hassa-
gayes that are fastened in him, he foams, yells, and
roars all the time very terribly. There is certainly
nothing so admirable of the kind in any other part of
the world as the activity and address of the Hot-
tentots on these occasions. On one side, they escape
the paws of the beast with incredible dexterity ; and,
on the other, relieve one another with incredible speed
and resolution. The Hottentots engaging with a lion,
tiger, or leopard, &c., in this manner, is a spectacle
that cannot be seen without the hio-hest admiration
but by such as are more stupid than some have repre-
sented the Hottentots. If the beast is not quickly
slain, he is quickly convinced there is no dealing with
so nimble an enemy ; and then he makes off with all
his heels, and having by this time a multitude, per-
haps, of poisoned arrows and hassagayes upon his
back, the Hottentots let him go very freely, and follow
him at a little distance. The poison quickly seizes
him, and he runs not far before he falls."
With all their dexterity, in the pursuits of the
chase, such was the natural indolence of the savage
inhabitants of the Cape, that it was only when roused
to exertion by the depredations of wild beasts on their
folds, or driven thereto by the imperious calls of hunger,
that tbey could be brought to follow up the — to them
— toilsome occupation of hunting ; for, as Kolben re-
marks, " although very fond of venison, the Hotten-
tots are still more fond of their ease." This accounts
for the abundance of game, of every description, found
LIFE IN THE BUSH. 175
in this part of the world on the first arrival of the
Dutch, wliose firearms had, however, tlie effect of thin-
ning its numbers, nmch more effectually than eitlier
the poisoned arrows, rackum-sticks, or assegais of the
natives. As the white man advanced into the interior
of the country, building, clearing, and cultivating in
his onward progress, its former sylvan denizens either
fell beneath the mighty " roers"' of the invader, or
fled beyond his reach, across the far desert "karoos ;"
till, in the course of time, the western provinces of
the Cape became completely denuded of the larger
animals of the chase. And, at the present day,
the sportsman, ambitious of bearing off " Nemaean"
spoils, is fain to cross the Great Orange River
to the north, or explore the forests of Natal, to-
wards the east, ere he stand a chance of encountering
the lordly lion, the elephant, rhinoceros, or hij)po-
potamus.
The Kaffirs of more recent times, fully as dexterous
in the chase as the Hottentots of old, and as indefa-
tigable in that pursuit as the latter were supine, have,
to the eastward, effected what the Boers long since
accomplished towards the north, in the extirpation of
nearly every description of game. To indulge, there-
fore, in the once-vaunted field-sports of Southern
Africa, their votary is now forced to tread in the
far footsteps of Harris and Methuen ; to follow,
in their more recent and even more remote pere-
grinations, those of Christie and Arkwrio-ht ; or of
that daring " lion-slayer,'" the Hercules and Theseus
' A lieavy gun of great calibre, in common use amongst the
Dutch Boers at the Cape.
176 LIFE IN THE BUSH.
of Southern Africa — the far-famed and adventurous
Cumminii'.'
A shooting expedition into the interior, at tlie pre-
sent time, owing to the great distance to be gone over,
together with the slow and cumbrous mode of waggon
conveyance, lias become, not an enterprise of days and
weeks, but an undertaking of months ; and one, more-
over, attended with great trouble and expense.
The waggon, destined so long to form the home
of the aspiring sportsman, has — like a vessel bound for
a distant part of the world — to be supplied with every
requisite for a twelvemonth's voyage : bedding, stores,
liquors, lead, powder, and shot, are to be laid in ; spare
horses and oxen in great numbers must be provided,
to replace losses by accidents, death, and other con-
tingencies.2 And — what is more difficult to procure
than all — a certain number of native attendants is
absolutely requisite ; men who have been accustomed
to live in the " Bush," and whose fidelity may be,
moreover, depended on.
Thus prepared for his expedition, the sporting or
exploring traveller — whose starting-place is usually
from Graham"'s Town, on the eastern frontier — turns
his back on civilization, and plunges into the wilder-
^ See Harris's " Field Sports in Southern Africa," and Me-
thucn's " Life in the AVilderness." The three last named gen-
tlemen have, it is said, penetrated farther into the interior than
any former European travellers; and it is only to be regretted
that they should not have yet favoured the public with accounts
of their explorator)^ and sporting adventures.
2 A certain species of fly is frequently met with in the interior,
whose sting is fatal to horses and cattle, and often causes great
losses of both.
LIFE IN THE BUSH. 177
ness ; there to enter on a life of excitement and
adventure ; though, it must not be concealed, one
usually attended with great privations and dis-
comfort.
Such is the usual mode of undertaking a journey
into the interior of Southern Africa ; and, though the
" trek" waggon may possess many advantages where
celerity is no object, it strikes me that one of these
distant expeditions could be undertaken with a great
saving of time, and consequently much more chance of
success, were the traveller — unincumbered by the great
and constant drawback of wheeled carriages — to depend
entirely on horses for the transport of himself, his
attendants, and such requisites as he absolutely re-
quired.'
Whilst in charge of the Native Levies, the nature of
my duties frequently obliged me to travel considerable
distances for many consecutive days ; and these long
journeys were always easily accomplished with the
hardylittle horses of the countiy; than which no animal
is more enduring, requires less care, and can stand
without detriment greater privations and fatigue. On
these occasions, my usual retinue consisted of a
Hottentot Cape Corps Orderly, to serve as guide ;
whilst Mr. Jacob led the sumpter horse, carry inir
a small waterproof patrole tent (weighing about tweutv-
' This plan was successfully pursued by I\Ir. Tliompson, the
author of " Travels iu Southern Africa," during his expedition
to Xamaqualand ; and it is only to be regretted that the camel
is not introduced into this part of the world, which would
greatly promote the means of exploring the interior.
I5
1 78 LIFE IN THE BUSH.
five pounds) and a change of linen ; togetlier with a few
provisions. Thus provided and attended, I used to
get over the ground, when requisite, at the rate of
forty and fifty — nay, even on a push, sixty miles a
day ; and this (unless water were scarce) without
much distress either to man or beast.
The constant excitement attending such a mode of
life — particularly when in an enemy's country, and
that enemy a most wily savage, to guard against sur-
prise from whom one must be ever on the qui mve —
is of a nature so stirring, as not to be easily pictured
by the quiet fireside reader at home. At oue time,
cantering gaily forward in the dewy coolness of the
young morn, on a fi'esh, untired horse, over the undu-
lating and verdant prairies of Kaffirland, here and
there — park-like — dotted with bright flowering shrubs
of the thorny mimosa ; now anxiously scanning the
smoke ascending from an enemy's "kraal,"' ensconced
in the deep recesses of a wooded kloof; then marking
a Kaffir's " spoor" on the soft, moist, and stoneless
path ; noting the stealthy footsteps of the jackall, or
hysena, returning at break of day from his midnight
feast ; or the recent track of a herd of (probably stolen)
cattle, whose progress may have disturbed the dew-
bespangled grass, and so betrayed the direction of
their course.
In this manner did we oft accomplish the earlier part
of our "trek." The sun now rides high in the bright,
' A word derived from the South American term " corral ;"
meaning an assemblage of native huts, and also applied to the
thorny enclosure in which the cattle is secured for the night.
LIFE IN THE BUSH. 1 7!>
unclouded heavens. The Hottentots look anxiously
around for the well-known " vlei."' 13ut, alas ! on
reaching tlie long-expected spot, instead of the wished-
for water, rippling under the breeze, nought presents
itself to our aching sight save a brown, cracked surface
of dry and hardened mud ! The panting steeds have
already gone over some twenty or thirty miles of
ground ; heaving flanks and drooping heads now boar
witness to their toil. Mr. Jacob (for our faithful
esquire still rejoiceth in that patriarchal name) looks
anxiously about, scratches his woolly head, and appears
fairly at his wits' end. " Farley," the Cape corps
Orderly, above alluded to, proposes to off-saddle,
and try on our nags the eftect of half an hour's
graze. Although they refuse to feed, they instantly
roll on the grass, and appear thence to imbibe renewed
spirit and vigour. " Saddle-up !" is now the word. We
are again on horseback ; but, ere we can raise a canter,
the spur is sadly in request ; and Mr. Jacob's horse
begins to show increasing and unequivocal symptoms
of distress ; he is, in fact, dead beat ; and, stumbling
at every step, at last falls upon his nose. Jacob shoots
over his head, but is on his legs again in a second.
" Is the double barrel smashed P
" No, sar ; but horse never can carry me more far ;
and pack-horse getting ' shut up,' too."
"• You must, then, just walk, and drive them on
before you. Farley, how far are we still from any
water V
The facility with which the Hottentot can track
his way over the wildest wastes, throufjli the intri-
* A pool of water, generally speaking, formed by the rain.
180 LIFE IN THE BUSH.
cacies of the deepest bush, by the light of day, or
during the darkness of night, is quite proverbial, and
amounts to a sort of natural instinct, which they ap-
pear to possess in common with some of the brute
creation.
Endowed with the most acute powers of vision, the
faintest landmark serves him as an unerring guide.
With like facility, he will for miles and miles trace
the "spoor," or footsteps of either man or beast.
Place him once on the " trail," and no bloodhound can
follow it up more accurately by scent, than the Totty
will do by sight. A single blade of grass removed
from its original direction — the slightest appear-
ance of moisture left by the displacement of even
a small pebble — a ruffled leaf on the bush — are all
sufficient evidences to direct him in discovering the
spoor : by the appearance of which, he will not only
be able to tell whether the object of his pursuit has
passed within three minutes or three days, but like-
wise whether his flight has been precipitate or slow —
whether he has moved with the confidence of strength,
or that dread of detection inseparable from fear, weak-
ness, or guilt, 1
It is this wonderful and peculiar faculty which ren-
ders the services of the Cape Mounted Rifles — com-
posed nearly exclusively of Hottentots — so invaluable
on the frontier, in tracing Kaffirs and stolen cattle
across the border ; and to Captain , of that corps,
^ Long practice lias made some of the border Colonists great
adepts at following up a spoor. But they can seldom or never,
in this respect, approach to Hottentot perfection, which, as
before remarked, is with them a perfect mstinct.
LIFE IX THE BUSH. 181
I was indebted for a permanent Orderly, endowed, to
an extraordinary degree, with this inherent quahfieation
of his race, and possessing, moreover, the useful ac-
complisliment of speaking very tolerable English.'
Farley — the man in question — appeared acquainted
with every inch of ground w^e traversed together, I'rom
Oraham's Town to the Buffalo, from the Fish River
mouth to the Winterberg Mountains. He knew every
path through the Bush, every " drift"^ across the rivers ;
every " vlei," or pool of water ; could distinguish the
spoor of a KafHr from that of a Fingoe; could point out
tiie haunts of the former, and how to discover or avoid
them. In short, he was always, during a most erratic
career in Kaffirland, my right-hand man, the very
guiding-staff of my footsteps ; until drunkenness — the
besetting sin of the Hottentot — dashed that staff to
the fjround.
" Farley, how flir are we still from water ?" asked I,
whilst Mr. Jacob was wiping the dust off his horse's
knees.
" Perhaps, sar, we find in two hours, or two hours
and a half, if horses don't ' shut up f but vleis all
dry : must go to river, through the Bush."
Through the Great Fish River Bush, along an
apparently little frequented track, with which Farley,
however, seemed quite familiar, we accordingly wend
our weary way. But the dense jungle, which on each
side borders the path, whilst depriving us of the re-
freshing breeze, affords no protection against the fierce
* The Hottentots have entirely forgotten the language of
their forefathers, and Dutch is now their vernacular idiom.
• The Colonial term for " ford."
182 LIFE IN THE BUSH.
rays of the African summer sun, now pouring all its
vertical beat on our devoted heads.
There is something unearthly in the total absence
of animal life ; in the bushed, dreamy, and death-like
silence which generally pervades the verdant wilderness
of the South African " Bush j" where even the whisper-
ing breeze finds no responsive echo amidst the unbend-
ing rigidity of its thorny and lichen covered shrubs,
thickly intermingled as they are with turgid, succulent,
and fantastic foliage ; the stunted aloe and skeleton
euphorbium ever contending for dominion with the
favourite food of the elephant : the pink-blossomed
" speck boom,"" oft covered with ivy geranium, and, like
shining waxwork, brightly glistening — immoveable and
undrooping — under the fiery influence of the noon-day
sun. The plaintive note of a dove sometimes — but
rarely — interrupts the stillness around ; serving but to
add to the melancholy of this unbroken, silent, and
solitary waste.
Oft, painfully and slowly, did we thus toil along
amidst such scenes ; time apparently keeping pace with
our jaded animals. In this defenceless state, incapable
of either resistance or flio-ht, would we then ever and
anon glance apprehensively around ; the slightest rust-
ling in the Bush leading us next second to expect the
war-cry of the savage, or the whizzing of an assegai.
The sun's slanting rays, and a less fiery heat, now
betoken the decline of day. We next enter a deep and
darksome defile, whose abrupt and rugged sides —
thickly clotlied with euphorbia, red blossomed aloes —
with prickly cactus, and milky, snake-like, creeping
plants of various kinds — throw a grateful shadow
LIFE IN THE BUSH. 183
around us. Our wearied horses suddenly and in-
stinctively prick their ears, and simultaneously ([uicken
their pace.
" The river," says Farley, in a whisper, " runs
under yon ' krantz ;"*' but Kaffirs may be near,
so must keep quiet." We silently, but with redoubled
speed, again push forward on our course, and at last
reach, as we hope, the banks of the stream, Alas !
it has ceased to How ; and, dried up from long want of
rain, its bed presents nought save a barren and rocky
ravine. Sickened at this dishearteninij si<'ht, I turn
to my guide in the silence of despair. His brow, how-
ever, is unruffled. With an encouraging sign, he fol-
lows the former course of the river ; and, oh ! joyful
sight ! in its rugged depths, a few dark, densely shaded
pools are shortly discovered, slumbering, as it were,
through this season of universal drought. Gladdened
by the welcome sight, we rush on in eager haste to-
wards the spot, and disturb, by our approach, numbers
of fresh water turtle, which instantly creep for shelter
beneath those deep, still, and sullen waters ; whilst
a large guano glides off yon overhanging withered
branch, from which lie appeared to be contemplating
his reflected image in the liquid mirror below. With
difficulty we restrain our horses from rushing into the
gulf. Jiut their heads are at once impatiently im-
mersed nearly to the eyes in the refreshing element.
Long and deeply do they drink — breathe for a second,
and agjtin repeat the draught. Having " off saddled"
on the grassy margin of the pool, they instantly roll,
are next " knee-haltered," and soon contentedly brows-
' Wooded crag, or clitF.
184 LIFE IN THE BUSH,
ing the green herbage around — fortunately plentiful
near this favoured spot, which is thickly shadowed by
drooping willows and feathery acacias, from whose
pendent branches the little bayah bird hangs its aerial
nest, which waves aloft, o"'er the gorgeous arum, the
crown lily, and beds of miniature palm-like reeds.
The horses being thus provided for, we have now
leisure to attend to our own immediate wants. Cook-
ing is out of the question ; for the light of a fire might
betray us to any straggling party of Kaffirs. How-
ever, our wallets contain abundance of biscuit and
cold meat. These, seasoned with a little salt, and a
keen appetite, form a most luxurious meal, which is
washed down with the contents of the brandy-flask,
properly diluted with water from the pool. Fat alder-
men and luxurious cits ! such a repast in the " Bush,"
earned by a long day of toil and travel, is, to the
weary wanderer, worth all your costly banquets and
civic feasts. But, hark ! what strange unearthly yells
suddenly burst forth from yon covert of fantastic
plants, crowning the tall, grey " krantz," now casting
its darkening shadows o*'er the scene ! Under the
impression of being beset either by a legion of fiends
or a host of Kaffirs, the ready rifle is instantly grasped ;
yet the " Totties" show no symptoms of alarm, and,
to an inquiring look, Jacob answers, with a smile : —
" Only bavians : them play on de krantz. Look,
sar ! there go de bass, de vrouw, and all piccaniuni"
(man, wife, and children), adds he, pointing to some
enormous baboons, gambolling, satyr-like, along a bare
precipitous ledge of overhanging rock. The barrel is
raised — a finger itches to press the trigger ; but pru-
LIFE IX TIIK BUSH. 185
dence, and a sign of disapprobation from Farley, avert
the tempting shot. The brief twiUglit of this southern
dime has already waxed into complete darkness. Tlie
horses are secured for the night ; and now, rolled up
in our sheepskins or boat-cloaks, the unerring rifles
placed in readiness by our side, with our saddles for a
pillow, and protected by the friendly shelter of a thick
bush, we gladly consign ourselves to rest.'
Slumber, after a hard day's toil, seldom requires
either courtship or cushions of down. Hours have
perchance fled unheeded in uninterrupted repose, when
a snort and a shufiling noise amongst the horses startle
us from our rest, and proclaim some invisible, but,
though unseen, yet evident cause of alarm. In breath-
less suspense we listen for awhile, when suddenly the
cry of the hy;ena bursts, as it were in mockery, on
the solemn silence of the surrounding wastes. Now
approaching, now receding, but finally lost in those
hushed, nameless, and indescribable sounds which oft
float on the dreamy stillness of night, amidst the other-
wise unbroken quietude of the wilderness — sounds not
to be described, and only understood by such as may
have experienced their sad, mournful, yet soothing
melody.
The period of sleep has now passed away ; for as
we watch the stars fflidinj; throufjh the blue firmament
of heaven, one by one, they gradually melt into the
* The patrole tent before alluded to, was seldom pitched, ex-
cept during heavy rain ; and even tlien — owing to the noise
attending the driving in of the pegs — sometimes dispensed witli ;
but a night passed "al fresco" in tliis fine climate is a common
occurrence, and considered no hardship.
186 LIFE IN THE BUSH.
grey mists of early dawn. We spring up from our
grassy couch, shake the dew-drops oif our cloaks,
give the horses a scanty feed of corn, " then saddle-
up," and start again in quest of new scenes and fresh
adventures.
The ahove is a specimen of " life in the Bush f^ nor
is it surprising if, amidst the comforts — though rather
monotonous state of civilization — we ever recall its
recollections with pleasure, not unmingled with regret,
that such a stirring existence may perchance never
again fall to our lot. Alas ! when was man ever phi-
losopher enough to enjoy with gratitude the blessings
of the present, and not wish for a change 1 When
will he be satisfied with his actual fate, nor sigh for
that which is beyond his grasp 2
FORT COX AM) THE AMATOLA. 187
CHAPTER IX.
FORT COX AND TUE AMATOLA.
Expedition to the Amatola Mountains — Fort Cox — Kaffirs and
their herds — Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell — Native Levies
— Description of the Fort — Kaffir women — Narrative rela-
tive to the commencement of the Campaign — Defeat of the
enemy — Coolness and judgment of Colonel Somerset —
Disasters of the British.
" It will not escape your honour's consideration, that, under
present circumstances, the most likely way to counteract the
Kaffir disposition for war, and to prevent hostilities altogether,
is to have a strong force at hand in face of the Kaffirs, and
manifestly ready and sufficient to crush the first hostile move-
ment made by them." — (From Sir Peregrine Mditland's De-
spatch to Colonel Hare, dated February 9lh, 18-lG.)
Pursuant to the intention of endeavouring to visit
all my different posts, ere the termination of the truce
with Sandilla might possibly bring about a renewal
of hostilities, I lost no time in carrying that plan into
effect ; and my friend, Colonel M , kindly volun-
teering to accompany me in my first expedition, we
mounted our horses and cantered off in an easterly direc-
tion towards the Amatola Mountains, amongst whose
rocky and wooded fastnesses stands " Fort Cox" —
a post of considerable importance, situated about fifteen
miles from Block Drift, and garrisoned by a large de-
188 FORT COX AND THE AMATOLA.
tachniont of the 91st Regiment, and one of my
Burglier Levies.
The country we traversed on our way thither con-
sisted of a succession of undulating grassy downs, but
the kloofs and valleys separating them were, generally
speaking, covered with dense bush. On approaching
the Aniatola, the scenery gradually assumed an appear-
ance of mountain grandeur ; and we shortly saw numer-
ous herds of Kaffir cattle, which, recently concealed
amongst their natural strongholds, were now allowed to
graze in the pastures below, as if in times of profound
peace. We likewise met a few Kaffirs, who offered us
no molestation, but with a gruff salutation of " morrow"
proceeded quietly on their road; whilst some of the
Vv'omen were even, according to their usual custom, en-
gaged in tilling the ground, and carrying on the labours
of the field. All this looked very pacific ; apparently not
merely in consequence of the late temporary truce, but
as if the final conclusion of the war were fully deter-
mined on by the Kaffirs. In fact, they had of late openly
declared, on more than one occasion, that, having
got all they wanted — plundered the Colony, driven
away the Colonial cattle beyond the Kye, and de-
voured the Colonial sheep — they wished now to be at
peace, to cultivate their fields and gardens, and would
therefore for the present fight no more ! This was, no
doubt, on their part, a most wise and prudent resolve;
and events subsequently proved how closely they were
suffered to adhere to it.
But to return to our excursion to Fort Cox. Shortly
after crossing the Keiskamma, (which has on so many
previous occasions proved the llubicon of Kaffirland)
FORT COX AND THE AMATOLA. 189
a long- and tedious ascent up a steep wooded acclivity
led us at last to the Fort, where we were welcomed by
Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell of the 91st, then com-
manding the post. I was duly introduced to Ensign
Macpherson, an officer of his own regiment, but who
had charge of the Native Levy stationed here, which
consisted of a couple of hundred of the " Cape Town
Burghers ;" yellow, dingy-looking fellows, half Hotten-
tot, half Dutch ; but who were — spite of their ill looks
— in a state of efficiency which did great credit to the
officer under whose charge they had been placed, and
appeared better drilhid and appointed than most of the
L"regulars I had hitherto had an opportunity of in-
specting.
I take this opportunity of remarking the great
difference I always observed between the condition
of such Levies as happened to be placed under the
orders of military men, and those commanded by civi-
lians. Nor was it, generally speaking, to be expected
that the latter could possibly possess that know-
ledge of the management of soldiers — particularly
undiscij)lined ones — only to be acquired by long prac-
tice and experience ; added to which, lack of zeal as
well as ability was too often observable in the conduct
of these temporary heroes.
There were, of course, bright exceptions to this as a
general rule. For instance, no man, whether civil or
military, could have rendered more efficient services
throughout this campaign than Field-Commandant
Melville, who had charge of a Native Levy attached
to the 2nd Division, and who distinguished himself
on so many occasions during the whole war.
190 FORT COX AND THE AMATOLA.
However, as regimental officers could not always be
spared — more especially from so many being engaged on
the General Stall" of the army — several of the Native
Levies were thus necessarily placed under civilians,
who, with the imposing titles of " Field Captains" and
" Field Commandants,"" as far as military movements
were concerned, scarcely knew their right hand from
the left, and, generally speaking, were most trouble-
some fellows to deal with. Were adequate induce-
ments offered to half-pay officers to settle on the eastern
frontier, their services, in the event of any future
disturbances, might here ever prove of the greatest
use in organizing and commanding the Native Levies,
without whose aid (unless the Cape Corps be most
considerably increased, and our regular infantry be
very differently equipped) no Kaffir war can ever be
carried on, or brought to a successful termination.
Having put the gallant Cape Town Burghers through
a few military movements, very smartly performed —
though perhaps not exactly in accordance with either
Torrens or Dundas — listened to their several wants,
(chiefly with respect to a deficiency in articles of
clothing) and made them, through the medium of an
interpreter, a parting complimentary speech, we re-
paired to the tent of Colonel Campbell, and freely
partook of the rough hospitality he was enabled to
offer us.
Our host — who had greatly distinguished himself
in forcing, at the head of a small party of his regi-
ment — a most difficult pass defended by overwhelming
swarms of Kaffirs, during the memorable " three days
of the Amatola" (the 16th, 17th, and 18th April,
FORT COX AND THE AMATOLA. 1J)1
1846) — and for which, by-the-bye, a.s^vcll as formally
other services performed during the war, he continues
to this day unrewarded — possessed all the frank, open
manner of a real soldier. He was moreover an enthu-
siastic sportsman ; and the sylvan trophies which
adorned his humble abode bore evidence to the nature
of his avocations during more peaceable and less
stirring times ; whilst numerous karosses, Fingoe
belts of monkey tails, cranes' wings, (the former head-
dress of the Kaffir chiefs) assegais and clubs, mingled
with articles of ornament, or dress, of Afric's ebon
daughters ; mystic charms consisting of the claws and
teeth of various animals, curiously strung together;
necklaces of glass or stone; leathern "stomachers"
and waistbands, strongly redolent of smoke and glit-
tering with many-coloured beads — reminded us forcibly
of beinij in the land of the savaoe, in the midst of his
favourite haunts and most formidable stronffholds.
After a hearty repast of hard biscuit and tough
beef, our kind entertainer took upon himself the office
of cicerone^ and led us over the precincts of his limited
domain. Fort Cox — which derives its appellation
from an officer of that name, who was engaged in the
war of 1834 — consisted of a rude breastwork on which
were mounted a few guns, and affording no other ac-
commodation for its garrison, save the common small
bell-shaped tents, furnished by the commissariat, and
which tottered under the storm of wind and dust by
which the fortress was then as usual assailed. It was
altogether a most miserable place, replete with incon-
venience and discomfort of every kind, and from
whence, when once shut up within its confined pre-
192 FORT COX AND THE AMATOLA.
cincts, tliero appeared no visible means of escape.
Surrounded on all sides by overhanging bills covered
with dense bush, the constant resort of the Kaffirs, no
one could with impunity — during the continuance of
hostilities — venture a quarter of a mile from the post ;
which, situated amidst the very strongholds of the
enemy, it was consequently considered as of the utmost
importance to maintain.
In consequence of the difficulty of conveying stores
to this almost inaccessible spot, its garrison had ft'e-
quently, during their occupation, been exposed to the
severest privations of hunger and want. The horses,
at times entirely destitute of forage, had often been
reduced to the last extremities ; several dying of sheer
starvation, and others being destroyed, to avoid a
similar fate ; whilst the garrison itself had occasionally
fared nearly equally ill. Such may be mentioned as
a few specimens of the pleasures of an isolated outpost
station, during a Kaffir campaign !
After inspecting the fort, we strolled out to a neigh-
bouring spot, from whence we might obtain a glimpse
of the now celebrated locality of Burns'' Hill. Our
progress was often impeded by the importunities of
wretched, half-starved looking Kaffir women, who,
though not admitted into the fort, beset its approaches,
and in the most piteous accents implored for food, of
which the poor creatures appeared to stand most sadly
in need. We were informed that even during actual
hostilities they thus continued to infest every entrance
to the post : than which nothing can more clearly
prove the falsehood of the accusations laid at our
door, of ill-treating and even putting to death women
FORT COX AND THE AMATOLA. ID'.i
and cliiklren, during the course of our frequent Kaflir
wars,
A contest with the Kaffirs may be truly con-
sidered as one of life and death, for they never eitlier
take or give quarter. JJut that Kaffir women liave
ever been designedly shot, or ill-used, by British sol-
diers, is a vile and calumnious falsehood, worthy only
of those infamous authors who have been the means of
propagating such a groundless accusation. No further
refutation is requinnl to this, than the readiness and
confidence with which they at all times presented
themselves at the British outposts'; where, under
pretext of demanding food, they often came to play
the part of spies ; which character they generally
enacted to perfection.
We strolled on to a projecting spur of the moun-
tain, from whence the scene of the Burns'" Hill affair,
and of the death of Captain JJaimbrick of the 7th
Dragoon Guards, could be distinctly seen.
Although it be not my purpose to give in these pages
any connected account of the late Kaffir war, I gladly
avail myself of permission to lay before the reader the
following account (written by one who took an active
part in what he describes) of the first steps in this long-
protracted and ruinous campaign, together with an out-
line of those occurrences that happened in the vicinity
of Fort Cox, during the month of April, 184(); to whicli
the writer has added a brief epitome of the general ser-
vices performed in the course of the war, (up to the
close of tliat year) by the gallant 91st Regiment, which
I may remark, eti passant, consisted during this busi-
ness of two separate battalions, under the respective
VOL. II. K
194 FORT COX AND THE AMATOLA.
commands of Liciitonant-Colonel Lindsay and Lieu-
tenant-Colonel Campbell :
" Li the early part of the year 1846, the Kaffirs
began to manifest symptoms of a restless and aggres-
sive spirit ; their marauding incursions into the Colony
becoming daily more frequent and daring. A meeting
of the Gaika Chiefs was convened by his Honour
Colonel Hare, to meet him at Block Drift on the 29th
of January, at which one hundred and twenty of the
reserve battalion 91st Regiment, three troops of the
7th Dragoon Guards, one hundred of the Cape Corps,
and one gun were present.
" The demonstrations of the Kaffirs, who had as-
sembled to the number of several thousands, armed
mostly with guns, showed clearly their hostile inten-
tions, and occasioned oreat excitement in the Colony.
The following incident soon brought matters to a crisis.
About the middle of March, a Kaffir, who had been
convicted of theft within the Colonial Boundary, was
rescued near Fort Beaufort, when on the road to Gra-
ham's Town in charge of the constables, by an
armed party of his tribe, who rushed into the Colony
in open day, attacked and drove away the escort, and
consummated the outrage by the murder of a Hot-
tentot prisoner, who, for the better security of both,
had been liandcufted to the Kaffir. The surrender of
the ollenders was demanded by the Government in vain ;
and on the 11th April, 1846, the troops took the field.
" One division, under Colonel Somerset, K.H.,
moved from Post Victoria, and consisted of a troop
of 7th Dragoon Guards, four officers and one hundred
and fifty-four men of the reserve battalion 91st Regi-
FORT COX AND THE AMATOLA. 11).")
nient, one officer and tliirty men of tlie first battiilion
91st llegiinent, tliree companies of Cape Mounted
Riflemen, and two guns. Another division marched
fi'om Fort Beaufort, under the connnand of Lieu-
tenant-Colonel Richardson, 7th Dragoon Guards, and
was composed of three troops of that regiment, sixty
of the Cape Corps, seven officers and one liunih-ed and
thirt^'-two men of the R. B. 91st Regiment, and one
officer and forty-seven men of the first battahon 91st
Regiment, and two guns.
" On the 15th April, the two divisions encamped with
their united forces at the Burns'" Hill missionary sta-
tion ; and, on the following morning, dispositions were
made for attacking the enemy, who had assembled in
force in the Amatola Mountains. The infantry, two
hundred and nine of the 91st Regiment, and one hun-
dred and eighty Kat River Burghers, who had joined
the previous day, were placed under the command of
Major (now Lieutenant-Colonel) Campbell, 91st Regi-
ment, who was directed to scour the valley of the
Amatola, starting at daybreak for that purpose. The
cavalry, upwards of three hundred strong, with two
guns, making a detour to the left, searched the kloofs,
and swept away the cattle from the open grounds at
the foot of the mountains.
"In the mean time, Major Campbcirs force, to-
wards evening, came in contact with the enemy, who
appeared determined to cut ofl" all retreat, and prevent
the egress of the troops from the valley. With this
view, they had occupied the only outlet, with a body
of more than two thousand men, armed with jjuns.
In this intent however they were foiled, by the spirited
K 2
i96 FORT cox AND THE AMATOLA.
attack of tlie infantry ; and, after a smart action of
an hour and a lialf, the steep ascent was forced with
great loss to the enemy, and the party gained the hill,
leaving boliind only three men of the 91st Regiment
killed, and bringing with them three men of that corps,
and one bugler, wounded.
" At this juncture. Colonel Somerset arrived with
the Cavalry and guns, and now silenced the fire of
the enemy. The whole force then moved down to the
fiats at the base of the hills, and bivouaced, that
night, around one thousand eight hundred head of
cattle. During these operations, the Camp at Burns'
Hill was attacked by a superior force, which however
was spiritedly repelled, with the loss on our side of
Captain Bainibrick, 7th Dragoon Guards, killed, one
private killed, and another wounded of the 91st Regi-
ment. On the morning of the 17th, the infantry
marched down to assist in escorting the baggage from
Burns' Hill ; but before their arrival, sixty-three wag-
gons had fallen into the hands of tlie foe.
" During the return of the troops to their camp-
ground, with about sixty waggons that had been saved,
containing mostly ammunition and commissariat sup-
plies, the Kaffirs, emboldened by their previous success,
renewed the attack, and a harassing and desultory
fight Avas maintained for seven miles, through a broken
and difficult country, during which one private of the
91st was killed, and another wounded. On the 18th
of April, the force retired on Block Drift, and was
engaged against tlie whole power of the Gaikas for
several hours; the 91st Regiment maintaining the
Bush bordering the Drift over the Chumie River, till
FORT COX AND THE AMATOLA. If) 7
the transit of the captured cattle and waggons \va.s
secured, and severe chastisen)ent had been inflicted on
the enemy. In this action, Lieutenant Cochrane and
Captain Rawstorne, 91st llegiment, were wounded — tlu;
former severely — one corporal killed, and a private
wounded of the 91st Regiment, who died the follow-
ing morning."'
To revert to the Amatola business — there can be
no doubt, as far as regards the last KafBr war — of the
necessity, on our part, of having taken such a step.
It was likewise probably judicious to advance at once,
on what the Kaffirs have ever considered their impreg-
nable fastnesses. The great fault however consisted in
making this movement on the Amatola with a force
totally inadequate to the object in view, if resistance
were anticipated on the part of the Kaffirs ; and more-
over encumbered by a large train of baggage, drawn
in waggons, through a broken, wooded, mountainous,
and intricate country. ^
IJut apparently it was never dreamt that the Kaffirs
really meant to " show flght," or so small a force as
' Here follows an epitome of the general services of the 91st
regiment during 1846, for which see Appendix.
■ The extract heading this chapter will show that this was
the opinion entertained by the authorities at the Cape; hut the
question is, if there were, at the time, sufficient available means
on the frontier to carry this theory into practice ? (see Appendix,
from p. 29 of the '' Blue Book" for 1847.) And, if so, why were
not positive orders issued on the subject, instead of surmises
and suggestions. (See p. 46 of document above referred to.)
In other cases, little delicacy appears to have been manifested
in interfering with the measures of the Lieutenant-Governor
of the Eastern Province.
] 98 FORT COX AND THE AMATOLA.
fifteen or sixteen hundred men (part of which consisted
of heavy cavalry, perfectly useless on such ground)
would scarcely have been sent on this expedition —
encumbered as they were with no less than one hun-
dred and twenty-three waggons, loaded — not only with
requisites — but, in some instances, with the most use-
less luxuries and superfluities. In short, the opening
of the campaign was apparently looked on, by many,
more in the light of a " pic-nic," or excursion of plea-
sure, than anything else.
Great was howevertheir mistake ; for now the Kaffirs,
on what they always considered their own ground,
fought, on the 16th, with the utmost determination.
The brunt of the action fell on the 91st, which, gal-
lantly led up a steep wooded ravine by Lieutenant-
Colonel Campbell, was surrounded on all sides by over-
whelming numbers of the enemy. " This jungle," said
an eye-witness, " was actually red with Kaffirs, in all
the hideousness of their war-paint — who, mostly armed
with firelocks, and yelling forth their war-cry, taunted
our men with their usual term of defiance: " Izapa !
Izapa!" (come on ! come on !)
Whilst toiling up this steep and wooded ascent, our
small column was resolutely assailed by numberless
hordes of savages, who boldly advanced to a hand
and hand encounter with the troops, discharging their
muskets within a few yards of our men. Luckily, the
Kaffirs were not first-rate shots ; and, in consequence
of overcharging their firelocks, they generally carried
too high. Whilst the enemy suffered severely from
the fire of the 91st, Colonel Campbell — with infinite
labour and fatigue, though with comparatively little
FORT COX AND THE AMATOL A. 199
loss — at last succectlod in forcing tlio pass ; on attaining
tlie summit of which — as ah-eady described — ho was
joined by Colonel Somerset, who by the judgment,
coolness, and the thorough knowledge of country which
he displayed, successfully conducted the retrograde
movement of the 18th ; when he safely led back the
force to Block Drift, saved the remainder of the wag-
gons, with the captured cattle, and gallantly repulsed
every attack of the exulting Kaffirs, swarms of whom
then beset the line of march, and endeavoured by every
means to cut off his reti-eat.
Though, during this most unpropitious opening of
the campaign, our actual loss in killed and wounded
was very trifling, its moral effects were, to us, most
disastrous. The Kaffir — like every uncivilized race— is
easily depressed by reverses, and as readily stimulated
by success ; and, as the savages plundered the waggons at
Burns' Hill — scattered abroad their contents — arraved
themselves in the garments of our troops — ate and
drank not only our supplies, but the very contents of
the medicine chests, (devouring the blistering ointment
and drinking the laudanum) their ferocious passions
were roused to the highest pitch. Gruel tortures
awaited such of our people as unfortunately fell iuto
their power. Their bodies were mangled afler death ;'
parts of their clothes and accoutrements were de-
spatched, in sign of triumph, throughout the length
and breadth of the land; and the Amakosae rose en
masse, to drive the " white man"" into the sea,
' See " Five Years in Kaffirland," vol. i., chap. vii. For the
oflScial accounts of the occurrences whicli took place in the
Amatola, vide Appendix.
200 THE BURGHERS UNDER
CHAPTER X.
THE BURGHERS UNDER SIR ANDREAS STOCKEKSTROM.
Coalition of the Kaffirs — Panic in the Colony — Sir Andreas
Stockenstrom appointed to command the Burgher Forces —
Expulsion of the Enemy from the Cradock and Somerset
Districts — Commandant Bowker — Positions of the dif-
ferent Levies — Demonstration against the Gaika Tribes —
Death of Commandant Nourse — Hostilities of the Tam-
bookies — Rapacity of Mapassa — Proposed grand combined
movement — A Council of war — Alarm ofKreili — Operations
of the Burgher force.
The follovvin^y " notes respecting the origin and
operations of the Division of the Burgher Forces
under the orders of Commandant General Stocken-
strom, during the hostilities of 1846," furnished by an
officer belonging to that force, may serve to throw some
light on the manner in which the late Kaffir war was
carried on.
" Immediately after the collision between our troops
and the enemy at Burns' Hill, all the tribes of Kaffirs
between the frontier and Kei united against us, and
there can be little doubt of the accession of the Galekas,
under Kreili, to this coalition, liefore the end of April,
thousands of the barbarians had entered the Colony,
and carried on devastation and slaughter from the
Winterberg to the sea, with little opposition.
" A general panic prevailed. As far westward as
SIR ANDREAS STOCKENSTROM. 201
the Koonap, the Kaga, and the Kowie, the enemy was
in possession of the forests, the open country, and even
of the high roads, and the inhabitants cons-idered
themselves only safe in what they called ' laoers'' and
camps. A great proportion of their flocks however
were carried ofl". Many of their houses were burned,
several of themselves were killed ; and, to such an ex-
tent had the enemy become elated, that even several
of the camps were attacked, and not always without
success ; so that, as far to the rear as the town of
Somerset, several families began to prepare for a re-
treat to GraafF Reinet, in the expectation that a few
days would see the whole country as far as the
"• Bruintjes Hoogte'' at least, in the] same predicament
as that beyond the Kat River below the ' Baviaans/
" At this crisis, the Governor took upon himself the
direction of the military operations, and appointed Sir
Andreas Stockenstrom, Commandant-General, to com-
mand the ]3urgher Forces of the eastern districts,
which originated a third, or left division.
" This division however had yet to be organized ; as
the men residing near the frontier, M'ho were capable
of bearing arms, had quite enough to do to protect
themselves and their families. The Somerset com-
mando had obtained leave of absence, and those of
Graaft" Keinet and C'radock were attached to the first
and second divisions.
" The country bordering on and beyond the Fish
River below the Tarka was entirely at the mercy of a
barbarous foe ; when, on the first of May, a small fresh
levy, of about twenty-five or thirty Graafi* Reinet
Burghers, reached the Kaga ; and, by the suddenness
K o
202 THE BURGHERS UNDER
of their advance upon the forest of that name, made
the Kaffirs believe that they constituted a strong
force ; and, under that impression, retreat from a
stronghold, whence they had prepared an attack
upon the premises of Maastrora that same night ;
having succeeded in carrying off the cattle the even-
ing before.
" By next morning, the same small party showed it-
self as advancing upon the Cowie forest, from another
quarter ; so that the enemy, believing themselves as-
sailed by Boers on all sides, abandoned one of its best
positions, for the annoyance of a great part of the
Somerset district, and left the upper valley of the
Cowie, with two valuable estates, which the owners
had been obliged to abandon, to be re-possessed by a
handful of men. These estates had been left unburnt,
evidently destined as residences for some of the higher
of the Kaffir Chiefs.
" In the mean time, another small detachment of
Graaff lleinet Burghers arrived ; and the Colesberg
Division, under Commandant Joubert, having reached
the Cradock frontier — reinforced by detachments from
the latter district — Joubert (thus in command of the
left wing of the third division) was called with one
hundred and fifty men to the assistance of the ex-
posed right ; and, with his usual zeal and activity,
crossed the Winterberg by night, in company with the
Chief of the Division, reached the Upper Koonap on
the morning of the 9th of May, was there reinforced
by fifty of the Winterberg ]Jurghers ; and, in a few
days, cleared the Karoom, Kaga, and Cowie moun-
tains and forests, of the enemy.
SIR ANDREAS STOCKEXSTROM. 203
" About the 15th, the Civil Commissioner of Somer-
set joined the Division with a detacliment of the
Burghers of liis district, wlio, together with tlie Graaff'
Reineters ah*eadj mentioned, scoured the Fish Kiver
road as far down as tlie mouth of East Riat River.
The Cradock District and the greater part of Somerset
had thus been secured ; and the IJeaufort Contingent,
under Commandants Du Toit and Moltano, having
reached Ma<astrom on tlie 21st of May, soon expelled
the remnants of the enemy, who kept lurking about
the neighbouring forests, and were then pushed for-
ward to take post on the Karoomo River, at the foot
of the mountain chain of that name, supported, a
little lower down to the right, by fifty Burghers from
Bruintjes Hoogte.
" It will thus appear that, before the end of May, the
third Division had (by the patriotic zeal and alacrity
of the force composing it) been efficiently organized,
completely covering the Cradock and Somerset Districts,
and the upper part of Albany, by a defensive line
posted in the following order, and prepared for any
offensive forward movement, viz. : —
" On the right, near the junction of the Kaga and
Koonap, Assistant-Commandant Montford Bowker
(expressly chosen for his known patriotism, bravery,
knowledge of the country and of Kaffir warfare, as well
as for his influence among his fellow Colonists) was
placed in command of one hundred Graaf Reineters and
a ' Lager,"" composed of about fifty fighting men, to
watch the territory in his front, towards the line occu-
pied by the first Division, to })rotect that in his rear,
and to keep open the conununication with De * *
204 THE BURGHERS UNDER
* * * 1 Di-ii't ; where one hundred and fifty men
were to have been sent, by the Commander-in-Chief, to
guard the Fish lliver Road and Zuureberg, and to
protect the great thoroughfare between Grahaufs Town
and East Eiat River.^
" On Bowker's left, Assistant-Commandant Gordon
Nourse (a promising young man, chosen for the occa-
sion, Hke Bowker) commanded about sixty men at
Haddon Camp, with the Beaufort and Bruintjes Hoogte
Contingents, under the brave Du Toit and Moltano,
some ten miles in advance, and three miles on his left
the Mancazana post was occupied by a detachment of
Her Majesty's 91st, as fine and as brave fellows as
ever took the field.
" A few miles in the rear of tliis position were the
Lager of the Gooba, Cowie, and Maastrom Depot,
under Assistant-Commandant Robert Trant ; and the
Baviaans River, under Assistant Commandant Dodds
Pringle, both volunteers, chosen like Bowker and
Nourse, and for the same reasons. Above the Man-
cazana Post, and on the left of the Beaufort Con-
tingent, was the Upper Koonap, concentrated in seve-
ral Lagers, under Assistant-Commandant De Lange,
covering the country as far as the Winterberg ; to the
north of which was the Tarka post, occupied by a com-
pany of Her Majesty's 45th, under the command of
Captain Seagram, which had been called down from
Colesberg, placed at the disposal of the Commandant-
General, and by him posted at tliis station. A finer,
^ The original MS. is here illegible.
"' These one hundred and fifty men, by some mistake, never
came to De * * * * * Drift.
SIR ANDREAS STOCKENSTROM. 20o
a braver, a more Iku'iikjiuous and happy set of offieern
and men could not have been found in our, or in any
other service.
" In less than one niuuth, they turned the open, ex-
posed position into one of the strongest on the frontier
by regular works, without the assistance of engineer,
sapper, or miner ; though strictly disciplined, they
were cordial, like a family, and of course ever ready for
service and danger. Innnediately adjoining the Tarka
Post, was the well-known Joubert, in command of the
left wing, stretching, in various detachments, to the
chain of the Stormbergen.
" Towards the end of June, this Division was ready
for offensive as well as defensive operations, consisting
of a field force of 1600 men, and about 1200 to main-
tain the line of posts above described, independently
of the three military posts, and the Kat lliver Con-
tingent, which then still formed part of the first Divi-
sion. Earlier even, (that is, about the middle of June)
the efficiency of this force had been proved, when a
demonstration against the Gaika Tribes in the Ama-
tola fastnesses was ordered on the front of the first
Division, supported by the third ; and when, within
thirty hours, five or six hundred men of the latter
were concentrated at Fort Beaufort, to assist in an
operation which it was hoped wouldlead to some result
of a decisive character, but which, unfortunately, ter-
minated in these men being sent back to their camps.
" The men of the third Division were amply pro-
visioned, and the depots already contained supplies of
'bread and meat for 8000 men for two months ; but
the horses were beginning to sufter very seriously
206 THE nURGIIERS UNDER
from the unprecedented drought, and consequent want
of grass and forage. Nothing, therefore, could be
more injurious than delay, and anxious hopes were
expressed that a forward movement would take place
by the 1st of July.
"The enemy, in the mean time, took advantage of
everv opportunity to harass the frontier ; and, in re-
pelling one of their plundering expeditions, the brave
Nourse lost his life, which was so seriously felt, that
the following Division order was issued on the subject,
subsequently echoed by a general one from Head-
Quarters : —
" ' In announcing the death of Assistant-Com-
mandant Gordon No'urse, who fell yesterday in a gal-
lant attack made by himself, at the head of a small
party, upon a body of Kaffirs in the jungle, at the head
of the Blinkwater, the Commandant-General has to
lament the loss which the service in the present crisis
has suffered of one of the most efficient, zealous, and
meritorious officers under his command. Besides the
Assistant-Commandant, one Burgher fell, and one
man was severely Avounded.
" ' The thanks of the Commandant-General are due
to the small party which was engaged in bringing away
the bodies of both the deceased, as well as the wounded
man.'
" Up to the end of June, the Tambookies had
shown no disposition to join in open hostilities against
us, though they were known to harbour the flocks of
the Gaikas, as well as part of those taken from the
Colony ; and whilst the paramount Chief, Umtirara,
was restrained by the influence of the diplomatic agent.
SIR ANDREAS STOCKENSTROM. 207
Mr. Fynn, and the Rev. Mr. Warner, his subordi-
nate ; Mapassa, and the mass of the Tribe, were known
to be quite roady to unite \\\th our enemies, as soon as
the tables should decidedly turn in their favour, as
many Tambookies had already been found fighting in
the hostile ranks.
" At last, the temptation became too irresistible ;
the Gaikas, to whom they were allied by family ties
as well as by race, were incessantly sending into their
keeping booty taken from the Colony ; thus backing their
boast that they were ' beating the English,' and taunting
them with the invitation that ' if they would not share
in the fight, at least to come and participate in the
enjoyment of the spoil."' Mapassa's pride, as well as
rapacity and national animosity, being thus stimulated,
and his Tribe becoming more and more clamorous for
war, he threw off the mask, and threatened the Mora-
vian Missionary Institution of Shilo. But his plans
being discovered by the watchfulness of the principal
teacher, the Rev. Mr. IJoraty, a detachment of the
third Division, composed of Hottentots, Bushmen,
and Fingoes, under Field-Captain Read, was pushed
forward to Shilo, and arrived in time to repulse the
barbarians, when he assailed that place, with about
eight hundred of his followers, on the 9th of Julv.
" The Commandant-General, thus relieved from the
necessity of respecting the neutrality of the Tam-
bookies, ordered Joubert, with the Field-force of the
left wing, to take post at Shilo ; and hoping that, at
last, the time for decisive operations had arrived, he
had directed the head-quarters of his right, under Du
Toit, to advance from the Karoomo to the Chumie
208 THE BURGHERS UNDER
ridge, immediately above Block Drift, reinforced by
Pringle, with the Baviaans River reserve, having his
centre organized out of the Kat River Burghers who
had just then been transferred to the third Division.
" The Field-force of this centre consisted of four
hundred of the Kat River Legion, under one of the
best of Burghers and soldiers, Commandant Groepe ;
whilst Captain Sutton, ever ready and foremost in
danger, consented, at the special request of the Com-
mandant-General, to take upon himself the more im-
portant task of guarding this part of the frontier, after
the advance of the Expedition into Kaffirland. The
field force of the third Division was thus posted con-
veniently to fall upon the fastnesses of the Amatola,
Kieskamma, and Buffalo, at the shortest notice, as soon
as the Commander-in-Cliief should order the contem-
plated grand combined movement. Great part of the
cavalry was sadly knocked up, but the men were in
high spirits, and the Commissariat was amply pro-
vided, except in forage for the horses.
" The order at length came, and the share of the
third Division in the operation is stated in the Com-
mandant-GeneraPs report of the 1st of August, as it
appears in the annexed print,* by which it will like-
wise be seen, that on the 5th of August the third
Division was at the head of the Kaboosie,
" Though the writer of these notes is anxious to
restrict his observations exclusively to the operations
of the third Division, he cannot here suppress the fact,
that this grand movement was, on the whole, a com-
'■ Want of space prevents the insertion of this document in
this work.
SIR ANDREAS STCCKENSTROM. 200
plete failure — tliat, hy sonic unfortunate oversiglit,
there was neither combination nor co-operation, except
that the three Divisions, together with the enemy,
seemed to perform some grand quadrille, in which all
parties were anxious to twirl through the figures with-
out jostling or upsetting one another.
" One point, however, was gained. Tlie Kaffirs
were not brought to battle and crushed, as they must
liave been, if seven or eight thousand of the bravest of
British regulars and Burghers had simultaneously/
rushed from all sides into the great am plii theatre of
jungle and forest which we had taught them to believe
impregnable ; but they had seen what could be done,
and what mip/it have been done. One party, at least,
had encamped in the midst of these superstitiously
respected strongholds, had gone through every nook
and recess of them, and had beaten their tenants wher-
ever they dared to make a stand.
" The spell was broken ; and, as early as the even-
ing of the *iOth of August, messengers were sent by
the Gaika leaders to tell the Tambookies that ' the
Amatola was broken to pieces, that Kaffirland was
lost, and that the Amakosa had no longer a place of
rest.' Still the Kaffirs were not subdued. They saw
us dreadfully crippled ; great part of our army almost
without supplies of any kind ; and, by the burning of
all the grass in the country, they trusted that thej' had
paralyzed all our farther eftbrts. In this dilennna, it
was proposed to the Commander-in-Chief to retire upon
the supplies at Waterloo Bay, and to resume hostilities
in October, when it was expected the men and horses
would be sufficiently recruited for a fresh campaign.
210 THE BURCtHERS UNDER
" On the otlior hand, it was argued that such a re-
trograde movement would revive the hopes and spirits
of the open enemy, as well as of doubtful neutrals ;
that the former would, with good reasons, believe
themselves triumphant ; and the latter, considering
us foiled, dispirited, and retreating, would join our
antagonists, en masse, and compel us once more to
resort to defensive operations on our own territory,
where, in our then debilitated circumstances, and the
unfavourable morale which would be produced, the dis-
advantages would be all on our side ; and that, there-
fore, sound policy, as well as our military position,
required that we should avail ourselves of the panic in
which the western Kaffirs were at the moment, to
reduce those beyond the Kei to the same state, by
rushing upon them under every apparent difficulty ;
destroying them, if they could be brought to face us ;
and, at any rate, laying down the law to them at the
very residence of the paramount Chief; and after
either defeating him or forcing him to terms, and
effectually securing his neutrality, and separating him
from our declared foes, then chastise the Tambookies
under the Chief, Mapassa, who had lately openly
joined the hostile coalition.
" The latter counsels prevailed ; and the Com-
mandant-General and Lieutenant-Colonel Johnston,
of Her Majesty's twenty-seventh Regiment, were sent
against Kreili. These two officers, with their re-
spective Contingents, formed a junction, near the
head of the Quartz, on the 20th of August, and reached
the Great Kei the same evening,
" Kreili, having been informed of this determined
SIR ANDREAS STOCKENSTROM. '2 I I
forward move, had taken alarm ; and, on the 1 4th, a
messenger sent by him had arrived at the Com-
mandant-Generars camp, disclaiming all participation
in the present hostilities, and praying tor the con-
tinuation of peace. Our answer -was sent, informing
Krelie in what light he was considered ; what demands
were to be made upon him ; and that only at his resi-
dence, and with himself and his councillors, any dis-
cussions should bo held (vide Commandant-Gencrars
Despatch to Deputy Quarter-Master General, dated
14th of August, for particulars.)
" On tiie 20th, after the above junction had been
formed, the same messenger a^jain met the advancino-
forces, accompanied by two of Kreili's principal coun-
cillors, with the same message, to which the same
reply was returned, as detailed in the above quoted
Despatch.
" It is self-evident, that as the Galekas and their
Chief refused to fioht, it would have been the heiirht
of folly and imprudence, on the part of the British
Commanders, if they had allowed themselves to be
decoyed to, and across the Bashee, after a few thousand
of cattle, and thus left an opportunity to the whole
Galeka power to march round their flanks, unite with
the Tambookies and western Kaftirs, and attack the
Colonial borders, where there was no cavalry, and
only a crippled infantry to oppose them. Passive
resistance, therefore, on the part of the Galekas, would
have frustrated the entire object of the expedition ; and
it became an obvious duty, by a rapid movement, to
force the Cliief and Council into submission and terms,
before they should resort to that line of policy. This
212 THE BURGHERS, &C.
duty was most successfully' accomplished on the 21st
(vide Commandant-Generars Despatch to the Deputy
Quarter-Master General of the 24th of August.)
" On the 22nd, the combined Divisions re-crossed
the Kei, and attacked the Amena and Bolotto country,
occupied by the Tambookies, under Mapassa ; on the
23rd, about seven or eight thousand cattle were swept
off, and some forty or fifty of the enemy killed (vide
the above-named Despatch of the 24th of August.)
On tlie 24th, the Commandant-General and Lieut-
tenant-Colonel Johnston separated, the former taking
the direction towards Shilo ; the latter proceeding to
rejoin the Governor at Fort Beresford. There had been
no opportunity for any military distinction ; but the
soldier, ever brave and ready, displayed his fortitude
under great fatigue and privation, as well as the
Burgher ; and botli parties believed that they had ren-
dered an important service to the cause in which they
were enoaoed."
Sir Andreas Stockenstrom retained the command of
this, so-called, third Division of the Army — composed
exclusively of Burghers — until about the end of No-
vember, 1846, when he was succeeded by Captain,
now Lieutenant-Colonel Sutton, of the Cape Mounted
Rifles.
' " As soon as this convention with Kreili was known in
Kaffirland and Tambookieland, the word went round — 'The
Amatola is broken to pieces, and Kreili's door is shut ; it is all
over with us ! '" (Note in the original document.)
POST VICTOUIA.
CHAPTER XI.
POST VICTORIA.
Excursion toPhoonali's Kloof — Elevated ridge — Post Victoria —
Advantages of its position — Conflicting accounts — Attempts
to recover stolen cattle — Arrival of reinforcements — Judi-
cious movement of Captain Xapier — Gallantry of Ca])tain
Alaitland — JNlilitary vVrrangements — Extracts from the Diary
of an Officer cmi)loyed — Post Victoria abandoned and burned
— Effects of that ill-advised measure — Its site occupied by a
party of the 91st under the command of Lieutenant Fitzgerald.
" A'ictoria ! erst proud Britain's boast,
Iler matchless Queen — Gaul's routed host —
That word did once recall ;
Victoria's now abandoned Post,
Th' exulting Kaffirs' constant boast,
Records a sad downfall."
The next excursion I took, during my tour of in-
spection, was for the purpose of visiting one of the
native levies, encamped on the heights above Fort
Willsliire, beyond the now abandoned post of Victoria.
I was, on this occasion, requested by the officer com-
manding the first Division to furnish him with a sketch
of the ground about the hitter place, and to examine
and report as to its capabihties, in a military point of
view. I shall, therefore, take this opportunity of
making a few remarks on a position, whose occu-
pation was considered so advantageous, and the uu-
214 POST VICTORIA.
unexpected abandonment and destruction of which
excited at the time no Httle astonishment and specula-
tion ; and Hkewise to communicate whatever informa-
tion I was able to collect, respecting the collision which
there took place between our troops and the Kaffirs, on
the 19th of April, 1846.
The road from Fort Beaufort to^ Block Drift passes
over an open elevated range of ground, being a rami-
fication from the Winterberg Mountains, which, first
running between the Chumie and Kat rivers — after
the confluence of the former with the Keiskamma, and
of the latter with the Great Fish River — continues in
its course to separate these two streams by a high
ridge, or " Hog's back," the whole extent of which,
from the Chumie Post to Mount Somerset, near Fort
Peddie, may be between fifty and sixty miles in length.
This elevated ridge is, for the most part, clear of jungle.
A good military road runs along its whole extent,
communicating between Forts Beaufort and Peddie ;
it overlooks the Fish River Bush, and appears most
peculiarly adapted for a line of posts, in the event of
the Chumie and Keiskamma being considered as the
eastern boundaries of the Colony.
JSIidway between Block Drift and Fort Willshire,
this rido'c, following an indentation of the Chumie,
takes a sudden bend to the eastward, forming, on the
west, a sort of gorge or valley, where lie the sources
of a small stream named the Chishega, (or, as it is some-
times called, the Sheshago) flowing into the Kat River.
Up this pass, runs the direct road from Grahanrs Town
to Block Drift, which, on crossing the Koonap, shortly '
after turns to the right, and runs through the heart
POST VICTORIA. 215
of the Fish River Bush, by Botha's post — a military
station of considerable importance ; as the j)ass of tbe
Chishega, with its densely wooded sides, is, with the
Kaffirs, a favourite mode of entrance into the Colony.
Durinir Sir Pereo^rine Maitland^s visit to the fi'on-
tier in 1 844, the point where this pass debouches on
the high ridge above alluded to, was, with apparently
great discernment, fixed upon for the establishment of
a large permanent post, named "Victoria," which
became the head-quarters of the Cape Mounted Rifles ;
and a considerable force was maintained here until the
breaking out of the war, when Post Victoria was des-
tined to witness one of our first reverses during this
ill-fated campaign.
Though I spared no trouble in collecting from those
who were present on the occasion all the information
I could on this subject — still, the various accounts af-
forded — even by spectators and actors in the scene —
were of such a conflicting and opposite nature, as greatly
to puzzle and bewilder ; only further convincing me
of the uncertain data on which history must ever rest;
and that, if the truth be thus diilicult to come at in
affairs of yesterday's occurrence, how little reliance
can be placed on the authenticity of statements relating
to what happened hundreds and thousands of years
ago! This remark equally applies to every trans-
action during the last Kaffir war, where recourse has
been had to the testimony of eye-witnesses ; more par-
ticularly when relating to any encounter with the
enemy ; when — generally speaking — the narrator, if
personally engaged, could only have beheld what took
place in his own immediate vicinity.
2 1 6 POST VICTORIA.
Colonel Somerset — as already related — advanced
from Post Victoria, on the 11th of April, to com-
mence active operations in the Amatola ; leaving a
small force for the defence of that place, where Sir Pere-
grine Maitland with his staff shortly afterwards arrived.
But apparently — as the communication was cut off —
they were in ignorance of Colonel Somerset's subsequent
movements ; of the capture of the waggons at Burns"'
Hill on the 1 7th, and of the retreat of his force on
Block Drift the following day. The Kaffirs, flushed
with their success on these occasions, and probably
aware of the small force then occupying Post Vic-
toria, approached the latter place in the night of the
18th and 19th; and, during the early part of the
morning, succeeded in carrying off a large number of
draught oxen from its immediate vicinity.
A party, consisting of about thirty men of the 27th
Regiment, twelve men of the 7th Dragoon Guards
under Captain Hogg, and ten of the Cape Mounted
Rifles, the whole under the command of Captain
Vereker of the 27th, were immediately ordered to
crown the heights above the Post, apparently for the
purpose of making a reconnaissance on the enemy, as
well as to endeavour to recover the stolen cattle.
Findinir the Kaffirs to be in great force, the detach-
es = '
ment — though still continuing to follow them up — sent
back for reinforcements ; and Captain Napier, of the
Cape ISIounted Rifles, accompanied by Captain Mait-
land, (Military Secretary to the Governor), was accord-
ingly despatched for that purpose, with a small party
of twelve men of his regiment, and carrying orders for
Captain Vercker's immediate return. On arriving at
POST VTCTORIA, 217
the scene of action, he found tliat Captain Hofrg, with
his mounted force, havino^ pushed on a couple of n)ih'S
a-head of the Infantry, had brouglit the Kaffirs to bay.
The latter had driven the cattle into a densely-wooded
kloof and, formino: on the outskirts of the thicket, now
opened a sharp fusillade on the Dragoons and Cape
Mounted Rifles; who, from the nature of the ground,
could only from a distance return their fire, which was
thus kept up until the arrival of the Infantry.
As the recovery of the cattle was now considered
hopeless, the party, pursuant to orders, commenced
their retreat towards Post Victoria, from wdience they
were about six miles distant. The Kaffirs were, how-
ever, not disposed to allow them to effect this object
without molestation ; for, yelling forth their usual war
cry, about 300 of them rushed out of the Bush, and
boldly attacked the detachment; whilst another large
body of the savages, taking advantage of a wooded
ravine, pushed rapidly forward, with the intention of
outflanking the party, and thus cutting off" its retreat.
Fortunately, Captain Napier, perceiving this intention,
galloped round the head of the ravine, turned their
left, and opened such a galling fire, that the Kaffirs
were driven headlong down the steep sides of the kloof,
whilst thickly strewing the ground with their killed
and wounded. The object of this skilful movement,
though it saved our infantry from inevitable destruc-
tion, appears at the moment not to have been fully
understood, for a cry arose that the Cape Corps were
deserting them ; which impression, for a time, is said
to have caused no little confusion, and to have unduly
accelerated the movements of the retreat.
VOL. II. L
218 POST VICTORIA.
" I confess," subsequently remarked Captain Napier,
" that it did look a little like it ; but it ought to have
been known that the Cape Corps ' don't run away ;'
and, at all events, it might have been certain that a
' Napier' would not.""
The Kaffirs, notwithstanding the check they had
received from Captain Napier's party, still continued
to press fiercely upon the retreat ; when Captain Mait-
laud, who had been fighting gallantly in company with
the Cape Corps, was despatched for reinforcements,
which arrived most opportunely ; as the detachment —
then still upwards of a mile from Post Victoria — had
expended nearly every round of ammunition, and their
position began to be extremely critical. The Kaffirs,
however, on the appearance of reinforcements, quickly
withdrew ; the party returned to the Post without fur-
ther molestation ; and — considering its weakness, as
also the distance it had retired in fiice of overwhelming
numbers of the enemy — with very little loss ; the whole
list of casualties on our side being one sergeant of the
27th killed, and a couple of burghers wounded.
'Pliis — when it is stated that the British force
amounted only to about eighty men, (including some
twenty waggon-drivers and other civilians) and that
the Kaffirs are said to have mustered as many as five
hundred warriors,^ flushed with the confidence in-
spired by recent success — is only to be accounted for
' The accounts of the numbers of the Kaffirs on this occasion
are most conflicting. I have heard it averred by some, there were
upwards of 1200 present; by others that their strength did not
exceed 200; whilst .')00 has been mentioned as the possible
amount of their forces ; which latter figure I have chosen as
the medium.
POST VICTORIA. 219
by the circumstance of the enoiny overcharging their
muskets, and always firing too high ; by which means
their shots generally passed innocuously over the heads
of our people. It was not possible to ascertain the loss
experienced by the Kaffirs, which, however, nmst have
been considerable — the 27th alone having, it is said,
expended six hundred rounds of ball cartridge on the
occasion.
There is little doubt but that the whole party was
saved from destruction, by the opportune arrival of
Captain Napier's reinforcement, and his judicious con-
duct in preventing it from being surrounded : yet,
strange to say, neither he nor his men were even
thanked for their exertions on this occasion — the
commencenient of a long series of valuable services
rendered by him in the course of the war ; during
which (from the circumstance of the other officers
senior to him in the Cape Mounted llilles being
otherwise variously employed) he was so fortunate as
long to have charge of his regiment, and to command
it under the administration of Sir Peregrine Maitland,
in every action and skirmish where it was engaged,
from the 21st of April, ISJ^G; to capture on difl'erent
patroles many thousand head of cattle, and to be, in
consequence of his gallant conduct, several times men-
tioned in the most flattering manner, by the officer
commandin<r the division to which he belonffed.
"'Tis an ill wind that blows no one any good," may
be a trite, though a true saying. Colonel Somerset,
from his standing in tlie army, was, as a matter of
course, placed in command of a division; but at a time
when the Cape Corps was sadly in want of officers —
l2
220 POST VICTORIA.
why Major Armstrong should have been kept in the
command of the district of Bathurst — Captain Warden
in a diplomatic situation — and Captain Sutton appointed
to succeed Sir Andreas Stockenstrom in charoe of the
Kat River Burgher force;' whilst several subalterns of
the same corps figured on the staif — why these ar-
rangements should have taken place when some of the
field officers, who had been sent out on "particular
service" to the Cape, were most unwillingly sauntering
about with their hands in their pockets, for want of
something to do — the why and wherefore of all this
must be ranked as amono;st one of those enigmas above
the comprehension of mere subordinates, and which it
only appertaineth to the higher powers to solve. Be
that as it may, what was certainly an " ill wind" to
some, proved a most favouring breeze to others, who
wisely managed so to trim their sails as to turn it to
the best account.
To return from this digression to Post Victoria :
the following extracts, given as an illustration of the
subject in question, are from the diary of an officer
who was stationed there at the period of the occur-
rences above related, until the final abandonment of that
station.
"20th April, 1846. The governor and suite left
this morning in an onmibus^ at two o'clock, a.m., it
' This was a command, which, according to the instructions
from the home authorities, appears to have been particularly
fitted for one of tho ofHccrs above alluded to. See in Blue
Book, No. 12 Despatch from Earl Grey to Sir P. Maitland,
dated Downing Street, 18th July, 1846.
^ A mode of conveyance generally adopted by Sir Peregrine
Maitland, which, though perhaps not quite in accordance with the
POST VlfTORIA. 221
bein2: then quite dark, and the road considered unsafe
by daylight.
"21st April. Captain Vereker, of the 27th reui-
meut, assumed the command of Victoria ; strength,
three hundred men. The 91st regiment, under Cap-
tain Barney, in a very unsafe position, being in
thatched huts, and not ball-proof; fortifying
position of the 27tli regiment in upper bastion, ^vith
bags filled with earth for that purpose ; several sacks
of corn, also drawn from the commissariat, to raise the
parapet. The 9 1st ordered into the lower bastion, there
to fortify themselves in a similar manner to the 27th.
"22nd. Numerous bodies of Kaffirs seen on the
tops of the surrounding hills — closely attending to the
works and placing the post in as defensible a state as
possible ; the water very brackish and scarce, whidi
has much effoct on the troops recently arrived.
" 2ord. Two waggons daily ordered under escort
from each corps, for the purpose of filling barrels with
a fortnight''s supply of water, in the event of the
Kaffirs blockading us in such numbers as to prevent
our obtaining a daily supply ; and the commissariat
was ordered to furnish sufficient biscuit for a twenty
days' supply for the troops. This was placed in an
empty magazine, between the 27th and 91st redoubts,
and under cover of each corps.
" A large fatigue party was employed in taking
down all the huts that might interfere with the work-
ing of the guns, consisting of one 24-pounder raised
•' pomp and circumstance of war," was no doubt found very
convenient and suitable to liis advanced time of life. — Author's
XOTE.
222 POST VICTORIA.
on a platform, on the north angle of the 27th, or upper
redoubt, and having a clear range all round ; of a
3-pound howitzer to run out through portholes made
in the front stockade at each angle of the gate ; of a
light 6-pound howitzer on the east angle of the 91st
redoubt ; with a 3-pound howitzer in similar position
to 27tli regiment.
" 24-th. All communication cut off from the Colony*
since the departure of the Governor. During the re-
mainder of this month, the Kaffirs made various
attempts to take the cattle from the Post, but with-
out success.
* * * »
" Left Victoria on * * * 2 fgj. Port Beaufort, when
* * * ; the former post ordered to be abandoned and
burned, which was accordingly done."
*****
1 cannot, in the pages of the " Blue Book," (contain-
ing the official correspondence laid before Parliament
relative to the last Kaffir war) discover any valid rea-
son for adopting such a measure with respect to a
military station very recently erected, at considerable
labour and expense, and the great importance of which
is moreover fully testified in an official despatch^ trans-
mitted only a few weeks previous to this occurrence,
from the Governor of the Cape of Good Hope to the
^ About this time, it was currently reported in the Colony
that Victoria was burned, and that all the troops were de-
stroyed.
2 A blank here in the Journal. — Author's Note.
** See p. 20 of "Blue Book" (1846) containing the official
correspondence relative to the Kaffir Tribes, &c., laid before
Parliament in 1847.
POST VICTORIA. 223
authorities at home ; for in tliis communication it is
stated that : " The unprecedented tranquillity and
freedom from depredation enjoyed on the frontier, for
the period of nearly eight months" (previous to the
outbreak of the war) was — amongst other reasons ad-
duced — attributable to the " Military Post which had
been established amongst them (the Gaika Tribes) on
the Sheshago Spring, in the Ceded Territory." When,
therefore. Post Victoria is spoken of in terms such as
these — when amongst the same official documents are
to be found many other passages corroborating this
statement of its capabilities — when there will likewise
be found recorded (and from most competent autho-
rity) the evil tendency — in a moral point of view — of
allowing the Kaffirs " ever to obtain the slightest ad-
vantage, for that such, to them, is equivalent to a
victory;"' when all these circumstances are duly
weighed, it is impossible for any one not admitted be-
hind the scenes to account for so unexpected a pro-
ceeding, although, no doubt, good reasons must have
existed for the same.
Although, like many — and, in fact, like most — of our
military posts in this part of the world, Post Victoria
was — for the sake of being more easily provided with
water — situated in a hollow, commanded by surround-
ing heights ; that circumstance — which would have at
once condemned it, iu the course of ordinary war-
fare — was, comparatively speaking, of small importance
against an enemy such as the Kaffirs, quite unprovided
with artillery ; and although, from the above "Journal,"
' See Notes on the Kaffir War, by Sir Harry Smith ; En-
closure Xo. 31 to Despatch 31; "Blue Book" for 1848.
224 POST VICTORIA.
it appears that the water was at that period " scarce
and brackish," still it must be remembered that this
related to a season of the year when a supply of such a
nature was every where difficult to be procured ; that
"a running stream, affording abundance of water for the
horses, had been discovered in that neighbourhood ;"
and that likeAvise " the spring in the campt had been
found, throughout the long drought, to afford sufficient
good water for drinking, and all culinary purposes."'
During the visit, which, in November, 1846, I
made to the ruins of Post Victoria, I found there an
abundance of good, sweet water, and accordingly made
a report to that effect, which I sent in with a military
sketch of the adjoining ground ; and, though it may
be remarked that this report was made after the usual
season of drought, yet, to prove the observation like-
wise stands good at other seasons of the year, I may
observe — in addition to what I have already quoted —
that an officer, who had long been stationed at Vic-
toria, informed me, that, with five hundred men at the
post, he had never, in a single instance, known the
water to fail, during the whole time of its occupation.
The Kaffirs themselves were fully aware of the im-
portance of Victoria, as a serious impediment to their
irruptions into the Colony ; and, before the actual
breaking out of the war, " amongst other insolent de-
mands" made by them, was one to the effect, that this
station should be evacuated by our troops; and, as this
was not complied with, it was followed up by demon-
' From "Blue Book," 1847, p. 60. See Colonel Hare's
Despatch to Sir P. Maitland, dated Graham's Town, Febru-
ary 16, 1846. (Enclosure No. 23, A. to Despatch No. 3.)
POST VlfTORIA. 22",
strations of attack on their part, and of most eneriretic
measures of defence on ours.'
By such an apparently ill-advised measure, to say
nothing of the moral effect produced at the time, on
an exulting and barbarous foe, we completely — in every
way — anticipated his utmost wishes; and then — as if,
when too late, we had discovered our mistake — the
ruins of the same spot were shortly afterwards again
taken possession of; a camp was pitched amidst the
blackened and roofless walls of the late cantonment,
under the now prostrate battlements of its forts ; the
old site was once more occupied by a party of the 91st,
with the " Clanwilliam" Levj, under Lieutenant Fitz-
gerald, of the former Corps ; and the last station I
visited in my official capacity, ere bidding adieu to
Kaffirland, was the ill-fated, abandoned, and destroyed
— but now re-occupied — " Post Victoria," whose down-
fall is recorded, in a Colonial newspaper of that time,
by the following doggerel, but appropriate lines -.'^ —
" Victoria, no more ! alas, no more !
That soon he'd have it, Prince Saiulilhi swore,
By force or fraud, it matter'd not, I ween !
Ah ! name disgraced of our most noble Queen!
How sly Macomo chuckled, when he knotvd it!
Huge Botman with a sneer cried out, '■post obit;'
And thievish Tolo laughed to think John Bull,
To burn his own, was such an arrant fool !"
' See "Case of the Colonists," in reference to the Kaffir in-
vasions of 18:34-5, and 1846, by the Editor of the "Graham's
Town Journal," p. 'I'lS.
• " The Kaflir War," a satire, published in the " Graham's
Town Journal," September 26, 1846.
L 5
226 THE BIVOUAC.
CHAPTER XIT.
THE BIVOUAC.
Climate of Southern Africa — Periodical winds — Discomforts of
the Troops — Picture of a British Soldier — Suggestions for
his better equipment-^The Bush and its tenants — Unenviable
situation — Captain Hogg's Corps — Gallantry of the " Tot-
ties "-^The Fish Riyer Bush — Settlers sent out by Govern-
ment to Algoa Bay— Elephant hunters — A night march —
Sporting relation s-^Ad ventures of an old Hunter — Bivouac
for the night — Method of whiling away the time — A Buffalo
hunt — Hottentot precaution — Group of Kaffirs — The Doctor
and the wild boar — Further anecdotes— A scene in the Bush
— The march resumed.
" Fitz-Eustace, know'st thou not some lay,
To speed the lingering night away ?
We slumber by the fire."
Marmion.
The reader need scarcely be informed that the sea-
sons in Southern Africa are in direct contradistinction
to those of our northern hemisphere. But, although
our winter be the period of summer with the Colony
of the Cape of Good Hope, its widely-extended terri-
tory is subject, even at that genial season of the year,
to great variations in climate and temperature — varia-
tions more affected by local position than by any dif-
ference of latitude; which latter circumstance has
often an undue weight in hasty conclusions as to the
THE BIVOUAC. 227
State of the thermometer in differeut parts of the
globe.
Tims the climate of Southern Africa, from its penin-
sular situation, is greatly influenced by the periodical
winds, which, sweeping across the Pacific ocean,
blow regularly, at stated seasons, but from opposite
directions, over a varied, broken, and mountainous
surface ; producing the most contrary effects on \U
western and eastern coasts. For, whilst the north-
west monsoon, prevailing during winter, carries with
it rain and storm to the former, the borders of Kaffir-
laud are always, in the summer months, subjected to
the same eftects by a constant south-easter, which, by
the time it reaches Cape Town, having expended every
particle of moisture, acts there as a dry and parching
wind.
Owing to the above causes, the British troops en-
gaged in our late protracted struggle with the Kaffirs,
were, during a portion of the summer of 1S4G, alter-
nately exposed to the greatest and most sudden
changes of climate, the more severely felt, as they
were then — for reasons alone known to the higher
powers — allowed, for a lengthened period, to remain in
a complete state of inactivity. Our large force, (inclu-
sive of Irregulars) consisting of nearly ten thousand
efficient men, were thus, for weeks together, stationary,
and in a state of any thing but dolce far niente — om-
day smothered in dust, and broiling in little gipsy
tents, with the thermometer at 120 or 130 degrees ;
whilst the next, one of those terrific storms, so com-
mon, during the summer season, in this part of Africa,
and followed by a deluge of rain, would sweep their
228 THE BIVOUAC.
frail canvass liabitations to the ground, and leave the
drenched and now shivering inmates exposed to a most
sudden transition of piercing cold.
Such were the pleasing varieties of comfortable ex-
istence enjoyed by the inhabitants of the permanent
camps — established, no doubt, for some wise purpose
— on tiie eastern frontier, during the active operations
of concluding truces, for the purpose of treating with
a set of treacherous and cruel barbarians, of whom it
has been truly said —
" As for the rest,
'Tis powder and ball suits these savages best :
You may cant about mission and civilization —
My plan is to shoot or enslave the whole nation."
* * * *
This state of things continued until the latter end of
November, when, it being probably discovered that the
negociations of our wily enemy were only so many
subterfuges, for the purpose of gaining time, it was
resolved that Colonel Somerset (the working man of
the force) should give them a stirring up. With
this intention, a reinforcement, consisting of a few
hundred of the Native Levies, and of a small party of
the regular force, was sent to him from the first Divi-
sion of the army, still encamped at Block Drift, a few
miles from Fort Beaufort.
Heartily sick of heat and dust ; of truces and
" palavers ;" of meddling priests and intriguing mis-
sionaries ; and rejoiced at the prospect of any change,
T gladly accompanied the above expedition, which ren-
dezvoused at an advanced post, situated between the
first and second Division ; the latter having for some
THE BIVOUAC. 229
time past been encamped at the " Beka," a former
missionary station, a few miles from Fort Peddie, and
which had been burnt down by the Kaffirs, during tlie
eai'lier part of tiie war.
The station, or, ratlier, "lager," (small encampment)
where we were to assemble, ofl'eretl a good specimen of
the deli"lits attendant on a subaltern's detached com-
mand, during the late Kaffir war. The small bell-
tents (affording but little protection from either sun or
rain) were dotted on the bare slope of a hill, without
even the shelter of a single tree, or bush ; and exposed
to every vicissitude of heat, wind, and dust, liroiling in
one of these patent furnaces by day — often thoroughly
drenched, and shivering with cold, by night — alone,
and without society or associates of any kind, probably
even without the resource of books — generally de-
barred, by the vicinity of a savage and wily foe, from
the possibility of moving a hundred yards from his
post — is it to wondered at if more than one unfortu-
nate youth — thus, as it were, abandoned, like Ishmael,
in the wilderness ; cut off from the civilized world ; and
left for weeks and months solitarily to brood on the
discomforts of hisforlorn situation — should have sought
consolation from the bottle, and drowned, in its con-
tents, all recollection of so unenviable a lot ?
Many a young officer, it is true, as in the present
instance, bravely went through, and came out un-
scathed, from so trying an ordeal ; but, whilst others
succumbed, they certainly deserved pity, as well as
censure, or condemnation.
Right gladly was our party welcomed, on its arrival,
230 THE BIVOUAC.
by the young lieutenant commanding the "lager,"
or camp, here alluded to ; and, thanks to his hospi-
table reception, merrily did we spend the day, in his
small tent. From his commissariat we obtained rations
for the men, with a feed of corn for our horses ; and
the whole party intended for the expedition being now
assembled, and well refreshed, " fell in," towards sun-
set, to move ofiF to its destination. The reader, unini-
tiated in the mysteries of South African warfare,
nmst not for a moment imagine that a force paraded
for a distant expedition into the " Bush," bears the
least resemblance to a guard mounting at St. James's,
or a well-ordered field-day in the Phoenix Park.
The " Rode Bashees " of the party — as the Kaffirs
denominated our gallant red-jackets, to distinguish
them from the " Amabula," (the Boers) and the
" Umlaou," or Hottentots of the force — had previ-
ously, as much as possible, divested themselves of
tliose old-fashioned " pipe-clay" trammels, only cal-
culated, when on service, to impede the movements,
and check the brilliant valour of the British troops.
Tight, tape- laced coatees, (scarlet in leprosy) were
cast aside ; and shell jackets, well patched with lea-
ther, generally speaking, had become the order of
the day. Blue, dungaree trowsers were substituted
for Avhite prolongations. The heavy knapsack had
been left at head-quarters, and was replaced by a small
canvass bag, loosely slung across the right shoulder.
Few stiff, leather dog-collars — most appropriately
called " stocks" — now answered the roll ; and the
crown of that very essence of discomfort and useless -
ness, yclept the " chako," being kicked out, had
THE BIVOUAC. 231
made way for the ratlior more sensible head-dress of
the " forage cap ;" whilst, horrible to relate ! many
a sun-burnt, weather-beaten English phiz — long a
stranger to razor or soap-suds, and spite of " whisker"
regulations — wildly peered through a bushy jungle
of untrimmed board and luxuriant moustache; which,
though rather, it must be admitted, brigand-like ap-
pendages, were undoubtedly found more comfortable,
by the respective wearers, than an equal proportion of
sores or blisters, with which the " pale-faces'''' were
sure to be covered, if deprived, in this fiery clime, of
that protection so kindly afforded by Nature,
The above is, generally speaking, a correct repre-
sentation of the British soldier, when on actual service ;
and only shows how completely unfitted are his every-
day dress and appointments, (though perhaps well
enough adapted to the household troops) for the
roughing of a campaign ; particularly such campaigns
as he is most likely to be engaged in, against un-
civilized barbarians, under a burning sun, and amidst
the abrading effects of dense and tliorny jungles.
No ; if the pipe-clay martinets, the gold and tape-
lacing tailors of the army, cannot bring themselves to
study utility and comfort a little more, in the overv-
day dress of the ti'orking part of the army, let them, at
least, when our brave fellows are called upon for such
roughing as that required in the last Kaffir campaign
— let them, I say, safely deposit all these gingerbread
trappings in store; rig out our soldiers in a fiishion
that will afford .•.'o;«<' protection against climate; not
impede the free use of their limbs ; and give them a
chance of marching under a broiUng sun, without a
232 THE BIVOUAC.
coup de soleil ; or of coming out of a thorny jungle,
with some small remnants of clothing on their
backs.
What, with his ordinary dress and accoutrements,
was often the result, to the British soldier, of a Kaffir
skirmish in the Bush? Seeing his Hottentot com-
pagnom d'armes dash into the dense thorny covert,
and not wishing to be outdone by these little " black
fellows," he sets its abrading properties at defiance,
and boldly rushes in on their wake. His progress is,
however, soon arrested : an opposing branch knocks
off the tall conical machine curiously balanced, like a
milkmaid's pail, on the top of his head. He stoops
down to recover the lost treasure ; in so doing, his
"pouch box" goes over his head, his "'cross belts"
become entangled. Hearing a brisk firing all around,
and wishing to have a part in the fun, he makes an
eff'ort to get on to the front, but finds himself most
unaccountably held in the obstinate grasp of an unex-
pected native foe. The thick-spreading and verdant
bush, under which the " chako" has rolled, is the
" wacht-een-beetje ;" ^ and, to his cost, he feels in his
woollen trarments the tenacious hold of its hooked
claws ; for the more he struggles to get free, the more
he becomes entangled in the thorny web. He now
hears the " retire" echoing through the adjoining
rocks ; and his friends, the " Totties," as they
briskly run past, warn him, in their retreat, that the
enemy — who knows right well our bugle calls — is at
^ A Dutch appellation, literally meaning, " wait a little,"
which is always the case when its crooked thorns happen to
lay hold of the skirt of one's garment.
THE RivouAc. 2;>3
tlieir heels. Exliaustcd by liis protracted struggle,
whilst niaddeneJ at the thought of falling into the
power of his cruel foe, the poor fellow makes a despe-
rate ert'ort at escape. In so doing, the ill-onicncd chako
is left to its fate ; the wacht-eeu-bcetje retains in tri-
umph part of his dress. As he " breaks covert,"' the
Kaffirs, with insulting yells, blaze away at him from
the Jiush ; and, scudding across the plain, towards
his party, with the ill-adjusted pouch banging against
his hinder parts, the poor devil — in addition to the
balls whistling around him — is also exposed, as he
approaches, to the jeers and laughter of his more for-
tunate comrades !
Far be it to attempt here to detract from the effi-
ciency and merits of our gallant troops, whose ser-
vices — spite of every obstacle raised in their way —
liave been so conspicuous in every part of the globe ;
1 merely wish to point out how very much that effi-
ciency might be increased, by a little attention to the
dictates of reason and common sense.
* * * *
Though some of the Native Levies — such as the
Fingoes and " friendly" Kaffirs, enrolled as part of
the force — were composed of a sad, half naked, dis-
orderly rabble. Captain Hogg''s corps, which formed
the greater part of the present expedition, was a marked
exception to this rule. This last consisted entirely of
Hottentots, who, through the skilful and indefatigable
exertions of their chief, had attained a degree of
efficacy that could scarcely be believed, and would
have done credit to the smartest light infantry corps
in the service.
23-4 THE BIVOUAC.
Whenever any rough work had to be done, Hogg's
Corps — as remarked — was sure to bo in re(juest ; and
nothing could be better suited than the hardy little
fellows of which it was composed, to the cattle-lifting,
Rush-fighting warfore, in which they played so con-
spicuous a part. Unlike the regular portion of the
force, their well adapted dress and unimpeded move-
ments enabled them to follow up the foe, and suc-
cessfully engage him in his very strongholds ; in his
most impervious and steepest fastnesses ; for, amidst
the densest part of the most thorny bush, thus armed
and accoutred, the little Totty ever proved more than
a match for the gigantic and ferocious Kaffir.
* * * *
As usual, on these expeditions, light marching trim
was now the order of the day ; that is to say, every
man carried a blanket and a small supply of biscuit ;
whilst a few head of cattle were driven along for
slaughter. Unencumbered, therefore, with commis-
sariat, or camp equipage, we got rapidly over the
o-round ; the Europeans of the party with difficulty
keeping pace with the active little Totties, who, fol-
lowino- the example of their untiring leader, footed it
along at the rate of four miles an hour.
Our course lay along the high open ridge running
midway between the Keiskamma and Great Fish
Kiver; overlooking, in many places, the dense Bush,
enshrouding a deep valley, now darkly immersed in
shadow, through which tortuously meanders the latter
stream. This " Fish Eiver Bush" is an immense
tract of thorny jungle, extending from the Winterberg
Mountains to the sea-coast. It is still the constant
THE mvouAC. 235
resort of the predatory Kaffir, as it was some years
past that of all the nobler animals of tlie chase. The
elephant, the rhinoceros, the buffalo, and the hippopo-
tamus, with innumerable other sylvan denizens, were,
some fifty or sixty years back, the sole, undisputed
occupants of this vast and verdant wilderness. They
were the original pioneers who frayed the paths
amidst its otherwise impenetrable recesses, through
which intricate tracks the hunter first followed them
up to their lairs.
This was in the good old times of the occupation of
the Zuurcveldt by the Dutch Boers, and ere Kaffir in-
trusion had disturbed both man and beast, amidst its
undulating grassy plains and dense boundless thickets.
Since those patriarchal times, mighty changes have
flitted o'er the scene ; and the brand of the savage
having scared alike the thrifty occupants of the prairie,
and the wild population of the jungle; the Zuurcveldt
was next tenanted by the encroaching Kaffir, and con-
tinued for years the favourite hunting-ground of the
ferocious tribes of Congo and T' Slambie.
After a long period of unauthorized and forcible
occupation, the gallant Graham drove these barbarians
from their usurped possessions, and shortly afterwards
this part of the country became peopled by a new
race ; for in 1820, several thousands of English Settlers,
sent out by (government, landed at Algoa Bay, and
soon wrought great changes in the land of their adop-
tion. A few fortunes were rapidly realized by some ;
but many, and by far the greater part of the emi-
grants, were entirely ruined by the successive failures
of their crops. British energy however was not to be
236 TOE BIVOUAC.
daunted. Numbers embarked in a channel of fresh
enterpri.xe, and became now deeply engaged in all the
venturous vicissitudes and dangers of a contraband
trade with the Kaffirs, then, under the severest pe-
nalties, prohibited by law ; whilst others, converting
their ploughshares into rifles, turned "mighty hunters"
amidst the dense jungles of the Kowie and Fish River
Bush ; still at that period thickly tenanted by every
species of the larger game, but chiefly by elephants,
the sale of whose ivory amply repaid the dangers in-
curred by the many adventurous Nimrods who then
sprang up on the eastern frontier.
AVhilst looking down, during our onward progress,
on those densely-wooded kloofs, assuming every mo-
ment a darker and more sombre hue as night enveloped
them in her gloomy mantle, many a tale passed round,
referring to bold deeds of woodcraft performed in their
mazy depths — of hair-breadth 'scapes from the ponder-
ous rhinoceros, the headstrong buffalo, or lordly ele-
phant ; for amongst our party were two or three old
sportsmen, who had oft trodden the mazes below us,
ere they were, as at present, nearly denuded of their
savage denizens ; who since then had followed up their
track beyond the far Orange River, even to the verge
of the Southern Tropic ; for to such remote limits,
is the daring votary of the chase now fain to proceed
in quest of what, a few short years back, was so plen-
tiful in those deep masses of jungle, which — save,
may be, by lurking Kaffirs — then lay so silent and
tenantless at our feet.
The tedium of our now darksome march was thus
whiled pleasantly away. One of the party — a man
THK BIVOUAC. 2.37
from infancy devoted to the chase, whose youtli and
manhood were passed in its pursuit, who liad marked
down the last elephants in those their once favourite
haunts — entered most enthusiastically on the themo.
Striking on an elephant " spoor," he soon eloquently
led away his audience through deep and rocky valleys,
dense thorny jungles; threaded the narrow elephant
path amidst all the intricacies of wooded kloofs;
tracked the noble animals to where the}'^ fed; pointed
out their gigantic forms, looming like dark ocean rocks
above a green glittering sea of bright " speck-boom,"'
aloes, euphorbias, and other strange and fantastic
shrubs. Next would he tell of the stealthy, snake-like
approach, the moment of breathless suspense, the sharp
crack of the rifle, the fall of the huge patriarch of tlie
flock, the wild crashing charge of the survivors, ar-
rested in mid career by the ignited bush blazing up
into a secure rampart of smoke and flame. The life-
less prostrate victim is next approached ; then would
follow the process of " marking" the tusks, to be car-
ried away at some future time ; the tail docked in
token of triumjdi; the amputation of the trunk, of a
toot, or extraction of the heart ; part of which, wrapped
in a flap cut from one of the fallen monster''s ears, would
form, at the bivouac, the evening repast of the tired
and famished hunter.
Then w'ould he speak of the huge rhinoceros, tear-
ing up with its nasal horn, during wild paroxysms of
fiiry, the very ground it trod upon; of the mad, head-
long charge of the buffalo, blinded in its raoe ; of
' Tlic favourite food of the elephant. Its small fleshy leaves,
Avhcu boiled down and seasoned, form a very palatable dish.
238 THE BIVOUAC.
the prancing " gnu" and stately " gemsbok" (the
fabled unicorn of old). JSIany a hair-breadth 'scape did
he then relate, mingled occasionally with a tale of woe,
for accidents sometimes inevitably occurred amongst
the followers of so adventurous a mode of life.
This old hunter had associated with, and well re-
membered, the famed and intrepid Thwackray,' who,
after slaying I forget how many hundred elephants,
was, as our friend related, at last trampled to death by
one he had unfortunately wounded, without dis-
ablino-. Amonost other casualties which had then
occurred in this sylvan warfare, he mentioned Colonel
F ^"s melancholy death : pursued by a wounded
buffalo, he had taken refuge amidst the branches of
a low, stunted tree. The infuriated animal, though
unable to reach him with its horns, effectually used
its tongue as a weapon of offence, with whose rough,
grating surface — by licking the legs and thighs of the
unfortunate sufferer — it so completely denuded them of
flesh, that, although at last rescued from so dreadful
a position by some Hottentot attendants, who shot his
tormentor, the poor fellow only lingered on for a few
days, when death put an end to his most excruciating
ao;onies.
Our friend's inexhaustible supply of sporting anec-
dote still continued for miles and miles to flow rapidly
^ The daring sporting exploits of this young man (one of the
Settlers of 1820) are still the theme of conversation on the
frontier. The elephant-hunter was generally accompanied by a
few Hottentot followers, M'ith whose assistance some have been
known to kill between three and four hundred elephants dur-
ing the year. No wonder, therefore, that these animals should
now have entirely disappeared from this part of the country.
THE BIVOUAC. 2oI)
on, till at last the bright flickering blaze, which illu-
mined the darkness in front of the column of march,
announced our arrival at the halting-ground for the
remaining portion of the night. The surroundino- ob-
scurity precluded however all possibility of ascertain-
ing the nature of the spot of our proposed bivouac;
for all that could be discerned were the dark forms of
the Hottentots as they intercepted the bright reflec-
tion of the blazing camp-fires, around which they
appeared to move with the restlessness of condemned
spirits at some pandemoniac feast ; whilst an occa-
sional lurid glare was thrown on dark masses of tall
underwood, which here and there were scattered over
the high, level, table-land around.
Meanwhile, the group, who had been spinning such
tough sporting yarns during the march, were soon
snugly ensconced to leeward of, and beneath one of the
dense clumps of foliage above alluded to. A fire was
kindled : our Hottentot attendants, in ten minutes,
had, al fresco, prepared coffee and a " carbonadje;' and
we all huddled up together, to spend the night as we
best could, under the sheltering boughs which inter-
vened between ourselves and the canopy of heaven ;
across which, murky clouds, driven by the night-wind,
mournfully siirhing tlirough our leafy bower, appeared
in the surrounding pitchy darkness to be chasiu"- each
other in rapid succession, and threatened to bedew our
slumbers with their watery burthen.
But sleep, gentle sleep, scared by the " figures and
the fantasies" of so many a stirring tale of sylvan
' Small pieces of meat spitted on a branch or wooden skewer,
and thus hastily roasted before a camp tire.
240 THE BIVOUAC.
war, had, affrighteil, flod this group of determined
sportsmen ; for in that wihl and appropriate resting-
place to such staunch votaries of the chase, were now
assembkul those, who, in every portion of tlie globe,
liad long and sedulously plied the " merrie woodland
craft;'
The bold fox-hunter, who in old England so oft had
followed sly reynard's rapid flight; ne''er "craned"" at
ox-fence, bull-finch hedge, stone wall, or double ditch ;
who — spite of break-neck " aard-vark" holes, ant-hills,
and deep ravines — had here joyously "yoik'd""' the
grim wolf and wily jackall of these southern wilds ;'
the daring elephant " shekaree"* of the forests of
Ceylon ; the slayer of the tiger and wild boar in the
thorny jungles, and arid plains of Hindostan; the ad-
venturous buflialo-hunter of the depths of the Kowie,
the Keiskamma, and Fish River Bush ; he who had
boldly crossed the " Great Orange" in quest of the
lion, the gemsbok, and giraff"e — were here all grouped
together, in the hitherto vain attempt — after the fa-
tigues of the day, and in anticipation of those of the
morrow — of perseveringly courting the embrace of
sleep. Like other coquettes, the more she was fol-
lowed the faster did she fly, till at last one of the party
impatiently exclaimed: " 'Tis no go; the jade has
evidently broke covert and stole away. Let us there-
fore," added he, heaping more brushwood on the fire,
' Previous to the last Kaffir war, a capital pack of fox, or
rather, "jackall" hounds, was kept up at Fort Beaufort by the
7th Dragoon Guards, under the superintendence of Captain
Hogg, who shortly after so successfully hunted down the Kaffirs
with his gallant pack of "Tottics."
THE BIVOUAC. 2 n
and placing thereon a can freshly replenished with
muddy water, " let us, at any rate, keep out this con-
founded cold and damp wind with liot grog. And,
since we cannot sleep, T further propose that each of
us spin some yarn or other for the benefit of the rest;
to set the first example, I shall begin with the buffalo
adventure of mj- opposite friend tliere, who is so assi-
duously keeping his eyes closed, that he does not see
our roaring watch-fire will in a few minutes singe
the toes off his boots. Come, rouse up, old fellow ;
give me a cigar, with the brandy-flask, and listen
to the recital of your own immortal deeds in the
Bush."
The required supplies thus demanded, were tendered
with the gruff remark of — " 'Tis devilish hard you
can't let a fellow sleep, who does not know when he
may have another chance."
" Never mind, old grumpy ; sleep aw^ay if you can,
and ril tell as how you were treated by the last
' buff* we tracked together, just before the breaking
out of this confounded war, which, bad luck to it,
has put a stop to all our sport, for these rascally
Kaffirs are positively now not worth either powder or
shot.
" Well, gentlemen, you must know that old dozv
there and myself got a fortnight's leave, to have
a little 'gunning,' andstoleaway quietly with a couple
of Totties to a favourite sporting haunt of his, where
we bivouacked for the night. The next morning, be-
fore dawn, my friend took me to a ' vlev"" — occasion-
ally, as he said, at that time of the year frequented
by a stray herd of buffaloes, and, judging from the
VOL. II. M
242 THE BIVOUAC.
footmarks, some had evidently been drinking there
during the preceding night. AV^e put the Totties on
their trail, and ' spoored' them up rapidly, as long as
the dew was on the grass, till we tracked them into
the thick bush. Here the spoor continued clear enough,
it was all plain sailing; and Mr. Claas, our head
Totty lurcher, confidently pronounced the herd to con-
sist of five head, and that one of the lot was a large
bull. The trail, which we had now followed some three
or four hours with scarcely a check, took us at last
over a bare, rocky, dry, and open space of ground,
where we soon became completely at fault. However,
leaving a handkerchief on the spot, up to which we
fancied we had brought the spoor, we made several
broad casts to the riglit and left, when at last, Claas
succeeded in hitting it off again ; and, from its ap-
pearance, thought the herd must have passed fully an
hour before. Well, to make short of a long business,
we toiled on, under a broiling sun, the greater part of
the day ; till, emerging from a kloof near some wooded
clumps, on a marshy rise covered with grass, the foot-
marks became mixed — a sure sign, as you know, of
the animals being in search of a place of rest. We
therefore dismounted, secured our horses amongst the
bushes in the kloof; and, taking every necessary pre-
caution as to the direction of tlie wind, crept cau-
tiously forward, at some distance apart. I had taken
a sweep to the right ; and, whilst passing behind a
cluster of tall underwood, which for a moment hid my
companion, I lieard the sharp report of his double-
barrelled rifle.
" At this instant, on clearing the intervening
TlIK IJIVOUAC. 243
space, as the smoke drifted away, I belidd him
crouching on one knee, his rifle half raised, with tlie
blade of a long hunting knife firmly clenclied be-
tween his teeth. Whilst charging down upon him,
and then witliin twenty yards, furiously ruslied an
enormous bull-buffalo, tail on end, and his head — gar-
nished witli at least six foot horns — close to the irround.
Next second, as he appeared in the very act of being
ground to atoms, and amalgamated with his mother
earth (for the brute was now within a yard of tlie spot
where he knelt) the second barrel was discharoed :
his legs flew up with a summersault into the air, whilst
the infuriated monster apparently missing his mark,
passed over him, and dashed headlong through the op-
posite thicket in the direction of our horses, which,
breaking loose in their alarm, wildly scampered away
across the open slope of the hill.
" All this, which happened within a few yards of
where I stood, was apparently the work of a second. I
immediately started out to see what part of our friend
still remained attached to his exalted legs, when, to my
infinite surprise, he got up unscathed, and staring
around, asked whither the brute had vanished. ' For.'
added he, ' I am sure that my last shot hit him between
the eyes/ With regard to the latter assertion, I must
confess I entertained many doubts on the subject. The
first object was to recover our nags, which took us
fully a couple of hours to eflect, when we returned to
the scene of adventure, for the purpose of endeavour-
ing, if possible, to obtain tidings of the buffaU). iS'or
had we proceeded far on our search, when convincing
proofs offered themselves, that one of his shots most
M 2
244 THE BIVOUAC.
cei-taiuly had told. The bush, which the enraged ani-
mal so madly rushed into, was of the densest and
most stubborn kind ; its turgid nature had however
apparently bowed like a forest of waving reeds before
the crushing impetus of the mighty mass. But, on
the broken and disordered boughs, the quick eye of
Claas readily detected evidence which induced him to
pronounce tliat the buffalo had been wounded, and in
such a manner as to preclude the possibility of escape.
A mass of clotted gore, and what seemed a por-
tion of the brain, adhering to a branch, had elicited
this opinion from Mr. Claas. ' But,' added he, at-
tentively examining the ground, ' other spoor here ;
we must take care — I think KaflSrs come here be-
fore us/
" As this adventure took place shortly before the
breaking out of the war, we were then in a state of
uncertainty as to the intentions of these gentry, which,
under such circumstances, rendered prudence doubly
requisite ; but whether it might be Kaffirs, Fingoes,
Hottentots, or Colonists, who had got scent of the
wounded buffalo, we determined, though with every
precaution, to follow up the spoor, and, if possible,
assert our rightful claim to the spoil.
" Leaving, therefore, our horses under charge of one
of the Totties, we cautiously pursued through the bush
the bloody traces of the wounded animal, which at
every step became more evident, and of more frequent
recurrence. Thus silently following Claas, we had
not proceeded a quarter of a mile, wlien the latter
suddenly came to a stand-still, listened attentively for
a second, and put his ear to the ground ; then, with
THE BIVOUAC. 245
an expressive gesture, directing us to crouch down and
remain where we were, he, without uttering a sound,
crept forward hke a snake, amidst the entangled un-
derwood of thorny briars.
" We placed too much reliance on Claas not to pay
implicit attention to all his directions ; though our
patience was, in the interim, severely tested ; for some
time elapsed ere he returned, with an expression of
countenance which testified that he had sometliing of
importance to communicate. In a scarcely audible
whisper, he informed us that he had discovered the
carcase of the buffalo, which was being cut up by ten
or twelve Kaffii's, and concluded by recommending our
immediate return to the horses. ' And leave mj-
buffalo, head, horns, and all, to be carried away by
these infei-nal niggers f mournfully whispered .
' But ril see them first !' ' Hush ; make no
rash vows,' was my warning counsel. ' But Claas
will take us where we may judge for ourselves.'
" (Jlaas did not appear nmch to relish this plan. It
was, however, carried into effect, but with precautions
which might have excited the envy of a Cherokee
Indian ; and at last, we took up a position from
whence we could, unseen, behold what required all our
friend's philosophy to bear with Christian resignation.
In an open space, surrounded by thick jungle, lay
the remains of the mighty slain, already disembowelled
and partly cut up. Some of the naked savages, elbow
deep in blood, were carving oft' with their assegais long
strips of flesh, and others were busily preparing fires
for the approaching feast : whilst a solitary vulture,
soaring far above, and reduced in the immensity of
246 THE BIVOUAC.
distance to a mere motionless speck, appeared also to
be awaiting his share of the entertainment.
" Anxious as was our friend here to carry off his
well-earned trophy : the noble frontispiece of head and
horns — which lay so temptingly on the bloody green-
sward before us, and only a few yards distant — we
clearly saw that the attempt must be attended with
blows. The odds were fearfully against us ; and we,
therefore, I think most discreetly, sneaked off undisco-
vered, mounted our horses, and got away as quickly
as possible from so uninviting a neighbourhood."
" A very good yam, and very well spun," ex-
claimed the apparently sleeping hero of the tale,
suddenly sitting up in his sheepskin kaross ; "how-
ever, as it is undoubtedly my story, I claim the pri-
vilege of now callinn: on our friend, the Doctor, for
a stave."
" Come, Doctor, brighten up ! Pitch into some of
ourbi vouac physic ; better than was ever brewed in your
hospital. Pass round the can, put another handful of
wood on the fire ; and tell us how you were, once upon
a time, pilloried for a couple of hours in a speck-boom
bush by an angry old sow, for I have heard such a
tale whispered abroad."
" You may call it an old sow, if you please," said
the sporting Doctor, rather pettishly, and in a strong
Caledonian accent, "but I know I thought it at the
time a great ' bore."'
" Though our eloquent friend was so mysterious as
to where he fell in with the buffalo that made such a
charge when minus his brains, I think I can guess,
within a hundred miles, the spot on which the spoor
THE BIVOUAC. 247
was first taken up. However, Fll tell no tales out of
school, and just relate, in the best way I can, what
happened with the wild hog which pinned rae in the
speck-boom. Well then, when stationed at IJathurst,
a couple of years ago, I was taking a solitary ride,
accompanied by my usual pack of about a dozen
dogs of every kind and description ; but instead of my
rifle, I happened on that occasion to be only provided
with a stout hunting-whip.
" Whilst jogging quietly along the edge of the
Kowie Bush, about five miles from Bathurst, the dogs
suddenly gave tongue, and I ' yoiked' them forward
through the covert, the increasing thickness of which
soon compelled me to dismount ; whereupon, tying up
my nag to the stump of a tree, I followed up the chase
on foot. The dogs soon brought their quarry to bay ;
and, fancying it must be a porcupine, I boldly ad-
vanced, flourishing aloft the aforesaid hunting-whip.
Scarcely had I approached the scene of action — a thick
' wacht-een-beetje'' bush, around which the dogs were
loudly baying — than a canine yell of agony, then two
or three grunts, and a heaxy crash amongst the under-
wood, announced the presence of a wild hog. Before
I had made up my mind what to do, an immense boar,
with bristles like toothpicks, all standing on end,
rushed at me throuf!;h the interveninij: scrub. ^ Of
course, I turned tail, and never ran so quick in all the
course of my life, clearing, at a single bound, the clumps
of brambles and shrubs which came in my path.
Spite of numerous tumbles, from my spurs catching in
' The low stunted bush is so called in Colonial phraseo-
logy.
'2iS THE BIVOUAC.
the creepers and monkey ropes, » I still kept ahead ; but
Piggy, pcrseveringly forcing his way through the un-
derwood, which I ha<l to jump over, was soon close at
my heels ; and, at every purl I got, I fancied I felt
his tusks grinding against my ribs. The pace we were
both going was too quick to last ; and just as I found
myself quite done up, fortunately for me, a thick speck-
boom bush stood in my way. With a last desperate
effort, I made a spring which carried me into the midst
of its soft, fleshy foliage and flowering boughs. The
latter, fortunately, did not give way under my weight ;
and here, like King Charles in the oak, I looked down —
though in no very comfortable mood — upon my baffled
and angry foe, who trotted round and round my place
of refuge, sniffing the stems of the bush, and ever and
anon casting up towards me his little twinkling, blood-
shot eyes, at which — for so close was I to the brute —
I kept striking with the butt-end of the whip, whilst
gathering up my legs in the best way I could to keep
them out of his reach.
"As you may readily fancy, T was all the time in
a most confounded stew, lest the tender, pulpy branches
should give way, and leave me to the tender mercies
of Mr. Piggy, who, maddened at not being able to
reach me, and at the baying of the dogs around, every
now and then would make a sudden dash at some of
the boldest of his assailants, and, with a side thrust of
his formidable tusks, send them off" howling with fear-
ful wounds. I had thus the mortification of helplessly
witnessing the destruction of many of my favourites.
^ The stems of the lianes, which frequently climb to the top
of the highest trees, are so called.
THE BIVOUAC. 24f)
A poor little devil of a pup happened to be of the
part\% and, probably n<jt knowing its danger, was fore-
most in the attack. The boar, suddenly turning on
his diminutive opponent, seized him in his foaming
moutli, placed him on the slope of a bank, and ap-
peared determined to disembowel him in the most
scientific and approved of fashion.
" At this critical moment for poor puppy, a power-
ful blood-hound rushed to the rescue ; and though in
so doing he was badly ripped in the shoulder, suc-
ceeded in laying fast hold of the boar by the end of
his snout, and thus pinned him to the ground. ' Now,'
thinks I to myself, ' is my sole chance.'' The only
weapon I had with me, besides the hunting-whip, was
a small mother-of-pearl penknife I had bought in the
Quadrant for a shilling, when on the coach by which
I left London to start for this country ; it was my
last purchase in old England, and never was a shilling
better laid out."
" But come to the point, Doctor ; and don't keep
us in suspense."
'• That's just what I did ; for seeing this was my only
hope of escape, I opened the mother-of-pearl knife,
jumped out of the bush, and, seizing the boar by the
ear, whilst the bloodhound was pinning his nose to the
ground, I — thanks to some little knowledge of anatomy
— thrust it into what I knew to be an artery, left it
finnly sticking there, and as quickly scrambled back
again into my former place of refuge."
"A wonderful instance oi sang f raid, activity, and
science combined," observed . " Jiut pray. Doctor,
take a drink, and go on."
M 5
250 THE BIVOUAC.
" It was,'' replied the Doctor, after taking a loug
pull at the grog-can — "it was — though 1 say it, who
should not — it was done, every thing considered, with
tolerable skill, as the event fully proved ; for let me
tell you, gentlemen, though a pig's internal conform-
ation greatly resembles that of man, yet, under the
peculiar circumstances of the case, the carotid artery
might very easily have been missed.
" But, to go on with my story — the boar, on finding
himself wounded, made such a violent effort that he
shook off the dog ; the penknife fell from the wound,
and, to my inexpressible delight, was followed by a
plentiful stream of blood. The astonished animal sud-
denly stood still, and appeared steadfastly to listen to
the novel sound, as the mimic cascade, spurting forth
with a graceful curve, fell in a crimson shower, with —
to my ears — the sweetest music of a spattering noise,
on the dry and parched up soil.
" Being no longer molested by the dogs, which were
now lying around in every direction, in a more or less
disabled state, my bristly acquaintance had full leisure
to indulge in his new meditations. He, after a while,
trotted off some twenty or thirty yards, stopped again,
remained a few seconds quite motionless ; assumed
rather a sentimental look ; staggered, fell forward, rolled
(jver on his side, and then — gave up the ghost. Still,
I could not bring myself to believe that the grim
monster were really dead ; that the Jew-boy's penknife,
like David's pebble from the brook, had actually slain
this fierce Goliath of the woods. For a moment longer
I therefore remained ensconced amongst the branches
of my leafy castle, in a state of the most anxious sus-
THE BIVOUAC . 2ol
pense ; till, seeing no signs of returning life as the dogs
approached, and snifted the carcase, I slid cautiously
down, picked up tlio bloody knife ; crept on tip-toe
towards my fallen enemy ; touched him first gingerly
with one foot, and tlien, finding him realhj dead — and
no mistake — in the ecstasy of the moment 1 took off' my
cap, and gave three hearty cheers."
" Bravo, Doctor ! a capital /?/?a/t' •' and all owing to
your unrivalled anatomical knowledge in being able to
discover the carotid artery under the bristles of a wild
boar !"
" And, knowing where it was to be found, you will
perhaps allow it required a rather steady hand to lay
it open. However, I hope, old fellow, that your life
may never depend on scientific acquirements of any
kind, or else your career will be brief indeed. But I
now, Mr. Critic, beg to call on tjou for something out of
the common waj' — for a few spicy adventures on the
other side of the Orange, Avith some account of your
sport in the giraffe and quagga line, whilst searching
for Prester John, the kingdom of Monomotopa, or the
Great Salt-water Lake."'
Thus appealed to, was soon amidst lions, gnus,
quaggas, cameleopards, and gemsboks. Ostriches,
like Banquo's ghosts, stalked past in endless succes-
sion ; pigmy zebra.s, to my now clouded sight, ap-
peared to be prancing amongst the dying embers of
' The two first, with the equally imaginary island of
St. Helena Nova, were the constant objects of inquiry and
research by the early Dutch Colonists. Authentic accounts
have of late years been received of the " Great Lake," but no
European traveller has yet reached it.
252 THE BIVOUAC.
our flickerinj^ watch-fire, which fizzed in expiring
agony, as the blood spurted o'er it from the severed
artery of the mighty boar ; whilst a buffalo, galloping
by, and dashing the protruding brain from his frac-
tured skull, sent a portion of it into my eyes, and
apparently closed them on the scene ; for, without
knowing when or how I had fallen asleep, I was only
roused by a heavy rain dripping through the over-
hanging foliage on my face. I drew the waterproof
cloth^ over my head, and resumed my slumbers, till
the grey dawn gradually disclosed the company and
scene amidst which we had passed the night.
The rain had ceased ; I then raised the invaluable
" vergette" cloth, wliich had so well protected us
during its fall ; and, sliaking the water from the im-
penetrable folds, aroused my still sleeping bedfellow,
M : a grim-looking cherub, in all the unshaven
loveliness of a phiz covered with a grizzly beard of some
seven or eight days' growth. Closely huddled under
tlie bush, lay, in every attitude of ungainly repose, the
party of the preceding night ; whilst around the damp
ashes of the long-since extinguished watch-fires, groups
of sleepers were thickly scattered on the wet grass,
enveloped in the unromantic drapery of blankets well
saturated with rain,
A bivouac, at other times so stirring a scene, always
presents at this early hour, when "grey-eyed" morn
first withdraws the curtain of darkness, a melancholy
and even ghastly appearance. In the indistinctness
of the dawning light, our halting-ground might easily
> The " vergcttc" waterproof cloth will be found of the
greatest service to the traveller or campaigner in South Africa.
THE BIVOUAC. 253
have been mistaken for a recent battle-field thickly
strewed witli the slain — in sur-h strange, stark atti-
tudes, were scattered the benumbed and recumbent
groups, that grim Death himself appeared to have
liovered o'er the spot, stamping with his cold touch
additional hideousness on all around.
The Hottentot countenance, at no time very pre-
possessing, is, whilst under the influence of sleep, the
most repulsive object in the world. Nay, I am here
mistaken ; for a dead Hottentot is a still more for-
bidding sight ; and one who is seen whilst dead-drunk
(a not unusual occurrence) the most revolting of all.
Though, on first waking and looking round, every
thing appeared motionless and without life, five mi-
nutes sufficed completely to alter the scene. All were
by that time on the alert, and ready for a move. I
proceeded to a muddy pool close by, dipped the corner
of my handkerchief into its turbid waters, and passed it
across my eyes. The business of the toilet being thus
disposed of — a biscuit and cup of coffee hastily swal-
lowed — I mounted my horse, now in every way pre-
pared and ready for another start.
254 THE BATTLE-FIELD OF
CHAPTER XIII.
THE BATTLE-FIELD OF THE GWANGA.
Party of Horse under Colonel Somerset — Battle-field of the
Gwanga — Zeal and intrepidity of Colonel Somerset — Real
causes of the Kaffir War of 1846 and 47 — "Wise measures of
Sir B. d'Urban — Mistaken line of policy — Insolence of
" Young Kaffirland " — Opening of the Campaign — Losses
of the British — Designs of the Kaffirs — Narrative of an
Officer — Brilliant charge — Noble conduct of the Troops —
The Chiefs Umhala and Seyolo — A fiery steed — Gallant
charge of Colonel Somerset — Flight and pursuit of the foe
— Hatred of the Fingoes — Their demoniac proceedings — A
bold feat — Death of a Rifleman — Bravery of Sir Harry
Darell.
" Colonel Somerset, lifting his cap from his head, gave three
hearty cheers, and shouted — 'Major Gibsone, 7th Dragoon
Guards, return carbines — draw swords — charge!'" — Five
Years in Kaffirland, vol. i., p. 286.
Shaking themselves, on rising, from their saturated
lairs, like so many Newfoundland dogs, our hardy fel-
lows were soon ready to resume their march ; when
silently falling in, they moved off without beat of
drum, and shortly found themselves far from the
bivouac-ground of the preceding night. Still follow-
ing the crest of the oft-before-mentioned ridge, after
passing the wooded kloof on our right — formerly
occupied by the kraal of the Kaffir chief, Eno, and
more lately by that of his son. Stock — the high level
THE GWANGA. 255
laud, along which lay our path, now expanded into
a wider tract of open ground covered with grass ;
across which, and towards our party, were seen ad-
vancing a small body of horsemen, which soon proved
to belong to the Cape Corps, headed by Colonel
Somerset in person, who, at this early hour — with
characteristic activity — had come the whole distance
from his camp, at the IJeka, to look after the expected
reinforcement to his Division.
This was a most appropriate spot whereon to meet
the gallant veteran, who, for the last quarter of a cen-
tury — ever on tlie alert — may be said, during that
period, to have been one of the staunchest guardians
of the Colony against the depredations of its savage
foes — who had, during that long space of time, borne
a part in every war, in nearly every " commando"
forced on us by these barbarians, amonfjst whom the
name of "Somerset" has always been a watchword of fear
and respect. No more fitting locality, I repeat, could
have been chosen, for a first introduction to Colonel
Somerset ; for it was on this very ground that, a few
months before, he had jriven the Kaffirs a lesson thev
will not speedily forget : he had taught them —
although, as usual, they were then in overwhelming
numbers — that, when out of the covert of the Bush,
their savage ferocity stood no chance against British
discipline and British valour.
It was on the bnttle-field of the Gwanga we now-
stood — that only bright oasis in the wilderness of our
many reverses during this ill-starred war — the
only cheering event to counterbalance such inau-
spicious reminiscences as those connected with Bums'
256 THE BATTLE-FIELD OF
Hill — the Aniatola — Post Victoria — Trompetters"'
Drift — and Fort Peddie — of losses caused by starva-
tion and drought, on the first expedition to the Kye,
in July, 1846 — of those from exposure, short commons,
and drowning, during the second one, in the months of
December and January following. ^
The only weight to throw into the balance against this
formidable catalogue of misfortunes is the afl'air of the
" Gwanga;" and, if the balance then kick the beam, it
is most assuredly no fault of Colonel Somerset ; who,
during the whole campaign, did all that the most in-
defatigable activity, combined with the most boundless
zeal, could effect :^ and as he looked o'er the field,
so well irrigated with the blood of our deadly foes,
and even now strewed with their scattered and bleach-
ing bones, well might he " stand a-tip-toe, and rouse
him at the name of ' Gwanga/ "
" Remember, mth advantages.
What feats he did that day : then shall our names —
Familiar in all mouths as household words —
' The first of these expeditions was undertaken at a period
of the year when there were no means of subsistence for the
cattle. In the second, no adequate provision was provided for
the men ; and what little there was, together with the camp
equipage, was of no avail, owing to the swollen state of the
rivers, and from no measures having been taken to cross them.
^ "To you, Colonel Somerset, we are mainly indebted for
the satisfactory close of this severe contest; you have been in
the field throughout, and have there exhibited equal courage,
patience, perseverance, and ability, in the discharge of the
severe duties which have devolved upon you." — From Sir
Harry Smith's address to the troops at King William's Town,
on 23rd December, 1$47.
THE G want; A. 257
* Sir ITarry Darcl],' 'Gibsonc,' aiul 'Donovan;'
' Napier," and 'Walpole;' 'Armstrong,' 'Bissett,' 'Brown,' —
Be in their flowing cups freshly remembered !"
To the reader unacquainted with the particulars
of South African affairs, and to whom the name of the
Crwanga may not be quite so fainihar as that of Agin-
court, it will perhaps not be amiss to give a brief out-
lino of the circumstances immediately preceding, and
which gave rise to the " St. Crispin's"''' day of the
Kaffir war.
The ostensible cause of this — to us — most disastrous
contest, was — as already shown — the murder of an
English subject, and forcible liberation of a Kaffir pri-
soner, who had rendered himself amenable to Britisii
law by the conmiission of an offence within the Co-
lonial territory.
These were the outward and ostensible reasons which
brought about what the Kaffirs term, in derision, the
" war of the axe •.'"^ the breeze which eventually fanned
the long smouldering fire into a flame, that had well
nigh consumed all our Eastern Province of the Colony
of the Cape of (food Hope, and which has cost us be-
tween two and three millions of pounds sterling ! To
far remoter sources must however be traced the real
cause of the Kaffir war of 1846 and 1847.
It had its origin in the overthrow of Sir Benjamin
d'Urban's wise measures — measures brought about
' Captain, now Lieutenant-Colonel George T." ConoUy
Napier, of the Cape Mounted llifles.
- From the circumstance of the theft of a hatchet having
caused the apprehension of the Kaffir, who was liberated whilst
on the way to take his trial at Graham's Town.
2.58 THE BATTLE-FIELD OF
by the complete success of his own well-laid plans,
seconded by the valour, activity, and perseverance of
Colonel, now Sir Harry Smith ; measures which were
upset — when their fulfilment was attended with com-
plete success — in consequence of the most childish cre-
dulity on the part of a British minister, in listening
to the grossest tissue of falsehoods and misrepresenta-
tions that were ever framed. The real cause of the late
Kaffir war was, in fine, the adoption and enforcement
of " treaties," which — by not only annulling all the ad-
vantages gained by Sir Benjamin d'Urban, but by the
cession of former acquisitions — gave the Kaffirs such an
exalted opinion of their own power, and so contemptible a
one of our weakness and imbecility — that they eagerly
looked forward to another opportunity for plundering
the Colony; which opportunity was ever — spite of
repeated warnings — left fully open, by want of due pre-
paration on our part; by maintaining a most inadequate
force on the frontier ; aided and abetted moreover by
a bungling course of policy, terminating in a gross mis-
take, that afforded " Young Kaflfirland" the long wished
for occasion, and with every appearance of having jus-
tice on its own side.
It may perhaps be observed, that the blunder here
alluded to was the premature step of undertaking a
military survey, and pitching a camp for that pur-
pose,' without permission, on the acknowledged terri-
tory of Sandilla, from whence the party so employed
^ " I entirely agree with your honour, that the proposition
[position ?] was awkward, and the error which placed us in it
unfortunate." {From Sir P. Maitland's Despatch to Colonel
Hare, dated Cape Town, February 5th, 1846, at p. 42 of "Blue
Book," 1847.) See Appendix.
THE GWANGA. 2a9
was, by order of the Kaffir chief, most unwillingly
forced to retire. On witnessing this humiliating step,
the exultation of " Young Kaffirland" knew no bounds,
and was displayed in every species of insolence to-
wards the British Government ; in short, war had been
resolved on by the Kaffirs, long ere they obtained so
plausible an excuse for its commencement — or the
" hatchet" business had taken place — which latter cir-
cumstance, being completely fortuitous, merely caused
it perhaps rather prematurely to burst forth.
The opening of the campaign commenced with the
unsuccessful attempt — backed by a most insufficient
force — to " chastise" the savages in their rocky and
wooded strongholds of the Amatola. The consequence
of this was — as Paddy would say — they made us "lave
that" in such a hurry, that we forgot our baggage, which
was appropriated by the Kaffirs to their own use. They
burned the waiiirons, tooether with — it is said — (nor
did they ever attempt to deny it) an unfortunate English
soldier, who had fallen into their power — captured a
pet monkey which formed, with other " pets," one of
this party of pleasure : they got hold of the medicine-
chest ; drank the physic ; ate the blistering ointment ;
and then — adorned in the spoils of the vanquished, and
spreading far and wide through the land the news of
their triumph — stirred up to action many still wavering
tribes, who as yet had taken no part in the war, but
who now hastened to assist in the attempt of driving
the " Amagalezi" into the sea !
Such were the consequences and results of the first
expedition to the Amatola. But not professing to
give liere a history of the campaign, I shall not enter
260 THE BATTLE-FIELD OF
into the particulars of the subsequent reverses above
enumerated. Suffice it to say — after the daring
attack on the 28th of May, 1846, on Fort Peddie, by
eight or ten thousand Kaffirs of the Gaika and T' Slam-
bie Tribes, or rather after their successful attempt
on the cattle under its protection, four or five thousand
of which they carried oj0f in spite of a strong garrison —
that encouraged by this, as well as by the results of
the affair at Trompetters'' Drift, where, on the 21st of
May, they had seized part of a convoy carrying sup-
plies to that fort, their next design was to intercept
a second train of waggons,^ which had subsequently
left Graham''s Town for the same destination ; with a
similar object, to capture the Post itself of Trom-
petters"' Drift ; and next — by occupying the Fish River
Bush — to cut off all communication between Graham''s
Town and Fort Peddie.
Had they succeeded in this, it is difficult to surmise
what might have been the consequences — Colonel
Somerset however was luckily at hand. Shortly after
the attack on Fort Peddie, he had safely brought con-
siderable supplies to that Post ; and, having learned the
^ This was prevented by Colonel Somerset, who, although
with a force of twelve hundred men, had great difficulty in
frustrating the attempt of the Kaffirs; and yet, after all the
obstacles and disasters attendant on this cumbersome mode of
conveyance, and although the Commander-in-Chief frequently
in his despatches adverted to the inconvenience resulting there-
from, it is unaccountable that the system should have been
so long and so perseveringly followed up. This, and the non-
opening of the Buffaloe Mouth, were — as I have elsewhere
remarked — a few of many other reasons which caused the
last Kaffir war to be prolonged, at an enormous expense, to a
period of nearly two years.
THE GWANGA. 261
intention of the Kaffirs, and their design on tiie next
convoy, which was expected on the 8th of June, ho
had the previous evening " detaclied a force of three
hundred Native Infantry under Captain Size, one hun-
dred Fingoes under Field Captain Symmons, accom-
panied by a body of the Fort Peddie Fingoes, under
the Cliief Tanibu, into tlie Blue River, with orders to
move at daylight up the valleys of the Tocka and the
Mancazana streams — between Trompetters and Com-
mittees."' Early on the morning of the 8th, they left
Peddie '• with a couple of guns and a small force of
cavalry, in hopes of intercepting the enemy on the
eastern heights of the Fish River ]Jush, near the loca-
lity of ' Stocks' kraal.'"
For an official account of the smart aftair that
ensued, the reader is referred to Colonel Somerset's
Despatch, 2 which may be compared with the following
narrative, kindly furnished by an officer who bore a
part in the (Migagemcnt which he thus describes :
" About five o'clock on the morninn- of the 8th of
June, 1 846, Colonel Somerset left Fort Peddie with a
patrole consisting of one hundred of the Cape Mfuinted
Rifles under Captain Napier, one troop of the 7th
Dragoon Guards, under Sir Harry Darell, two guns
(6-pounders) under Captain Brown, R.A., and about
six hundred of the George Boers, under Commandant
MuUer ; Major Gibsone, 7th Dragoon Guards, being
second in command, and Captain Walpole, Royal
Engineers, and Lieutenant Stokes, R. E., going as
» See. at p. lol of "Bhie Book," (1847) Colonel Somerset's
Despatch, dated Fort Peddie, 8th June, 1846.
'^ See Appcudi.x.
262 THE BATTLE-FIELD OF
volunteers. They proceeded along the heights on the
left bank of the Fish River, as far as ' Stocks' kraal,
where he found a very considerable number of Kaffirs
who had just pushed over the flats from the Keis-
kama River. Captain Brown opened his guns upon
them with effect, and the Cape Corps immediately
attacked the enemy, who had taken up a strong position
in a blind river surrounded with dense bush, from which
they kept up a severe fire. After fighting for about
two hours. Captain Donovan, C. M. R., with about
eio-ht or ten men, made a rush at the Kaffirs, shooting
about ten dead on the spot, and narrowly escaping
from being killed himself, as lie was seized by several
Kaffirs, who were on the point of shooting him, when
the troops rescued him. Captain Walpole was hit
with a spent ball in the thigh. In the mean time,
about three hundred of the Native Infantry and a
couple of hundred Fingoes, under Commandant Size,
who had been sent round by Trompetters' Drift, came
up in rear of the enemy, and killed a great many.
" About noon, seeing that the Kaffirs were dis-
persed, and that both men and horses were much
fatio-ued, Colonel Somerset ordered the infantry to
come out of the Rush to rest themselves ; and went
with the guns and cavalry on the open flats near the
Gvvanga stream, where he suddenly fell in with a body
of Kaffirs, about seven hundred in number, who were
crossin*'- over from the Keiskama to assist their friends.
Not a moment was lost : Major Gibsone with Sir Harry
Dareirs troop made a brilliant charge ; whilst the
Cape Mounted Rifles took the enemy on their left
flank, riding into the midst of them. The enemy
THE GWANGA. 263
fired one volley, and threw a shower of assegais ; stood
their ground tor about live minutes, and then fled in
all directions, hotly pursued by the Dragoons and Cape
Corps for more than three miles, when tJie ' recair
was sounded.
" Upwards of three hundred were slain on the field,
besides many who were wounded and died afterwards.
Sir II. Darell, Cornet Bunbury, and seven privates
of the 7th Dragoon Guards, were severely wounded.
One corporal, C. M. R., killed, and Captain Walpole,
11. E., severely wounded again. Several of the officers
had very narrow escapes, and Captain Napier"'s life
was saved by the cool presence of mind of his orderly,
who shot a Kaffir when in the act of pullino- the trio-^er
of the gun which he had placed against Captain
Napier's breast.
" Only six of the George Boers were present, and
they behaved most nobly ; the remainder had off-
saddled about five miles off. The infantry also were
not present, except the Fingoes, who came up just as
the action was over, and killed all the wounded Kaffirs.
Colonel Lindsay sent Captain Hogg, 7th Dragoon
G uards, with his troop, to the scene of action, and they
arrived in time to turn a few of the enemy who were
trying to escape. The troops behaved nobly. In the
two fights the enemy lost nearly five hundred men.
We took two prisoners, one hundred guns, and several
hundred assegais. The prisoners said they belono-ed
to Umhala and Seolo, and that the commando we had
so totally routed was composed of the flower of their
tribes, who had been selected in order to attack a
convoy of waggons which was to pass from Trom-
264 THE BATTLE-FIELD OF
petters to Peddie on the 8tli, but we luckily fell in
with them first. They were about two thousand strong,
and well armed. On the evening of the 7th, the two
chiefs, Umhala and Seolo, had a dispute about cross-
ing the open flats, the former saying it was safer to do
so at night, and the latter preferring the daytime.
Umhala crossed on the night of the 7th, and we fell
in with him about two hours after he had done so.
Seolo, hearing the firing, imagined that Umhala had
attacked the waggons, and was crossing over to join,
and assist him, when we met him on the open. Seolo
was severely wounded, and five minor chiefs were
slain."
I must further try the reader's patience with another
quotation, which however, being a most graphic de-
scription of the casual manner in which the Kaffirs
were first discovered on the open ground between the
Keiskamma and the Fish River Bush, will not, it is
hoped, be considered out of place :
" Colonel Somerset then moved with his division to
a place where wood and water offered the means of a
pleasant bivouac, and the troops were about to open
their havresacks and turn their horses, knee-haltered,
out to grass, when Lieutenant Bissett, Cape IMounted
Rifles, who had gone out with Lieutenant Armstrong,
C. M. R., to reconnoitre, (the latter having observed a
few Kaffirs skulking near the Bush, and surmised that
more wei-c in the neighbourhood) rode back with the
intelligence that, his horse having carried him up the
slope of a hill, he had found himself just above a body
of about six hundred Kaffirs. These savages, having
had a long march, were halting on their way, prepa-
THR nWANfJA. 2Go
mtorv, perhaps, to attacking the waggons, ^vhi(•ll tliey
did not know had passed tiirough Connnatjes Bush ;
or, it may be, they had been stayed in tlieir progress
by the sound of the shells thrown into the kloof, to
rout the 'breakfast-party,' two hours before. There
they were, however — a regular ' clump of Kaffirs."
Down the slope flew the fiery steed, which could only be
guided, not stopped, in its career, and right past the
dark mass was borne the rider, while tliey, bewildered
at the unexpected sight of the wild horseman in that
sequestered valley, never moved, but gazed in silence
at him as he sped past them. ' AV^earing round,' in
sailor's phrase, his impetuous and hard-mouthed horse,
lie managed to bring it up at the halting-place of the
division, where he reported the near proximity of the
enemy to Colonel Somerset, who, lifting his cap from
his head, gave three hearty cheers, and shouted.
' Major Gibsone, (7th Dragoon Guards) return car-
bines, draw swords, and charge !"" ""
This brief " Charge ! Chester, charo;e V address of
the gallant veteran, was nobly responded to by his
hearers. Dragoons and Kiflemen, stalwart IJritons and
diminutive Hottentots — thus stranaelv brouoht to-
gether from opposite extremities of the globe, and united
in the brotherhood of a common cause — as they nish< d
headlong on the dark barbaric mass before them,
eagerly strove to surpass each other in inflicting well-
merited chastisement on the treacherous and skulking-
foe ; whom, for the first (and last) time, they had now
an opportunity of encountering face to face, in the open
field, and without any intervening screen of busby
covert. The result was as already described, and so
VOT-. II, N
266 THE BATTLE-FIELD OF
damped their courage, that from henceforth the Kaffirs
never again dared the attempt of a regular " stand-up"
fight.
Colonel Somerset, as we rode over the field, pointed
out the spot where the enemy had for a moment shown
a front ; detailed how their serried masses were broken
through, and trampled to the dust by our gallant horse-
men ; and, as he described the scene which ensued, we
could picture before us the savages flying in wild terror
across that plain, already so thickly strewed with the
prostrate forms of their slain comrades ; whilst the
flashing swords of the Dragoons were in deep and
bloody characters marking " retribution" on the re-
creant backs of the surviving oftenders !
Though thus hotly pursued and hewed down at every
step — still showers of assegais flew rapidly and not
harmlessly around ; and, such was the activity of the
flj-ing Kaffirs, that a large number appeared in a fair
way of regaining the shelter of the Keiskamma Bush.
At this moment, the opportune appearance in that di-
rection of Captain Hogg, with a troop of the 7th Dra-
<j-oon Guards, by intercepting their flight, appeared com-
pletely to paralyze them. They no longer attempted
either resistance or escape ; but, crouching amidst
the scattered clumps of grass and brushwood, now en-
deavoured, like timid animals of the chase, to conceal
themselves in every possible manner from their enraged
pursuers, who, at last weary of carnage, dismounted
to breathe their panting steeds ; whilst the Fingoes,
on foot, who had by this time arrived at the scene of
action, carried on, with cliaracteristic zest, the bloody
work of destruction.
THE CaVANGA. 2G7
The Fingoc bears towards the Kaffir, as tlie en-
slaver and oppressor of his race, a hatred which he
imbibes with his mother"'s milk — a hatred truly
" Afi'ican," and unmitigated by any thing approaching
to mercy. Now, therefore, was their time to exact a
bloody retribution for all their wrongs. They had
arrived too late for the fight ; but to them that mat-
tered little, so they were — by any means — in at the
" death ;" and the ferocious eagerness with which they
searched amonjist tlie tall frrass and low bushes for
their crouchinj; foes — mercilessly and in cold blood,
despatching them wlien discovered — is described, by
those who witnessed the scene, as being truly de-
moniac.
" The Fingoes might now be seen" — said a friend of
mine who had particij)ated in the fight, but who now,
" dry with rage and extreme toil," " breathless and
faint, leaning upon his sword," had dismounted to
relieve his panting steed, and then beheld, with un-
mitigated disgust, their inhuman proceedings — " the
Fingoes," said he, " might be seen wandering over the
field in small parties, carefully scanning every little
clump of stunted mimosa, in much the same manner as
I have seen a countryman looking out for a hare in
her form. You would next see one of these ruffians
suddenly come, like a pointer, to a dead stand, as he
looked cautiously over and into some small bush or
patch of reeds. The assegai, firmly grasped in botli
hands, was then sharply raised above the fatal spot ;
whilst the Fingoe, springing high into the air. and
throwing up his legs, propelled the unerring spear with
liis whole weight — at one and the same stroke — tliroujih
N 2
20"8 THE BATTLE-FIELD OF
the intervening foliage, and the body of the partly con-
cealed Kaffir, who was next dragged out by the heels,
and stripped of the few ornaments he might possess.
" We could not," added my informant, " had we
tried to do so, have put a stop to this pastime of the
Fingoes, for we had all dismounted ; both horses and
men being dead beat, and completely done up — and
it is likely that if we could have put a stop to it, there
were many present who might probably not have
taken the trouble to do so ; for, disgiisting as was
the sight, we were all well aware that the Kaffirs,
under similar circumstances, would have treated us
much worse ; and, since the Fingoes were the scaven-
gers, some thought it was a good opportunity to get
rid of a fjreat deal of foul srarbaae and filth.''"'
Only two Kaffirs were, on this occasion, rescued from
the deadly effects of Fingoe hatred and revenge ; a cir-
cumstance which might almost be considered an ano-
maly in this bloody warfare with a barbarous foe ; for,
totally unacquainted with the gentle feelings of mercy
and humanity towards a prostrate enemy — who, if
captured alive, is reserved for the most exquisite tor-
ture — a Kaffir cannot conceive the possibility of any
other fate being in store for himself, should he fall into
the hands of an enemy. Hence, he never demands —
as he never dreams of giving quarter, and dies — not
with the noble fortitude and high-mindedness of a
really brave man — but with all the sullen obstinacy
and doggedness of a beast of prey — that of the wolf or
jackall, when unable to overcome or elude its pur-
suers. Thus, without any appeal to mercy, or any
expectation of the same, were the Kaffirs assegaied in
TiiH n want; A. 2G:)
Jozeiis by tlioir fellow African brotliron, on tlio bloody
field of the Gwanga ; whilst sonic, apprehensive — after
they found their retreat completely cut off — of fallini,^
alive into the hands of the Fingoes, committed suicide,
by severing their own throats with the sharp edge of
the assegai.
Amongst many anecdotes I now heard, connected
with the (jiwanga, it was related that, whilst this Fingoe
butchery was going on, a party of our weary horsemen
had dismounted on the margin of a muddy pond, near
a small patch of brushwood ; after both men and
horses had quenched tlunr burning thirst, the former
threw themselves on the grass, still however holding
by the reins their panting steeds, whilst, worn out and
listless, they looked on at the movements of some
Fingoes busily engaged in their bloody search. The
latter approached a small thicket near which this
party was at rest. A Burgher who had not dis-
mounted was then watering his steed at the shallow
" vlei," or pool. As the Fingoes approached, the
naked form of an athletic Katfir suddenly sprang from
the adjoining covert, and pitched the unguarded cavalier
headlong into the pond ; next, vaulting into the empty
saddle, he urged away the horse at the top of his speed.
So unexpectedly was this bold feat performed, that
the savage had well nigh eftected his escape, ere our
people were recovered from their surprise. A man of
the Cape corps, however, regaining his wits just in th(!
nick of time, started on his feet, and covered the Kaffir
with his rifle, whilst he was still within musket-rantre.
The latter, to expose himself as little as possible, had
thrown forward his body on the horse's neck — defeat-
270 THE BATTLE-FIELD OP
in^ thus his own object, by inadvertently presenting
a fair, or — more properly speaking — conspicuous mark
for the lliflemau''s shot ; which striking him, as a sailor
would say (pray, reader, excuse a nautical phrase), full
in the stern, raked him " fore and aft" — tumbled him
off his horse, and it was afterwards found that the ball
— passing clean through him — had come out at his
breast, near the collar-bone.
The Cape corps are renowned for being excellent
shots, and this circumstance bore evidence to their
skill ; though the victim thereto — from the boldness of
his attempt — most certainly deserved to have met
with success. Whilst the enemy suffered so severely
in this short but brilliant affair, our whole loss was
only two men killed and sixteen wounded, amongst
whom were three officers. A private of the Cape corps
met his death in the following manner : — Being with
a comrade in full pursuit of some Kaffirs, who were
flying towards the Keiskamma Bush, they suddenly
came on a sort of large pit, or hollow, into which a
number of the enemy had crept for concealment. The
Riflemen suddenly reined up ; one of them dismounted ;
and, whilst the other held his horse, he deliberately
tired into tlie midst of the Kaffirs in tlie pit — retreated
a few yards from the bank, quietly loaded again, and
with his double-barrelled rifle repeated this manoeuvre
with murderous effect, three or four successive times.
At last, the gentlemen in the " pit," seeing the small
force of those in the "gallery," took courage, and the
next time ho came to the edge of the bank, poured in
a volley which riddled him with balls; when his sur-
viving comrade thought it high time to decamp.
THE GWAXGA. 271
Where all behaved most nobly, it may seem " invi-
dious''"' (so the despatch generally runs) to particu-
larize individuals; but Captain Sir Harry Daroll, of
7th Dragoon Guards, appears, in this case, to have
been the hero of the day. Most gallantly with his brave
troop he dashed at, and through, the very thickest of
the Kaffir host, when showing their boldest front ;
then, wheeling round, again charged and recharged
them several successive times ; till, at last — there
being no further foe to encounter — bristling, " like
fretful porcupine," he issued, Avell larded with assegai's,
from the fray ; both man and horse being pierced in
several places with these unerring darts.
Such was the action of the Gwanga ; and so com-
pletely were the Kaffirs then humbled, that, had op-
portunity been at once taken by the forelock, and this
advantage energetically followed up, the war might,
in all probability, have been very shortly brought to a
close.*
' See Sir Harry Smith's opinion on the subject, in " Blue
Book," 1848. Enclosure to Despatch, Xo. 31, from Lord
Grey to Sir H. Pottinger.
-72 A FORAY AMONGST
CHAPTER XIV.
A FORAY AMONGST THE T' SLAMBIES.
Houte to Fort Peddie — Dark ambassadresses — Kaffir cunning
— Treatment of their women — Horrible atrocities — Misre-
presentations of Le Vaillant and Barrow — The ]\Iissionaries
— Van der Kemp — Ordinance of General Eourke — The
Emancipation Act — The Fingoes — Colonel Lindsay — At-
tack of the T' Slambies and Gaikas — Loss of the enemy —
Immense body of Kaffirs — They attack Fort Peddie — Noc-
turnal alarm — The author's disappointment — A park-like
" scene — Kaffirs in the Bush — Banks of the Keiskamma — A
skirmish with the enemy — Exploits of a settler — Picturesque
valley — Return to our rendezvous — Intense heat — Inhos-
pitable reception — Novel species of "Special Service" —
Kaffir scouts — Passage of the Keiskamma — Phoonah's kloof
— Arrival at Block Drift — The author tenders his resignation.
" These very T' Slambie and Congo Tribes received the
thanks of Government, with praises and presents of money
only two years ago, in consideration of their peaceful disposi-
tions towards us. The Gaikas may be considered a more
worthy foe than these treacherous wretches, paid and petted by
us." — Five Years in Kaffirland, vol. i., p. 262.
Whilst listening to many such interesting anecdotes
and details relative to the " Gwanofa," we ioo-ired on
with Colonel Somerset towards Fort Peddie, distant
some four or five miles from the scene of action. On
our way to the Fort, we met several Kaffir women,
professing to come with conciliatory messages from the
THE t' rlambiks. 273
T'Slambie Chiefs, but pro])ably — according to their
usual custom — only enacting the part of spies, on
hearing that some expedition was then talked of; for
" rumour" had here certainly more tongues than in
any other part of the woi-ld ; and flew from station to
station, from camp to camp, and from friend to foe,
with the most unaccountable rapidity.
Colonel Somerset, who appeared to know all the
Kaffirs as well as they knew him, was apparently ac-
(|uainted with tht' dark ambassadresses who now besej
his path ; and, having reason to suspect tlie real ob-
ject of their mission — after telling them to come on to
Fort Peddie, where he would listen to what they bad
to say — gave at the same time directions that they
should be kept under strict surveillance, and not
allowed to quit that post, until the return of the com-
mando, then contemplated beyond the Keiskamma.
The deep cunning of the Kaffir is proverbial ; and
these savages avail themselves, with wonderful percep-
tion, of all circumstances which can by any possibility
turn to their advantafre. Thus, knowinsj that their
women (notwithstanding many false assertions to the
contrary) never receive ill-treatment at our hands, the
latter are constantly prowliiiiT about our posts, where,
under pretence of soliciting food, they play the part of
spies to perfection, and with the greatest impunity.
Nay, it has been positively averred, that, during th«'
war, these ladies have, in some instances, actually
carried supplies of gunpowder from Port Elizabeth
itself to their friends in Kaffirland !
Should, in the course of a few years, another Kaffir
war break out (which is not at all improbable as long
N 5
274 A FORAY AMONGST
as this treacherous race are permitted to have any
footing to the westward of the Kye) — should such a
calamity again befall that ill-fated country, it strikes
me as a feasible suggestion, and one which would be
the means of obviating much mischief, were all the
Kaffir women who could be captured to be removed
into the interior of the Colony, and there apprenticed
as domestic servants to the farmers and other inhabit-
ants. By these means, the Kaffirs would be deprived,
in a great measure, of their " commissariat ;" for tlie
women arS by them, as with most barbarians, consi-
dered merely in the light of, and treated as beasts of
burden — carrying their supplies, providing and cook-
ing their food, building their huts — in short, perform-
ing all tlie drudgery of the most harsh and cruel ser-
vitude. The Kaffir, deprived of such assistance, would
consequently be sadly at a loss ; and, were this plan
carried into effect, whilst crippling his resources, we
should at once be getting rid of a dangerous system
of espionage over the operations of the war, and ren-
dering a valuable service to the Colony, where do-
mestic labour is so much required. At the same time,
it would be performing an act of humanity towards
the poor creatures themselves, by removing them from
the sway of their cruel tyrants and taskmasters.
Amidst all the shocking atrocities perpetrated, during
the last and former hostilities, by the Kaffirs, on such
of our soldiers or settlers who may have fjillen into
their hands, it is but doing them justice to admit, that,
from whatever cause, they have, generally speaking,
fol.'owcfl the good example we have set, in not waoin<i-
war on the fair sex of the Colony ; although, in their
THE t' slambiks. 275
internal feuds, men, women, and children are indiscri-
minately massacred. The women are then often muti-
lated whilst still alive, and — as in the case of the in-
roads of the Mantattecs and Fetcani — the most shock-
ing deeds of cruelty perpetrated on their persons, of a
nature too atrocious even to relate ; but as a specimen
(jf which, it may he mentioned, that tiie lopping-off an
arm outstretched whilst imploring mercy, was a com-
mon act, whereby the few ornaments with which it
mio-ht be adorned were most readily and with least
trouble obtained.'
Pastoral and primitive people ! Mild and unoffend-
ing race ! Sad victims of European cruelty, violence,
and ajTirression ! How have ye been disturbed in the
pure enjoyment of your Arcadian felicity, by the en-
croaching footsteps of the white man !
But honest Jolin Bull has been too long, and at too
great a price, blinded to the truth, by such fallacious
delusions ; the veil of deception has, by late events —
though at the cost of millions — at last been forcibly
rent asunder ; and the South African savage now ap-
pears — in spite of the Jan T' Zatzoe^ and Andreas
Stofiles'' imposition — in all the hideous deformity of
his real, ferocious, and " irreclaimable" nature.
Not a single step can be taken in the whole Colony
' See the account of the defeat of the Mantattees, in Thomp-
son's " Travels in Southern Africa."
- It may perhaps not be generally known to the " religious
British public," that this pretended convert to Christianity,
who, under the auspices ol' a certain reverend doctor, was, a
few years since, smuggled from the Cape, paraded at Exeter
Hall, and excited such ill-directed sympathy in England, ap-
peared, foremost in arms, against us, during the late Kaffir war.
276 A FORAY AMONGST
of the Cape of Good Hope, or its adjoining territories,
without foreibh^ recalling this infamous system of de-
ception and misrepresentation, wliich for so many
years has been imposed on British credulity. Among
other misguided enthusiasts, who have — perhaps un-
wittingly — abetted this delusion, are Le Vaillant and
Barrow ; the former exalting the African race to the
skies; extolling, like Rousseau, the Arcadian felicity of
their pastoral habits — singing, with the most poetic
disregard to truth, the honour and probity of the
men, the virtues and chastity of their women ! whilst
the latter writer, swayed by illiberal prejudices, has
cast the most cruel and undeserved obloquy on the
Dutch Colonists of his day.*
Then followed the missionaries, with all the at-
tendant evils they have — chiefly through their political,
and, generally speaking, unauthorized interference —
drawn down on this unfortunate Colony, from the
time of Van der Kemp to the present day.^ This
person — in the first instance, a dissolute Dragoon
officer in the service of the Prince of Orange — next
appeared in the character of a professed Atheist ; and,
lastly, turning over a new leaf, about the year 1795,
went out to Southern Africa,^ took unto himself a
' See Lichtenstein's defence of the Colonists, in refutation of
Barrow's assertions to their prejudice.
- From this sweeping clause may certainly be excepted the
Wesleyans and Moravians.
^ Many such adventurers have stepped into Van der Kemp's
shoes ; if we must., " nolens volens," cram religion down the
throats of the savages, before civilization has rendered them pos-
sibly capable of coin])rohcnding its purport ; at least, let the
attempt be made by persons competent, from a clerical educa-
tion, for such an undertaking.
THE T SLAMIJIKS. 277
Hottentot wife, and then attempted the conversion of
the KalHrs; though /it^ had the honest}' to confess, that
in this endeavour he proved not in one single instance
successful. Tt is a notorious fact — and ahhough
coloured, or rather " black,"' female assistance has
often since, as in Van der Kemp"'s case (and some-
times even in a less reputable manner), been called in,
to aid the zealous endeavours of the Missionaries — that,
to this day, the sum total of Kaffir conversion amounts
to one solitary individual, and that is the chief Kama,
who is supposed to be really a Christian.
As to the present successor of Van der Kemp — who,
for so many years, has been at the head of a society
by far too influential — and of the able manner in which
he has fulfilled his trust, I shall content myself with
referring the reader, who may be desirous of such in-
formation, to the several under-mentioned works in the
margin.^
Another cause, productive of incalculable mischief to
the Colony, was the notorious ^' fiftieth ordinance,"
issued by General Jiourke, removing every restraint
from the native Colonial population, and thus allowing
(to the great detriment of the industrious classes of its
' " Cape Records," compiled by Donald M oodic, Esq., pub-
lished by Richardson, London, 1841; " Parliamentary Cor-
respondence, 1834, 1835, and 1836, relative to the Cape of
Good IIoi)e ;" Godlonton's " Narrative of the Inroads of the
Kaffirs ;" " Abstract of Documents, relative to the Government
of the Cape of Good Hope," in which will be found " Reasons
for opposing the Author of the South African Researches;" a
" Pamphlet," by Dr. Barclay (1814.) See also the " Chri.«!tian
Keepsake," (Fisher, Son, and Co., London, 18-28) in which will
be found the evidence given by Dr. Philip before the House
of Commons.
278 A FORAY AMONGST
inhabitants) a set of Hottentot idlers, thieves, and
vagabonds, to roam about the country without control,
when not assembled to indulge in sloth and idleness,
or to concoct treasonable designs against the Colony,
at such establishments as the " Kat lliver" Settlement.
This Hottentot " Magna Charta," as it was called,
was soon follow'ed by the " Emancipation Act," which,
prematurely and injudiciously carried into effect, was
not merely a legalized robbery,^ but, by throwing vast
tracts of land out of cultivation, ruined the farmers,
and was one of the chief causes of that unprecedented
event — the emigration, en masse, of the Boers across
the frontier ; thus converting the staunchest defenders
of the Colony into its most bitter foes. This ill-judged
measure was likewise the means of increasino- the list
of vagabonds and banditti, engendered by the promul-
gation of the " fiftieth ordinance ;" whilst many eman-
cipated slaves crossed the eastern border, and did their
utmost to stir up the Kaffirs against us. In this design
tliey were but too well seconded by traitorous con-
nivance and encouragement from certain parties within
the Settlement — all these circumstances combined,
together with the vacillating border policy and the
defenceless state of the frontier, brought on, as else-
where observed, the war of 1834-5 ; at the conclusion
of which, the final death-blow was dealt to the hopes
^ The farmers received only one-third of the value of their
slaves, and that in bills on England, which, with many residing
in the interior, from the difficulty of getting them neg6ciated,
were, in fact, no better than waste paper. The odious system
of slavery is not here attempted to be advocated; but "eman-
cipation" should, at the same time, be tempered with justice and
common sense.
THE t'slambies. 279
of the Colony, by what appears to have been the result
of madness or imbecility — the adoption of the " Stock-
enstrom policy," with its puerile Kaffir " treaties" and
insane concession of old established rights, and more
recently conquered territory.
The very ground we now trod upon bore evidence
to the folly of our policy with regard to the native
Tribes. The Fingoe nation was, it is true, most
humanely rescued from a state of dreadful oppression
and slavery by Sir Benjamin d'Uz'ban. He was, how-
ever, far from contemplating, at the time when he suc-
cessfully eftected their deliverance, that they were
shortly to become a heavy tax on the Colony. Such
is nevertheless the case ; for, instead of being dis-
persed — as Sir George Napier projected' — throughout
the interior provinces, where their labour might be of
use, the Fingoes are now mostly consreirated on the
frontier ; and Fort Peddie was, at agreat expense, erected
for their special protection ; under the walls of which
they now lie idly basking in the sun, disdaining labour
of every kind, and refusing to work, or make them-
selves in any way useful, unless on most extortionate
terms, or when driven thereto by actual want and
starvation. 2
True it is that, as the natural enemies of the Kaffirs,
the Fingoes have been sometimes found useful auxili-
' Sir George Napier formed an establishment of Fingoes at
the Zitzikamma, which, it is said, has been attended with every
success.
- As niiicli as 6s. per diem has been exacted by Fingoes for
assisting to unhide the cargoes, &c., which arrived during the
war at Waterloo Bav.
-80 A FORxVY AMONGST
arics during tlie last war ; but their object — in addi-
tion to that deadly spirit of revenge peculiar to African
ferocity — has ever been plunder of cattle (often re-
gardless whether from friend or foe) ; and many a
robbery and murder have, it is strongly suspected,
been perpetrated by Fingoe villany, and then laid at
the door of the enemy.
Under these circumstances, it becomes a matter of
serious consideration, in which the safety and very ex-
istence of the Colony are deeply concerned, how far we
can with prudence suffer this dangerous and increasing
population to continue in large bodies on our frontier,
where, at any moment, they may unite with our ene-
mies, and assist in expelling us from those very strong-
holds which we have erected for their protection.
* * * *
On arriving at Fort Peddie, we were introduced to
Colonel Lindsay, the commandant, whose " warm bath''''
and warmer hospitality I shall ever thankfully re-
member ; and no one can duly appreciate the former
luxury, without the experience of a roughing of several
days in the Bush.
After thus affording us the means of thoroughly
cleansing the outward man, the gallant Colonel next
placed before his famished guests a most welcome col-
lation, which having soon vanished under our united
attacks, he took us to inspect the " lions" of the place.
There was cci'tainly not nmch to see — its chief in-
terest consisted in having been the scene of a united
attack, during the preceding month of May, by an
immense horde of the T'Slambie and Gaika Tribes ;
for the account of which the reader is referred to the
THE T^SLAMBIES. 281
following' Despatch from Lieutcnant-Colouel Lindsay, of
tlie.'Hst lleoiincnt, then coniniaiiding' at this Post.
"Fort Peddie, May 29th, 1846.
" Sir, — T have the honour to report, for the infor-
mation of his Excellency, the Commander-in-Chief,
that on the 27th instant, about one o'clock r.M., the
resident agent informed me that his spies had come in
to say, that there were parties of Kaffirs about the
hills north of the post, who would probably try to take
oft' some of tiie cattle grazing farthest from it. I
directed the troop of the 7th Dragoon Guards, with
]4 Cape Mounted Kifles, and the light 6-pounder, to
patrol round the hills, and protect the cattle. About
an hour after this, the gun was fired several times from
the direction of the north-west hill, about two miles
and a half from this. I at once caused the infantiy
to be turned out ; and sent out two companies, amount-
ing together to one Imndred men, of the 91st regi-
ment, with the view of aftbrding the cavalry and gun
support, if necessary. I ordered Major Yarborough
out to take command of the whole. The infantry
arrived on the ground where the cavalry were, about
half- past three o'clock, and met the gun retiring to the
post disabled, in consequence of one of the wheel-
liorses having been shot. The cavalry were then, in
extended order, engaged with the enemy near a dense
bush.
'• The infantry advanced, and extended one com-
pany, and commenced firing. Major Yarborough,
after some time, ordered them to retire, so as to draw
the enemy more into tlie open country, which sue-
282 A FORAY AMONGST
ceeded, and Captain Sir H. Darell, who had retired
behind the infantry and closed, had opportunity of
chari^ing with his troop ; and reports having sabred
from fifteen to twenty of the enemy before they could
get to the Bush.
" The infantry then advanced again, and afterwards
tried the same plan of retiring ; the enemy came out
a little way, keeping up a brisk fire, though at long
range. The 91st then halted, and ceased firing, wait-
ing for the enemy to come on ; but, as they did not
do so, and it was getting dusk, the whole came back
to quarters.
" Major Yarborougli reports satisfactorily the stea-
diness of the men, and the conduct of the Fingoes,
about one hundred of whom were skirmishing on the
left. He thinks the number of the enemy actually
engaged was from eight hundred to one thousand, and
considers about from thirty to forty were killed or
wounded in the skirmish and charge, besides those who
must have fallen from the effects of the shells which
were thrown into the kloof before he came up, where
Captain Sir H. Darell reports the Kaffirs were in great
numbers. The only damage sustained by the force
sent from this was one Troop Sergeant-Major, 7th
Dragoon Guards, wounded through the shoulder ; one
charger (Sir H. DarelFs) wounded ; one troop horse,
7th Dragoon Guards, wounded ; and one horse, Royal
Artillery, killed.
" The enemy expended a great deal of ammunition.
Their skirmishing was perfect — hiding themselves, in
advancing and retiring, behind the smallest ant-heaps
and cover.
THE t' RLAMBIES. 283
" 1 have further to report, that this post was at-
tacked yesterday by about eight thousand of'tlic eueiiiy.
About ten o'clock, a. m., the look-out on the tower
reported that there were Kaffirs on the ground where
the skirmish took place the day previous ; and, about
half-past ten o'clock, a dense boily of Kaffirs made their
appearance on the southern hill, near the Graham ""s
Town road, with another body some distance to the
right, composed of horsemen. These moved a little
way down, as if to entice the troops out. I was aware,
from the information of Captain ^icLean, that the
enemy were in great numbers all round us, and there-
fore was not drawn out to leave the post open.
" All the cattle were driven below the Star Fort,
protected by the Fingoes. The wives and children of
the Fingoes were in the ditch of the fort. About
half-past eleven o'clock, an immense number of Kaffirs,
horse and foot, appeared on the south-west hills, ar-
ranged in three dense masses, with detached clumps
of horses ; other large bodies were also on the hills all
round.
" The force at the post was distributed as follows :
The cavalry, with twenty infantry, were at the ca-
valry barrack, and the rest of the infantry were in the
barrack and Star Fort, a Serjeant's party at Mr.
Webb's, and pickets in the officers and engineer range.
'•'■ At twelve o'clock, the whole of the enemy moved
down to the post steadily, preceded by clouds of skir-
mishers. When they came within range, I directed
Lieutenant King, R.A., to send a round shot at one
of the masses, which killed three men. A shell was
tht'i, thrown, and a 12-pound rocket. The latter
284 A FORAY AMONGST
frightened the cattle, which rushed down towards the
Kaffirs, and were easily driven oft' by the Kaffirs.
The Fingoes pursued them, and succeeded in re-cap-
turing a good number.
" The enemy, as soon as they found our shot so well
directed, scattered, and got into the kloofs and hol-
lows. One party of some hundreds got down the deep
trench to Mr. Webb''s house, from which the de-
tached party had been withdrawn, and began to
plunder what little was left there by the owner ; but
a shell pitched into the yard, they quitted it, but got
into the ditch and gardens about it, and fired at the
barrack and fort, Avithout doing any injury ; but
several of their number were shot from the infantry
barrack.
" A large body came down the small kloof on the
left of the Beaufort road, but were dispersed by shells
from the tower, and by shells or rockets sent at them,
generally doing damage. I take this opportunity of
saying, that Lieutenant King's practice, which was
under my own observation in the Star Fort, was much
to my satisfaction.
" The Kaffirs, finding that their attack on the post
had failed, except as regarded the capture of cattle,
retired to the kloofs about 2 o'clock, when I sent out
the cavalry to cut up any stragglers, but they did not
succeed in getting near any.
" The resident agent has reported that four thousand
head of cattle were taken off.
" The attack was by the combined Gaika and
T' Slambie, and the numbers who came down, as re-
ported above, are not overrated.
TIIH t' slambiks. 285
" The eiicmy"'s loss was severe. Niuety-two dead
bodies have been reported, and many more must liave
fallen, as the Kaffirs were seen putting their dead and
wounded on horses, and bearing them off the field. I
sliould think that tiieir loss may be safely estimated
at two hundred killed and wounded, most probably
more.
" There has been no casualty on the side of the
troops. Two Fingoes were killed, and three wounded,
in the attempt they made to recover their cattle.
" I be<'- to enclose a sketch of the scene of action
yesterday, which Sir Harry Darell kindly did for me.
" I have, &c.
(Signed) " M. Lindsay,
" Lieut. -Colonel, 91st Regiment,
Commanding troops at Fort Peddie."
# * * *
The camp of the second Division had, some time
previously, been moved from the ground it so long
occupied near Waterloo Bay, and was now pitched in
a beautiful irreen basin, surrounded bv hills, a few miles
from Fort Peddie, near the former missionary station of
*' Beka," in the neiglibourhood of the spot once called
Fredicksburg ; where in 1820 Sir Rufane Doukin com-
menced the formation of a military settlement, com-
posed chiefly of the recently disbanded African corps.
Fredicksburg was, however, shortly abandoned ; and
the missionary station had been lately destroyed by
the Kaffirs. Thither, after a couple of hours' rest
at Fort Peddie, we repaired, under the auspices
of Colonel Somerset, who, on arriving, immediately
ordered a tent to be pitched for our reception, and
286^ A FORAY AMONGST
showed us every kindness and civility. The object
of sending the party we had accompanied ft'oni Block
Drift, was to reinforce tlic second Division in an in-
tended expedition beyond the Keiskamma, where it
appeared that some of the 1" Slambie Tribes had
again taken possession of their old locations, without
showing any symptoms of submission, or even deign-
ing to avail themselves of that wonderful stroke of
Colonial policy, known as " The Registration System."*
In order to mislead the enemy as to his intentions,
Colonel Somerset determined to move forward the
whole camp, to a spot about five or six miles westward
of the Keiskamma ; and, on the same evening, when
the Kaffirs imagined the force to be there stationary
for an indefinite period — as at Waterloo Bay and the
Beka — to push on a patrol during the night, and fall
on them unawares in the mornino; ; whilst a strong
party of native troops, backed by some regular in-
fantry, was to make a circuit, in order to cut off their
retreat.
During the night, we were disturbed by the sentries
firing on some Kaffir marauders, who had approached
the camp, with the probable intention of plunder; but
the alarm shortly subsiding, we remained quietly till
daylight, when, pursuant to the above plan, the whole
force moved off, and encamped on a high ridge of
ground some miles in advance, near a small stream
called the Wanalianna, where the party from Block
Drift joined the division.
As I naturally expected during the ensuing opera-
' See "Blue Book" (1848) pp. 35, 46, and 80, on the subject
of the Registration System.
TiiK t\sla.mbies. 287
tioii to have the superintendence of my own people,
I now begged tor iustructious, when, to my very great
disappointment, I was informed that none had been re-
ceived ; and that, if I accompanied the expedition, it
must be merely in the character of an " amateur."
Since he had received no instructions on the sub-
ject. Colonel Somerset could not, of course, act other-
wise, nor did I blame him on that score ; but had,
nevertheless, the mortification to see, what I consi-
dered my party, placed under the command of another
otHcer ; and in none of the best of humours, nor as a
very amiable " amateur," joined Colonel Somerset's
patrol, which — in true " commando" fashion — with-
out tents or baggage, left the AV'anahanna during the
afternoon, on the day of our arrival. After a short
march, we reached the banks of the Keiskamma, where
we prepared to bivouac for the night, on a spot whose
transcendent loveliness I shall never foro-et.
Emerging from the surrounding "scrub," or low
bush, covering the high ridge along which had hitherto
lain our course, we descended through the jaws of a
ravine, into a green basin clothed witli short but
luxuriant grass, whose virgin purity of brightest eme-
rald appeared never to have been defiled by tread of
either man or beast. This Arcadian nook was embel-
lished by low trees, or rather gigantic shrubs, greatly
resembling our English yew; the tortuous roots and
gnarled branches of which, proclaiming them almost
iN)eval with the surrounding hills, were, thickly over-
siiadowed by <lark dense foliage, seemingly impenetrable
alike to sun and rain. The rapid waters of the clear
Keiskamma, sweeping around this park-like scene.
288 A FORAY AMONGST
were crowned on their opposite bank by a bold rid2:;e
of frowning heights, covered with the peculiar fantastic
trees and plants, indigenous to those far southern
climes.
The sun had already set, and the fast expii-ing twi-
lifht barel}^ sufficed to disclose the beauties of the
surrounding landscape, when the camp-fires being lit,
all were soon busily engaged in preparing their even-
ino- repast ; the consequent bustle which ensued pre-
sentin<'- a strong contrast to the dreamy stillness that
had, a few minutes before, pervaded this sylvan and
romantic dell.
We chose a clump of those dark-foliaged trees,
under whose friendly cover to pass the night ; pre-
sently our watch-fire gleamed brightly beneath the
over-canopying branches, the knotted and fantastic
roots serving as capital substitutes for table, pillow,
and chair. Nor did we regret having, as a protection,
the natural stockade formed by their venerable trunks ;
for, as darkness shrouded the scene, the Kaffirs, who
had apparently got scent of our movements, appeared
to swarm in the surrounding Bush ; their cries and
savao-e yells rang through the wooded crags overlook-
ins; the river's edge ; and being therefore in momen-
tary expectation of a volley from our unseen foes, the
fires were extinguished, whilst — trusting to the pre-
cautions taken against surprise — we swallowed a half
cooked supper, rolled ourselves up in our cloaks, and
slept soundly through the few remaining hours of the
night.
*****
The following extracts from a half journal, half
THE t"" SLAM Bii:s. *28y
letter, written at the time, and but little altered from
the original, will describe the en.suing operationcs of
this patrole :
" Banks of the Chalumna Stream, between the
" Buffalo and Kciskanima,
" 24th of November, 1846.
" Yesterday, the 23rd, we silently and in darkness
moved off at three o'clock in the morning, from the
lovely spot where we had bivouacked on the banks
of the Keiskaninia, which we crossed at a neighbour-
ing drift, or ford ; and after a long ascent, by a road
apparently (for there was yet little light) cut through
a dense jungle, we found ourselves, at break of day, on
the surinnit of an extensive range of open table-land
covered with grass, undulating here and there into
shallow kloofs and valleys, clothed as usual with bush ;
and in the neifrhbourhood of which — as davliji'ht sue-
ceeded the gray dawn, and the mists of night rolled
upwards through the wooded ravines — numerous Kaffir
huts were discovered, with quantities of cattle, still
herded in their respective kraals.
"The guns and infantry were j'et in the rear ; but all
the cavalry being up — and a conspicuous eminence
having been marked as the place of general rendezvous
- — without a moment's delay, our troops, by Colonel
Somerset's order, broke into small clumps, composed
each of ten or twelve horsemen, who, spreading out
like a fan, were in an instant galloping at full speed
towards every point of the horizon, in order to secure
the enemy's cattle before it should be driven out of
the folds,
" I remained for some time with the chief and his
VOL. H. o
290 A FORAY AMONGST
staff, and, from the emiuence on which we stood, com-
manded, for miles around, a full view of the scene,
which was certainly well worth beholding, and most
exciting.
'' The Kaffirs, thus early aroused from their slum-
bers, might be now seen rushing confusedly out of
their huts, to drive away the cattle into the adjoining
kloofs; though the Cape Corps— who are splendid
fellows for this work — were, generally speaking, too
(|uick for them. But the savages never gave up their
most valued treasures without a struggle. Heavy firing
commenced in eveiy direction around, which was re-
sponded to by Colonel Mackinnou's party, who — from
the distant roll of musketry — appeared to be also
blazing away at a great rate in the low grounds along
the banks of the Keiskamma ; and as the fresh morn-
ing- breeze swept away the blue smoke, our different
parties might be seen driving before them large herds
of cattle, occasionally turning to check the pursuing
Kaffirs, or making a sudden dash at some who might
be bolder or more forward than the rest.
" Colonel Somerset galloped on with a few men, in
the direction of a large kraal, to the northward, where,
as was reported, the enemy had in some force made a
stand. On our way thither, we saw a few Kaffirs oc-
casionally dodging into the neighbouring kloofs, and
being very anxious to try if I had got out of practice
in the use of the hog-spear, I made several efforts to
cut them off; but I might as well have given chase to
so many rabbits ; nor did I ever in my life see such
active nimble fellows.
" A dashing thing was performed about this time
TIIK T 8LAMinF:S. 291
by a Settler of the name of Lucas, who acted as our
guide. Having marked out a Kaffir mounted on a
white horse, he succeeded in cutting him oflf from the
Bush, and then, following him at full speed, pressed
him so hard, that, in crossing a rocky brook, the savage
was obliged to jump oft", and take refuge in the wooded
bank ; whereupon JMr. Lucas, having secured the
enemy's horse, discovered to his great satisfaction that
it was the identical animal that had been several
months previously stolen from him by the Kaffirs.
He immediately shifted the saddle to the back of his
recovered property, leading the other horse, and thus
returned in triumph to our party, which in the mean
time had advanced some four or five miles.
"At this juncture, a Cape Corps man came towards
us at the top of his speed, reporting that a body of
Kaffirs, upwards of a hundred strong, had suddenly
beset the small detached party to which he belon<>ed,
killed two of their number, taken their horses and
arms, and secured the cattle, which they were in the
act of driving oft'.
"As this was reported to liave happened some
miles distant, in the country belonging to Sevolo (one
of the sons of the late Dushani), a chief renowned for
his ferocity and courage — it was deemed more than
probable that he would ' get up a fight ;' and Colonel
Somerset accordingly sent back to the ijeneral ren-
dezvous for a reinforcement of forty or fifty men and a
gun.
" Meanwhile, after planting a few scouts, we oft'-
saddled in an open grassy plain — for our horses beo-an
to show symptoms of distress ; and, whilst they were
2
292 A FORAY AMONGST
feeding, some of us sheltered ourselves from tlie
burning rays of the sun, by lying down under the
shade of our saddles, and even indulged in a short
snooze; for — telescope in hand — Colonel Somerset
was on the qui xite, and we therefore knew we were
perfectly safe.
" The expected reinforcement at length arrived, but
our movements were much delayed by the gun, which,
thouo-h dragged by eight horses, was sometimes with
difficulty got over the dry beds of the numerous
watercourses, which frequently crossed our path as
we approached some branches of the Amatola hills,
on the summits of which might now be seen large
bodies of mounted Kaffirs, quickly congregating above
us. The gun was, therefore, unlimbered ; and, whilst
the artillery-men gave them the taste of a few shot,
I pushed on ahead, with some of the party, to the spot
where the two men of the Cape Corps were said to
have been killed in the morning.
" Cautiously descending into the picturesque valley
where the skirmish had taken place, and near which
stood the kraal of Nonube, the great wife of the late
Dushani, (a lady of European descent, and mother to
Siwana, the actual paramount chief of the T'Slaiiibies)
the first thing we beheld, lying on the green bank of a
o-uro-lino^ brook, was the dead body of a Kaffir, whom
one of the luckless riflemen had killed, after having
been himself shot through the breast.
" The savage lay extended on his back, his satyr-
like countenance now doubly repulsive in death ; the
eyes starting from their sockets, tlie half open mouth
displaying a magnificent set of white and regular
THE t'slambies. 29.S
teeth, and, even then, wearing a most sardonic grin of
combined hatred and defiance. His right hand, firmly
clenched, still grasped an assegai ; whilst the left one,
dangling over the flowery bank into the stream, was
gently moved to and fro by the clear rippling waters,
so peacefully nmrmuring past that verdant, though
now blood-stained scene.
" After a short search, we discovered the bodies of
the two Cape Corps men, named Tieman and Dra-
gooner; the latter was noted for the courage he had
ever displayed during the war ; and in the action at
the Gwanga saved George Napier's life, by shooting a
KaflSr at the moment the latter had placed the muzzle
of a firelock against his breast. It appeared that he
and his fellow-sufferer, after the rest of the party
drove the cattle from the neighhouring kraal, had —
lured by a few Kaffir women — been induced to return ;
that next — whilst in the act of drinking: some milk —
a large number of the enemy rushing out of the Bush,
had overpowered and put them to death. This was
witnessed from a distance by their comrades, who,
being too few in number to afford any assistance, con-
sidered themselves fortunate to escape with their lives.
" jNleanwhile, we could see large numbers of Kaffirs
assembling on the outskirts of the Bush, with which the
neighbouring mountains were partly covered ; but from
the nature of the ground it was impossible to get at
them ; and we tried in vain, by setting fire to Nonube"'s
kraal, to incite them to come down. As they, liow-
ever, showed no disposition to oblige us in this respect,
after ungallantly reducing to ashes the Carthage of this
modern Dido, we proceeded to bury the slain Hotten-
294 A FORAY AMONGST
tots ; a race — even during life — seldom distinguished
by personal attractions ; but I never recollect seeing
any thing so hideous as their appearance after death.
The only way you could form an idea of Avhat they
then resemble would be by tightly drawing an old
discoloured, dingy, black silk handkerchief over a
lleshless human skull !
" We now retraced our steps to the first rendezvous
of the morning, ten or twelve miles distant, which we
Avere not sorry to reach, after having — under a broil-
ing sun — been upwards of twelve hours in the saddle;
our gallant old chief, Colonel Somerset, looking as fresh
as when he first started in the mornino;.
" On our arrival, we found that the rest of the
division, which we had parted from the evening before,
had come up, and it was ascertained that the result of
the day*'s work was the capture of 1,500 head of cattle,
and twelve or fourteen Kaffirs killed ; our loss amount-
ing to the two men of the Cape Corps before alluded
to, with their arms and horses.
" The camp of the Second Division, forming a large
hollow square, with the parade ground in the centre,
and the waggons, as usual in this part of the world,
composing a sort of rampart around, was pitched near
the Chalumna, a small stream running between the
Keiskamma and Buffalo Rivers. But as no accom-
modation was apparently provided for the ' amateurs,""
and as we received no hospitable invite from any one
belonging to the force, I was obliged to set up, in the
centre of the square, a small patrole tent, which I had
fortunately brought with me on the occasion.
" This little gipsy tent, weighing about twenty
THE t'slambies. 295
pounds, wliich I always carry on my sumpter-horse,
and often find useful at a pinch, is about three feet
high, covers a piece of gjround six feet long hy two and
a, half wide, and, being made of waterproof painted
canvass, is — as may be imagined — not very well
adapted for a summer residence during the day, under
the scorcliing influence of an African sun. Having
therefore piled our saddles and saddle-bags around,
as a sort of rampart, should the Kaflirs — according to
their common practice — fire at night into the camp.
Colonel M and myself managed to secure a few
slices off a recently slaughtered ox, and carried our
prize to the shelter of some trees bordering the stream.
Here, with the assistance of a small gridiron, the culi-
nary talents of Mr. Jacob, (my Hottentot ' Sam W'eller")
and some hard biscuit, still left in our saddle-bags, we
concocted a meal, which — thougli it said but little for
the hospitality of this portion of the force — was, never-
theless, devoured with all the zest imparted by star-
vation; and then both of us creeping into our confined
domicile, we slept soundly and undisturbed after all
the fatigues of the day.
" This morning we were aroused at an early hour —
though we could otherwise have slept nmch longer —
by the sun striking on the painted canvass of our tents,
from whence we were soon driven by the excessive
heat. We next presented, the rather — I should ima-
gine — unusual sight, of two field-officers performing
their ti»ilet in the open air, for tlie benefit of every
spectator, and then eating their ))reakfhst on a table
of saddles, under — even at this early hour — a scorch-
ing sun, in the midst of a square formed of waggons
296 A FORAY AMONGST
contaiuing every requisite, and by numerous commo-
dious tents occupied by their l)rotlier officers in the
same service !
" Unprecedented as such a circumstance may perhaps
be, it nevertheless befell us unfortunate " amateurs."
Driven from our rest by the stilling heat of the tent,
we were next obliged to seek refuge from the unbear-
able rays of the sun, by retreating under cover of the
thick bush, clothing a ravine through which flows the
Chalumna. Here (for I am now scribbling under its
hospitable shelter) we have at least the benefit of
shade, and a greater degree of coolness than we could
possible enjoy in the best tent of the camp. We have
had a bathe in one of those deep shadowy pools, so
often found here, in the otherwise dry beds of the
rivers ; this has refreshed us much, but, having
been campaigning with nearly all our wardrobe on
our backs, you may well imagine that our linen by
this time stood much in need of a little cleansinsr.
We therefore thought we could not do better than
follow the laudable example set to us by the Hot-
tentot women and other camp-followers, who, nearly
divested of all clothing, (for one cannot well have
a shirt or petticoat at the wash, and also wear it
at the same time) were busily engaged in puri-
fying the same. Ingratiating ourselves, therefore,
into the good graces of the nearest sable nymph, we
borrowed a bit of soap, and were soon engaged in
rather a novel species of ' special service."'
" Though novices in the art, we flatter ourselves
with having made a capital ' wash,' and are now sitting,
' al fresco,' anxiously watching the process of drying ;
TiiK t'slambies. 2.97
my friend in a brown study, with his rifle by his side,
whilst I am scribbling away on the little portf«ili(»
wliich I always carry about with nie."'
" Head-Quarter Camp, Block Drift.
" Here 1 am once more safely returned to head-
quarters, but must now ' hark back,' and endeavour to
fill up the hiatus in my journal from the 24th, when I
left off, as we sat — all but puris naturallhus — awaiting
the drying of our newly- washed garments, which we
had not yet donned, when a terrible hubbub suddenly
occurred amongst the camp-followers along the bank
of the rivulet. A report had spread of the Kaffirs
being upon us; and the most ludicrous scene took
place, as the Hottentot women, with piercing screams
— and in the unadorned beauty of their prominent
and nearly naked charms — now rushed towards the
camp, carrying bundles of wet clothes under their
arms. It proved, however, after all, to be a ftilse alarm,
and we therefore had now time to dress ourselves ;
but M was so heartily di.sgusted, that he pro-
posed we should apph' at once for a tent.
" ' ni see Jack2 Somerset d — d before / ask him !"
was my wrathful reply ; ' but if you can manage to ^et
one for yt)urself, I shall be very glad to pay you a visit.'
" My friend accordingly went, and in half an hour
Mr. Jacob came to announce that a marquee had been
pitched, which, to confess the truth, I was not sorry
for. * * * * "^
• The above was written in tlie situation described, during
the course of a long and grilling South African sunnncr's day.
■ Colonel Somerset often went by this sobriquet.
o 5
298 A FORAY AMONGST
" I feel convinced that this inhospitable treatment
proceeded not from the gallant chief himself — a gruff,
though fine, warm-hearted old soldier — who pro-
bably knew nothing of our ' amateur' discomforts,
but from some kind friend, who, thinking us de trop,
took this means of disgusting, and driving us away
from the second division. Were this — as I imagine —
the intention of the individual in question, it fully
succeeded ; for we resolved, on the very first oppor-
tunity, to leave a scene where our merits appeared to
be so little appreciated, and where we had experienced
so poor a welcome ; though from this charge of in-
hospitality I must in justice exempt my friend Colonel
Maekinnon, and some officers of the 73rd, who showed
us whatever attention lay in their power.
" On the 25th, at daybreak — taking advantage of
the protection afforded by an escort carrying de-
spatches — we left the second division at the Chalumna ;
and to prove to you what sharp fellows are these
Kaffirs, a few miles from the camp we counted no less
than five hundred head of cattle, which had been driven
back by them since the passage of the troops. Shortly
afterwards, just as we were about to enter the Keis-
kamma Bush, a couple of Kaffir scouts were seen
diving into the jungle, to carry, as we feared, intelli-
gence of our approach.
" These prognostications were soon verified ; for we
had not proceeded above half way down the wooded
descent, when, at a part of the road lined on each side
by dense bush, and commanded by an eminence close
above it, a large party of Kaffirs suddenly showed
themselves on the latter. From the nature of the
THE t'slambies. 299
ground, we ajipcared to be completely at their mercy ;
and in expectation of seeing half the party next minute
out of their saddles, I gave orders to the escort to
trot quickly by, without firing ; and thus, enveloped
in a cloud of dust, we passed close under their noses
without molestation ; they having probably taken us
for the advance of a large party, and being perhaps
unable to distinguish the smallness of our numbers.
We continued to advance rapidly through the Bush,
until we had crossed the ford of the Keiskamma, and
reached the comparatively open country on the other
side ; shortly after which, the escort turned off to the
left, towards Fort Peddie ; whilst, together with
Farley (my Cape Corps orderly) and our two ser-
vants, we pushed along the direct road to Block Drift,
leadinsr across the battle-field of the Gwaniia, from
which I have brought, as a memento, a Kaffir skull.
* * » *
" A ride of fifty miles, under the influence of a
powerful sun and sharp, drying wind — both of which
combined peeled the skin off our weather-beaten counte-
nances — brought us, after one or two ' oft-saddlings,*' to
the camp at Plioonah's Kloof. Here we luckily got
comfortable tents for the night, which was bitterly cold,
and also met with the greatest hospitality (strono;ly
contrasting with our late treatment) at the hands of
Lieutenant Fitzgerald, of the 91st, then commanding
at this post, and wlio had greatly distinguished him-
self by his gallantry during the war.
" Ere starting early on the 26th, (yesterday) our
kind host supplied us with a cup of hot cofiee, which
thawed us sufficiently to enable us to 2:et into the
oOO A FORAY AMONGST
saddle ; and we reached Block Drift just in time for
the mess breakfast of the 90th, after nearly a week's
absence, during which time we have been enabled to
form, from experience, a tolerably correct idea of the
hardships undergone by our troops, during this unsatis-
factory campaign : the more unsatisfactory, as little is
to be hoped from its results, either in the shape of
credit, or advantage.
" We indeed sadly want, in this desultory warfare,
such a man as Sir Harry Smith, or Sir Charles
Napier, of Scinde — a chief full of energy and activity,
void of selfishness, and of all fear of responsibilty — a
man who would inspire zeal and enthusiasm into all
under his command, by being always himself in the
front — by noticing, without favouritism, or distinction
of rank, all such as trod closest in his footsteps ; and
ensuring rewards to their well-earned deserts, by
manly representations of the same, to the authorities
at home. Such is the stamp of leader particularly
needed in this discouragino- and harassiuo- warfare —
who, like Scott"'s hero —
" Although with men of high degree
The proudest of the proud would be,
Yet, trained in camps, who knew the art
To win the soldier's hardy heart.
Such buxom chief might lead his host
From India's fires to Zembla's frost."
With such a chief, the Kaffir war would probably have
been brought to a close in six weeks :' now * * *
' Sir Harry Smith, in the opinion he expressed on the sub-
ject, limited the period to " two or three weeks :" (p. Ill of
THE T SLA.MBIKS. 301
" After a good breakfast and athorouirli cleansing, I
went to the General, and respectfully representing that
I considered myself hardly used, in having — without
any notification to that effect — had my own people
taken from me, and placed under the command of
another officer ; I next beijged to be allowed to rejoin
the second Division, and assume that charge; but, on
meeting with a refusal, I instantly tendered my re-
signation of the superintendence of the Native Levies
attached to this part of the force, which was however
not accepted; and I retired, in — as you may well
imagine — none of the best of humours, from an inter-
view, during which his Excellency had not even the
civility to ask me to be seated, nor to discontinue the
occupation of writing, in which lie was at the time
encased V
* * * *
To compare great things to small — a similar inter-
ference with his duties had similarly caused Colonel
Hare to tender his resignation of the government of
the Eastern Province; "in consequence," as he said,
" of there being nothing left for the office of Lieutenant-
Governor." " A system," continues Colonel Hare,
in his official despatch, " under which 1 could not
consent to hold office; and I consequently at once for-
warded my recjuest for permission to relinquish it."'
Like Colonel Hare, I continued in the execution of
my unsatisfactory and thankless duties: he, poor fellow,
" Blue Book " for 1848, relating to affairs of the Cape of Good
Hope.)
' See Colonel Hare's Despatch, Xo. 21, to Sir Perenrine
Maitland: p. GG of "Blue Book," 1847. *
302 THE T'SLAMBIES.
died, it is said of a broken heart.' But, although the
treatment I experienced did not affect me to quite such
an extent — not a few additional grey hairs, at the age
of forty — when this was written — together with an
impaired eyesight, still bear witness to, and are all I
have — as yet — to show for my services in Kaffirland,
under his Excellency, Lieutenant-General Sir Pere-
grine Maitland.
' See "Five Years in Kaffirland," vol. ii., p. 212.
NONl'BE, THE ANGLO-KArriR QIEEN. .30*3
CHAPTER XV.
NONUBE, THE ANGLO-KAFFIR QUEEN ; WITH EXTRACTS FROM
VAN REENEN'S journal.
Nonube, the Widow of the Chief Dushani, said to be of
European descent — Shii)wrecked Mariners — Wreck of the
Grosvenor East Indianmn — Assertion respecting the Daugh-
ters of General Campbell — Expedition of Van Rcencn — Ex-
tracts from his Diary — Ilis entry into Kaffirland — Vast
Plain — ISleeting with Kaffirs — Curious Birds — Bosjesmans'
Land — Field Sports — The lliver Somoe — Tambookie Guides
^ — Sea-Cow Shooting — The River Bosjie — A Wild Horse —
The River Dombie — Ilamboona Villages — Village of Baas-
tard Christians — The Mogasaj Rivers — Meeting with an
Englishman — Traffic with the Natives — Remains of the
Wreck of the Grosvenor — Mixed Population — Peaceable
Policy of Sutu and Nonube.
I made mention, in the former chapter, of Nonube,
the o-reat wife — or rather widow — of the Late T''Slanibio
chief Dushani, as being a " Lady of European de-
scent." However, since this may possibly prove an
enigma to many of my readers, some explanation on
the subject may perhaps be necessary.
In consequence of the great loss of shipping which
has — ever since the passage round the Cape of Good
Hope was first known — constantly occurred on the
south-eastern coast of Africa, between Algoa Bay and
Natal, many Europeans have, at different periods,
304 NONUBE,
been cast upon tliesc inhospitable shores. Their fate,
in earher times, was, generally speaking, to be plun-
dered, and then murdered, by the inhabitants. In a few
instances, however, some of these shipwrecked mariners
manaoed to avert the wrath of the savages into whose
power they had fallen ; and, despairing of ever again
beholding their native land, appear to have become
completely nationalized amongst them — learned the
language, adopted the manners and customs of the
barbarians amidst whom they had been cast — and
finally, taking unto themselves mates selected from
the swarthy daughters of the soil, infused into the
dark current of African blood a small portion of that
of a European source.
So far back as under the immediate successors of
Van Riebeck — a period when the Dutch were indefati-
gable in prosecuting their voyages of discovery, chiefly
along the Eastern coast — constant notices were re-
ceived at the Cape, of various white stragglers having
been frequently discovered by such small coasting ves-
sels, as the Dutch usually sent on these exploring expe-
ditions ; and mention is particularly made of a num-
ber of Englishmen who had been found in such a state,
by a party despatched, towards the latter end of the
seventeenth century, by the Governor of the Cape of
Good Hope, in quest of the survivors of the " Sta-
venisse," a Dutch vessel, which had, about that period,
foundered somewhere off the Hambona coast, to the
south-west of Port Natal.
But of all the accidents of such a nature which have
so repeatedly occurred along these dangerous shores,
the one which in this country long caused the greatest
THE ANOLO-KAFFIR QUEEN. S05
sensation, was the wreck, in 1782, of the "Grosvenor,"
a large English vessel belonging to the East India
Company.
Le Vaillant, who visited the borders of Kafllrland a
very short time after the occurrence of this event,
makes the following mention of it in his Travels : —
" I was told that, six weeks prior to that period, an
English vessel had been shipwrecked on the coast ;
that, being driven on shore, a part of the crew had
fallen into the hands of the Caffers, who had put them
all to death, except the women, whom they had cruelly
reserved ; and that all those who had escaped led a
wandering life on the coast, or in the forests, where
they must soon perish, in misery. Among these un-
fortunate people there were said to be several French
officers, prisoners of war, who had been put on board,
in order to return to Europe."
Amongst the female passengers here alluded to,
were two daughters of a General Campbell, who, it is
said, became the wives of a Kaffir chief; and from one
of the latter, her T' Slambie majesty. Queen Nonube —
w'hose " capital" we so ungallantly destroyed — is said
to be able to trace a lineal descent.
A few of the survivors of the Grosvenor succeeded,
after encountering numberless dangers, hardships, and
difficulties, in reaching the Cape ; but the fate of their
companions, whom they had left on this distant part
of the coast, remained for many years a matter of un-
certainty and speculation. They were however sup-
posed to have been all murdered by the natives,
starved to death, or devoured by wild beasts ; and,
although an unsuccessful endeavour was made, the
S06 NOXUBE,
following year, (1 783) to obtain positive information
on the subject — this attempt liavino; failed, nothing
further appears to have been done until the year 1 790,
when it was rumoured that several Englishwomen —
amongst others the daughters of General Campbell —
were said to be still in existence, about the neighbour-
hood of the spot where the wTeck had taken place ; and
that these unfortunate creatures had been spared for
a fate worse than death, by being forcibly converted
into "great wives" of some of the native chiefs.^
On hearing these reports, an enterprising and hu-
mane individual, of the name of Yan Reenen, (a rela-
tive, probably, of the present worthy owner of the
celebrated Constantia Estate, in the immediate vicinity
of Cape Town) a Dutch Settler in the district of Swel-
lendam, organized an expedition to go in quest of our
unfortunate countrywomen, and lost no time in setting
forth on this chivalrous undertaking.
Van Reenen kept a diary, in which were recorded
all the perilous adventures encountered, together with
the daily progress made by his party, during the whole
period of their absence, which extended to neai'ly four
months and a half; and our gallant and distinguished
countryman. Captain Riou, of the Royal Navy, who
happened at that time to hold a conmiand in those
seas, translated Van Reenen''s account of his adven-
tures, and published it in England in the year 1792.
' The Kaffirs show a great predilection for the fair-haired
daughters of the North. An anecdote is related of a Kaffir
Chief having offisred, aa he thought, a very fair price (in oxen)
for the wife or daughter of an officer at Fort Peddie. How-
ever, as the lady herself did not approve of the match, the bar-
gain was not struck.
THE ANGLO-KAFFIR QUEEN. 307
As the book in question is now, I believe, quite out
of print, perhaps a few extracts will here be doemeJ
adniissable from " A Journal kept by Jacob Van
Reenen, on a journey to the place where the English
ship, the Grosvonor, commanded by Captain Jolm
Coxon, was wrecked, on the 4th of August, in the
year 1782, to discover if any of the unfortunate crew
were still living."
After detailing, day by day, the progress of his
party (which consisted of twelve persons besides him-
self) through the Western and Eastern Provinces of
the Cape of Good Hope, he thus, on passing the Great
Fish River, describes his entrance into Kaffirland,
which — it may be observed by the way — was then
considered within the Colonial boundary : —
" Saturday, September 25th, 1790, 3 hours. Four
hours elapsed in getting the baggage, boat, and wag-
gons, over the river ; whence we proceeded in three
hours to the Great Fish River.
" Sunday, 26th, 4 hours. It was with great danger
we crossed this last-mentioned river ; after which, we
arrived, in four hours, at the spring called Kruyer"'s
Kraal, the boundary of the Christians and Kaffirs.
"• Monday, 27tli, 5 hours. We this day got on
five hours, to a little brook, to which we gave the
name of Punch, as, the weather being exceedingly
cold, our punch, for that reason, was made rather
strong.
Tuesday, 28th, 8 hours. Saw a great quantity of
game, and shot two male eelauds. We travelled hence
eight hours farther ; and passing over a small brook
called Caaga, came to a vast plain, extending as far as
308 EXTRACTS FROM
a river called Caapna,' or fine meadows ; which name
it highly merits, from its delightful situation. The
whole country is intersected with rivulets, capable
of overflowing the adjacent meadows, and possesses
every requisite for becoming a most convenient and
charming Settlement. It is well adapted for cattle,
as it is covered with an abundance of long, broken-
down grass. We here met with a great quantity of
different sorts of game. Shot two buffaloes,
" Wednesday, 29th, 6 hours. Proceeded six hours
farther ; but were under the necessity of halting, to
unharness, as old Holtshausen was taken exceedingly
ill, with the gravel.
" Thursday, 80th, 7 hours. This day we travelled
seven hours, to the Kat River, or Kaffir's, or Hotten-
tot's Hunca River, and arrived at the first Kaffir's
kraal, where we were visited by several of those
people. In the evening we posted a night-watch.
" Friday, 1st, 8 hours. Passed another brook, at
the beginning of the Keiskamma, where several Kaffirs
came to us from their chief, Captain Sambee. We
sent two of our people (Kaffirs) to him, to ask permis-
sion to travel through his country, and that he would
supply us with interpreters. Passed another small
brook, and arrived at the Keiskamma, where we shot
' The Mancazana is probably here alluded to. The track
of Van lleenen's party is laid down in the chart appended to
Captain Riou's work much too near the coast ; our adventurous
travellers evidently crossed the Kat River considerably to the
nortiiward of the spot where Fort Beaufort now stands; their
course would thus be a direct line, avoiding the windings of
the coast, from the point of their departure to that of their
destination. — Authou.
VAN UEKNEN's JOLUNAL. 309
two birds, unknown to u.s : the Kaffir's name for thcin
was heemoe. which !?iiiiiilies ' I see soniethinf;/ It
is a bird about the size of a large blue heron, but
perches in woods and trees ; has a tuft of hair on its
head, in the shape of a paint-brush, of a yellowish
colour, with black stripes ; the head, or crown, like
black velvet; a blue neck, like a heron; black and
white wings, and long feet. We had travelled this
day eight hours.
" Saturday, 2nd, 7 hours. Proceeded, and this day
travelled seven hours ; durinj? which we saw several
Kaffirs. We came to the determination of leavinjj
this country, and getting over the Kaffir mountains
[the Amatola ?J as soon as possible, dreading, other-
wise, the encountering delays, or worse consequences,
as these people were at war with each other, Captain
Sambee [T'Slambie ?] being opposed to Captain Jaccaa,
who, with considerable loss, had been already twice
beaten. The two Kaffirs that we had sent to Captain
Sambee returned to us, with a message from the Cap-
tain, expressing his sorrow that he could not come
himself, owin<r to his beinir unwell, and wishinir us a
good journey. Above all, recommended to us parti-
cular caution respecting the nation with which he was
then at war ; informing us likewise that the country
to which we were destined was dangerous and difficult
to pass. After having procured two Kaffirs as guides,
we crossed the river Keysana.
" Sunday, 3rd, 5 hours. Ascended the mountain ;
and, after havin<r jrot on five hours, were under the
necessity of stopping and unharnessing, on account of
the rain.
310 EXTRACTS FROM
" Monday, 4tli, 5 hours. We this day proceeded
five hours ; but, in order to eftect a passage over the
mountain, were obliged to cut our way through a large
wood. Three Kaffirs came to us, with an intention to
accompany us on our journey.
"Tuesday, 5th, 10 hours. Having got over the
mountain, and passed through a branch of the Black
Key lliver, called Homnionpoefoege, we arrived in the
Bosjesnians land, at a small brook, where the Bosjes-
mans had painted, in the cavities of the rocks, very
natural resemblances of several wild beasts ; amongst
them was that of a soldier, with a grenadier^'s cap.^
We this day had travelled the distance of ten hours,
and had seen Bonte-bucks, two lions, and other wild
beasts.
" Wednesday, 6th, 8 hours. Travelling onward,
we proceeded this day eight hours, to a great river,
called the White Key. Van der Waldt descried three
Bosjesmans that were hunting ; and pursuing them,
laid hold of one, to whom we gave a bunch of beads,
and a piece of tobacco ; and then, letting him depart,
he promised to return to show us our way.
" Thursday, 7th. Here we rested ; some of the
party making excursions on horseback, with an inten-
tion to shoot sea-cows, but none were seen.
" Friday, 8th, 4 hours. Crossing the last men-
tioned river, and pursuing our journey four hours, we
came into a plain country.
^ Here appears another proof of recent Kaffir encroachment on
the Hottentot race, none of whom are now to be seen in this part
of the countr}' : the Bushmen drawings and hieroglyphics have
been adverted to in a former portion of this work. — Auhtor.
VAN REENEN's JOlUXAr,. 811
"Saturday, Olli, 5 hours. Ilode live hours over a
fine phiin, interspersed with thorny bushes, and passed
a river, which keeps the same name as the one before-
mentioned. We this day shot an eeland.
"Sunday, 10th, 5 hours. Proceeded five hours
farther, and passed another river of the same name as
that last-mentioned.
"Monday, 11th, 5 hours. Travelled attain the dis-
tance of five hours, and passed another river. In the
meanwhile, we shot two eelands and a male buflalo.
Saw three tigers, and met with a great quantity of
game.
" Tuesda}^ 12th, 5^ hours. In five hours and a
half travelling, we came to the River Somoe. This is
the last that discharges itself into the Key, which is
the largest river running through the Kafter land, and
has alvva}^s checked the progress of former travellers.'
" Wednesday, 13th, 5 hours. Passed the River
Somoe, situated in a beautiful countrj', and in five
hours came into the country of the Tamboekies.
" Thursday, 14th, 7 hours. Arrived at the Doe,
or Mud River, in a journey of seven hours. [The
upper part of the Umtata may possibly be here alluded
to.] Pursued and shot three male elephants.
" Friday, 15th, 4 hours. Cut out the teeth of
these animals, and proceeded the distance of four
hours.
* Excepting tlio party wlio went in search of the crew of the
Grosvenor, in the year 1783, in consequence of the account
given of the wreck of that ship by the few seamen, who, by
travelHng along the sea-coast, were so fortunate as to arrive at
the Cape, about four months after the accident happened.
312 EXTRACTS FROM
" Saturday, 16th, 9 hours. Wc this day travelled
nine hours ; and in the meanwhile rode out in search
of more elephants, but found none. However, we saw
and came up with a lion and a lioness, which had
killed a buftalo. Tjaart van der Waldt shot the
lioness.
" Sunday, 17th, 3 hours. We had only proceeded
three hours from our last resting-place, when we
were obliged to halt and unharness, owing to heavy
rain.
" Monday, 18th. During our stay at the spot,
several of the Tamboekies visited us ; amongst whom
was the chief, Captain Joobie, and, subject to him.
Captain Louve, We gave them presents, and pro-
cured from them three Tamboekies, as guides.
" Tuesday, 19th. We still remained here, in order
to shoot sea-cows, of which we shot two, shown to us
by the Tamboekies. We were this day astonished at
the arrival of Jacob Joubert, who came to us with a
waggon, attended only by eight Hottentots. Great as
our joy was, in having another Christian of our party,
our astonishment was not less at the boldness of the
enterprise, in following us through such unfrequented
deserts, merely because he had promised to join us.
" Wednesday, 20th, 5 hours. We now harnessed
again, and proceeded five hours, passing a river called
Nabagana. In the course of the journey, we saw a
lion, which was the largest that the most experienced
amongst us had ever seen. We pursued it ; but it
escaped into the bushes, and we saw no more of it.
" Thursday, 21st, 5 hours. Travelling onward five
hours farther, and ascending a great height, we saw a
VAN reenen's jolrnal. 313
large river, called IJosjie,' about the distance of two
hours from us, but to which we could not descend,
owing to the steepness of the approach.
" Friday, 22nd. Here we halted ; and, whilst some
of us were employed in exploring the best route to
take, others went in quest of sea-cows, and shot five.
" Saturday, 23rd, 5 hours. Harnessed, and pro-
ceeded five hours again, but were obliged to go a great
way round about, to avoid precipices. It was by far
the worst travelling we had as yet mot with, owing to
rocky hills and underwood.
" Sunday, 24th, 5 hours. Rode onward five hours
to the river Bosjie, which comes from far inland. We
this day shot twelve sea-cows.
" Monday, 25th, 3 hours. Forded the river, and
proceeded three hours.
" Tuesday, 2()tli, 7 hours. We thence passed over
a very steep mountain, and in seven hours came to a
river called Nooga; having, in the course of that dis-
tance, shot four buffaloes and six elephants.
" Wednesday, 27th. Rested this day. In the
meanwhile, some of the party shot a male elephant.
" Thursday, 28th, 6 hours. Forded the last men-
tioned river ; when we saw the sea about the distance
of two hours off.2 Here we met with a horse, that
had escaped from a party which had, seven years ago,
gone on a similar expedition, in search of the unfortu-
' Probably one of the eastern branches of the Unitata. —
Author.
■ Within this last week, Van Kocncn's party nuist therefore
have considerably altered their course, bearing, since then, much
more to the eastward. — Author,
VOL. II. P
314 EXTRACTS FROM
nate Englishmen. It belonged to one Daniel Pot-
gieter, was quite wild, and, on our approach, ran into
a herd of eelands : but we pursued him, and at length
caught him : he was the next day quite docile, and
was mounted. We now passed the river Nodei ; and
had this day travelled the distance of six hours.
" Friday, 29th, 7 hours. Saw several elephants, of
which we shot seven. After travelling seven hours,
we arrived at the river Tathaa, where we shot a sea-
cow ; and were visited by two of the Tamboekies ;
which was something extraordinary, as, ever since the
18th instant, when we parted with Captain Joobie, we
had seen no natives ; this tract of country having been
depopulated by the father of Captain Sambee, called
Gagabee Camboesa, who drove them and all their
cattle into his own territory. Such few as are at pre-
sent remaining hide themselves in the woods and
caves, and live solely on sea-weed, and whatever they
can procure by hunting.
" Saturday, 30th, 6 hours. Having passed the last
mentioned river, which is a very large one, we came,
in a journey of six hours, to the Dombie, or Young
Maiden River. It was from this part of the country
that formerly, before Gagabee laid it waste, the Kaffirs
and other nations got their women, in trading with the
parents.
" Sunday, 31st, 4 hours. We travelled the dis-
tance of four hours, when we were under the necessity
of stopping and unharnessing near the River Tasana, in
order to exploi*e a way. Several persons, seven years
ago, got as far as this river, in search of the unfortu-
nate crew of the Grosvenor, whence they returned back.
VAN REENEN's JOUUXAL. 315
" Novombcr. Monday, 1st, 4 hours. LoJewyk
Prius shot a sea-cow in the nose, which afterwards
came to the shore, and was killed. Passed the river,
and advanced only four hours ; as we were obliged, in
order to proceed, to cut through woods.
" Tuesday, 2nd, 2 hours. Thence we rode two hours,
to a wood, where we shot an elephant, but were obliged
to unharness, as I was taken excessively ill with vio-
lent pain in my limbs, and a lameness in my right
arm, which prevented my being any longer able to
endure the motion of the wa<j<;ou. The weather was
very unsettled, changing suddenly very often in the
course of the day ; and for two hours we had a very
severe thunderstorm.
" Wednesday, 3rd. We left this spot, and arrived
on a height, whence we saw several villages of the
Hainbonaas, a nation quite different from the Kaffirs ;
are of a yellowish complexion, and have long coarse
hair, frizzed on their heads like a turban. We sent
four of our men to the chief, whose name is Camboosa,
with a present of beads and a sheet of copper. Five
of them came to us, to whom we gave small presents
of beads. They told us, that subject to them was a
village of Bastaard Christians, who were descended from
people shipwrecked on that coast, and of which thi'ee
old women were still living, whom Oemtonoue, the
Hambonaa captain, had taken as his wives.
" Tiiursday, 4th, 1 hour. Proceeded an hour ;
when we were stopped by heavy rain ; but mounted
our horses, and rode to the before-mentioned village,
where we found that the people were descended from
whites ; some, too, from slaves of mixed colour, and
P 2
:]16 EXTRACTS FROM
the natives of the East Indies. We also met with
the three okl women, who said they were sisters, and
had, when children, hcen shipwrecked on this coast,
hut could not say of what nation they were, being too
vouug to know, at the time the accident happened.
We oftl'red to take them and their children back with
u.s, on our return; at which they seemed very umch
pleased.^
" Friday, 5tli, 7 hours. We now travelled on
seven hours ; in wiiich distance we passed the Little
Mogasie River, on the banks of which is situated the
Bastaard village, where tliey have very extensive,
handsome gardens, planted with Kaffir corn, maize,
suoar-canes, plantains, potatoes, black beans, and
many other things : they had also some cattle. We
crossed also the Great Mogasie River, where is the
residence of the Hambonaa captain, Camboosa. During
this day, we shot seven sea-cows.
Saturday, 6th, 7 hours. Proceeded seven hours,
near to a very large river, called Sinwoewoe, or sea-
cow river, [Umzimvooboo!] where we understood, from
the natives, that there was still an Englishman re-
maining alive of the crew of the unfortunate ship the
Grosvenor.
" Sunday, 7th, 2 hours. Arrived at the river, after
two hours' travelling ; but were obliged to unharness,
as it was too deep to pass, on account of the flood.
We therefore waited for the ebbing of the tide : and
in the meanwhile saw, on the opposite bank, the
* In a subsequent part of the Journal, it is mentioned tliat
the "whole race" of these people amounted to four hundred.
•^ — Author.
VAN REENEN'S JOURNAL. 317
heforo-montioned Eiigli.sliman, to wliorn we imme-
diately called. He spoke the Dutch language ; but,
from the width of the river, we could not make out
what he said.
" Monday, 8th, 2 hours. We forded the river ;
when this so-called Englishman came to us, and told
us that he was a free man, and had sailed in an
Engli.sh ship from Malacca. lie promised to conduct
us to the place where the Grosvenor had been wrecked ;
adding, that there was nothing to be seen, excepting
some cannon, iron ballast, and lead : he likewise said,
that all the unfortunate crew of that ship liad perished ;
some by the hands of the natives, and the rest by
hunger. The natives here brouaht to us some jjold
and silver, to exchange for red beads and copper
articles, of which they seemed excessively fond. This
day we had only proceeded two hours.
" Tuesday, 9th, 4 hours. We now rode on four
hours to a river called Woewanpoevoe, Avhere we shot
a sea-cow.
" Wednesday, 10th, 5 hours. Passed this river,
and proceeded five hours farther, to the river Tanwoeta.
We now concluded, as this so-called Englishman, who
was to conduct us to the spot where the wreck la}-, did
not make his appearance, that he was a runaway slave
from the Cape: in which conjecture we were confirmed
by one of onr Basfaard Hottentots, called Moses, whom
this man had asked who his master was; and being
answered by the Hottentot that Jacob van Rcen(>n
was his master, he then asked if it was a son of old
Jacob van Reenen, or Cootje, as my father was com-
monly called : the Hottentot answered. Yes. He then
318 EXTRACTS FROM
told liim he M'as well known at the Cape, and had a
wife there and two children. The fear that we should
lay hold of him and carry him with us most prohably
prevented his ever returninj^ to us ao;ain.
"Thursday, lltli. We remained the whole of this
day by the side of the river, it being too high to pass.
"Friday, 12th, 8 hours. Having passed the river,
and travelled three hours, we arrived at a wood,
through which we were to cut our way.
" Saturday, 13th, 2 hours. We got through this last
mentioned wood, and were obliged soon after to cut
through another, having proceeded only two hours.
" Sunday, 14th, 3 hours. We this day proceeded
three hours, and crossed a river called Bogasie, at the
mouth of which, in the sea, we shot two sea-cows.
Here the natives brought us potatoes, sugar-canes,
corn, and beans, likewise gold and silver ; for which
we exchano-ed with them beads.
"Monday, 15th, 4 hours. Travelling onward, we
passed a little brook near the seaside. Here Jan
Andries Holtshausen had the misfortune to fall into
a pit of burnt stakes, (an elephant pit) by which he
was terribly wounded in the palm of his left hand.
We now came to a height that we could not pass
without great danger and difficulty, and where we
learnt that the wreck was not far off. We therefore
determined to halt, and to go on horseback to the spot,
to see what could be discovered. Jan Andries Holt-
shausen, Tjaart van der Waldt, Cornells Mulder, Hil-
gert Mulder, and myself, with Ignatius Mulder,
mounted our horses, and rode the distance of one
hour and a half, when Jan Andries Holtshausen and
VAN reenen's journal. 319
myself were oWifjcd to return to our waijgons, owinij
to the necessity there was of dismounting and leading
our horses through a river, in order to proceed, the
bed of which was full of holes and rocks ; and, as I
was exceedingly troubled with great pain all over my
limbs, and old Holtshausen, who had regarded his
wound as a trifle, not having even applied a bandage
to it, found his hand very painful, we neither of us
dared venture on such an undertaking. At our return
to the waggons, wo administered sweet oil to Holt-
shausen's wound, and made use of every other means
in our power to assuage the pain ; but it still con-
tinued, and did not in the least abate. At night our
companions returned to us, and told us they had been
at the spot where the ship was wrecked, but had then
found nothing of it remaining, except some cannon,
iron ballast, and lead. They brought with them two
pieces of spermaceti candle, and some fragments of
English china. The wreck lay four hours from this
spot, in which distance there were seven rivers to pass,
for which we had no name. We this day shot a
sea-cow.
" Thursday, 16th, Some of our companions went
again to the spot where the wreck lay, but saw no-
thing more than what has been already mentioned.
Hilfert Mulder broufrht with him a piece of red sa^
panna wood. We this day shot two sea-cows.
" Wednesday, 17th. On this day, with some others
of the party, I rode to the above-mentioned spot, but
saw nothing but five cannons and a great quantity of
iron ballast. It was plainly perceived, on a spot of
ground between two woods, that people had made
320 EXTRACTS FROM
fires and sheltered themselves ; likewise, on a rising
ground between the two woods, was a pit, where things
had been buried and dug out again ; this confirming to
us what the runaway slave had told us, tliat every
thing had been dug up and dispersed very far into the
country. We also understood from the natives, that
the greatest part of the goods had been conveyed to
Rio de la Goa, to be there sold ; which place, as well
as we could learn, was from tliis spot a journey of four
days, or of forty or fifty hours.
" Thursday, 18th. Tjaart van der Waldt, Hilgert
Mulder, and Jacob Joubert rode along the seaside,
about two hours farther to the northward than where
the remains of the wreck lay, but could find nothing
more than what has been already mentioned. It was
now determined that we should return home ; as, in
the first place, several of our drauiiiit oxen had died,
and many of those that remained were in a very
sickly condition ; besides, that old Holtshausen, from
the excessive pain he suffered by the wound in his
hand, became very impatient to get back. The natives
hereabouts expressed very great astonishment at our
taking such great pains to come in search of the un-
fortunate crew. And the chiefs, and indeed the whole
of them in general, promised that if any similar dis-
aster should ever happen in future, they would protect
and take care of the crew that might come on shore,
and conduct them to us, if they could only be assured
of obtaining beads, copper, and iron, for so doing,
which we promised. It is to be observed, that to,
this place we had travelled three hundred and seventy-
seven hours, which was two hundred and twenty-six
VAN REENEN's JOIRNAL. 321
hours beyond tlie limits of the Cliristian possessions,
or rather so much beyond any Christian liabitation.
The distance from the Cape to the Great Fisli River
is two hundred and twenty-one hours ; thus we com-
puted that we were now distant from the Cape four
hundred and forty-seven hours."
# * # lit
Captain Riou, by calculations drawn from the above
account, fixes the wreck of the Grosvenor as havin"'
occurred between the 27th and 28tli defi;rees of south
latitude, or about a hundred miles south of Dela<;oa
Bay, whereas, in Wylde's last map of this part of the
world, itivS — apparently with more reason, if the time
and distances marked in Van Reenen's Journal be
attentively considered — placed about as far to the
south of Port Natal.
This appears however to be, at the present date, a
point of little moment — but, as far as regards Van
Reenen''s expedition, although it failed in the chief
object for which it had been undertaken, it neverthe-
less established the fact of European women having
on some previous occasion fallen into the power of.
-and been forced into alliances with the natives ; the
result of which was, so far back as sixty years ago, a
mixed population to a considerable extent ; and from
one of tlie "old women" mentioned in the Journal, it
is more than probable that Queen Nonube — the heroine
of our tale — derived lior claims to European descent ;
for I never could discover proofs of lior havin<: anv
legitimate pretensions to consanguinity with the ii()l)le
house of Argyle, or of being, as has been asserted.
" a female descendant of General Campbell, who with
P 5
n-^-7
NONUBE.
his family was wrecked in the last century off the
east coast of Africa, in the Grosveuor East Indiaman,"
nor that " Nonube''s mother was the dauohter of a Miss
Campbell, one of the General's unhappy daughters,
who had been seized and retained by a Kaffir Chief
as his great wife."
Both Sutu, the "great" widow of Gaika, and
Nonube, who bears the same relation to Dushani, the
late head of the T' Slambies, have ever exerted all
their influence to maintain friendly relations with the
Colony, and have always endeavoured — at great per-
sonal risk — to inculcate this mode of conduct on their
respective sons, Sandilla and Siwana ; but Macomo
long succeeded in thwarting Sutu''s peaceable endea-
vours — whilst the T' Slambie Chief Seyolo, justly de-
scribed by Sir Henry Pottinger as " a violent and
morose savage," enacted the same part, in opposing
Nonube's endeavours with the T' Slambies. Nonube
has always declared her peaceable intentions, but says
that — " Seyolo"'s hand is on her shoulder, and keeps
her down."
In endeavouring to carry out this amicable line of
policy, Sutu and Nonube have both had narrow escapes
of being roasted alive as witches by their dutiful sons,
instigated to such an act, by the then predominant
war faction of " Young Kaffirland."
I have described how, in the "razzia" made during
the month of November, 1846, against the country of
the T"" Slambies, poor Nonube's abode had shared a
common fate with the kraals of other chieftains far
more blameable than herself. Would that, in this
world, retribution fell alone upon the guilty !
CATTLE-LIFTIXG IN KAFFIRLAND. 328
CHAPTER XVI.
CATTLE-LIFTING IN KAFFIRLAND.
Suspension of hostilities — Designs of the enemy — A vertical
sun — Determination of the English General — Operations at
the Mess Tent — Variable climate — Orders to the troops —
A large Cattle kraal — Skirmish with the enemy — Amusing
incident — Cattle captured — Exciting scene — Fiery charger
— An awkward dilenima — Pursuit of a Kaffir — Surprise and
disappointment — More cattle taken from the enemy — Cou-
rage of the Kaffirs — Return to the Camp — Surrender of
Botman, the Gaika chief.
The first truce granted to Sandilla had long since ter-
minated ; a second suspension of hostihties was at his
urgent request acceded to, and this liad likewise nearly
expired, without any signs of the promised conditions
of peace having as yet been fulfilled. Day after day
passed in anxious expectation of a forward movement;
but naught save uegociations, missionary consultations,
conferences, and embassies followed each other in rapid
succession. The object on the part of these wily
savages was (as I have already shown) evidently to
procrastinate and gain time, whilst they drove ofl^" and
secured their ill-gotten booty ; for the numerous fiocks
and herds of which they had feloniously plundered
the Colony were most probably, during all this delay,
rapidly progressing towards Kreili's country.
Meanwhile, the summer of these regions was fast ad-
o24> CATTLE-LIFTING
vancing, and the heat becoming more and more intense,
whilst the herbage— on which all in this country depends
for the sustenance of horses and cattle, in other words,
for the practicability of military movements— was wither-
ing, like our hopes, under the power of a vertical sun,
whose scorching rays, darting on our frail canvass
tenements, kept us, during the day, at the average com-
fortable temperature of about 120 degrees; whilst at
night, or after rain, the glass would not unfrequently,
in the course of a few hours, suddenly fall some 50 or
60 degrees !
Thus passed away the sultry month of November,
brinofinsr with it no other result save what has been
alluded to in a former chapter, viz., the surrender of
Macomo with his family, that of some bundles of asse-
gais, a few useless firelocks, with a small number of
poor cattle and raw-boned, sore-backed ponies.' At
last, even the GeneraFs patience became fairly ex-
hausted. He vowed — it is said, in spite of the mission-
aries — that he would stand no more humbug ; where-
upon Mr. Sandilla (who had hitherto remained very
quietly bivouaced on a height overlooking our camp)
took up his blanket, and limped^ oif into the Bush.
It was now determined on — wlien too late — to ob-
tain from the Kaffirs, by force, what diplomacy had
failed to effect. But the savages, meanwhile, had not
been asleep, and the greater part of the stolen Colonial
herds were then, no doubt, " ruminating" on their cap-
tive lot amidst the far distant pastures beyond the Kye.
* In consequence of being ridden without a saddle, the Kaffir
horses have mostly sore l)acks.
^ Sandilla has from his birth been a cripple, one of his legs
being withered up. See "Past and Future Emigration," p. 25.
IN KAFFIRLAXD. o2:)
In consequence of tlio above resolution, instead of a
simultaneous advance of three or four strong c<jlunins.
the usual system of petty frontier warfare was again
commenced, in a partial skirmishing, carried on by
patroles or commandos, sent to scour the enemy's
country, in quest of cattle more than Kaffirs.
♦ * * *
The last of November elapsed in the usual routine
of camp occupation and amusement. To a burning
day of more than usual tropical heat had succeeded
the mild influence of a temperate zone ; and whilst
the bright sun sank below the horizon, gilding with
his departing rays the snowy whiteness of the camp,
the distant lowing of numerous herds, returning for
the night from their several pastures to the precincts
of the kraal, added to the rural peacefulness of the
scene.
As the shades of evening slowly gathered around,
the shrill sound of bugles, to the tune of " The Roast
IJeef of Old England," announced that important ope-
rations were now contemplated at the capacious mess-
tent, which formed such a conspicuous object in the
camp, where a hungry party were soon assembled, and
doing ample justice to all the " delicacies of the sea-
son." The cloth had been removed, and the bottle
was circling briskly around, when, with port erect and
cane in hand, the serjcant on duty entered with the
" division orders" of the day, which now, for the first
time, announced the resumption of hostilities, and
directed three strong columns to parade the following
morning, at two a.m.
This welcome intclliirence allowiu"" but little time
S2G CATTLE-LIFTING
for sleep, the party speedily broke up, to obtain what
repose they could, leaving strict injunctions with the
mess-waiter to have coffee in readiness at half-past
one in the morning ; at which early hour we were
ajrain assembled, thou2;h in far different costumes from
those of the preceding evening.
The most sudden transition from heat to cold, and
vice versa, is a marked peculiarity of this changeful,
though, strange to say, most salubrious climate, in
which one may, generally speaking, and with equal
impunity, sleep under the Bush at the mercy of dew
and rain, or expose one's-self during all hours of the
day to the fiery heat of a vertical sun.
On the present occasion, a grilling hot day, or, as
we termed it, " a regular frizzier," was succeeded by
a night as bitterly cold ; and pea-jackets, cloaks, and
woollen comforters, were now in general request, whilst
we assiduously comforted the inward man with good hot
coffee, backed by substantial slices of cold beef and ham.
The appointed hour had arrived ; a bright moon
shone on the dense columns so silently assembled, and
remaining in such noiseless expectation, that
" From camp to camp, through the foul womb of Night,
The hum of either army stilly sounds,
That the fixed sentinels almost receive
The secret whispers of each other's watch."
The expedition was divided into three distinct parties,
destined simultaneously to sweep the whole country be-
tween the Clmraie and the Amatola Hills, co-operating
for this purpose with the 91st regiment, stationed at
Fort Cox, in the vicinity of Burns' Hill, on the lower
slope of those mountains.
IN KAFFIRLAND. 327
For an account of our proceedings on this occasion,
and which may likewise serve as a general specimen of
other commandos and patroles, I beg to refer to the
following letter, written immediately after the occur-
rence of what it attempts to describe.'
"Camp, Block Drift, December 1st, 1846.
" At two o'clock in the morning, by the light of an
unclouded moon, our patrole moved oft' in the most per-
fect silence. One body of troops under Colonel John-
stone, of the 27t]i, was to sweep eight or ten miles to the
right of the camp, in a south-easterly direction ; Colonel
Erskine, with the 45th, went easterly towards Fort
Cox, from which place a party under Ccdonel Campbell,
of the 91st, was also to move out ; whilst our column,
commanded by Colonel Slade in person, proceeded to
the north, along the right bank of the Chumie.
"As our object was to levy 'black maiP rather than
to destroy ' black men,' you can easily understand the
reason of our extending thus ; and the General, no
doubt actuated by humanity, and wishing to spare the
enemy as much as possible, gave out the order that
the latter were only to be shot if actually resisting, or
making off with arms and cattle.
' The account of an expedition of this description, by one
personally engaged in it, must of course be very imperfect ; the
narrator, generally speaking, being able merely to mtness what
takes place within the narrow orb of which he necessarily be-
comes the centre, and (as in the relation of all personal adven-
tures) he thereby unavoidably lays himself open to the serious
charge of egotism. The author trusts therefore to the above
extenuating circumstances, for the reader's indulgence, during
the ensuing narrative.
328 CATTLE-LIFTING
" We followed the banks of the Chumie for about
six miles, and when arrived near the spot wliere we
were to cross, halted to give breath to the troops, and
to await the first dawn of day. We could from hence ■
distinctly see the fires of the enemy's kraals in the
dark kloofs, and on the wooded heights crowning the
opposite side of the stream, and, as you may imagine,
longed to be stirring them up ; meanwhile, advantage
was taken of this short delay to make some prelimi-
nary arrangements for the approaching onset.
" The cavalry, divided into five squads, was di-
rected, on crossing the river, to spread out right and
left like a fan ; the irregulars of foot, Totties and Fin-
o-oes, I told off likewise into five separate companies,
each to follow, as closely as possible, a party of the
cavalry, from whom they were to receive the captured
herds, to be again by them handed back to the 90th
regiment, who were to take post on a high ridge,
marked as the general rendezvous, whither the cattle
was to be driven when taken from the enemy, and on
which point the skirmishers might fall back, if over-
matched by the Kaffirs.
'^All these preliminaries being duly settled, and,
as day began to dawn apace, the columns again ad-
vanced, but had not gone two hundred yards, when,
on this side of the Chumie, contrary to our expecta-
tions, we suddenly came on a large kraal, teeming
with cattle.
" Every attempt at further concealment was now
useless. Like hounds striking on a fresh scent, the
Irreo-ulars were soon amongst the herd, and blazing
away with all their might ; for the Kaffirs, as usual,
IN KAFFIRLAND. 820
showed fight in defence of tlieir property. A few
hves were consc(piently lost ; and, strange to say, the
very first discliarge knocked over two rather eminent
KafKrs : one named Yokali, the chief councillor of San-
dilla, and his brother ; the former being shot by my
lately appointed connnandant of irregular horse.
"' During this first melee, a ridiculous incident oc-
curred, which at the time caused much merriment. A
Kaffir, rusliing out of his hut half asleep, with a bundle
of assegais under his arm, ran violently against Colo-
nel Slade, when the latter, forgetting the savage could
not understand him, with a polite expletive, asked him
what he meant, and ordered him to drop his arms,
wliich Mr. Kaffir instantly did, and as quickly vanished
into the Bush.
" A large batch of cattle was thus easily secured ;
but we expected to find much greater numbers on the
other side of the river, in following up which, no time
was to be lost, as the firing must have already alarmed
the whole neighbourhood ; and unless we were now
very quick in our movements, every bullock would
most assuredly be driven to the hills, or into the Bush,
where it were a vain attempt to follow them. Where-
fore, hastily collecting the Cape Corps and Irregular
Horse, I led them on at a gallop to a neighbouring
ford ; we dashed into the river, and, floundering over
large rocks and stones, which threw several of the
horses, succeeded at last in reaching the opposite bank,
where we found, as I had anticipated, plenty to do.
We were, luckily, yet in time to arrive at several
kraals before the cattle had been driven out. These
were speedily captured, amidst a great deal of noise
330 CATTLE-LIFTING
and smoke, the whizzing of a few assegais, and whis-
tling of bullets. The Hottentots and Fingoes, how-
ever, being close at our heels, took possession of the
prizes, and we pushed on as hard as we could gallop
after such as had already escaped, to the lively tune
of pop-popping all around us ; for Hottentots will on
such occasions expend powder and ball, whether they
see an enemy or not.
" The scene became now most excitins — in fact, a
regular ' Kaffir,' as well as ' cattle,' hunt. According
to previous arrangement, the horsemen spread out in
small parties, and, at the head of a dozen Cape
Mounted Rifles, I tally-ho'd a flying herd. The little
Totty riflemen rode like steeple-chasers, each striving
to be foremost, but not one of the party could keep
pace with my raw-boned old charger, Nagpoor, who
carried me splendidly, clearing water-courses, and
scrambling up and down ravines in such first-rate
style, that I soon parted company with my escort, and
came up, unattended, with a large flock of cattle
just entering the Bush, and driven by three mounted
Kaffirs.
" My confounded horse had become so excited during
the chase, that he no longer obeyed the bit ; and it
was impossible either to stop or to turn him. The
Kaffirs seemed half disposed to show a front, and,
though in a horrid funk, I was, like Johnny Gilpin,
nolens volens, borne along by my fiery steed ; I was
now within fifty yards of these ugly-looking cus-
tomers ; and there was nothing left for it but to make
a. charge. Therefore, putting the best face on the
matter, and getting my hog-spear in rest, with a
IN KAFFIRLAND. 331
' view halloa' I rode, in spite of myself, slap at thorn ;
they, however, at this jnn<'ture, to my inexpressible
satisfaction, turned tail, and skulked away into the
Bush.
" After at last succeeding in pulling up my horse,
I managed to head the drove of cattle, which
was then taken charge of by some of the Cape Corps,
who had just come up. It was now broad daylight,
and a precisely similar scene to what I had a few
days before witnessed, when on patrole with Colonel
Somerset's division, here ao:ain recurred. Far as the
eye could reach, when uninterrupted by liill or Bush,
might be seen herds of cattle living before the shrill
whistle of the Kaffirs, and hotly pursued by our widely-
scattered horsemen ; whilst the Hottentots and Fin-
goes, on foot, were hurrying in their wake, blazing
away at every thing as they advanced, firing Kaffir
huts, and slaying the owners when they stood to ofier
resistance. Meanwhile, the 90th, as if disdaining to
participate in such an ignoble fight, had quietly marched
to the brow of a commanding eminence, from whence,
as passive spectators, they looked down on all this
inglorious ' cattle-stealing' warfare.
" I was now joined by my young commandant of
Irregulars, who, after having settled Mr. Yokah's
account, and spread liis sable horsemen o'er the plain,
being better mounted than the rest of his troop, pushed
on to see more of the fun, and to have the chance of
another shot with the rifle which had lately rendered
such good service. With a few of the Cape Corps,
we now dashed down a deep ravine and up the
opposite bank, having marked a second flock of
.332 CATTLE-LIFTING
oxen, which had ah-eady entered the Bush. It was
however, luckily, not very thick ; and we succeeded in
brinfrin^: out this fresh lot, which was in like manner
handed back to the rear.
" Collecting as many stragglers as possible, we next
galloped towards the smoke issuing from some kraals
a couple of miles off, across an open country, but found
we were too late ; capturing however on our way a
few strao-o-linsr Kaffir horses. Eetuniing from this
unsuccessful ' cast,' we struck on the ' spoor' of a
large flock, whose track was distinctly marked on tbe
dewy grass, and which appeared to have been driven
towards the Chumie Hills. This spoor we rapidly
followed up for several miles, till entering an en-
tangled, broken, and hilly country ; we were here
joined by a couple of officers and some of the 7th
Dragoons, who reported that forty or fifty Kaffirs were
in a wooded valley close by, and had defied them to
come into the Bush and fight, which invitation the
small party, of course, politely declined.
" Whilst we were consulting what was now best to
be done, I saw a fine ox close to the edge of the covert
about two hundred yards off, with a Kaffir on horse-
back driving it slowly along. This was evidently in-
tended as a decoy ; the Kaffirs, being close at hand in
the thicket, meant no doubt to have given us a taste
of their assegais, had we pounced directly on the bait.
Determined, however, to out-manreuvrc them, we ex-
tended our line ; a little firing took place at such of
the enemy as showed themselves on the outskirts of
the Bush ; one Kaffir was shot through the body ;
another was knocked over by my commandant
IX KAFFJRLAND. o33
of Irregular horse, but niauaged to scramble away into
the jungle.
" Meanwhile, I kept a steady look-out on the gen-
tleman with the ox. He had now ventured some
distance from the covert ; when, screened by a swell in
the ground, I gradually approached unseen ; and,
seizing a favourable opportunity, suddenly put my
Jiorse at speed, cut off his retreat, and then ' yehoik'd''
him across a fine open piece of grass land, in full sight
of each party. We both rattled along at a pace which
could not possibly last, but in which the training and
hard condition of my charger soon told ; for after a
sharp run ' in view,' the Kaffir's horse began to show
symptoms of distress, whilst my steed was still fresh
and well in hand. There was, however, no time to
be lost in jockeyship, as a thick belt of Bush rose im-
mediately in our front, on the brink of a rapid descent.
I therefore gave ' Nagpoor' his head, with a slight
taste of the spur, to which he gallantly responded,
lioundiug under the metallic pressure, he closed in a
second on the flying foe, and brought the glittering
point of nij' hog-spear in close contact with his bended
form.
" Not apparently relishing such ' pointed' attention,
the Kaffir, glancing over his left shoulder, silently but
fiercely brandished an assegai.
" Had he thrown himself off and hurled his weapon
as I shot past, far different might have been the result.
However, there was not, with either party, much time
for reflection or thought ; but to divert his intended
aim — whilst making a horrible face at the rascal — I
bellowed with all my might ; and, urging my horse
334 CATTLE-LTFTING
to his utmost speed, drove the spear-head through the
leathern folds of the kaross, right between the shoulder
blades, into his brawny back. The savage, without
uttering a sound, but still grasping his assegai, pitched
forward off his horse, bestowing on me, as he fell, a
vengeful look of mingled hatred and pain, which I shall
not readily forget.
" At this critical moment, whilst endeavourinjr to
pull up (for the bushes precluded the possibility, in
true ' Deccanee style,"" of turning off after delivering
the spear), the curb-chain snapped, and my fiery brute
of a horse now became completely unmanageable.
Maddened by the excitement of the chase, he still
wildly followed the riderless Kaffir steed — dashed down
the face of the steep, thickly-wooded declivity in our
front, carrying me through dense prickly mimosa
shrubs, and nearly unhorsing me half-a-dozen times
amidst their thorny branches. Considering there were
at the time numbers of Kaffirs in the Bush, my posi-
tion in this Mazeppa-like course was not the most
enviable in the world ; nor did I succeed in pulling up,
until reaching the bottom of the hill, when I vowed
never again to trust myself during a patrole on the
back of such a runaway beast !
"■ By the time I had retraced my steps to the spot
where the Kaffir had fallen, the bird had flown — had
vanished into the Bush ; and no one who has not
actually witnessed it would credit the quantity of
' killing"" these savages take, or the almost miraculous
manner in which, after being even mortally wounded,
they contrive to evade their pursuers and effect their
escape.
IX KAFFIRLAND. 335
" The stoical fortitude with whicli they endure pain
is likewise most remarkable, and, as an instance in
point, I may mention, that during the course of this
day we came upon a wounded Kaffir rolled up in his
kaross, and seated under a mimosa hush : he had been
shot through the body, evidently in a mortal part,
and thus silently awaited his fate, having first en-
deavoured to staunch the flowing blood, by cramming
a handful of fjrass into the wound !
" After this little scrimmage, we again followed up
the cattle spoor above alluded to ; but, on crowning a
height, with our glasses we could distinctly see an
immense herd, fully three or four miles ahead, and in
the act of ascending the Chumie Hills. As it was
therefore useless to pursue them further, we turned
with the intention of ffoins: back to the general ren-
dezvous. However, on our way thither, the Cape
Corps Hottentots — who have the eyes of a hawk —
espied, about three miles off", a number of oxen, and
extending one-half of my troop to the left, to cut off
their retreat, I immediately galloped on with the rest ;
but you may imagine our surprise and disappointment,
on coming up with the herd, to find that they were
cattle already secured by Lieutenant-Colonel Camp-
bell, of the 91st, who had come out from Fort Cox to
co-operate with our patrole. We however reached
him in the very nick of time, for he and his officers
were just breaking their fast on some biscuit and cold
meat, of which I opportunely came in for a share,
whilst we washed down this most seasonable meal with
the contents of our brandy-flasks,
" After a hearty ' j)ic-uic'' breakfast, shifting the
836 CATTLE-LIFTING
saddles from our more jaded horses to the backs of those
captured from the KatHrs, I took leave of my lios-
pitable entertainers ; and with the original party, con-
sisting of an English serjeant and a few Hottentots
of the Cape Corps Rifles, now started for the Camp,
to which our last sweep had brought us within ten or
twelve miles.
" On the way thither we sighted a large kraal on
the opposite side of a wide ravine, near which was
grazing a fine herd of cattle, with a number of armed
Kaffirs, evidently on the qui vive.
" ' 'Tis a pity, sir, to go back empty-handed to
camp,"" observed the serjeant, ' with those fine oxen
so close at hand/
" ' Can we manage to get another gallop out of our
horses r said I.
" The serjeant seemed to think this witliin the
bounds of possibility ; ' Let"'s try, then,"" was the word;
and, in an instant, the little Hottentots and their
horses were roused to their mettle, and we were rattling
dovvn the side of the ravine and up the opposite ascent,
with as nmch speed as if our nags had not already
carried us over some forty or fifty good miles of hill
and dale.
" The Kaffirs did not await our approach ; and,
although they attempted to drive off the herd into the
JJush, we were too quick for them ; the cattle were
headed back, and captured without discharging a shot.
We next ransacked the huts of the kraal, in quest of
muskets and assegais.
" The Hottentots wished to fire the whole ' boutique,'
but this, out of compassion to the women, I would not
IN KAFFIRI.AXD. 'SS7
allow. These poor creatures, on such occasions, always
display the very fortitude of Spartan matrons ;
whilst witnessing the loss of all their worldly goods,
and the death of husbands and brothers, they never
utter a cry or shed a tear, hut usually sit in passive
silence at the doors of their huts, until, in some in-
stances, actually driven away by the llames. The
Kaffirs themselves are certainly ' game to the back-
bone,'' never, as I have before observed, crying out,
however badly wounded, or even demanding quarter,
but merely pronouncing the name of their chief ere
they give up the ghost. Thus much must in jus-
tice be said in their favour ; but I suspect this to
be their only redeeming quality, for a more ' irreclaim-
able'' set of savages — as Sir Benjamin d'Urban most
justly designated them — cannot possibly exist.
" On reaching the Camp about mid-day, I found a
large party assembled in the mess-tent of the 90th,
when Col. Slade was so kind as to compliment me on
my exertions during the day ; ' and we all discussed a
hearty breakfast, or rather tiffin, together with the
morning's ' sport,"" which amoimted to about one thou-
sand five hundred head of captured cattle, and a few
Kaffirs ' expended/ without any loss on our part ; for
* The author may perhaps be pardoned the statement, that
although His Excellency, the Coniniander-in-Chiof, thought
proper also pul>licly to thank him for his share in the successful
result of this expedition ; and, notwitiistanding the circumstance
of the officer connnanding the Division having strongly urged
that his name should be mentioned in general orders, no notice
whatever was taken of such recommendation : true, he was pro-
bably " under a cloud" from having, some time previously, ten-
dered his resignation, but that resiguatiou had not been accepted.
VOL. II. Q
338 CATTLE-LIFTING IN KAFFIRLAND.
thoy now — save in the immediate defence of their
herds — generally make but little resistance.
" ' AVhy should we any longer fight V say they at
present ; ' we have got all we want ; we have eaten
the Colonial sheep, we have driven away the Colonial
cattle — we wish now to cultivate our fields ; we wish
for peace, and we will fight no more.""
" This is most acute reasoning on the part of the
Kaffirs, and there is no doubt, if they obtain their
wish, that they will then leave the Colony at peace —
until another opportunity of plundering shall present
itself. Such, at least, for the last half century, has
been their universal mode of proceeding : to rob,
murder, devastate, tire out our troops, and then sue
for a cessation of hostilities."'*'
*****
This last " stirring up" was however attended with
the result of causing the surrender of Botman, a
gigantic Chief of the Gaikas — great only in person,
for his tribe was insignificant and small ; but, spite of
a continuation of the above petty warfare, Sandilla
and Pato, with many other minor chiefs, continued to
set our power and just claims at open defiance, till at last,
a orand forward movement beyond the Kye was resolved
upon, for the purpose of fairly " eating them up,">
The following Chapter, containing a memorandum,
hastily written at the time, by an officer of rank, en-
gaged in that expedition, may serve as a specimen of
the hardships and privations our troops had usually to
undergo during this very arduous and trying campaign.
' A Kaffir expression, signifying to ruin or destroy, but
chiefly applicable to the seizure of cattle.
PATROLE BEYOND THE KYE. 339
CHAPTER XVII.
JOURNAL OF A PATROLE BEYOND THE KYE, IN JANUARY, 1847.
BY AN OFFICER ENGAGED IN THAT EXPEDITION.
Expedition under Sir Peregrine jNIaitland — Scenery of the
Kye— Missionary Station of Butterworth — Fingoc kraals —
Skirmish with the Kaffirs, and capture of cattle — Privations
of the soldiers — Three British officers killed by thecnemy —
Bivouac with cattle — A fusillade — Scarcity of provisions —
Dangerous passage of the river — Bivouac in the Bush —
Hardships incident to a Kaffir Campaign — Recall of Sir
Peregrine Maitland.
" On the last day of the year 1846, after a patrole
of about five days, we arrived in Camp ; and, on the
2nd of January, a strong detachment of about two
thousand men, under the immediate superintendence
of the Governor, Sir Peregrine Maitland, again started
on the same service. It is customary for each patrole
(it being fatiguing work) to be relieved by another
party ; but, as I take a ticket in every lottery, I started
again in command of about one thousand five hundred
infantry. Our object is to make a combined movement
with Colonel Somerset, who, with some cavalry, is
already across the Kye River. We marched at eleven,
stopped for an hour at a place called "NV^arden's Fort, a
burnt down post, estabhshed by Sir Benjamin d'Urban,
and halted in a hailstorm ; pieces of ice falling, as large
as a table-spoon.
q2
340 JOURNAL OF A PATROLE
'4 Q,
Srtl. Marched at half-past four, A.M. ; scenery
very beautiful ; on cither bank of the Kye, perpen-
dicular rocks overhang the road, and one hundred
Kaffirs, properly posted, might easily prevent our
crossing at all. I never saw a more defensible ford.
The water was not above two feet deep, but ran
rapidly, and the stones at the bottom were very
large. The consequence was, that vast numbers
of men rolled over ; some lost their arms, and some,
when down, had difficulty in sustaining themselves
against the current. We have only a few commis-
sariat waggons with us, and many of these upset at
the wrono- side of the river. As we found that the
waggons would be hours crossing the Kye, we mounted
a tremendous ascent of about tliree miles and a half;
here we halted, as the waggons could not get up.
" 4th. Marched at six ; halted at top of the hill
to breakfast; marched from twelve to five. A level
country, perfectly open for about twelve miles. We
halted at Butterworth, a missionary station, destroyed
bv the Kaffirs. The country in its neighbourhood
highly cultivated, and a very large population of Fin-
goes surrounding it. I rode round many of the Fin-
goe kraals in search of cheese and milk, but could get
neither for money, nor for what is here much more
esteemed — tobacco. This is surprising, considering
that each village has about one hundred and fifty
cattle. The fields of Indian corn were mixed with
coarse kidney-beans, and a few unripe pumpkins. The
commissariat was, as usual, so injudiciously managed,
that this patrols was sent off with only two days'
flour and rice, and only five days'" biscuit. I look
BEYOND THE KYE. 34-1
upon our conduct throughout this war, in a military
point of view, as more primitive even than that of
the Kaffirs. Since leaving Graham's Town, I have
not seen fowl, duck, pig, game, or vegetables of any
kind, until to-day.
" 5th. AVe halted, to enable the waggons and Colonel
Somerset''s patrole to come up ; on one side might be
seen B and F , with little bits of tobacco,
baroaininir with Fin<roe ijirls for wood; on the other, a
group seated on the grass, with towels round their heads
as turbans, were shaving and mending their breeches.
" 6th. Rain all dav, grass a foot hi(>h, officers
already in want of provisions, men with no clothes
but those on, no tents, and not above a dozen little
sloping sheds, made of boughs, under which they crept
for shelter ; some of the officers had already lost every
thing but what was on their backs by Kaffir pillage.
My little tent, which is about four feet high, holds
F , self, raw meat, cooking utensils, &c., coffee,
sugar, swords, and guns, all in a general heap, and we
are more comfortable than our neighbours. It rains per-
petually; nothing can exceed our filthy state ; strange
however to relate, the doctor's list is nearly blank.
« * * *
" 7th. The Governor left us this morning.
* # * *
" 8th. This morning we marched at six, and having
had a long ' out spann,' halted after about ten miles'
march. The Kye had risen, and our supplies could
not cross. We consequently sent back Captain F
and one hundred and fiftj- men to hold the Kye ' drift."
and cover the advance of all supplies.
342 JOURNAL OF A PATROLE
" 9tli. Having heard that the Kaffirs were in great
force at a drift twelve miles off, we marched at five,
cavalry at four. Came up with them at eleven, took
two thousand cattle, and killed a good many Kaffirs.
There were thousands of cattle escaping, but the in-
fantry were not up. The infantry halted for breakfast
at about ten miles. Two miles further we met Somer-
set ; the Kaffirs were not above six miles ahead. I
wanted to pass on, but it was deemed more prudent to
halt, as the cavalry had gone astray.
" 10th. As we had nothing to eat but tough beef, we
were forced to halt for supplies. The rain came do^vn
in torrents. The Kye of course much swollen.
"11th. This morning marched towards the Kye.
Feeding so long on beef without bread, salt, or any
thing else, had begun to tell on us, and the men were
o-ettinof very weak. We had a very severe march of
eighteen miles, every soldier up excepting the * * *
" 12th. Rain, everlasting. We marched this morn-
ing to the top of the Kye ridge, the cavalry and artil-
lery descending to the bed of the river. The river is
too high to cross, and the infantry are to stay at the
top of the ridge. The Fingoes, our allies, are daily
stealing our cattle, and we must get to some more
open spot. The Kaffirs are all around us. The sad
news has just reached us, that the Kaffirs have killed
three of our officers, who had been sent out on a pa-
trole to get some cattle ; as famine was staring
them in the face. It appears that the party saw
a Kaffir driving a few oxen away, and three officers
with some burghers, leaving their party, galloped on
ahead. These were suddenly attacked by Kaffirs;
BEYOND THE KYE. 343
when Captain Gibson and Doctor Howell, with the
Honourable Mr. Chetw3'nd, of the 7.3rd, fell victims
to their rashness, as also two burghers. Serjeant
Beech, of the 6th, heard several shots fired, and his
party proceeded with all speed. On approaching the
scene of action, they saw seven Kaffirs killed. Two
mounted burghers escaping, reported that they were
attacked by a very large body of Kaffirs, that the
assegais were tlirown in great quantities, and that the
Kaffirs were also well armed with muskets — the last
they saw of the officers, was two who were fiirhtin<'-
dismounted. We sent out a party of one hundred men
to search for the bodies, I fear there is no hope of
their being alive. The party returned this evening
with the three bodies. It appears that these officers
were inveigled into a defile by the sight of cattle, placed
there as a decoy. They were pierced by a multitude
of wounds, inflicted by assegais and musket-shots ;
and their bodies were mutilated by beasts and birds
of prey.i Strange to say, the dead Kaffirs were un-
touched ; and it is, I understand, an invariable rule
that no animal of prey will touch a Kaffir until his
body becomes putrid. The pass where this tragedy
occurred is described as being singularly dangerous,
and would even, with a strong body, require the
greatest caution in advancinij throuirh.
"13th. The weather has cleared up. A partv of
seven hundred Fingoes, who wish to emigrate into our
' From the circumstance of the bodies of the Kaffirs being
untouched, it is more than probable that those of our poor
countrymen had been mutihited by these barbarians, as it is
their universal practice on such occasions. — Autuok.
344 JOURNAL OF A TATROLE
Colony, and wliom I sent a party to meet last night,
have arrived. They are a sort of slaves to the Kaffirs,
but (if possible) a more degraded race. They belong
to the Butterworth district, and were afraid of being
intercepted by the Kaffirs. The river is falling, but
no supplies can cross. Every soul is living on beef
(nauseous to a degree without salt), and tea made of
any thing that we can find in the grass ; the men are
irrowino- weaker and weaker. To show the state of
affairs, I received an official this morning com-
mencing : — ' Sir, I am directed by Colonel Somerset,'
&c. ; and, it continues, ' I send you a biscuit, and
one for Captain Hogg."" This had been got across on
a negro*'s head, by way of compliment to me as com-
manding 1500 men. I keep this official for a future
laugh. To-day, I have sent out 200 men in search
of pumpkins and Indian corn, all of which is yet
unripe. We this morning buried our unfortunate
brother officers in a sort of arbour, which we after-
wards burnt down, to prevent the Kaffirs digging them
up, which they generally do for the sake of the arti-
cles interred with them.
"]4th. This morning, the river having fallen, we
marched, but were intercepted when we had proceeded
two-thirds of tlie way down the hill, by information
that the water had again risen. The cavalry had
crossed, losing a serjeant-major of Dragoons, and two
of the Cape Corps. We counter-marched, to the
utter disgust of the men, to a spot half way up the
hill, too much surrounded with wood to be a good
position against Kaffir attack, but we could get no
further ; some of the men who had been sent to the
BEYOND THE KYE. 34'^
bottom of the hill were utterly done up; one slept in
the liush, and, strange to say, was not found by the
Kaffirs. Numbers of our people seated themselves on
the ascent, and were all day getting up, so great had
been their exhaustion. ^V'e now slept in a circle,
round 6000 cattle, with a strong line of sentries out-
side, against Kaffirs, and inside airainst bullocks.
" loth. The river has risen three feet. The body
of a 78rd man brought in, who, having straggled into
the Bush, had been killed by the Kaffirs. Yester-
day evening at dark, saw Kaffirs carrying off" some
* * * •, a few cavalry pursued, and on their return
were attacked, one man wounded. At dark, B ,
myself, and two or three other officers, were seated
laughing at our misfortunes, admiring the picturesque
appearance of our bivouac. We were close to the
men''s fires which illumined a thick bush, near which
we were stretched at leno-tli, or sittino; tailor-fashion.
a soldier lying asleep against the root of a tree, his
face lit up by the sun's rays, arms and accoutre-
ments hanging in the branches, intermingled with
sundry tempting morselsof beef ; we looked more like
savages than British soldiers, with lonir beards and
unwashed faces ; for here even water had jjrown verv
scarce, owing to the men bein^ too exhausted to fetch
it. Well, we were lying thus, enjoying the spec-
tacle, a leg of veal hanging near the fire, under the idea
that it would be a dainty treat, such as we had seldom
known, when pop, pop, pop ! and then bullets began
to whistle through the tree. An answer was soon made
by the Fingoes, and a regular fusillade commenced.
' The MS. is here quite illegible.
Q 5
S46 JOPRNAL OF A PATROLE
Some officer ordered the men to stand to their arms,
and I ordered them to lie close down and kick out the
fires. In one minute, all was confusion. Our pic-
turesque group was broken up, my leg of veal
was knocked over, and all was darkness. The firing
slackened a little, and in five minutes B again
returned. His story was carried on from the same
point where he had left off, and we again attempted to
enact the picturesque. Now and then, a shot told us
that our friends were still amusing themselves, but we
heeded them not. It is easy to know the Kaffir
from the Fingoe shot — the former is heavy, dull, and
loud ; the Fingoe's is lighter, and ours is the smart
crack ; the following morning, two Kaffirs were found
to have suffered.
" 16th. This morning we endeavoured to get a rope
across the river ; this was a vain attempt — the water
rushed down as through a sluice. A punt was con-
structed of the bottom of a waggon. Each day the
beef, tougher than leather, nauseates more and more,
and the men grow weaker every day.
" 17th. From five o'clock this moniing until the
evening, I worked with the Hottentots and Fingoes to
pass a rope over, but all was vain. I crawled, with a
guard and two or three officers, along the edge of the
cliff, over ground interspersed with huge rocks, crowned
with tano-led bush. We at length reached a more
tranquil spot of the river, and here they contrived to
pass over two bags of biscuit to the men. These were
got up an almost inaccessible hill on bullocks. At
this time, a piece of biscuit as big as your thumb would
have sold for five shillings, as would also a spoonful of
BEYOND THE KYE. 347
sugar, tea, or coffee, or one cheroot ; such was our state
of destitution.
"18th. This morning the cattle went down to the
river, and commenced crossing at six ; such a scene I
never witnessed ! Five hundred liead of cattle at the
same time in the river, with one hundred drivers,
lowing, kicking, and struggling. By dint of shouting
and thumping, they rush into the water ; all goes well
until they get to the rapid current, or out of their depth ;
then commences the worst part of the affair; they now
will not keep on straight ; round comes the head of
the foremost bullock, and every succeeding one follows
his example ; — sometimes they had got close to the
opposite shore, when they thus wheeled suddenly
round ; only four thousand were passed over by seven
o'clock ; I however succeeded in getting across one of
the iruns, which was for half an hour stuck in the
middle of the river ; had the water risen, I was done
for.
" 19th. Last night there was a great deal of firing,
whether it was from our rascally Fingoes, or Kaffirs
firing into camp, I cannot say ; I suppose a little of
both. We are so accustomed now to this st3-le of
fusillade, that all we do is to lie close, and continue our
little coteries. This morning some waggons were got,
by great exertion, into the stream, and ropes were tied
from the sliore to the waggons, and from waggon to
waggon. The stream still runs most rapidly. At
nine, we commenced our passage across ; but so power-
ful was the current, that, notwithstanding the aid of
the rope, every hundred English soldiers took at least
an liour in crossing over. The cattle at the same
318 JOURNAL OF A PATROLE
time were making their way about twenty yards
lower down. Once they came up aoainst the stream,
over the rope, and drowned one Rifleman. With
the exception of this casualty, we sustained no loss,
which I consider a most fortunate circumstance. It
was altoo-ether a scene worth seeing, once in a way ;
the noise, the confusion — the rushing of the water —
the crowds perpetually in the stream — blacks washed
away by dozens, but saving themselves by their ad-
mirable swimming. From 5 a.m. till 7 p.m. I was
on the bank, hallooing, abusing, ordering, and firing.
I was for a time seated on a wajrjjon, in the middle of
the stream, with a rifle, firing close by the noses of the
Fingoes, who, with calves on their shoulders, were
laying hold of the ropes, and endangering its safety
and the lives of our soldiers. I fired at least a hun-
dred shots in this manner. Then I had to prevent
the Fingoe cattle from entering the water above the
rope ; as in such case, most undoubtedly, a number of
men would have been drowned. To eflect this, I was
obliged to stand ready prepared to shoot any bullock
which got in. At five, the majority of the cattle were
over, and now commenced the crossing of the Fingoes,
women and children, with their baggage on their heads.
" The Irish may boast of their potatoes, but the
Kaffir pumpkin appears quite as useful in the pro-
duction of the animal creation. I never saw a larger
population of children in any country. The Fingoes
at this time worked so inefficiently, that I was obliged
to employ some lliflemen to drive cattle, goats, and
men, by dint of force and blows, all into the stream
together : at dark I found tliat still there was six
BEYOND THE KYE. 340
hours work. The infantry had crossed ; a rear-guard
was on the other side, under a perpendicular rock. I
was therefore forced to send back some cavalry, to pro-
tect these rascally IJutterworth Fingoes, who had been
breaking my heart and spoiling my temper all day.
I now crossed ; but I had previously sent on the in-
fantry to the top of the hill ; and with these, my little
all, I consequently threw myself on the mercy of the
rear-guard. We bivouacked in the bushes, under the
rocks, all in a heap ; but who can tell the joy of eat-
ing, after twelve days'" starvation ! A large box of
things had arrived for the Ivitles ; and never sluill I
forget our ecstasy at the taste of a large mouldy plum-
pudding, which had been waiting for us a fortnight at
this side. We sat comfortably by our fires, when sud-
denly a cry was raised that ' The Kaffirs are upon us !'
* * * * of the Rifles called to arms, and I desired
the men to lie down. The women were shriekinir, the
fires were extinguished, and all was dark as pitch. Tlie
Fingoes and Kaffirs anmsed themselves firing for about
ten minutes, and all again became tranquil. The fact
was, that the Kaffirs had stolen up, and killed a Fin-
goe sitting at our watch-fires, about five yards from
our sentries, and fifteen yards from where Captain
M and I were sitting. I slept in a waggon, with
a waggon-conductor, who, having eaten too much hard
beef, thumped me all night with his fists, thinkino- (I
suppose) he was pitching into his ' nightmare.''
" 20th. Last night we had failed with our waggons,
and four or five were left in the stream. This morn-
ing, by dint of long ropes, &c., waggons, Fingoes, and
every soul, were over by twelve o'clock. As we moved
•350 PATROLE BEYOND THE KYE.
along, a man exclaimed, ' Do you see the old brute V
We turned round, and the men looked back to the
other side of the Kye.
" ' Who do you mean V said an officer.
" ' Why, Hunger Hill, if you please, sir I'
* ♦ # *■
" I have learned this much from patrolling, that
animal food weakens the human frame, if taken alone,
without other eatables. We had an unlimited supply of
beef; and few men ate less than three pounds per diem.
Men and officers, generally speaking, have now been
twenty days without cover, raining more than half the
time ; no change of clothing for the men, and even the
officers seldom being able to effect this. The gene-
rality never had their clothes off at all, during twelve
days, living on bullocks"' flesh, without salt, many
nauseating, (as I did) and eating nothing at all. The
officers and men are shoeless, and demi-breechless,
with beards like savages. It has been a severe war
against ' les entrailles.' Few however were sick under
the excitement ; but, when that had ceased, sickness
immediately made its appearance."
THE EMIGRANT BOER. 3ol
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE EMIGRANT BOER.
The Winterberg Mountains — Fingoe Posts — Stolen Cattle —
The Author surrounds a Fingoe encampment, and sends its
inmates, under escort, to Block Drift — Meeting with an
Emigrant Boer — Conflicting accounts respecting the Dutch
Settlers — A communicative companion — Wild sports in
Southern Africa — The old Hunter's Adventures — Idea of a
true Sportsman — Hunting the Lion — Anecdotes relative to
the " King of the Forest " — Hamlet of Blinkwater — Attack
of the Kaffirs on that place — Gallantry of Sergeant Snod-
grass.
" Close beside the sedgy brim
Couchant lurks the lion grim,
Waiting till the close of day
Brings agam the destined prey."
Pringle.
The great Winterberg range of mountains — itself a
distant ramification of tlie lofty Stormbcrg — branches
off, above Post lletief, into the Little Winterberg and
the Chumie Hills ; which latter — circling round the
sources of the stream bearing that name, and of the
Mancazana River — form a continuous and elevated
range, bounding northward, the road leading from
Fort Beaufort to Block Drift.
On this ridire — near the source of a rivulet called
the Gaga, which here marks the boundary of the
Colony — was established, during the last Kaffir wai-.
OOZ THE EMIGRANT BOER.
a post of about a hundred and fifty Fingoes, whilst
another detachment of the same people occupied a
spot in the valley of the Kat River, a little to the
north of Fort Beaufort. Although these two positions
were separated by a mountainous tract of some sixteen
or eighteen miles in extent, there was nevertheless
every reason to suspect, that availing themselves of the
rugged nature of the country, our African auxiliaries
carried on an extensive illicit traffic in stolen horses
and cattle ; several animals of both descriptions having
of late been most unaccountably absent, without leave,
from the camp "kraal" at Block Drift. As they
could scarcely have been carried away by the Kaffirs,
it was supposed they had been appropriated by the
aforesaid Fingoes, at the neighbouring post on the
Gaga, and thence handed on to their brethren at the
" New School" station, on the Kat River ; for these,
our faithful " allies," never, during the whole course
of the war, let slip an opportunity of plundering cattle,
whether from friend or foe.
To unravel, if possible, this mystery, I started from
Block Drift one fine morning, long before daylight —
roused up my friend. Colonel Nicolls, the Commandant
at Fort Beaufort — and producing an order for an escort
of the 7th Dragoon Guards, soon surrounded the afore-
said Fingoe encampment ; and ere well aroused from
their slumbers, our swarthy allies, with all the horses
and cattle I could lay hands on, found themselves —
under escort of the dragoons — on the line of march
to Block Drift, there to render an account of their
apparently ill-gotten property.
Having thus far executed my mission, I next day
THE EMIORAXT nOER. 8.'3
proceeded to visit a remote post situated amidst the
little Winterberg Minintains, and happened to have,
during the finst part of my trip, the company of" a
venerable old Colonial Dutchman of the name of B ,
one of the numerous emigrant Boers, who some years
before — abandoning the IJritish territories — had, to the
number of eight or ten thousand, crossed the Colonial
boundary to seek comfort, competence, and independ-
ence ; and — as has since turned out — in the vain hope
of being allowed to enjoy unmolested these blessings
in the heart of the South African wilderness.
Business had brought my new acquaintance from
far beyond the Stormberg Mountains to Graham's
Town, and he was now returning to the " tents of his
tribe," in the remote regions between tiie M odder and
Caledon rivers.
Since my arrival in the Colony, I had had few
opportunities of intercourse with the Dutch inhabit-
ants, of whom I had read the most contradictory ac-
counts ; some describing them as a coarse and brutal
set of men, devoid of every virtue, and mercilessly
tyrannizing over the whole of the coloured popula-
tion ; whilst others gave quite another colouring to the
picture, and held forth the Boers as an injured and
oppressed race — a large portion of whom — though
taxed by the British Government under whose sway
they had been involuntarihj placed — never received
from us adequate protection against the depredations
of the Native Tribes beyond our boundary, whilst ex-
posed at the same time, to be with impunity despoiled
from within, by the vagrant Hottentots, emancipated
slaves, and vagabonds of every sort and description.
354 THE EMIGRANT BOER.
Tliej were moreover, in the latter statements, repre-
sented as having been not only robbed by the pre-
mature and unprepared measure of emancipating the
slaves, but as victims of detraction and injustice in
every shape — an oppressed people, who had been forced
at length to abandon in despair the thresholds of their
forefathers, and bury themselves in exile amidst the
far wildernesses, and deserted wastes of the interior.
Both these accounts may perchance be overdrawn ;
but, at any rate, I was not sorry to have an oppor-
tunity of questioning on the subject a man, who, from
his advanced time of life, and apparently sound sense,
appeared competent to afford good information on
many points with which I wished to become acquainted
relative to the emigrant Boers.
I was also particularly anxious — from having recently
perused several sporting works relating to that portion of
the South African Continent now occupied by them — to
ascertain from an eye-witness, if the almost incredible
relations as to the immense quantities of game stated
still to be found in those remote regions were or were
not over-drawn ; and as Mynheer B was himself
— even at his then very great age — a staunch sports-
man, and spoke moreover very intelligible English, I
deemed myself fortunate in having so opportunely hit
upon such a companion.
As we jogged along the picturesque Kat River
valley, during the freshness of a South African sum-
mer\s morn — the gurwlino; stream still flowing under
the shadow of the neighbouring Chumie hills, and
moreover darkly embowered amidst groves of weeping
willow and feathery acacias — numbers of the small
THE EMIGRANT BOER. 855
black-faced monkey mif^ht be seen playfully gambolling
amid.st the branches overhanging the water — whil.'jt
an unearthly yell, proceeding from the beetling rocks
on our left, sometimes caused us to look up, when a
string of hideous ursine baboons would tlien meet our
gaze, as they chased each other with ungainly antics
along some bare ledge of the grey wooded " krantz"
above. Then, ever and anon, my aged companion
interrupted the thread of his discourse, to direct my
attention to the various localities which we passed
by, at the same time reverting to events thus brought to
his recollection, which in some instances appeared to
extend beyond the usual span of life.
He pointed out where lay the notorious Missionary
Settlement of the " Kat Kiver Hottentots" — gave an
account of the intrigues and machinations of which it
is said to have been the focus, previously to the war
of 1834 — showed the direction whence flowed the Man-
cazana — related what are noic the traditions of the
Achter Bruntjes Hooghte, the modern Glen Lynden,
at present no longer the abode of his countrymen, but
tenanted some years ago by a no less hardy race.'
With all the garrulous loquacity of age, did the
old man thus wander from subject to subject; but one-
tenth part of his gossip would tire out the most patient
fireside reader ; and I shall therefore only record, in an
abbreviated form, such of his " sayings" as I can re-
' The Acliter Bruntjes Ilooghte is the locality of some of
the fabulous inventions of Le Vaillant : it became a few years
ago, under the appellation of Glen Ljnden, the location of a
party of Scotch Settlers, and the residence of the well-known
poet Pringle, whose prose partakes often of poetic fiction.
356 THE EMIGRANT BOER.
collect, which may, from their tendency, be deemed
suitable to the pages now before us.
"Mynheer,'' remarked I, "you — who appear to
talk of, and to recollect events of half a century's date,
as if they were of yesterday's occurrence — can, I dare
say, give me some account of one or two subjects
about which I am very anxious to obtain information.
In the first place, I should like to have an outline of
the movements of your countrymen who have emi-
grated beyond the Orange River, with the reasons for
their having taken such a desperate step — and se-
condly, as a sportsman, I am much interested on
another subject, namely, the history of the many wild
animals of this part of the world ; whether they were
formerly really as numerous as stated, within the
bounds of the Colony, and if or not the accounts be
exafffferated, of the countless flocks still to be met with
beyond the Orange River f
" As to your first question," answered B , " I
would rather be silent on the subject, for I do not
think that all I might say could possibly be gratifying
to an Englishman's ears.^ With regard to the wild
animals, however, I shall be glad to give you what-
ever information I possess on the matter."
" We hear — nor do I see any reason to doubt the
truth of the assertion — that when the Dutch first
came to the Cape under old Van Riebeck, all sorts of
wild animals were then as numerous there, as they are at
this day on the banks of the Mori(pia and Limpopo, on
^ See Nicholson's " Cape and its Colonists ;" also an article
which appeared in the " New Monthly Magazine" for January,
1849, entitled the "Rebel Boers."
THE EMIGRANT BOER, ;j,o7
the verge of tlio tropic — or as they tcere along the
\'aal and Modder Iviver.s, when, some ten or twelve
years since, my countrynicu, the self-exiled Boers,
' treked'' towards Natal.
" We read accounts of elands and buffaloes beinir
pursued into Table ]3ay — of the rhinoceros and sea-
cow' frequenting the marshes on the Cape Town
Plaats — of elephants wandering about the margin of
Hout Bay — of cattle — nay, even men, being occasion-
ally carried away by lions from under the very walls
of the Fort, in Cape Town itself; and, at a rather
later period, we hear of powerful escorts being still
required for protection against wild beasts, dui'ing so
short an overland excursion as that between Saldanha
and Table Bay. Such precautionary measures even
failed sometimes to ensure the parties so engaged from
serious loss by attacks from ferocious animals, whose
very strongholds appear to have been invaded when
the Dutch first settled at the Cape.
" All this would scarcely be believed by the present
occupiers of the gardens and villas of Constantia,
Wynberg, and Rondebosch, as they drive out in their
carriages over a hard, smooth road, to those delightful
retreats, were the facts not attested by well authenti-
cated documents.
" Why, sir, my own memory, which can easily re-
trace the events of the last fifty years, (fur I am now
nearly seventy) recalls the time Avheu the elephant
and buffalo, the eland and the koudou, still abounded
in George and the eastern part of Swellendam ; when
the rhee-bock, the steen-bock, and the bosch-bock were
to be had for shooting, and were much easier obtained
^ The hippopotamus is so called by the Colonists.
858 THE EMIGRANT BOER.
than powder and shot ; when the lion (though rather
scarce) still iuluibited the western districts, and the sea-
cow fearlessly wallowed in the waters of the Camtoos !
" But all the animals of the chase, great and small,
and especially the former, gradually retreated be-
fore the footsteps of man. My old ' Roer' was getting
rusty for want of use, and, as I found existence irk-
some in the absence of the comrades of my youth (for I
mostly lived in the Bush, amidst its sylvan denizens) —
added to certain other reasons, which shall be name-
less — I e'en followed, step by step, in their wake, to
the Sunday, the Bushman''s River, the Kowie, and
the Fish River Bush. The Kaffirs had already made
a tolerable clearing in the thickets of the latter, when
the swarms of your countrymen who lauded at Algoa
Bay, some twenty-five years back, put a finishing-
stroke to the work. The smaller game was, between
them and the Kaffirs, nearly extirpated, whilst ele-
phants were slain by hundreds for the sake of their
ivory ; and the survivors, in common with every other
larger sort of wild animals, gradually fell back beyond
the Orange River. Thither also I followed, with a nume-
rous body of my countrymen, and for years past have
endured all the vicissitudes of a wandering, though to
me, happy state of existence ; for," said he — pointing to
a long gun, carefully encased in sheepskin, which hung
at the bow of his saddle, and protruded nearly the
length of the horse's neck — "the rust was kept off my
friend there, whom in all my wanderings, with Pro-
vidence for my guide, I have ever found my best ally
and safest companion — though I must also include
this my trusty little horse," added he, patting the
THE EMIGRANT BOER. S-jO
scraggy neck of the rough, wiry-looking galloway he
bestrode.
" But," next inquired I, " in those remote regions
you allude to, are the wild animals described by some
recent travellers still found in such immense numbers
as they state? For instance, , in his amusing
book, talks of riding amongst flocks of quaggas, os-
triches, gnus, cameleopards, and all manner of ante-
lopes, as if he had been blazing away right and left
into so many flocks of sheep — is all this to be taken
in the literal sense, or is it only figurative language on
the part of the authorf
" I understand you," replied the blunt old Dutch-
man ; "you wish to know if told the truth, or if
he lied. 1 have never read his book, but I met him
when in that part of the country which he describes as
then abounding so much in game ; and, having shot over
it before he did, I can safely say that he tells the
truth. Were the same stories told at the present
day, I should say they were lies, for the large game
continues yet to retire ; though in seasons of drought
the spring-bock still passes in as great numbers as
ever even the northern boundaries of the colony, com-
mitting nearly equal havoc in their progress, with our
old enemies the locusts, whose visits are likewise
occasional. Elephants and giraflfes are now to be found
only near the tropic ; whilst even the eland, the gems-
bok, and quagga, are becoming daily more scarce on
the other side of the Orange.
" I have thus for half a century followed step by
step, in their retreat, the wild animals of the chase; but
if they fall back on the equator itself, I will, if I live,
S60 THE EMIGRANT BOER.
follow them even there," said the old sportsman, in a
determined tone, "for I must not in my old age allow
the roer to get either rusty or dim,"
Once on his favourite hobby, the chase, I found that
old B — required but little urging to proceed.
" I have heard much," observed I, " of the lion
hunts in this part of the world, and of the different
methods pursued by your countrymen and mine, in his
pursuit — you have, no doubt, witnessed both, and
what may be your opinion of their respective merits V
"Ach, mynheer," said 13 — , "I see what you are
driving at ; your countrymen, when we first became
acquainted with them, were generally called by us
' domme EnglJinder' (stupid English), but I allow — in
all things save as sportsmen — they have long since
proved themselves undeserving of that name ; how-
ever, in spite of their criticisms on our mode of liunt-
ing, in that respect, at least, I do not think we have
given them a misnomer."
" As how ?" asked I, not a little anxious to hear
the old Nimrod's reasons.
"Answer me first one or two questions," rejoined
he. " Do you consider it a proof of wisdom for any
man wantonly to waste what he pays dearly for, and
what is, moreover, often in this part of the world, not
to be procured even for its weight in gold V
" Perhaps not — what then V
" Do you think it wise for a man to expose, without
any palpable reason or adequate advantage, both his
property and life? Is it not rather 'domme'' if a man
neglects in any situation to guard against danger, when
he can do so without dishonour V
Till". KM lO RANT BOKR. SGI
" Granted — but what tlieii f
" Well," said old J3 — , cliuckling most lieartily at
having, as he thought, completely " wired me"" — "well,
then, do not your jagers (hunters) constantly waste
more powder and lead on wretched little birds, sucli as
quails and pheasants,^ than would bring down a whole
herd of elephants, did they only take the trouble to
go in quest of them ? Rely upon it, the single bullet
and the long barrel is the true sportsman's legitimate
weapon ; with these, a steady hand and quick eye,
either on foot or horseback, he does not require the
new fangled invention of small shot — for what is too
small to be hit with a bullet is not worth hitting at
all.
" Then, when I see people going to the expense of
keeping forty or fifty dogs, and running the risk of
breakino; their own necks and their horses' leo;s — for
what I ^^'hy," exultingly cried the old man, with a
heai-ty laugh, " for the sake of catching a stinking
jackall, or carrion wolf, which might be trapped, or
shot with a spring gun — 1 then cannot help calling it a
' domme' thinfj.
" Thirdly,"'"' continued ]\(\ " when your countrymen
throw aside their shot-belts, and hunt the lion instead
of quails, I again consider them little better than mad-
men ; for, instead of making a shield of their horses'
bodies, they recklessly, like " yonkers,'' unnecessarily
expose their own persons to his teeth and claws.
^ "\Miat is here called, or rather miscalled, the pheasant, is a
large species of partridge resembling the Indian "spur fowl."
Quails — here' birds of passage, as on the northern coast of
Africa — are at certain seasons very plentiful, and afford excel-
lent sport.
VOL. II. R
362 THE EMIGRANT BOER.
" If you will not condescend to take a lesson from
the Dutch, who have been so much longer in this part
of the world, you might see how your friends the
Kaffirs manage these matters. Do you know how V
I shook my head. *' Well, then, when lions were a
few years ago plentiful enough in the Amakosa coun-
try, and the Kaffirs had no other weapons but their
assegais — they would, armed with these and large
shields, surround the Bush to which they might have
tracked the lion ; their dogs were then sent in to
worry him out of his lair. Wherever he showed
himself, he was assailed by showers of assegais — if
he singled out a Kaffir, the latter threw himself on
the ground, crept under his large shield, and lay
there, like a tortoise in its shell. Meanwhile, the
other hunters lost no time in rushing on with their
assegais to the rescue; the lion in his fury would
turn on another foe, and again encounter nought save
a tough buffalo, or sea cow-hide, on which to vent his
rage ; till at last, bristling with assegais, and exhausted
from loss of blood, he fell — and generally with few
casualties on their part — an easy prey to his pur-
suers. Now, the shields we make use of in hunting
these animals, are — as I suppose you are aware — the
hind-quarters of our horses, which I should think
make as good a sheath for the lion''s teeth and claws,
as an Englishman's shoulder."
I saw it would be useless to oppose what / consi-
dered the prejudices of tlie old South African hunter.
Admitting therefore the justice of his argument, I
begged he would detail to me the manner in which his
countrymen generally hunt and destroy the lion.
THE EMIGRANT BOER. 363
For this purpose, it appears that a number of
mounted Hoers assemble at a given " rendezvous," ac-
companied by their Hottentot attendants, and with
dogs for the purpose of tracking the game. The usual
resort of the lion is amongst the long grass, or sedges,
growing on the brink of a spring, or along some
marshy hollow. This shallow covert he is soon made
to quit, on the approach of the " jagers," and he may
next be seen lobbing up some open grassy ascent, to
the nearest clump of mimosas, or other bushes, into
which the dojrs are made to follow him. Meanwhile
the main body of mounted sportsmen — after having
detached scouts to the right and left, to observe the
enemy's motions should he break covert in those
directions — ride along the open ground on their well
trained little shooting galloways, halting about a hun-
dred 3'ards from the spot where the lion is now baited
by the dogs. Here they dismount ; and the horses
being kept in a compact body, with their heads turned
to the rear, are given in charge of the Hottentots.
Maddened at length by the continued attacks of his
yelping foes, the lion bounds forth with a roar from
his bushy shelter into the open space — whilst lashing at
the same time his tawny flanks, he rushes towards the
assembled group of hunters and horses ; then — halting
for a second — he crouches to the ground, with ears drawn
back and eyes glaring with revenge, and gathers him-
self up to bound amongst his foes. This is the critical
moment generally chosen by the hunters to open their
fire — a volley is poured into the still crouching animal,
which, in most cases, disables him from making the
intended spring. If not, the Boers seek immediate
r2
864) THE EMIGRANT BOER.
refuge behind the hving rampart of horseflesh, which
is instantly stormed by their mighty foe, who, fixing
liiinself on one of the horses, generally sacrifices him
to his rage, but, in so doing, is again exposed to the
shots of such of the party who have kept their fire in
reserve — and, as the Boers are all excellent marksmen,
the lion seldom escapes.
My informant next commented on the mode of
attack pursued by the English, and strongly animad-
verted on the fool-hardiness of engaging single-handed,
— and without a reserve to fall back upon — an animal
possessing such amazing strength as to be able to drag
along the largest ox, to throw the carcase of a horse
over his shoulder, and walk away with ease under his
burden ; or, seizing a half grown calf in his mouth —
as a cat would do a mouse — can, thus encumbered, clear
at a single bound the highest enclosure of a cattle
kraal.
But though resistless in his fury, there are moments
— according to old B , that the king of the forest
can be approached with impunity, and in perfect
safety ; when being fully gorged with food, he lies
basking in sleep, after indulging in some bloody feast.
At such times, he is not easily aroused, but if then
suddenly disturbed, instantly takes to flight.
When discovered in this state by the Bushmen, they
unhesitatingly shoot their tiny poisoned arrows into
])is hide. He starts up, flies like a stricken deer, but
carries death with him in his flight, and soon sinks
under tlie venom infused and now rapidly circulating
in liis veins; falling thus a helpless victim to a wretched
•'iminutive creature, bearing more resemblance to the ape
TIIR KMIORANT HOER. 305
species tliaii to mankind. The pigmy savage next tracks
him up to the death, and, spite of the poison hy which
it has been caused, greedily devours the tlesh, Nvhicii
is said to resemble in taste and appearance coarse,
light-coloured beef.'
As with the royal tiger in India, the lion having
once tasted human flesh, prefers it to that of all other
animals, and will not touch the flock if he can seize
upon the shepherd — preferring likewise a coloured to
a white man. My informant assured me that instances
had occurred of a Hottentot having been singled out,
and carried oft' during sleep by a lion, whilst wrapped
up in his sheep-skin kaross, and surrounded by a party
of Boers in the same state of insensibility. To ac-
count for this, he gave as a reason that the lion was
probably guided in his choice by the smell ; but if
this be the case, he cannot most assuredly be gifted
with very refined olfactory nerves ; for, generally speak-
ing, th.e " Totties'' are redolent of any thing save the
perfumes of " Araby the blest,""
With such like discourse, interlarded with many an
anecdote too long to repeat, did the old hunter while
away the tedium of the road ; till, crossing the ro-
mantic streamlet of the Intoka, we pulled up at the
small hamlet of IJlinkwater ; oft'-saddled, and follow-
ing my guide into the nearest cottage, were instantly
invited to partake of whatever humble fare it could
aflJbrd.
Blinkwater is noted, in the annals of the last Kaffir
war, as one of the first places attacked by the savages,
after the disastrous aft'airat Burns'' Hill. It happened
' Kolben says it is like venison.
366 THE EMIGRANT BOER.
to be at the time occupied by a small party of the 91st,
under the command of a Serjeant. The Kaffirs rushed
on, as usual, in overwhelming numbers, to the attack,
but were steadily repulsed ; and, finding all their
efforts useless against the gallant little band, who so
resolutely held their own, were at last fain to retreat,
with a considerable loss in killed and wounded, most
of whom they however carried off.
The brave man who headed this o:allant defence was
Sergeant Snodgrass, of the 91st. Gladly do I record
his name ; for, with truth has it been said,' " that the
English soldier fights unnoticed under the cold shade
of the aristocracy ;" and, spite of a few vivifying rays,
cast by the high-minded conqueror of Scinde,^ through
the gloomy shadow, on his noble deeds, that freezing
shade is as yet far from being entirely dispelled.
Even now, the humble name seldom figures in a de-
spatch ; and the bright flash of the bayonet is — gene-
rally speaking — only noticed by such as are driven
before its glittering point I
' Somewhere in General Sir William Napier's History of the
Peninsula War.
- " For the first time, in English despatches, the names of
private soldiers who had distinguished themselves were made
known to their countrymen." — From General William Napier's
" Conquest of Scinde" p. 323.
THE TARKA RANGERS. ^(j7
CHAPTER XIX.
THE TARKA RANGERS.
Dutch hospitality — Substantial fare — Wrongs of the Dutch
Settler — Picturesque Scenery of the Wintcrberg Mountains
— Beautiful Table-Land — Location of Friendly Kaffirs —
Mr. Kussell — Tremendous hail-storm — Description of the
Tarka Rangers — Tlie Kaffir Chiefs, Ilermanus and Kama —
Vocabulary of Kaffir words — Avocations of a Kaffir Wife —
Interiorof a Kaffir Hut — Captain Ward, of the 91st — He de-
scribes the privations of the troops— ]\Ir. Calderwood, the Mis-
sionary — Field Commandants — Dismissal of the Commander
of the Tarka Rangers — Description of a Boer's House —
Good qualities of the Dutch Settlers.
" Cedar, and pine, and fir, and branching palm —
A sylvan scene ! — and as the ranks ascend,
Shade above shade, a woody theatre
Of stateliest view."
Milton.
The friend of Mynlieer B was, or rather luul
been, a substantial fanner in the Hantani ; but obHged,
like many others, to abandon his possessions during
the late troubles, he had, for the sake of protection,
taken up a temporary residence at Blinkwater.
It was still early in the forenoon when we were so
kindly invited to " oft-saddle," and welcomed to his
present humble abode ; but, contrary to the usual
Dutch custom in this country, our host, in the warmth
of his hospitality, anticipated considerably the hour of
o68 THE TARKA RANGERS.
the principal repast, and we soon beheld most substan-
tial fare, spread out before us on the roughly boarded
trestle doing duty for " mahogany."
Although myself able occasionally to play a tolerably
good knife and fork game, I was not a little surprised
on witnessing the gastronomic powers of my new
Dutch acquaintances, at this early hour of the day.
A hearty meal, followed by a few " soupjies," or drams
— which usually terminate their repasts — had how-
ever so far removed the old hunters cautious reserve,
that, on again pressing him to give me some account
of those reasons which had caused the emigration of
so large a portion of his fellow-countrymen beyond the
limits of the Colonial border, he entered into details of
injustice and ill-treatment, such as, I confess, I thought,
at the time, were greatly exaggerated, but which sub-
sequent inquiries on the subject showed to be founded
in fact. Having however elsewhere adverted to the
wronii's of those descendants of the original Dutch Set-
tiers in this part of the world, I shall not at present
try the reader"'s patience, by recapitulating what
Mynheer B related on the subject.
As the old Dutchman proposed spending the re-
mainder of the day with his friend, I wished him good-
bye ; we shook hands, when, mounting my horse, I
departed with a small escort of dragoons, and, in the
windings of the narrow and thickly-wooded valley,
soon lost sight of Blinkwater, togetlier with my kind,
though recently formed acquaintances.
" After" — says the journal which I always, when
opportunity offered, sent home in an epistolary form,
and from which I make the following extract — " after
THK TAKIvA RANGERS. Sfj.')
passing the villaoe of liliukwator, tlie valley throu^^li
wliicli runs the Kat River gradually becomes more
narrow and wooded for about four miles, when the pass
ascendincr the ' Little Winterberg "" Mountains com-
mences, whoso beauty is only excelled by that, during
the first part of the ascent on the Italian side of the
Simplon ; which — though on a much smaller scale —
it greatly resembles.
•' The road, as in the Simplon, runs along the right
of a densely-wooded ravine ; the usual impenetrable
Bush of this country being in this locality replaced
with noble forest-trees, mostly connected together by
various lianes and creepers — here called ' monkey
ropes' — some of whose pendent branches reach the
ground, in much the same manner as the young shoots
of a mangoo tree ; whilst masses of lichen, and a blueish
gray species of moss, hung down from their time-worn
and decayed trunks and limbs, like the hoary matted
locks of an old fakeer. The road, which, altliouah
very steep, is practicable for waggons, was planned and
formed, some years ago, by a civil engineer, of tiie
name ofBlain; and continues for about four miles,
with a precipitous ascent, to wind along through moun-
tain scenery of the most picturesque description. On
the right, were towering heights, crowned by lofty forest
trees ; while to our left, lay a deep, dark chasm, over-
looked by beetling cliffs, with an angry torrent raging
at its base. In some places, fifty men could easily
have stopped a whole army ; and, as we dismounted,
to ascend the steepest parts, we were, as you may
imagine, sufficiently on the qui vive ; though, in the
event of a surprise, we should have been completely
R 5
o70 THE TARKA RANGERS.
iu the power of our assailants. We, however, reached
the summit, without any interruption, and here quite
a new scene disclosed itself, not unlike parts of the
upper regions of the Alps, excepting always the snow.
" We now stood on an open, undulating table-
land, covered with the richest pasture ; and, as I
looked down some of the green valleys, and saw herds
of oxen securely grazing — with an eye to the speedy con-
clusion of thetruce — I took out my telescope, and counted
about five or six hundred head of cattle, looking little
larger than beetles creeping along far below where we
stood. I could also distinguish Kaffir huts, and
people tilling the ground, all of which was a complete
mystery only to be cleared up on reaching the post I
was about to visit ; the force of which, I found to con-
sist of a few Hottentots, and the rest of friendly Kaffirs
belonging to the Tribes of Kama and Hermanns, whose
families had been allowed to locate themselves here.
This fully explained what I had just seen, which — as
we were within the bounds of the Colony — would
otherwise have been unaccountable. The Field-Com-
mandant in command of the Post was reported to be
absent on duty, and the camp (placed near some
muddy springs and the remains of a ruined house,
which, before the Kaffir irruption, had been an inn)
was now in charge of a Mr. C , formerly of the
Cape Corps Rifles, and a young Irishman, of the
name of Russell, wlio had come out to see a little of
the world, and had just stumbled on the present
Kaffir war, in which he was enacting the part of a
volunteer. Whilst a messenger was sent to the kraal
I had seen in the valley, in order to summon some of
THE TARKA RANGERS. 371
the friendly Kaffirs attached to tlic levy, I lav down
in a small tent to have a little sleep, but was soon
awoke by peals of thunder, wliich appeared to burst
right over head, and were followed by the most tre-
mendous hail-storm I ever witnessed. It seemed
as if the teut were pelted with snow-balls ; and
in five minutes the ground was white with hail-
stones of the size of pigeons'' eggs. Shortly after the
storm ceased, my troops had assembled. I had by
this time been pretty well initiated into imitations of
Falstafi'^s ragged regiment on the part of my gallant
army — but the appearance of this portion of the
troops beat every thing I could have imagined. Pic-
ture to yourself one hundred and fifty large athletic
fellows, stark naked, and as black as your shoe, or with
only a ragged blanket, or ox-hide around them, some
armed with assegais, and others with rusty firelocks of
every shape and make, and you will have but a taint
idea of the ruffianly appearance of these " Tarka
Rangers," for by this name they have been dignified
by their Commander ! I wished to examine their
arms, but, finding them all loaded, I ordered the
charges to be drawn ; as the shortest way of doing
which they began to squib them off, and kept up a
fire which lasted some minutes, the balls whistling
about, along the sides of the hills, much to the risk of the
peaceful cixttle thereon enjoying their mid-day meal !
" After the parade, I was introduced to one of the
Kaffir chiefs, rt^oicing in the Dutch name of Hermanus
— a thick-set, sturdy fellow, rigged out in a jacket and
trowsers. On account of some previous dispute with
Macomo, he had put himself under English protection ;
o72 THE TARKA RANGERS.
and, like Kama, had joined our party durini^ the war.
He spoke Dutch, and a little English, in which lan-
guage he very urgently expressed a hope that I would
order trowsers for his men ; but, as I thought they
would only be in the way, I limited my promise of
clothing, to red nightcaps, check shirts, and jackets ;
intendinc; to make Highlanders of them. Kama, the
other chief, who was absent, is a converted Kaffir ; and
the reason of his separating from his brothers, Pato
and Congo, was — it is said — a point of conscience —
he, as a Christian, refusing to have more than one
wife ; and thereby quarrelling with some chief who
wished him to many his daughter.
" ]Mr. Hermanns and I soon became very great friends.
He supplied me with a long vocabulary of Kaffir words,
which I wrote down, and his remarks were most amusinsr.
Amongst other things, I asked him what the other
Kaffirs would do to him if they caught him during the
war ? His reply was, by taking up a piece of paper,
tearino; it into small shreds, and castino; them on the
ground ! I next asked him what was the belief of
the Kaffirs \ He said they believed in nothing — sup-
posed every existing thing came from nothing, and
would go to nothing. Hermanns has four wives, for
each of whom he gave from ten to thirty oxen. On
telling him that in England we were allowed only one,
and had sometimes trouble enough to keep that one
in order, he said he always heard Englislt women
' were d — d rogue, never work in the fields, and al-
ways spend money,*" but that they knew better how to
manage them in Kaffirland ; where the ' fair"* sex
plough, sow, and reap, whilst their lords and masters
TIIK TARKA RANGERS. 37-3
do nothiiiir but bask in the sun, and smoke their
pipes.
" In the evening, I went with Mr. Russell down
the valley where I had seen the cattle and Kaflir
huts in the morning ; and, by the help of my lately
acquired learning, purchased a bowl of fresh milk for a
piece of tobacco. Hermanus"' people were here very
busy building their new abodes, which consist of huts
about six feet in diameter, and nearly the same height,
composed of bent twigs, covered either with straw and
cow-dung, or with raw ox-hides, having only one open-
ing for the admission of the inmates, of light, air, and
the emission of smoke.
" I looked into one of these huts, and saw about
a dozen human beinjjs, consrrcfjated round a fire burn-
er ? O O
ing in the centre, on which was simmering a pot with
their evening meal, but was by no means tempted to
claim their hospitality ! It was now getting dark ; and,
as we were a couple of miles from camp, the greatest part
of which was up a steep ascent, we had to put our best
foot foremost ; and by the time we reached the summit,
Mr. Ri., myself, and a Kaffir who had accompanied
us, were all pretty well blown.
" This fatiguing walk however nowise deprived us
of our appetite for supper ; and, having inflated my
' air mattress,"* and rolled myself up in a blanket, I
was shortly afterwards fast asleep, but awoke bitterly
cold in the early part of the morning.
"Hearing that the Kaffirs had a fire in the ruined
house below, I was glad to join their domestic circle.
A Kaffir damsel, my next neighbour, as we all crowded
round the glowing embers, was very busily engaged
37* THE TARKA RANGERS.
in sewing with the sinews of the spring-buck, and
ornamenting with beads a curious article of Kaffir
dress. Desirous of possessing a specimen of the same,
I promised her a roll of ' Couba,' if she would finish
it for me before my departure. This was accoi-dingly
done — but she begged for sixpence, instead of the
' baccky ;' an evident proof of the march of in-
tellect, conversion, and civilization, amongst the
Kaffirs !"
Not over-satisfied with the result of my inspection of
the " Tarka Rangers," I early took my departure ; and
Hermanns accompanied us with some of his followers
to the foot of the Blinkwater pass. From thence we
pushed on at a canter to Beaufort, where I remained
for a day's rest at the house of my friend Colonel
Nicolls, the Connnandant — my eyes being greatly in-
flamed from so much exposure to sun and wind ; ere
returning however, to Block Drift, I took advantage of
my kind host's cool quarters, and managed, in a par-
tially darkened room, to concoct a long letter, of
which the following are extracts : —
" The news of to-day is that the 6th Regiment and
the Rifles are on their way from Algoa Bay — that San-
dilla has brought in arms, horses, and cattle, to the
camp ; and, as this is the last day of the truce, I sup-
pose he thereby means to show his pacific intentions —
in short, I fear the game is up !
" During my brief absence from camp, they have
had another sham-fight, or rather cattle-stealing field-
day, as likewise a steeple-chase, in which occurred
several tumbles and one broken head. I have become
acquainted here with Captain Ward, of the 91st
THE TARKA RANGERS. S75
Regiment, the husband of the hidy who has written
'the Scenes in Kaflirland"' in tlie United Service
Magazine ; and he describes the three or four first
days' fighting last April in the Amatola, when the
war began, as very hard work. The Kaffirs had not
then received the G wanga lesson ; considered themselves
the better men, and were very ' cock-a-hoop."' Poor
]3ainibric'k'.s death, the burnino; of the waffg-ons, the
plunder of their contents, and the retreat on Block
Drift, nowise diminished this feeling, or the con-
fidence they then felt in their own prowess. Cap-
tain Ward says, in detailing this last business, that
from the Thursday morning at three o'clock, when he
had a biscuit and a cup of coffee, he did not taste food
till late on the Saturday night. His men caught
some goats ; but, as they had not time to cook them,
he told me he could not eat the raw and quivering
flesh, though he tried to season it, by covering it with
wood ashes instead of salt ! I met this morning — at
the breakfast mess of the 7th Dragoons — a ' lion'
from the interior of Africa in the shape of a Mr. Ark-
wright, who has just returned from a shooting excur-
sion, on which he has been absent nine months. He
heard of the Great Salt-water Lake, about which so
much has been said, but did not reach it. A mis-
sionary, of the name of Calderwood, left this to-day
for camp, to be present at the conference of Sandilla,
and, I suspect, to regulate the limits of the boundary
to be taken up, as appears completely in the
liands of these gentry, and quite led in every thing by
what they say. I start for IJlock Drift in an hour or
two, and shall close this letter in a few days, ere which.
876 THE TARKA RANGERS.
I trust, the mail, which is expected to have been
brought out by tlie ' Devastation,'' will also give me
intelligence from home."
* * * *
I have alluded, in the above extracts, to my
" Kaffir Vocabulary ;" and, as it may prove a useful
liint to many, especially to military men, I may ob-
serve, by the way, that in whatever part of the world
I have travelled — and my wanderings have been far
and wide — I invariably made it a rule, even when time
did not admit of a grammatical study of the language,
to enter in a small pocket-book — whenever an oc-
casion occurred — the name of every object which
presented itself — no matter from whom I could pick
up such information. This list of words, graduallv
swelling into a catalogue of sentences and dialogues,
I always carried with me ; and, as I took every op-
portunity, even when walking or riding, of referring
thereto, and of applying my thus acquired learnino-
by talking, right or wrong, to such of the natives as
I might happen to fall in with ; the consequence was,
that in a short time, I generally speaking — in a
way — sufficiently mastered the lingo, to carry me
through the country, without being annoyed by that
usual incumbrance of the traveller — an ignorant and
overreaching interpreter.
It may perhaps be a novelty if I give the follow-
ing list of Kaffir words, which I find put down to the
account of the " Friendly Kaffir Chief, Hermanns ;""
and on the same principle, I likewise annex a few speci-
mens of the now extinct Hottentot lansfuao-e, extracted
THE TARKA RANOERS.
377
from some of the old authors who have written on the
Colony of the Cape of Good Hope : —
KAFFIR.
HOTTENTOT.
Lfingah .
. The sun .
. Sourrie (also the title lor a Chief.)
Niangah .
. The moon
. Gounjah
Moyah .
. The wind
. Toyah
Amanzee
. Water .
,, fa common termination of
. Ivamma<^ ^, „ .
I^the names oi nvers.
Injah .
. A dog
. Lik'hanee
Ilashi .
. A horse .
. Ilacqua
Umfazi .
. A woman
. Quaishah
Amufdzi .
. ^\'omca
From the above few specimens, it Avould appear
that there never existed any relations betwixt the
Hottentot and Kaffir languages ; although, in the
latter, the " palatial" sound of the " click" is now very
o^enerally used by the Kaffirs. Barrow — who was ap-
parently not an Oriental scholar — endeavoured to
prove the eastern derivation of the Kaffir language
from the sound of " Eliang," (as he spells Lungrih) the
sun — I know not if the Arabic prefix el be generally
used with the Kaffirs, but the only other word that I
could discover as common to both, is — as I have re-
marked in a former portion of this work — the atlirnia-
tion " Eywah" (yes.)
In both the Kaffir and Hottentot languages, many
words were no doubt derived from an extraneous
source : such in the latter is the term " Hacqua," ex-
tracted from Kolben, evidently from the Portuguese
" Haca ;" as the horse was, previously to European
intercourse, unknown in that part of the world. In
like manner, it is not unreasonable to suppose that a
few Oriental words might have been casual! v intro-
378 THE TARKA RANGERS.
duced amongst the negro nations of tlie eastern coast,
bordering the Mozambique channel, by those Arab
traders, who, some hundred years back, are ascer-
tained to have frequented this part of Africa, and
may possibly have extended their slaving, bartering,
or piratical expeditions, much ftirther to the south-
ward than is now generally known.
The KafEr Vocabulary given by Barrow varies
greatly from the one which I formed during my resi-
dence in Kaffirland — particularly his list of numerals
— though the names given by him of Hottentot num-
bers (which only extended to ten) corresponds nearly
with Kolben"'s — from whose work Barrow may perhaps
have extracted it — for, at the period of his visit to the
Cape, the Quaiquaj language nmst have been nearly as
much forgotten as it is at the present day.
Should the reader, however, wish to acquire a
grammatical knowledge of the Kaffir language, I beg
to refer him (or her) to a clever work written on the
subject by the Reverend Doctor Boyce, a missionary
who long resided amongst that people.
So much for the Kaffir language — a dissertation
brought about by my acquaintance with Hermanns,
whilst on my visit to the " Tarka Rangers," which
corps was, by the bye, the worst commanded, most dis-
orderly, and most ruffianly-looking of all that most
ruffianly collection, composing my swarthy legions in
Kaffirland !
Captain M , its commandant — most worthy of
such a corps, and probably the cause of its being in
so disorganized a state — had, it is said, been steward
to a vessel wrecked some years previously on the
THE TARKA RAXflERS. 379
coast ; and, when such injudicious selections were
made in the choice of " Field-Commandants," it will
not be matter of surprise that I found some of the
native levies in rather a disorderly condition. It
was, however, in palliation, alleged that half-pay
officers were not to be found, and that those belonging
to the regular forces could not be spared from their
regimental duties ; yet, by a strange inconsistency,
many of the latter were holding appointments on the
statt". Meanwhile, of the several Field-officers sent
out for the purpose of being actively engaged in this
" special service," only two were employed, in a man-
ner, at all analogous to the object of their mission,
whilst the rest were long — much against their will —
most unaccountably either left in a state of compara-
tive inactivity at Graham's Town, Fort Beaufort,
Waterloo Bay, and Bathurst ; or else idly hangino^
about the army without any definite object or employ-
ment !
But I have digressed from the present hero of my tale :
the brave Commander of the " Tarka Rangers." When
I visited his force, I found him absent, as was stated,
on duty ; which duty I afterwards discovered was to
be perpetually drunk at Fort Beaufort, and I con-
sequently reported him totally unfit for his situation.
But Captain M awaited not the intimation
of his dismissal ; for, having quietly walked oft", with-
out distributing the arrears of pay due to his gallant
troops, he contrived to make his way to Port Elizabeth,
wiiere he was, however, apprehended ; and the last
time I had the honour of seeing this worthy com-
mander, he was securely haudcuffed in a bullock-
380 THE TARKA RANGERS.
waggon, en route to Graham's Towu, in order there
to be tried for his various peccadilloes !
I have, in the foregoing chapter, casually alluded to
the mode of life of the Dutch J3oers ; and having had
few opportunities of intercourse with these brave and
hospitable, though much abused and unjustly vilified,
race of people — I, therefore, make no apology for in-
serting the following extracts from one or two authors,
on the subject in question : —
" The Boers' houses," says Bunbury, " in that
part of the Colony which I saw, are always low, con-
sisting merely of a ground-floor, with a terrace of
brickwork, called the stoep, in front, on which the
principal apartments open. The sitting-room is gene-
rally in the middle, the bed-rooms on each side of it,
and the kitchen behind. The apartments are sub-
stantially, though not handsomely, furnished ; but
what struck me most was, that almost all the windows
have glass casements ; whereas, in the interior of
Brazil, glass is not seen, except in houses of the highest
class. I should have supposed that the safe carriage
of it would be as difficult on the roads of tlie one
country as of the other. The floors are in general of
clay ; but, in the better sort of houses, they are partly
covered with skins, especially of the springbok, which
make very handsome carpeting. The beds are re-
markably uncomfortable ; they are feather beds, so
soft and unsubstantial, that you sink down in them
lower and lower, till you wonder whither you are
going ; and at last, when you can descend no farther,
you find yourself almost buried in a huge mass of
feathers, and yet very insufficiently protected from the
THE TARKA RANGERS. 381
hard bedstead under you. There are no firephaces in
the IJoers"* liouses, so that, however cold and wet the
weather may be, your only chance of wanning your-
self is by going into the dirty kitchen. The men,
under such circumstances, wrap themselves up in their
cloaks ; the women put under their feet little boxes
containing hot charcoal, a practice which, I believe,
still subsists in Holland also.'"
The same author likewise states, that the Dutch
Boers entertain a strong dislike to the English — nor
can this be matter of surprise — considering what fjreat
harshness and injustice they have — even up to the
present day — ever experienced at our hands ; and that
our Government appears nowise disposed to relent in
their favour, seems evident from tiie persecutions to
which these unhappy people have so lately been sub-
jected, and of which — for our credit — the less that is
said the better.
If rebellion has been thrust upon them, it is no fault
of theirs. The IJoers possess many good qualities
which, under judicious treatment, would render them
valuable subjects, and along a widely extended fron-
tier, our cheapest and most efficient defence. Amongst
their numerous qualiticatious, bravery and hospitality
stand eminently conspicuous. Of the former, they
have often given unequivocal proofs— and that verv
recently, greatly to our cost ; whilst Barrow, who
was never in any way inclined to show them either
partiality, fovour, or affection, thus testifies their
claim to the latter good quality : —
" Rude and uncultivated as arc the minds of the
Cape Dutch, there is one virtue in which they emi-
382 THE TARKA RANGERS.
nently excel — hospitality to strangers. A country-
man, a foreigner, a relation, a friend, are all equally
welcome to whatsoever the house will afford. A
Dutch farmer never passes a house on the road with-
out alighting, except, indeed, his next neighbours',
with whom it is ten to one he is at variance. It is
not enough to inquire after the health of the family
in passing ; even on the road, if two peasants should
meet, tliey instantly dismount to shake hands, whe-
ther strangers or friends.
" When a traveller arrives at a habitation, he
alights from his horse, enters the house, shakes hands
with the men, kisses the women, and sits down with-
out further ceremony. When the table is served, he
takes his place among the family without waiting for
an invitation ; this is never given, on the supposition
that a traveller, in a country so thinly inhabited,
must always have an appetite for something. Ac-
cordingly, ' What will you make use of V is generally
the first question. If there be a bed in the house, it
is given to the stranger ; if none, which is frequently
the case among the graziers of the district of Graaf
Revnet, he must take his chance for a form, or bench, of
a heap of sheepskins, among the rest of the family. In
the morning, after a solid breakfast, he takes his
sopio, or glass of brandy ; orders his slave, or Hot-
tentot, to saddle the horses ; again shakes hands with
the men, and kisses the women : be wishes them
health, and they wish him a good journey. In this
manner, a traveller might pass through the whole
country."
THE GREAT t"" SOMTSKU. 383
CHAPTER XX.
THE GREAT T SOMTSEU.
The Author meets with two officers just returned from the
Interior — Prosecution of discovery into those interest-
ing regions recommended — High road into Central Africa —
Relations of the sporting officers — The celebrated Mr. Gum-
ming — Marvellous anecdotes respecting him — His eccentric
mode of life — Particulars recounted by Mr. Tomlinson —
The Author's interview with Mr. Gumming — Sleeping in the
lion's den — Adventures of Mr. Gumming — His sporting
exploits.
"Would'st thou view the lion's den,
Search afar from the haunts of men,
Where the reed-encircled fountain
Oozes from the rocky mountain,
By its verdure far descried,
'Mid the desert hrown and wide."
Pringle.
During one of my visits to Fort Beaufort, I met at
the mess of the 7th Dragoon Guards (and a capital
one it was, by the bye) two officers, of the names of
A — and C — . They had just returned from a shoot-
ing expedition, of several months' duration, to the inte-
rior, in which they had penetrated nearly as far as the
tropic, and had heard what they considered to be au-
thentic accounts of the great inland sea which figures
on every map of Africa — though I know not by what
' A Bechuana word, meaning a "mighty hunter."
884 THE GREAT t' SOMTSEU.
authority — under tlie name of Lake Maravi, but wliich,
like " Prestcr John," and the " Emperor of Mono-
motapa," has by some been considered an imaginary
object. So many accounts have, nevertheless, of late been
received, corroborating the existence of a vast sheet
of water situated between the southern tropic and the
equator, that scepticism on this subject appears to be
gradually on the wane. It is, however, probable that so
long as the prosecution of discovery, in these interesting
regions, be left to the inadequate means of private enter-
prise, we shall remain in the dark as to many geogra-
phical points, which could only be elucidated by expedi-
tions organized under the auspices of government.
These would probably, in this respect, as well as in a
commercial point of view, turn out more profitable than
those expensive and perilous undertakings amidst the
polar regions ; whilst the objects of religion and hu-
manity might be thus much more readily effected,
and at a less cost of British life and British treasure,
than by maintaining — apparently without any success-
ful result — a considerable fleet on the pestilential coast
of Guinea.
We have here, in south-eastern Africa, an easy
access into the interior, through tribes nowise hostile
to European intercourse, but on the contrary — as far
as we can judge from the conduct of the remotest
hordes with whom Harris, Methuen, and other tra-
vellers (and their accounts are corroborated by the
gentlemen above alluded to) have made us acquainted
— anxious for traffic, and ready to exchange whatever
they possess for European commodities. The climate
(by avoiding the vicinity of the sea-coast) is, as far as
THE GREAT T' SOMTSEU. 385
travellers have hitherto penetrated, of the most salu-
brious nature ; and we might, through this high road
to Central Africa, introduce IJritish manufactures to
an unlimited extent, cut oft" slavery at its very foun-
tain head, between the Portuguese settlements on the
opposite coasts' — civilize and convert to the utmost
degree of the " philanthropic"" spirit of the day. Yet
strange to say, with all these facilities, from the most
unaccountable apathy on the part of Government,
we at this moment know but very little more of the
interior of Southern Africa than we knew fifty years
ago, when the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope was
given up to us by the Dutch ; or than they knew a hun-
dred and fifty years before that period !
The small portion of discovery actually made, has
been eft'ected entirely at the expense and risk of pri-
vate individuals, with means and resources perfectly
inadequate to an undertaking, which — if properly set
a-foot — might be attended with the most incalculable
benefits, not only to Britain, but to unnumbered hordes
of hitlierto unknown and savage barbarians ; and al-
though want of space precludes me at present from
descanting further on this interesting subject, I pro-
pose on some future occasion to set forth the many
advantages here merely hinted at, as likewise the
feasibility of an hypothesis by which the Nile would
' It is now a well ascertained fact that, between the Portu-
guese settlements at Ciuiliniaiiie, in the Mozambique, and the
opposite western coast of Angola, a constant traffic of slaves and
ivory takes place overland, and a great object connected with
the abolition of slavery would no doubt be etfccted, were we
able to occupj- and intercept this line of communication.
VOL. II. S
386 THE GREAT t' SOMTSEU.
be made to derive its long hidden source from the
iireat Salt-water Lake above referred to.
To return, however, to the adventurous travellers,
the mention of whom has led to this dissertation.
The relation of their sporting expedition was most
interesting, and appeared to emulate, in the same style
of adventure, those of the authors already named.
Like the latter, they returned with various speci-
cimens of natural history, an unbounded admiration of
the climate and resources of the regions they had tra-
versed, but having withal encountered innumerable
hardships and difficulties, and sustained such a loss in
horses and cattle,* that they could only bring back in
their waggons a portion of the spoils of the chase ;
though I believe that the ivory which they did
manage to secure was sufficient to cover their losses
o
and contingent expenses.
Of all the adventurous, sporting, exploring, or
trading travellers (whether Dutch or English) who
have penetrated into the interior of Southern Africa,
none can compete with the now celebrated Mr. Gum-
ming, whose name on the eastern frontier — coupled
with others of sporting celebrity, such as Driver,
Moultrie, Sutton, and Bovey — is now familiar as a
" household term ;" and whose exploits in the destruc-
tion of Afric's fellest monsters would appear to rival
the reported performances of Hercules, of Theseus, and
other worthies of the fabulous or heroic times of old.
* On approaching the tropic, a sort of fly is found in great
numbers, whose sting is strangely fatal to oxen and horses.
How efficient might not the hardy and enduring camel prove,
in exploring these remote regions I
THE GREAT T SOMTSEU. S87
So luucli had I heard of the great " T' Somtseu" of
the South, such marvellous relations of his skill,
daring, and eccentricities, that I determined if possible
to become acquainted with this remarkable character,
who, it was then stated, had just returned from one of
his distant expeditions. This design I was soon
enabled to accomplish ; for having, a short time sub-
sequently, halted at Tomlinson's solitary though ex-
cellent little inn, near Post Koonap, I learned that the
mighty hunter had lately been there, like myself, en
route towards Graham's Town.
Mine host, Mr. Tomlinson — a privileged old Life-
Guardsman, who in his day had fought at Waterloo,
been pensioned, settled in this part of the world, and,
since then, had slain many a Kaffir' — mine host, I say,
whiled away the evening, by relating, in conjunction
with one or two other guests, what they had lieard or
witnessed of the exploits, history, and adventures of
this remarkable person ; an account of which he is
said to have himself, for many years past, kept in a
daily journal.
My informants stated Mr. Cunnning^ to be the son
of a Scotch baronet; that his love of "wood-craft,"''' and
deer-stalking propensities amongst the Highlands, had
at an early age got him into serious scrapes, to avoid
the consequences of which he went to sea, was for some
' In the war of 1835, old Tomlinson fortified his house and
defended it most gallantly against a large body of Kaffirs, whom
he repulsed with considerable loss.
'" ^Ir. Cuinniing will not, the author feels assured, deem any
apology necessary for giving at full length a name already so
well known in Colonial sporting annals, but begs to do so, should
the following hearsay information not be correct.
s2
388 THE GREAT t'SOMTSEU.
time in India, then returned home, when his friends ob-
tained for him a commission in the Cape Mounted Rifles.
It appears, however, tliat the trammels of military
restraint ill-accorded with the roving disposition of the
sporting recruit, who, on being refiised, shortly after
joining his regiment, permission to absent himself on
a shooting excursion into the interior, took " French
leave," and, on his return, about a twelvemonth after-
wards, found, as might have been expected, that his
name had been erased from the Army List.
The course of life he had selected appeared how-
ever much more adapted to his tastes and habits than
the dull routine of parade or drill ; and for several
years past he is said to have subsisted entirely on the
produce of his rifle ; returning generally to the Colony
after an absence of ten or twelve months, his waggons
laden with ivory, skins, and ostrich feathers, by the
sale of which, it is believed, he generally realizes several
hundred pounds at each trip.
According to some accounts, when on these expedi-
tions, he occasionally adapts himself to the costume as
well as the customs of the natives ; travelling about,
when so minded, quite in Kaffir fashion, without even
the encumbrance of a kaross ; but that, when in the
Colony, he indulges in the strangest eccentricities of
dress, not unfrequently astonishing the natives of
Graham's Town with the picturesque habiliments of
the middle ages, or of the times of Charles the First.
" lie may sometimes do this at Graham\s Town,"
said old Tomlinson, " but I can answer for liis having
been in the Colony with no other dress than what he
was born in — and, by the same token, I was then
THE GRKAT t'SOMTSEU. 38.0
within an aco of shooting him with that old double-
barrelh'd gun standing there in the corner."
" Send for another bottle of claret, and then, Toni-
linson, let us know all about it," said the young en-
sign who commanded the detachment stationed at the
Koonap Post.
The ruby beverage being accordingly provided, the
old Guardsman's glass was filled, and he began his
story somewhat as follows : —
" It was a short time before the outbreak of the pre-
sent war, when the Kaffirs were beginning to enter the
Colony, and to plunder right and left, that 1 was sit-
ting, in the dusk of the evening, smoking my pipe in
this very room ; I had already — suspecting what would
happen — bricked up and loopholed the windows as you
now see them, which made the place still darker than
it otherwise would have been; well, I was quietly sit-
ting, as I said, smoking my pipe, when my little
girl runs into the room, in a terrible fright, crvinor
out that a stark naked, ' white"" Kaffir, ' was coming
into the house."" I instantly stepped into the next
room, to get the old pop-gun there ; and, on my
return, the supposed Kaffir was in the act of cross-
ins: the threshold. Mv finijer was in an instant on
the trigger, and anotlior second would have settled
his hash, when, just as I was about to let fly, a hearty
English laugh made me drop the muzzle, for the
Kaffir was no other than jSIr. Cumminjr.
" ' ril tell you what it is, Mr. Gumming,' says I, ' I
should not like to have hurt j-ou, but it would have
been your own fault, making your appearance in such
a fashion, and that too, when you know there are wo-
men-folk in the house,"'
390 THE GREAT t' SOMTSEU.
" However, he only laughed the more, and called
for something to eat and drink, but, for decency's sake,
I made him cover himself with a cloak."
Old Tomlinson, warming with the subject, and per-
haps with his own good beverage, next spun out such
a long yarn, of elephants, lions, and rhinoceroses slain
in the most daring, not to say marvellous manner, by
the hero of his tale, that, wearied with a hard day's
ride under a scorching sun, I was fain at last to leave
the party, and sneak away to a comfortable bed, (a
luxury I had not for a long time enjoyed) but moi*e
fully than ever resolved to become, if possible, ac-
quainted, on the first opportunity, with this mighty
Nimrod, the great lion-king of Southern Africa.
A few days afterwards, whilst sauntering under the
shade of the fine young oak trees, whicli line each side
of the broad main street at Graham's Town, I beheld
an athletic young man, whose extraordinary costume
instantly attracted my attention. His dress consisted
of a pair of rough " veld-schoenen," white trowsers and
shirt, without waistcoat, or jacket ; a leather girdle
tightly encircled his waist, whilst, on his head, he
wore a broad-brimmed hat, adorned with jackalls"*
tails, and surrounded by a magnificent plume of the
finest ostrich feathers.
" That," thinks I to myself, " must be the very
man I want to see ;" I therefore stepped across the
street, and asked him at once if his name were not
Gumming? — and on his saying it was, after duly intro-
ducing myself, I told him I had heard so much of his
exploits that I determined to form his acquaintance ;
and moreover, having brought out from England
a rifle of great calibre, as I found such an article was
THE GREAT t'SOMTSEU. 391
to me perfectly useless, he might perhaps like to take
it oft' my hands, wliich reasons would, I trusted, he
accepted a,s an apology for so very abrupt a mode of
introduction.
The " lion-slayer" I had pictured to myself as a
swarthy, hairy, sunburnt, Salvator Rosa brigand-
looking fellow, with a voice of thunder, and with the
manners of a savage — in short, in every respect a very
Morok ;' what was therefore my surprise on beholding
quite the reverse of all that I had imagined. Before
me stood a noble-looking young man of about six-
and- twenty years of age, standing at least six feet
high in his stockings, (had he worn such a superfluous
article of dress) and, although built like a Hercules,
his manly form was most elegantly moulded, sur-
mounted by a finely-shaped head, luxuriantly adorned
with silken locks of a flaxen hue, which negligently
hung over a countenance of an almost feminine cast
of beauty, beaming with good nature and the mildest
light blue eyes ; and when he spoke, his silvery and
gentle tones eniulate<l the softness of a woinan''s voice.
Such was the appearance of the " great T' Somtseu,''"'
who, after expressing himself flattered at what he was
pleased to call the undeserved compliments I liad paid
to his well-earned reputation: " I dare say," con-
tinued he, in the same soft and attractive tone of
voice, " you have hoard that I have turned a regular
' smoutch,''^ but I think I have a rig-ht, as lontr as I
molest no one, to choose my own course of life ; for
' The tamer of wild boasts, in Eugene Sue's story of the
" Wanderiujj; Jew."
* The Colonial term for '■ trader."
392 THE GREAT t' SOMTSEU.
whilst indulging in the roving and adventurous exist-
ence I ever delighted in, I earn what I consider a
gentlemanly livelihood, which enables me to follow to
the utmost the bent of my inclinations. My waggons
are now laden with ivory, karosses, ostrich feathers,
and other articles, which I hope will realize almost a
thousand pounds. This is the produce of nearly a
year's amusement ; and, when turned into cash, I
shall be able therewith to replace the many horses and
oxen I have lost, and re-equip myself to start again
in quest of fresh excitement, profit, and adventure.
However," added he, " if you will come to my waggon
just outside the town, I shall be very happy to show
you its contents, and to give you any information
which you may require, or first, if you prefer, we can
go and look at your large ' elephant roer.'' "
I remarked, as we walked along, I had heard so
many marvellous stories put down to his account, that,
unless confirmed by himself, they were certainly be-
yond my powers of belief. " For instance," said I,
" only last night, in a circle of friends assembled at
Fort England, I heard it positively stated, that vou
recently not only ' bearded a lion'' in his very den, but
slew him there, and were afterwards found asleep, with
your head pillowed on his lifeless carcase."
" These sort of things," said he, " are always ex-
aggerated, and the only credit I deserve is, that of
being a tolerable shot, and having pretty good nerves,
the sole qualifications required on such occasions.
As for the story of sleeping in the lion's den, I have
never, to my knowledge, proved such a Daniel —
though, on more than one occasion, I certainly have
THE GRKAT t' somtseu. 393
been asleep, whilst those gentlemen were prowling
about so close to me, that I have been awakened by
their angry growls."
" Pray tell me how you ever came to be placed in
such a very unpleasant situation V
" From cxpcrieuce," replied he, " I found that the
easiest and perhaps safest way of destroying lions, was
to do so from a hole deep enough to conceal a man's
body ; and, when I shot a large animal such as a
rhinoceros, or buffalo, near a pool of water, or a brook —
1 often had recourse to the above device. The hole
was dug very near the carcase, and, at night-fall, I
would ensconce myself therein, to wait till the ani-
mals which had come to drink should have thoroughly
o-orged themselves ; when they were, generally spoak-
ino-, easily knocked over from my place of concealment.
I have however sometimes been so thoroughly fagged
on taking up my position, as to have fallen asleep, and
been awakened by angry discussions occurring over
the mangled remains of the slain. On one occasion,
when thus disturbed from my slumbers, I found my-
self surrounded by five enormous lions, one of which
took it into his head to look down over the ledge of
the hole which concealed me — but a discharge right
in his face caused him to pay with his life the penalty
of such impertinent curiosity, and this perhaps may
be the origin of the story about my nap in the
lion's den."
Want of space, as well as lack of memory, prevents
me from now repeating the many incidents and
stirrinc: events of a life passed during several years
in the wilderness, and which he then so obligingly
S 5
394 THE GREAT x' SOMTSEU.
related at my request. But, as lie corroborated what
I had before heard, of his having duly recorded, in an
every-day journal, the most minute circumstances
of his adventurous existence, this interesting docu-
ment may at a future period perchance find its way
before the public.
" What an interesting work your journal would
make!" observed I ; " why do you not publish itT'
" I may do so," replied he, " some of these days,
Avhen I get tired of my wandering mode of existence ;"
and no doubt, from the fluency of his conversational
powers, Mr, Gumming could handle the pen with as
great facility and effect, as he has hitherto wielded the
rifle ; whilst the following late extract from a daily
periodical may give a slight idea of the ample materials
he would, for such a purpose, have to work on:
'' ' The Cape Frontier Times' of February 22nd
thus alludes to the sporting exploits of Mr. Ruallyn
Cumming, second son of Sir William Gordon Cum-
mino-, of Altyre, who, a few years since, was reckoned
the foremost sportsman in the north of Scotland : —
We have been favoured with some interesting intelli-
o-ence relative to the late trip into the interior, of that
well-known and intrepid sportsman and traveller, Mr.
R. R. Cumming, formerly of the Cape Mounted Rifles,
who is now on his way from Bloemfontein to Coles-
berg, after an extremely hazardous and fatiguing ex-
pedition of eleven months. In this journey, it is said,
he has penetrated many hundred miles beyond the
highest point reached by any white man. He shot
forty-three elephants, three of which only were females,
(many of the males carried tusks of enormous size.
THE GREAT t' SOMTSEU. o.').")
raeasurins: seven feet in lenirtli, and sometimes weiuh-
ing one hundred pounds each) sixty hippopotami, the
finest of tlie troops to whioli they behjnged having
been sinaled out for slaughter. Such is tlie abundance
of this game, that with his rifle he might have killed
two hundred of them. The rhinoceros, buffalo, ca-
meloopard, eland, gemsbok,' roan, antelope, -vvaterbuck,
* The gemsbok, as ■well as the rhinoceros, have long been
considered as identical with the " unicorn" of old ; however,
the following paragraph, which lately appeared in the " Times,"
may possibly divert inquiries on this subject into a fresh channel :
" A New Animal. — M. Antoine d' Abbadie, writing to us,
(the ' Athena?um') from Cairo, gives the following account of an
animal new to European science, which account he received from
Baron Yon Muller, who had recently returned to that city from
Kordofan : ' At Melpes,' in Kordofan, said the Baron, ' where I
stopped some time to make my collection, I met, on the 17th of
April, 1848, a man who was in the habit of selling to me spe-
cimens of animals. One day he asked me if I wished also for
an A'nasa, which he described thus: It is of the size of a small
donkey, has a thick body and thin bones, coarse hair, and tail
like a boar. It has a long horn on its forehead, and lets it
hang when alone, but erects it immediately on seeing an enemy.
It is a formidable weapon, but I do not know its exact length.
The A'nasa is found not far from here (Melpes), towards the
S.S.W. I have seen it often in the wild grouiuls, wliere the
negroes kill it, and carry it home to make shields from its
skin. — N.B. This man was well acquainted with the rhino-
ceros, which he distinguished under the name of Fertil from
the A'nasa. On the 14th of June, I was at Kursi, also in
Kordofan, and met there a slave merchant who was not ac-
quainted with my first informer, who gave me spontaneously
the same description of the A'nasa, adding that he had killed
and eaten of one not long before, and that its llesh was well
flavoured.' Ilerr Kuppell and ^I. Fresnel, adds M. d' Abbadie,
have already spoken of a one-horned African quadruped, and
I have also some notes which tend to establish the existence of
perhaps two different kinds."
o96 THE GREAT t' SOMTSEU.
hai-tebeest, sassaby, black and blue wildebeest, koodoo,
pallah, zebra, riebok, klipspringer, &c., were found by
him in such abundance, that he rarely expended his
ammunition upon them, except when in want of the
flesh, or to get their heads as specimens to grace his
collection of sporting trophies, which is described as
being now so extensive as almost to require a small
ship to send them home. He is said to have disco-
vered an entirely new sort of antelope, unknown not
only to science, but even to the Native Tribes living
upon the tropics. It is a very beautiful species ; and,
with much time and difficulty, he procured twenty-
two specimens, both male and female. His losses
have unfortunately counterbalanced the excellence of
his sport. He has lost all his horses (fifteen), all his
oxen (thirty), and all his dogs (twenty), and his best
waggon- driver. His horses were killed either by lions
or horse sickness, and the fly called ' txetse."" All
his oxen were killed by this insect. His dogs were
killed, some by the lions, some by the panther, croco-
dile, and by diff"erent kinds of game. The waggon-
driver was carried off" on a dark and cloudy evening by
a monster lion, which Mr. Cumming shot next day."
*****
Mr. Cumming did not like my rifle, which he con-
sidered much too heavy. We shook hands ere we
parted; he to return to the wilderness of the desert,
whilst my course was shortly to be over that of the
ocean. Such was — perhaps ne'er to be renewed —
our transient acquaintance ; but never can I forget
the Great " T' Somtseu," the " mighty hunter" of
Southern Africa.
EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS AND JOURNAL. Si) 7
CHAPTER XXI.
EXTRACTS FHOM LETTERS AND JOURNAL.
Changes of climate — Arrival at Fort Beaufort — Kaffir horses —
Severe storms — Want of saddles for the Irregulars — The
Author goes to Graham's Town, to procure appointments —
A sad accident — Country between Post Victoria and Koonap
— Romantic scenery — Uotha's Post — A subaltern's station —
Air. Tomlinson's hostelry — Return to Graham's Town —
Further disappointment — Requisite qualifications of a com-
mander — Colonel Somerset sent to square accounts with
Kreili — The Author applies for permission to go to Fort
Beaufort — Commencement of a new year — Thoughts of
home — A rough night — Suspension of Sir Peregrine Mait-
land — His valedictory Proclamation — The command of the
forces devolves on Colonel Somerset.
" Camp, Block Drift, Sunday evening, December 6th,
8 o'clock, P.M.
" People may talk of the uncertainty of the Eng-
lish climate, but nothing that I ever witnessed in any
other part of the world approaches the changes we
are subject to here. Yesterday I mounted my horse
at 11 o'clock in the morning, to go to Fort Beaufort,
for the purpose of looking after saddles for my Irre-
gular Horse, (of which I made mention in my last)
and never in India do I remember having had so hot
a ride. You may fancy the state in which my horse
arrived, when I tell you that I got over the distance
of fifteen miles of hilly country in less than an hour
398 EXTRACTS FROM
and a half! I stopped at a small stream half way,
called the Baroukha, in which were luxuriating some
naked Fingoes ; and deeply did both my poor nag
and myself drink of its waters ; after which, steeping
my handkerchief in them, I put it in my hat, and found
it a great protection against the vertical rays of the
sun.
" You will, no doubt, think that at this rate my
horses will not last long. They would not, probably,
in their present condition, fetch much at TattersalFs ;
still, they manage to hold on pretty well, and it is
astonishing what Cape horses can do — often without
shoes to their feet, and with nothing but grass in
them ; but I feed mine as well as I can ; and, as I
have two sets in use, it gives them a little chance.
However, I am straying from my subject — the varia-
tions in our climate here. On arriving at Beaufort,
I found the thermometer in Colonel NicolFs house
at 90° ; but a thunder-storm was brewing, and the
rain next came down in such torrents, that I was
obliged to remain there. To-day, as it was again
excessively hot, I deferred my departure till evening.
Another storm came on shortly after my arrival in
camp, and the rain is now pouring upon my tent,
which, however, stands it capitally ; and I am as com-
fortable as if in a house, breathing a cool atmosphere,
with the thermometer down to 70°. Having made an
early dinner at Fort Beaufort, I did not go to mess,
and have taken this opportunity to scribble a few
lines.
" To-day, whilst at Colonel Nicolls's, the mail
arrived ; he got a letter of the 2nd September, but.
LETTERS AND JOURNAL. 399
to my inexpressible disappoint nient, there was not a
single one for nie !
" I have already got many Kaffir horses for my
cavalry. The only things we now want are saddles ;
and, if these cannot be procured, a sheepskin or blanket
must be the substitute. Being determined that my
Corps shall not be mistaken for any other, and also to
prevent the horses from being stolen, I have cut oft" all
their tails and manes ; and, as you may well fancy,
made curious-looking animals of them ; but they will
o;o all the lifjhter for these curtailments.
" Every thing regarding our intended movements
continues a profound mystery ; however, here we still
are, and no one knows how long we are to remain so !
Some go so far as to hint * ♦ ♦
" Graham''s Town, December 14th. Seeing where
this is dated from, you will, I dare say, give me credit
for perpetual motion ; I nmst, however, refer to my
' log,' to account for my movements since I last took
up the pen.
" I there find that the 7th, 8th, and 9tli of De-
cember were passed in camp, amidst torrents of rain ;
weather cold, chilly, and uncomfortable, with the
thermometer freijuently down to 54°, and sufferinc; a
great deal from my eyes, which have been much afi"ected
by the glare, sun, and wind ; however, blisters on the
temples and behind the ears have relieved me very
much.
" Camp, December 10th. Trying hard to get an
order from the General for some cast-saddles of the
Dragoons on which to mount my troop, but without
400 EXTRACTS FROM
success ; aud, anxious as I am to render my cavalry-
efficient, I can ill afford to do this at my own expense.
I made up my mind to go to Graham's Town, to see if
I could not ferret out some old saddles from the stores
tliere. Havins: obtained the concurrence of Colonel
Slade, who does all he can to forward my views, I sent
off, over-night, an orderly and my Hottentot boy with a
spare horse, aud directions to wait for me about seven-
teen miles on the road to Graham's Town, which,
across country, is not more than fifty miles from the
Camp at Block Drift."
*****
A sad accident is also recorded in this part of the
Journal, as having happened at the 45th Camp on
that day. It appears they were blasting some rocks,
during the process of building " Fort Hare," when
a poor fellow was blown up, and so dreadfully injured,
that he was not expected to live.
" Friday, 11th December. My servant, Wedin,
roused me at half-past two in the morning, gave me
a capital cup of coffee, and at three I was in the saddle,
and accompanied by a couple of my Irregulars on the
road to Graham's Town. As I begin to know the
country pretty well, so soon as it was quite light, I
dismissed my escort, and cantered on to Post Vic-
toria, which has been re-occupied, and where some of
my Native Levies are encamped. This is only a
couple of hours' ride from Block Drift, through a fine
open country, over a ridge of hills. To my great
disgust, on arriving, I found my fellows rolled up in
their blankets, fast asleep ; instead of having gone, on
tlie night before, to a place called Botha's Post, peven
LETTERS AND JOURNAL, 401
or eight miles furtlier. The only thing I had to do,
after bestowing on them a few expletives, was to give
my horse a feed of corn, and push on to the Koonap
Post, sixteen miles distant, with directions for them
to follow at a slow pace.
" Between Post Victoria and Koonap, most of the
country is thickly clothed with underwood, forming
one of the densest parts of the Fish River Bush ; and,
as the road winds through sundry passes, and crosses
two or three ' drifts,"* or fords, it is even now consi-
dered rather dangerous, on account of the cover afforded
to any stray Kaffirs, who may still be roaming about
in these parts. My good horse, ' Nagpore,'' continued
however quite fresh ; so, unslinging the old double-
barrelled gun, I cantered merrily along the wooded
valley, through which runs a brook, named the Chi-
shegah ; but which, from the late rains, was now swollen
into a turbid and angry mountain torrent. The
scenery was most lovely ; and, as the deep and nar-
row valley runs nearly north and south, I had, at this
earl}' hour, the additional pleasure of seeing the sur-
rounding hills — covered with strange, fantastic plants
and Hhrubs — gradually lit up by the sun, whilst I was
riding along in the shade of a thousand (to me) rare
exotics, inhaling the perfume of dew- laden flowers, to
the pleasant music of murmuring waters. Though my
days of romance have long since passed away, I could
not, on several occasions, help pulling up to admire
some spot more lovely than the rest, and to wish that
you were present to enjoy the scene. The valley along
which I was proceeding struck at last into the broader
one of the Kat iliver ; after fordino; the stream with
402 EXTRACTS FROM
some difficulty, I soon came in sight of a stone-built,
loop-holed barrack, placed in the midst of a basin sur-
rounded by high wooded hills, and known as ' Botha's
Post;
" Having introduced myself to the officer command-
ing the detachment stationed here, he — whilst my horse
was eating a few handsful of corn — very civilly invited
me into his quarters, and gave me a cup of coffee.
Mr. had been banished to this remote place for
the last six months ; and I think, if anything could
justify a man in committing suicide, it would be that
of being so situated — though even this is comparative
luxury to being on an outpost under canvass, as
in the case of the Post Victoria people ; all the
buildings there having been (God knows for what rea-
son!) destroyed by us several months since. I found
at Botlia's Post a lady and her two daughters, who
had come here to escape the excessive heat and dust of
Beaufort. One of the latter was grown up, and rather a
pretty girl — so, thinks I to myself, if, in this solitude,
the young Sub. escapes matrimony as well as suicide,
he is indeed a wonderful man ! Off again in a quarter
of an hour from Botha's Post ; the road (constructed
some years ago by a civil engineer of the name of Blain)
excellent, and winding up in zigzags to the summit of
the high hills surrounding Botlia's Post, like that on
Mont Cenis. One remarkable feature of this part of
the country is tlic total absence of game ; in fact, of all
animal life — the Kaffirs being determined poachers. A
solitary vulture was the only living creature I saw,
until 1 struck into the hi^h road between Beaufort and
Graham's Town, which soon brouo:ht me to Mr. Tom-
LETTERS AND JOURNAL. 403
linson's capital little hostelry at Koonap, and of which
I have already made honourable mention.
"Shortly after my arrival, a scorching hot wind set
in, and caused me no little rejoicing at not being under
canvass. The officer commanding here was a youno-
Ensign of the name of , whose father, a general
officer in the Company's service, I had met in Ger-
many. I also fell in with a very nice young fellow of the
name of M — , belonging to the Ordnance Department,
brother to the author of the ' Old English Gentle-
man,"' &c., and passed a very pleasant day — till
Mr. M — and myself both started together for Gra-
ham's Town (twenty- five miles further) at two o'clock.
Having sent on my horse.^, I kept a Kaffir pony to
ride myself, and the sturdy little fellow carried me to
my destination without pulling bridle, and scarcely
turninrj a hair.
" On approaching the town, across what is called
the race-course flats, after ascending the beautiful
Eccha pass, we went over the ground where Colonel
Willshire had to run the gauntlet before about 10,000
Kaffirs, when he went out to reconnoitre, previously
to their grand attack, and defeat by him, at Graham's
Town, in 1819. We reached this place at six o'clock.
I put up at my old quarters, and went immediately
on my errand about the saddles ; when, to my great
disappointment, I found that none were in store, either
here or at Port Elizabeth — Colonel Somerset bavin o-
laid an embargo on the whole of them for the purpose
of mounting some Irregulars of his own division.
" December 14th. As my eyes continued very weak,
I determined to remain here until they were better;
404 EXTRACTS FROM
and I shut myself up all yesterday and the day be-
fore, in a darkened room, by which means I find them
much improved.
" December 15th. The post has arrived from Cape
Town, and no letters ! This is most annoying-, nor
can I in any way account for it !
" PS. There is no further news of any intended
advance. * * * * However, in my opinion,
the business is all over ; a peace will probably be now
patched up — and a pretty bunglins; business it has —
to all appearance — proved from beginning to end !"
" Graham's Town, December 26, 1846.
" Many and many happy returns of the season to all
at home ! What would I not give to be with you at this
moment ! Absence alone is bad enough, but absence
and no intellioence from those dear to us are torments
scarcely to be endured. The sole intelligence I have had
of you, is by y our and E — 's letter of the 22nd of August.
However, the only communication since then has been
received by the round-about way of Boston, up to the
] 8th of September, when it was stated that the Bull-
dog steamer was daily expected at Portsmouth on her
way to the Cape ; and, as this day's mail from Cape
Town has arrived, and no news of her, serious appre-
hensions are beoinnins; to be entertained on her account.
*****
" A company of the Rifles is about to be mounted
and equipped at the public expense. This circum-
stance has quite cooled my Quixotic ardour, and made
me give up all thoughts of being at the cost of fitting
out the ' Irregular Horse"* — for which I should in all
probability get no thanks. I have now been here nearly
LETTERS AND JOURNAL. 405
a fortnight, and though still suffering from ophthalmia,
my sight is certainly much better, and I shall start
on Monday (the day after to-niorrow) as, although my
zeal has been completely damped, (in common I be-
lieve with that of every one else) still I am determined
if possible to be at my post. But no thanks, credit,
or advantage of any kind are to be obtained by ex-
erting one"'s self here, and consequently every one takes
it very easy. In fact, there could not be a more practical
illustration of the energy, or inertness, which the pos-
session of either of these qualities by a commander can
instil into those under him. The war ought to have been
over six months ago — whereas, it continues dragging
on tediously its torpid length amidst missionaries and
palavers, and no doubt much to the amusement of our
crafty foes ! The 1st Division is still at Block Drift.
It has, however, sent a detachment to Colonel Somer-
set, who is going to try and get back the plundered
cattle from the country beyond the Kye, which should
have been done two months since. All the chiefs on
this side of Kaffirland have submitted, after driving
away the cattle they had stolen, into their neighbour
Kreili's country ; and Colonel Somerset is gone to
square accounts with this gentleman, who, like the
rest of the Kaffirs, in imitation of O'Connell, has pro-
bably registered a vow in heaven that he won't light
any more ! However, as he is the paramount chief,
it is possible that when he has been taken by the
collar, the business will be at an end.
" The General has, I understand, kindly intimated
that he will give us leave to go home — if we apply to
he sent. This is rather a novel wav of transferring
406 EXTRACTS FROM
responsibility to the shoulders of subordinates — in
which light we may indeed truly be considered. ^
*****
" The heat of the weather has been of late much
tempered by several tremendous thunderstorms, with
torrents of rain, in one of which, I hear, that my tent,
with several others in camp, was blown down, and
nearly swept away. Since I have been here, my
friend Colonel M — ^s tent came down upon him, and
he was fairly caught like a fish in a net.""
" Fort Beaufort, January 7th, 1847.
" What on earth can be the reason of your pro-
tracted silence ? Since my arrival in this barbarous
land, I have only had one short letter from home, and
that dated ten days after my departure. ^ When I
last wrote from Graham's Town, I was able to call phi-
losophy to my aid, to bear me up in my disappointment,
as no mail had arrived from England. But we have
since then heard of the Bulldog steamer having been
obliged to put back, and of the mails she was to have
brought out coming by (I think) the ' Packet,' yet
not a single line for the poor exile ! It is most
unaccountable, and I am lost in conjecture as to the
cause, which I can only attribute to your having
foolishly entrusted your letters to some private hand,
^ The reader is referred to pp. 71 and 72 of Lieutenant-
General Sir Charles Napier's work on the Ionian Islands, for
the ably-drawn portrait of a chief thus " dreadfully fearful of
responsibility."
* The irregularity in receiving intelligence from England
was with every one a constant subject of complaint — another
of the many screws loose in the administration of this much
neglected Colony.
LETTERS AND JOURNAL. 407
instead of cloin<^ what I requested, namely — writing
every fortnight, sending the letters to the post, pay-
ing the postage out, and directing them (to be for-
warded by the frst opportunity) to me, ' on the ^taff
of the Army — Easter u Frontier — Cape of Good Hope.''
It must be from some such mistake that I am de-
prived of so great a comfort whilst thus far away ; as
I cannot, and will not, think you have either neg-
lected or forgotten me. In my present mood, you
cannot expect a long letter; I shall therefore only
briefly say that I am more disgusted than ever with
the treatment I have been subjected to, and only live
in hope that some change may be brought about by
the expected arrival of Sir Henry Pottinger.
# * * *
" My own movements I shall now briefly recapitulate.
I returned to the Camp at Block Drift from Graham's
Town on the 30th of December ; and, fiudiuo: uotliinir
was to be done there, I applied for leave to make Fort
Beaufort my head-quarters, for the eyes continued to
sufter much from the strong light, whilst under can-
vass ; I am at present very comfortably located in a
small cottage, which is a Paradise compared to the,
now to me, intolerable glare of a tent, with its alter-
nate furnace heat and chilly dampness — the hot winds,
torrents of rain, and whirlwinds of dust — those cha-
racteristics of this climate, which in camp are enjoyed
to such perfection !
" You will laugh at the manner in which I ushered
in the new year. I had pitched my tent as a sleeping
quarter, close to the cottage in which I used to take
refuge during the grilling heat and glare of the day —
408 EXTRACTS FROM
a lovely moon shone as I was going to rest — and the
beauty of the night had even attracted out of the neigh-
bouring huts groups of Fingoes — who, in common with
the other natives of this part of the world, being ex-
tremely partial to the ' gentle planet"" — were now sing-
ing and dancing in the moonlight. Like Abraham, I
sate at ' the door of my tent," enjoying the scene, look-
m<r at the blue Chumie hills; the dense, wooded masses
at their base ; and at the winding Kat Iliver, which, like
a silver thread, glistened through the dark foliage. • I
need not say where my thoughts reverted, as old
Father Time stood with his hour-glass ready to ex-
tinguish 1846. How different must have been the
scene at home, where I flattered myself some stray
thoughts might perhaps, at that moment, be wander-
ing in search of the ' wanderer;'' most likely from the
hearth-side of a sparkling fire, whilst the snow and
sleet were probably doing their worst out of doors.
What a contrast to such a scene was presented by my
little South African encampment — my own tall
marquee, and the servants'" baggage tent — all glitter-
ing in the moonbeams, with several horses picketed
around, and the little dark patrole tent occupied by a
lean and hungry-looking dog, the only sentinel now on
guard !
" Such is a faint picture of the surrounding scene,
when I retired to sleep, ' perchance to dream ;■" but
my dreams were not to last long, for I was shortly
awakened by the most rattling peals of thunder over-
head, as if all heaven's artillery had been brought
into the field, followed by rain, such as one may re-
member in a Madras monsoon, and nowhere else.
LETTERS AND JfHRXAT,. -lO!)
Presently one tent-peg gave way, from the ropes and
canvass becoming tightened — then another. I began
to roar out to my people to slacken the ropes, but
the warfare of the elements was so noisy, that they
either could not, or would not hear; so that fearing
the approaching catastrophe of having the tent about
my ears, 1 manfully stripped to the skin, sallied out,
and loosened them myself, having, whilst in this .state
of nature, the fullest benefit of a regular shower-bath,
on the most approved principle. Such was my first
introduction to the year 1847 !"
"Fort Beaufort, January 14tli.
" Another mail, and no letters ! All around me
are hearing from their friends, whilst I am ever
doomed to disappointment. The General has re-
ceived intimation that he is superseded, and what
is more strange, ' on dit"* that he is surprised at the
intelligence. He has started for the Cape, leaving
everything in confusion ; apparently thrusting — with
greatly diminished means — the whole responsibility
on Colonel Somerset ; and bequeathing, as a legacy
to the army, the accompanying valedictory proclama-
tion ; by which it appears, he — at the moment of his
recall — -just discovered that he had beaten the Kaffirs,
that the war was at an end, that the Native Levies
could consequently be dismissed, and the force imme-
diately reduced — that he was, in short, going off with
flying colours !"
» * * #
VOL. n. T
410 EXTRACTS FROM
Sir Peregrine Maitland''s Proclamation.
" General Orders, " Head- Quarters, Bivouac,
"No, 94. " ButterAvorth, 6th Jan., 1847.
" 1. The Commander-in-Chief having been recalled by her
Majesty's Government, the command of the Forces serving on
the Frontier will devolve on Colonel Somerset, H.K., who is
hereby appointed Colonel on the Staff.
" 2. Lieutenant-Colonel Mackinnon is appointed to act as
Assistant-Quartermaster-General, and Adjutant- General to the
Forces on the Frontier.
" 3, All reports intended for Colonel Somerset's information
will be made through this officer.
" 4. The Army having driven the hostile chief, Pato, with
defeat and loss beyond the Kye — the Gaika and other Chiefs
west of that river being reduced to subjection, and the safety
of the Colony having been secured — the Commander-in-Chief,
on taking leave of the Army, may venture to congratulate them
on the prospect of the almost immediate termination of their
labours.'
" .5. His Excellency, having endeavoured to render his per-
sonal services useful to the Forces employed in the field during
the course of eight months, is enabled to enjoy the pleasing
task of recording with confidence his testimonial of their ex-
cellent conduct, and takes this opportunity of returning the
troops, of every rank and description, his thanks for their
exertions during that period, often under circumstances un-
usually difficult and discouraging.
" 6. It would be beyond the limits assigned to a General
Order, were his Excellency to enumerate the many instances
in which both officers and men have distinguished themselves,
or were he to mention every individual to whom praise is due.
His Excellency cannot however omit his honour, Colonel Hare,
commanding the first Division, nor to express how much in-
debted he has been to the local knowledge, advice, and active
service of Colonel Somerset on many occasions. The zeal of
Lieutenant- Colonel Johnstone, 27th Eegiment, he has been
frequently called upon to commend. To Lieutenant-Colonel
^ Subsequent events proved how very premature were these
rather ill-timed " congratulations."
LETTERS AND JOURNAL. 411
Lindsay, commanding first Battalion, 91st Regiment; Lieu-
tenant-Colonel Campbell, commanding 11. B. 91st Regiment;
Lieutenant-Colonel Richardson, commanding 7th Dragoon
Guards; INLijor Armstrong, Cape Mounted Rifles, commanding
Bathurst district ; Captain Napier, connnanding Cape Mounted
Rifles; Captain Buruaby, conmianding Royal Artillery ; Cap-
tain Walpole, commanding Royal Engineers, his Excellency's
thanks are equally due.
" 7. To the Burgher Contingents and Native Levies, and
particularly to those who have continued at a considerable
sacrifice to yield their service to the present period, his Excel-
lency's thanks are respectively conveyed; also to Captain Hogg,
the officers and men of his corps ; to Field-Captains Levinge
and Melville, and the officers and men of the Utinage Levy ;
and Lieutenant Bouchier and his Levy, all of which have ren-
dered important and gallant service.
" 8. To the energy and zeal of Sir Andrics Stockenstrom,
and the confidence with which he inspired the Burghers serving
under his command, many happy results are attributable.
" 9. To the Officers of the Staff his Excellency offers his best
thanks for their unwearied assistance: particularly to Lieu-
tenant-Colonel Cloete, Deputy Quartermaster-General ; Captain
C. L. Maitland, Assistant iNIilitary Secretary; Lieutenants
Owen and Stokes, Royal Engineers, acting occasionally as his
Aides-dc-Camp; ]\Iajor O'Reilly, Brigade-Major, commanding
the Graham's Town district ; JMajor Smith and Lieutenant
Bisset, Deputy Assistant-C^uartermastors-General.
" 10. The very important duties performed by Major-
General Cuyler call for his J^.xcellency's warmest thanks.
"11. To Deputy Commissary-General Palmer, and Assistant
Commissary-General Watt; to the medical officers who have
served with the troops, his Excellency's thanks are Cipially due.
" 12. Nor can the Commander-in-Chief deny himself the
gratification of thanking Lieutenant-Colonel Slade, command-
ing the first Division; Lieutenant-Colonel Vander Meulen ;
Lieutenant-Colonel Mtchell ; Lieutenant-Colonel Erskine,
and Major Egerton, commanding their respective battalions
recently arrived, for their ready zeal, and of exi)ressing his
approbation of their several Corps. To Lieutenant-Colonel
Rlackinnon ; Lieutenant-Colonel Nicolls ; Lieutenant-Colonel
Napier; Lieutenant-Colonel Montresor ; Major Storks; Major
T 2
412 EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS AND JOURNAL.
Wetenhall, and Major O'Grady, His Excellency also tenders his
acknowledgments for their alacrity in rendering any service
required of them.
" 13. And the Commander-in-Chief cannot close this order
without thanking the guides, especially Messrs. Hoole, Conway,
and Lucas, for their intelligence, and the useful service they
have rendered."
How far Sir Peregrine Maitlaud proved himself
correct, in thus announcing the subjugation of Kaffir-
land, may be judged of by those events, immediately
following the above Proclamation ; — such, however,
was the drop-scene of his Excellency's memorable
Campaign — the finale of his administration of the
Colony of the Cape of Good Hope '
RETURN FROM THE EASTERN FRONTIER. 413
CHAPTER XXII.
HETURN FROM THE EASTERN FRONTIER.
Intimation to the Staft-Officers — The Author's services dis-
pensed with — Repeated attacks of Ophthalmia — He takes
farewell of Graham's Town — French caricatures — Route to
Port Elizaheth — Halts at Sidbury — Intelligence respectinj;
a cam]) of Burghers — The Kaffirs supplied with firearms —
Bushman's llivcr — Lone house near the Addo bush— Stop-
page of the soldier's pay — The Aborigines rrotcction Society
— Algoa Bay — Sunday's river — A miserable hovel — An
English Shepherd — The Zwartkop's River — Arrival at Port
Elizabeth — Loss of the Thunderbolt steamer — And disap-
pointment of the gallant 90th — Anecdote of Kaffir treachery
— Xovel kind of camp — A soldier's hardships — British offi-
cers murdered — A heartless transaction — ^Medical board —
Extracts from a letter addressed by the Author to Lieutenant-
General Sir George Berkeley — Kaffir incursions — Vacil-
lating policy — INlistake of employing missionaries — Decisive
measures recommended, in order to insure the future tran-
quillity of the Colony — Kaffirland bows to the sway of Sir
Harry Smith.
*' Bardolph, am I not fallen away vilely since this last action?
Do I not bate ?
Do I not dwindle ? Why, my skin hangs about me like an
old lady's loose gown ;
I am withered like an old apple-John."
King Henry IV.
The foregoing ehapter has brmiglit me to the period
of Sir Perejrrijie Maitland's recall from the Guverumo.it
4J4 RETURN FROM
of the Cape of Good Hope, in Januarv% 1847. His
partiiif^ address, announcing the defeat of the enemy,
and congratulating- the troops " on the prospect
of the almost immediate termination of their labours,"
with the subsequent abolition of martial law, the reduc-
tion of the force, and disbanding of the Burgher Levies,
caused, it must be confessed, some little surprise
amongst the " natives ;" a feeling which was not dimi-
nished, when, a few days after Colonel Somerset had
been left in command of the Army, he proclaimed
" that an erroneous opinion being in circulation that
the war was at an end, he begged leave to intimate
that hostilities had not ceased, and required all offi-
cers commanding corps and heads of departments to
exercise the utmost vigilance on their posts."
This was rather a puzzler ; for, between such very
contradictory documents, it was difficult to know who
or what to believe ; but the intelligence of the death
of three British officers slain' by the Kaffirs, arriving
about the time that the latter dictum had been pro-
mulgated, seemed to stamp it with the seal of authen-
ticity — to prove that the reduction of the force had
been certainly premature, and that Colonel Somerset
might thereby possibly be placed in rather an awkward
predicament.
As a detailed account of the last Kaffir war has
already been given, I have in those pages said but
little of the operations of the campaign. J3ut, on re-
ferring to the work alluded to, it will easily be ima-
gined that most of those who had been engaged in
' Captain Gibson and Doctor Howell, of the Rifles, and the
Honourable Mr. Chctwynd, of the 73rd Hegimcut.
THE EASTERN FRONTIER. 415
these unsatisfactory operations would gladly have
left a scene, which apparently held out no prospect
of any thing to be gained either in honour or advan-
tage. The generality of the Staff Officers sent out on
this " especial service" were, I believe, of a similar
opinion ; and, as there appeared to be some difficulty
in cutting out suitable occupations for them all, it had
lately been intimated, that such of our number as
wished to return to England would be allowed that
indulgence, on making an official application for the
same.
This — most of us thouijht — was throwinir a rather
unfair degree of responsibility on our shoulders — a
responsibility which I, for one, begged to decline ;
and, though worn out by constant exposure and
fatigue, sutfenngfrom repeated attacks of ophthalmia —
causing the most intense suffering, and which had
nearly deprived me of the use of my sight — I deter-
mined to hold out to the last, rather than accept of
emancipation on terms, which might possibly, at some
future period, have acted greatly to my detriment.
Colonel Somerset, on assuming the command of tiie
troops, took, however, quite a diflferent view of our
case from what his predecessor had entertained ; bv
the disbandment of the Native Levies, vii/ occupation
was at an end ; nor did the gallant old soldier hesi-
tate one instant to take on himself the responsibilitv
of informing me officially, that in consequence of this
reduction of the Force, my services might now be
dispensed with ; and that I was therefore at libei-tv
to leave the frontier — a permission of which I lost
not a minute in availini; mvself.
416 RETURN FROM
During the many repeated attacks of the disease
above alluded to (the foundation of wliicli had been
laid amidst the sands of Egypt), I had had my head
shaved, beau repeatedly cupped, blistered, and sub-
jected to a variety of other tortures ; and in this
pleasant plight, on the 4th of February, 1847, shaking
the dust off my shoes as I turned my back on Gra-
ham's Town, I mounted my horse, and bade farewell
— as I sincerely hoped for ever — to the Eastern Fron-
tier — to Kaffirs — to "cattle-lifting" — and to cam-
paigning in Kaffirland !
Should the reader's patience ere this not be wholly
exhausted, he nuiy, by perusing the following journal,
letter — or whatever he choose to call it — put together at
the time, for the information of my friends in Eng-
land, have the benefit of another chapter, when, having
safely conducted him to the shores of Algoa Bay, I
j)ropose taking my leave, and bidding, at the same
time, adieu to this part of the world.
(Letter No. 19.) " Bushman's River,
" 37 miles from Graham's Town, Feb. 5th, 1 847.
" I loft Graham's Town yesterday afternoon, and
am at last, I am glad to say, fairly on my way to Port
Elizabeth. However, as Sir Peregrine Maitland's
successor, Sir George Berkeley, has, it is said, already
landed there, and is probably ere this on his way to
the Frontier, I shall not positively know my fate until
we meet, which will perhaps be to-morrow. At all
events, I do not start till then, lest I should miss hirn
on the road.
"Being in very light marching order, I have not
TTIE EASTERN FRONTIER, 11 ,
even brought mj Journal book — therefore, this niu.st
do duty for the same ; and, as I mean always to be on
tlie move long before daylight, in order to avoid the
glare oftliesun (which, spite of green spectacles and a
blue veil, still plays the deuce with my eyes), I shall
have plenty of time at each halting-place to try your
patience by scribbling ; and I can generally manage
to do this, after having been for some time in a dark-
ened room.
" Yesterday, after taking leave of my friends at Fort
England, from whom I liad always experienced such
kindness and hospitality, I left Graham's Town dui'inir
one of tlie hottest days I ever felt ; and my exit
strongly remimled me of a couple of French caricatures
I have somewhere seen. In the first, a well aj)pointed
soldier is, with head erect, boldly stepping out to the
front : ' On vas tu V is the question of a comrade ; ' Je
vais a la guerre,' replies he, proudly. Tlie next plate
represents an unfortunate-looking fellow, painfully
limping along with a crutch, with one arm in a sling.
' D'oii viens tu V — ' Je viens de la guerre !"" whines
out tlie cripple, in a plaintive tone, as he hobbles on
towards his native village. Now, it strikes me that
mine is quite a parallel case to the above. A few-
months ago, I passed through Graham's Town, in
capital health and spirits — in all the ' pomp and cir-
cumstance' of war, buoyed up by hope, and mounted
on a fiery steed ; since then, how great is the change
that has come o'er the ' spirit of my dream !' for I am
literally in the plight of tlie second hero alluded to —
my horses are all done up — T have parted with them
for a mere song, and only kept a couple of half-starved
T o
418 RETURN FROM
sumpter ponies to cany myself and my Hottentot lad,
Jacob, with our saddle-bags, to the coast. One of
these proud animals, in consequence of having, a short
time before, had an eye kicked out, was now paraded
with his head bandaged up in a dirty towel, covered
with stains of blood. Mr. Jacob looked, both in
person and apparel, rather the worse for the roughing
of the late campaign : whilst I flatter myself that with
my green spectacles, blue veil, and grizzly beard ; my
shaven head bound up in a red silk handkerchief; a
tolerably brown phiz, surmounted by the old broad-
brimmed castor, still rejoicing in the remains of a few
ragged feathers — a well-worn shooting-jacket, now out
at elbows ; the antigropolos boots, and everlasting cor-
duroy breeches — I formed not the least remarkable
object of this interesting group !
" In such guise, I yesterday took my departure from
Graham's Town, followed by my dingy esquire, on
whom severa,l parting cups had evidently produced a
most exhilarating effect. By dint of whip and spur,
we managed at last to lift our Rosinantes into a canter ;
but had not proceeded a mile, ere Jacob's charger came
down, and badly cut both knees — shooting the rider,
with my double-barrelled gun in hand, over his head.
In fact, the poor animal, which I had bought on first
lauding at Algoa Bay, is so completely knocked up,
that if ever he reaches Port Elizabeth, I shall con-
sider myself most fortunate.
♦ * * # *
" On arriving at a little stream about seven miles
from Graham''s Town, we found a few waggons out-
spanned, belonging to some half-dozen ' medicos/ who
THE EASTERN FRONTIER. 41 J)
had lately been ordered out in a body, much as the
* Seven Staff Officers'* were. One of them had met
with a sad misfortune the day before, by a gun acci-
dentally going off, which so shattered his arm, that he
was obliged to be left at Sidbury.
" When men meet in the wilderness, it is generally
either as decided friends or foes ; and the former being
in this instance luckily the case, I was soon on the
best of terms with these sons of Galen, who offered me
the hospitality of their waggon. I learned, on taking
leave of them, after half-an-hour's chat, that I was
likely to fall in with Colonel B , of the , who
was only a few miles off, on his way to the Frontier ;
however, as there are two tracks between Sidbury and
Graham's Town, I managed to miss him. This road
to Port Elizabeth is execrable, and a disgrace to a
British Colony ; more especiall}'- since, (from the infa-
tuation of not using the Buffaloe Mouth for landing
supplies,) it maybe considered the only means of com-
munication between the coast and the scene of opera-
tions.
" The country I passed through yesterday was a
succession of rather abrupt undulations, perfectly open,
with the exception of a patch of bush, creeping occa-
sionally up some kloof Large flocks of sheep were
here and there airain to be seen browsinsr on the now
seared and parched-up herbage ; for, within the last
fortnight or three weeks of dry weather, the face of
the country has assumed quite a different appearance,
being now changed from a bright — and, in some places,
bluish green — to a sober nankeen garb ; and this, I
believe, as the drv weather of the winter season con-
420 RETURN FROM
tinues, is gradually replaced by the deep brown colour
of the bare soil.
" After getting over about twenty miles of ground,
we pulled up to feed the horses in a deep valley, where
we found, a stagnant pool in a dry watercourse. It is
liere the custom, on coming to a halt, always to off-
' saddle,"* and let your horse have a roll — no matter
how hot he may be — the consequence is, no end of
sore backs. I, however, adliere, when practicable, to
tlie Arab plan of leaving on tlie saddle whilst the horse
is warm, only loosening the girths. By following this
system, and perhaps — thanks also to one of the patent
' sudarios," — I have not, with all my hard riding, had
a single sore back since I have been in the Colonv.
The horse-hair nose-bags (I brought out with me)
now came, as they had often before done, into play ;
a feed of corn having been carried in each, and sus-
pended over Mr. Jacob's saddle-bags. When the
nags had discussed this, we again mounted ; but it
was long after dark ere we reached the small inn of
Mr. Pollard, at Sidbury.
" My sable esquire had been in service liere, before
he commenced ' sogering f and, as I suspected he
would — Hottentot-like — take the opportunity of
having a jollification — after giving him a hint not to
meet his friends until he had fed the horses, I took
some tea and went to bed, desiring him to ' saddle-up""
at five in the morning. It was broad daylight when
I awoke, and no signs of Mr. Jacob. But, on going out,
what was my dismay to see him at that unfashionable
hour, reeling about dead drunk. With great difficulty,
I succeeded in gettin"; him into the saddle ; but, as
for guiding his horse, that was out of the question ;
THE EASTKRN FRONTIER. 421
SO takiiii;' tlie • reiiii/ (ir lonir leather halter-string in
my hand, I towed him out, and in this manner made
my exit from Sidhury.
" The ccnuitry between Sidhury and this is far pret-
tier than that of yesterday's journey, and for the last
two or three miles, the road runs through a dense
bush, in which 1 understand a few Kaffirs have been
lately seen, and a small number of cattle consequently
stolen. But, if Pato keeps his threat, and makes an
incursion into the country of Oliphant's lloek — about
twelve or fifteen miles off, in the direction of the sea —
fiirm-houses will be again deserted and burned, flocks
again swept otl", and the whole business have to com-
mence ' de novo."'
" Intelligence has just arrived here, that Sir George
Berkeley has landed at Algoa Bay, or rather has
stranded on it, as it is said, that in consequence of
springing a leak, they have been obliged to run H.M.
steamer Thunderbolt on shore ; how far this may be
true, I know not, as it is here a rule never to believe
any thing you hear, and only half what you see !
" I have just been told by mine host, that a ' laager,""
or Camp of Burghers in this neighbourhood, is — in
consequence of the intelligence of reducing the Force,
and disbanding the Native Levies — preparing to emi-
grate, en masse, across the northern boundary : and
how can these poor people be blamed, or with any jus-
tice be prevented from taking such a step ? For the i^e-
ueral feeling here is, that if the KatHrs be not eflectually
curbed, and proper protection be afforded to the Colo-
nists, this part of the country will be entirely deserted
by the Settlers. Were I in their position, I would
422 RETURN FROM
certainly do tlie same ; as what can be more dreadful
than to be in constant fear of one's life, and to run
the risk every moment of losing the fruits of years of
labour, on the mere whim of these barbarians ?
" This morning, on leading my horse to the stable,
I saw an enormous gin — which is used for entrapping
the wolf, as the hycena is called here — and mine host
gave me several anecdotes of the tenacity of life of
these animals. He says he has seen one of them
worried for an hour by sixty dogs, without their teeth
being able to have any effect on its tough hide ! But,
remember, I do not answer for this being gospel.
" The heat has all day been most oppressive ; the
thermometer is up to 95 degrees in the house, and I
may deem myself lucky in having a roof over my head ;
however, the clouds appear to be rapidly collecting,
and it will probably very shortly end in one of those
fearful thunder-storms which 1 have before attempted
to describe.
" Saturday, February 6th. Understanding that
both Sir Henry Pottinger and Sir George Berkeley
have given out, that they willingly receive any sug-
gestions which may be made as to the present state of
affairs, I have been busy all the morning concocting
a letter to this effect, for the perusal of the latter, of
which I will send you a copy.
" A traveller from Algoa Bay has just brought the
intelligence that the General had not yet arrived ; but
that the Thunderbolt steamer, which was sent round
for the 90th Light Infantry, had struck on Cape
Receif, and that they had been obliged to run her
ashore in the Bay. How provoking is this sad mishap
THE EASTERN FRONTIER. 423
for the 90tli ! as it may be the cause of their being
again ordered back to the frontier. It was tlie casual
circumstance of their putting into Table Bay, on their
return from Ceylon, which occasioned them to be let
in for the Kaffir war.
" An officer of the Customs at Port Elizabeth, Avho
stopped here to-day, informed me that within the last
ten years, to his knowledge, 30,000 Birmingham
muskets and 150 tons of gunpowder had been landed
with the cognizance of government at Algoa Bay.
Under these circumstances, it cannot be wondered at
if private traders afterwards smuggle them into Kaffir-
land, or that the Kaffirs should be well supplied with
firearms. I entrusted a letter for Colonel Nicolls to a
man who was to-day passing through this for Gra-
ham"'s Town, and who gave me a long account of Natal,
where he had been for two years, and of the terrible
Dingan, the Zoolah chief. The Zoolahs, he says, as
soon as they are supplied with firearms, will follow
the example of the Kaffirs, and attack the settlement
of Natal. Mr. C related a curious fact of the
ticks, being there so numerous as frequently to cause
the death of cattle ; their bites becoming fiy-blown,
maggots are generated, and the animal, thus afflicted,
finishes at length his miserable existence by being
literally eaten alive. This has been a delightfully
cool, cloudy day, with a little rain — a great relief after
the grilling of yesterday.
" Commando Kraal, February 7th. As Sir George
Berkeley has not come by the Thunderbolt, I have
pushed on to this place ; and it appears fated that
Colonel Somerset's instructions are to carry me to
424 RETURN FROM
Cape Towu ; but nous verrons. I left Bushman''s
River this morning at six o'clock • mine host, Mr.
Adcock, accompanied me part of the way. After
passing the ' Quagga Flats,"* celebrated as the former
liauut of herds of zebras and flocks of ostriches, I
])ulled np at a solitary house on the verge of the Adclo
Jjush, belonging to a Mr. Pullen, who before the war
had been an extensive sheep-grazier and horse-breeder.
He gave me a feed of corn for my ponies ; and I heard, to
my great satisfaction, that no Kaffirs had of late been
seen in the Addo Bush, which I was now about to enter.
The road runs through this thicket (in some parts
almost a forest) for ten miles ; and, as there was not
a breath of air stirring, the heat was most intense.
My hardy little animals, however, stood it well, and
brought me safely to Mr. Taylor''s very comfortable inn
at this place — 'Commando KraaF — by ten o'clock. I
had, on arriving, a refreshing bath ; ate a hearty break-
fast, seasoned with deliciously cool water-melon ; and
the master of the house, who is an artist, has been show-
ing me a number of his sketches, done in first-rate style.
" It has turned out a most grilling day, with a
blazing hot wind and lots of dust, and I have been
keeping myself cool by eating water-melon, of which I
have already domolislied one nearly as large as my head.
" PS. Whilst loading my gun this morning, and
using for wadding a Colonial paper, I saved from de-
struction the enclosed lines on the Kaffir war. The
passage I have underlined is most a[)propriate ; as
no ' plunder for soldiers,' nor 'prize-money for seamen,'
is ever to be had in this thankless war ; and out of the
often poor half-famished soldier's pay is stojiped the
THE EASTERN FRONTIER. 425
amoiiiit tor rations, wliieli Iu> ha.s himself taken in the
shape of oxen from the Kaffirs, at the risk of his life,
and with the sweat of his brow ! It is indeed a bad
job for the sons of Mars, when tlie current coin of the
country (for cattle is in Kaffirland tlie circulating
medium) can be put into his camp-kettle instead of
going into his pocket. Luckily for the heroes of
(Jhina, of Scinde, and the Sutledge, that Syce silver,
rupees, pearls, and diamonds, cannot now be made
into soup, although we do hear of epicures of old
stewing up pearls for a feast !
" I have just seen, in the Uraham's Town Journal of
Saturday, that the 'Aborigines Protection Society'
liave been trying in England to bias Sir Henry Pot-
tinger against the Colonists, and in favour of the
Kaffirs. It is most strange that such a delusion should
be suftered to exist, as that of showing favour or
attection of any kind, to a set of blood-thirsty robbers.
If these mischievous meddlers be listened to any
longer, it is feared ' extermination'" will at last have
to be the word ; for, unless some very effectual means
of protection be afforded to the Eastern Frontier, it
will most certainly be entirely deserted by the British
Settlers, (as it formerly was by the Boers) and become a
dead weight on our Government. The Colonists have
long threatened to take such a step ; and to-day I heard
that a farmer of this neighbourhood, named ,
was packing up liis goods and chattels with the inten-
tion of iMuigrating, as soon as tlie Native Levy en-
caiiij)ed in his vicinity strike their tents."
■• Algoa Bay, February lOth. I arrived here tlie
day before yesterday, but was not al)le to continue the
426 RETURN FROM
Journal, owing to the weak state of my ejes, as I
suffered much on the way down, particularly during
the last day's march from ' Commando Kraal,' which
I left at daylight on the 8th. On arriving at Sunday's
River — when I before crossed it, a mere shallow
brook — I found it, as they say here, ' up ;' that is, full
from bank to bank ; and considerable time was lost in
getting our saddles, bags, fee, into a boat, and after-
wards swimming the horses across ; in doing which,
one of them had a narrow escape of being drowned.
" Is it not extraordinary, that, on this only com-
munication between the Cape, Port Elizabeth, and
Graham's Town, not a single bridge should be yet
constructed ? Although supplies are constantly de-
tained for days, nay, for weeks, by waggons not being
able to get across the torrents which intercept the
road (if the villanous succession of ravines, rocks,
and huge stones, deserve such a name) ; and, will it be
believed, that these impediments occur in a Province
which has been for nearly half a century appended to
the British empire, and which, during that time, has
required constant military movements for its protec-
tion I
" Such is however the case ; and, owing to this
delay, I found myself at last on the right side of the
Sunday liiver, with a bright sun staring mo in the
face, and the prospect of a grilling ride of thirty-
three miles. About a mile further on, there is a little
inn, which, had I been aware of, I would have reached
the day before, and have thus more equally divided
the distance. I now pushed on to a most miserable
hovel, a couple of leagues on this side of the river,
THE EiVSTERN FRONTIER. 427
where wo halted the waggons on our way up ; and
was lucky in getting a bundle of oat-hay for the
horses, and a cup of coffee, and meal and eggs beat
up into a cake, for myself, for they had no bread.
About eight miles from this place, at the now dry bed
of a stream called the Kougagh — as Mr. Jacob''s horse
had shown unequivocal symptoms of distress, by
tumbling once or twice on his nose — I pulled up for
half-an-hour, and was fortunate enougli to find a pool,
the water of which was only slightly brackish. Here,
as we rested under the shade of a bush, we were joined
by an English shepherd, who was taking back (as
I told him, rather prematurely) a flock of sixteen
hundred sheep, to the pasture-ground near Sidbury.
When the nags had breathed a little, we again
tightened our girths, and managed to raise a canter
across the table-land called ' Grass Ridge ;' passed
the spot of our second night's ' out-span,"" on the way
up, and descended the wooded side of the hill over-
looking the Zwartkops River, and commanding a view
of Algoa Bay. As we went through the bush here,
the heat was most oppressive ; and, on arriving at the
Zwartkups, we found the water so salt from the
influence of the tide, that we had to ride a consider-
able distance fuxihcr on, in order to give our nearly-
exhausted horses a drink. But the one ridden by my
Hottentot lad was so completely done up, that I was
obliged to leave him behind, and with difficulty ma-
naged to keep my own horse on his legs, for the last
twelve miles of dreary road, between the last named
river and the Bay. However, when I got a glimpse
428 RETURN FROM
of the shipping, I pushed bravely along, and presently-
met a solitary horseman, whom I recognised as Dr.
H — ■ — , now deputy-inspector of hospitals, and who
had been quartered with me many years before at
Gribraltar.
" After leaving the doctor, who was on his way to
Graham's Town, I was joined by a farmer; and we
jogged on together until we reached Port Elizabeth at
about one o'clock, when, as you may fimcy, I was not
sorry to get under the cover of a roof.
" The first thino- I did on arrivinc; was to send for
my friend Dr. M , of the 90th, who had before
attended me at J31ock Drift, and now most kindly
hastened to afford my eyes all the relief in his power.
He described the sad disappointment experienced by
the 90th, at being detained in consequence of the loss
of the Thunderbolt, which had been sent to take them
round to the Cape.
" The regiment (which is encamped on the heights
above the town) saw her coming round Cape Receif,
about four in the afternoon, and were so elated at the
sight that they commenced cheering. Presently, she
fired minute guns, which they thought was to attract
attention ; it being supposed that the Governor and
Commander-in-Chief were on board. However, on
seeing the ensign reversed, they began to think some-
thino; was wronsr ; hut when she was run bow-foremost
on the beach, they were quite at a loss what to con-
jecture. The truth however soon came out, that she
had struck on a rock in doubling the point, and was
filling so quick, that this was the only alternative left.
THE EASTP^RX lUONTIKR. 42.0
There she now lies liard and last in tlie sand ; and, in
a tew days, will probably be a complete wreck — for,
although parties of the 90th, and of Captain Hogg's
Levy, (also here on their way home) have given every
assistance to pump her out, all efforts have hitherto
proved ineffectual. Fortunately, the crew^, stores,
and effects are saved, and the officers and men are
now encamped within a dozen yards of where I am
writin<T.
•' Yesterday (the 9th) I was all day in a dark room,
still suffering from ophthalmia. My solitude was how-
ever enlivened by many old friends of the 90tli, who
came to see me, and with whom I condoled most sin-
cerely on this, their third disappointment, in not re-
turning home. They were tirst stopped at the Cape,
on their way back from Ceylon — next, a ship Avas
ordered to take them from AVaterloo Bay, but was
prevented by bad weather, and the insecurity of the
anchorage — and this third contretemps nuiy perhaps
keep them here another twelvemonth,' as things are
beginning to look again threatening on the Frontier,
and the Creueral will probably not be able to spare
them.
'' Wednesday, 10th. I feel to-day so much better,
that I have taken advantage of it to make up the
' lee-way'' in my Journal.
* * * *
" To illustrate the treacherous character of the
Kaffirs, old Captain Evatt (the commandant here)
who has just called, related an anecdote of Gai'ka, the
' The 90th only reached England in May, 1848.
430 RETURN FROM
father of Macoino, attempting to murder him when
he was sent some tliirty-five years ago into Kaffirlaud
on a friendly mission, and after he (Captain Evatt)
liad made him a present of a couple of liorsefs and
saddles, with a full suit of Dragoon uniform. They
were riding together ' cheek by jowF — as the old gen-
tleman expressed it — when his interpreter warned him
to beware, as about one thousand Kaffirs were pouring
in from all sides ; on which he immediately seized the
reim of Gaika's horse, and holding it fast, threat-
ened to blow out his brains if he did not at once dis-
miss all these Kaffirs, which was accordingly done. Old
Evatt next mentioned a curious circumstance I never
heard of before : that Pato (the chief who is now
giving the most trouble) advanced on one occasion aa
far as the Zwartkops River, about twelve miles
from this — that Captain Evatt Avas sent with some
dragoons to desire him to retire within his own boun-
dary — when Pato's reply was, that he had purchased
the country for four thousand head of cattle from cer-
tain functionaries under Government, and, as lonir as
he had eighteen thousand Kaffirs at his command, he
would retain it.
< " This was, of course, duly reported; and it is said
that, shortly afterwards, two of these gentlemen com-
mitted suicide at Cape Town. As for Mr. Pato, a
force was sent against him, and he was compelled again
to cross the Fish River. I give you this story as I
had it — a quarter of an hour after it was told to me.
Pato, it is rumoured, says that he will not be content
until he takes possession of Port Elizabeth — whilst
THE EASTERN FRONTIER. 431
from Cape Town, wo hear that tlic war id at an end.
] .sliould say nothing has yet been done, and that no-
thing will, or can be done, until the grass again springs
up next September.
" February 1 i^th. Yesterday, T had tlie unexpected
pleasure of receiving the large budget of letters which
came out by the Lady Flora, dated the end of Sep-
tember.
* * * #
" ^V^e are now hourly expecting the arrival of the
'President' with the General; and probably Admiral
Dacres is on board ; in the mean time, all eftbrts to
get the poor Thunderbolt afloat having failed, no fur-
ther endeavour will be made until the arrival of the
frigate. Fatigue parties of the 90th Regiment, and
of Captain Hogg's Levy, were for two or tliree days
hard at work, trying to pump lier out, but without
success.
" Captain Hogg is here, accompanying his men
back to their native district of Swellendam, about a
hundred miles from the Cape ; but, until he has seen
the General, does not like to take them any further.
In the mean time, the poor fellows are lying out in the
market-place without other coveringsave their blankets.
It rained yesterday very heavily, when they adopted
the expedient of creeping into a number of empty
commissariat casks ; and it was ludicrous in the ex-
treme, to see each black woolly head peeping, like Dio-
genes, out of his kennel. Unlike the cynic, however,
they appeared highly satisfied with their new abodes —
and to my cost (as my bed-room window overlooked
482
RETURN FROM
this novel kind of camp,) they kept up the most boister-
ous inirtli during a great part of the niglit.
AiVife-
HOTTKNXOT BIVOOAC, NKAR PORT K! IZABETH.
From the Original Sketch, hy H. lioddinyton.
" Tlie Totty (as long as you can keep liini sober)
makes a capital soldier; humour him a little — perform
your promises to liim — he will follow you anywhere ;
and, after a toilsome day's march, when other troops
would be lying down, wearied and exhausted, these jolly
fellows may often be seen dancing round their watch-
fires, or whiling away the night amid laughter and song !
" I strolled yesterday evening up to the .90th Camp,
THE EASTERN FRONTIER. 43^3
pitched on the lieights above the town ; for it is one
of the characteristic features of Colonial ne<;lect, that
since we liave been in possession of the Colony — from
which period this has been the only point of embarka-
tion and disembarkation on the eastern coast — there is
not even a barrack, or hospital, for the accommodation
of the troops ; and, after having been six months in the
field, these poor fellows continue in their miserable —
and now ragged — little bell-tents, exposed to all the
vicissitudes of this variable climate. Still the change
from Ceylon has been (with all the hardships they have
undergone) in their favour ; and they are now as fine a
looking set of fellows as ever wore red jackets ; their
mahogany-coloured fiices, and grizzly beards and mous-
taches, presenting the very beau ideal of the vieux soldat.
It is a pity to see such a fine Corps wasting its energies
in this laurelless war. I should like to see them face
to face, and within bayonet thrust, of an equal number
of more worthy foes than these skulking KalHr bri-
gands !
" The rain came down heavily whilst in Captain
Bringhurst's tent, where a small party had assembled —
he gave me some account of the last expedition be-
yond the Kyc, on which he was employed Avitli his
company, (the only part of the 90th present, 1 believe,
on that occasion) and the hardships they endured are
almost incredible ; incessant rain for a fortnight to-
gether, witlu>ut tents or provisions — living entirely on
tough, and otten iialf raw beef, without bread, meal,
or even salt ! He was sent to recover the bodies of
the three officers who were lately murdered bj- the
Kaffirs. They were found stripped, and much torn
VOL. II. U
434 RETURN FROM
by the vultures and jackalls, whilst the numerous
corpses of their enemies (for the poor fellows made a
most gallant defence) were, strange to say, untouched.
It will however be a melancholy satisfaction to their
friends, to know that they died bravely, with arms in
their hands, surrounded by fallen foes, and were after-
wards buried with military honours in a soldier"'s
grave ! After all, how very preferable is such an
exit, to the lingering suffering of protracted illness,
and all the nauseous accompaniments of a sick bed.
" One would have supposed, when a regiment had
been detained in defence of a Colony on its way home,
after lengthened foreign service, and had subsequently
undergone an infinity of hardships and privations, in
behalf of the Colonists and their property, and with-
out any prospect of advantage to themselves, that they
would be received with open arms. But I regret to
say, for the sake of our Africander fellow-countrymen,
that this has been far from the case ; apparently for-
getful of what they have already done and suffered,
their departure seems to be looked upon as a sort of
desertion. They have been treated with anything but
civility since they entered the Colonial boundary ;
and, to wind up the whole, a man who, from his po-
sition, ought to have been endowed with better feel-
ings — a man of property and influence in the Colony
— a literary man — a magistrate, a Justice of the peace
— actually prosecuted the officer in command of the
90th, for damage and trespass, because he encamped
his weary men, after a long day''s march, on a piece
of barren heath, forming part of this person's property,
five or six miles from Port Elizabeth!
THE EASTERN FRONTIER. 435
" No fence, hedge, nor boundary of any sort inter-
vened to distinguish this spot from the surrounding
waste — perfectly unaware that it was private pro-
perty — the oxen were unyoked, the tents pitched, and
camp-fires lighted, when a message from the aforesaid
indivi(hial came to warn off all intruders. The com-
manding ollicer said that it was impossible to move at
that time of the night ; and he, in consequence, on
arriving at Port Elizabeth, received a summons to ap-
pear before the Civil Court, to answer a charge of tres-
pass and damages — the latter laid at £\0. Mind
you, there is not now so mucli as a blade of green grass
within a hundred miles ; and the most upright judge
gave a verdict of £1. damages, and I4s. costs !
" Tlierc appears to be but one opinion on the subject
of this heartless transaction. Major E , when the
verdict was delivered, gave the prosecutor, in his
quiet, gentlemanly way, the following well-deserved
reproof. ' Had Mr. 's property been a little
nearer to the Kaffirs, or the Kafiirs a little nearer to
Mr. 's property, he perliaps would not have had
so great an objection to the vicinity of her xMajesty's
90th Light Infantry.'!
" Now, although tlie above-mentioned business cer-
tainly admits of no palliation, yet — with regard to the
frontier Colonists in general — allowance nmst be made
for the feelings of people who have already been so often
abandoned to their fate, and who, on the present occa-
sion, seeing the Native Levies disbanded, and the regular
troops withdrawn, wlicn there is no appearance of the
' As an illustration of this anecdote, see Cbase's Cape of
Good Hope, p. '231.
U2
436 EETURN FROM
Kaffirs having been really humbled, naturally suppose
that another flimsy peace is about to be patched up,
which will again, in a few years, expose them to all
the renewed horrors of Kaffir invasion, attended with
its usual results."
" Saturday, February 20th. The President and
Eurydice have arrived, witli tlie Governor, the Com-
jnander-in-Chief, and all their suite. I lost no time in
seeing the General (whom I had formerly known in
the Mediterranean). I found him particularly afiable ;
and he has advised me to proceed at once to the Cape,
and there to submit my case to the decision of a
Medical Board. My old schoolfellow, Anson, is in
command of the Eurydice, and has kindly promised
me a lift round to Simon''s Bay. They are to make
a last attempt to get the Thunderbolt afloat, which
will probably take a week to eficct. I may therefore
reckon on being at Cape Town about the commence-
ment of March ; and this — allowing a month for the as-
sembly of the Medical Board, and their decision (which
I have not the least doubt will be in favour of my
return) being confirmed — will bring me to the com-
mencement of April ; so that about the middle of
June I hope to be once more with you. Anson
brought out a letter, of the 25th October : however,
having previously received yours of the 5th December,
it contained no news.
* * * *
" T have drawn out, as I before told you, for Sir
George Berkeley ''s perusal, a paper with my remarks
on the state of things here, together with a few sug-
THE EASTERN FRONTIER. 487
gestions ; of which epistle I enclose a copy, aiul trust
shortly to follow in person this formidable budget."
Extracts from a Letter addressed to Lieutenant-General
Sir George Berkeley ^ K.C.B.^ Sfc.^
" Bushman's River, Frontier of the Cape of Good Hope,
"6th February, 1847.
" Sir — Anticipating, this morning, the arrival of
your Excellency, I have hastily put together a few
facts and suggestions, induced by the present state of
affairs on the frontier ; which opinions, however crude
and undigested, may perhaps, nevertheless, furnish
one or two available hints.
" Since the period when the Hottentots were dis-
possessed by the Kaffirs of tliat tract of country be-
tween the Keiskaumia and (Jreat Fish lliver, the ex-
perience of more than half a century goes to prove,
that these restless barbarians are not to be restrained
within the limits of the latter boundary. The dense,
and in many places almost impenetrable, belt of Bush
which extends along the sides of that river, and of its
tributary, the ' Kat,"" as far north as the Wiutcrberg
Mountains, serving only to afford them a secure cover,
from whence, at pleasure, tliey can emerge to plunder
and devastate the Colony ; whilst, at the same time,
it secures them against pursuit, or discovery ; hence,
their depredations can at all times be committed at
ease, and, generally speaking, with perfect impunity.
" This has invariably occurred, both during the
Dutch occupation and our subsequent possession of the
Eastern Province, whose inhabitants have been con-
' Sec " Book of the Cape," p. 154.
438 RETURN FROM
stantly kept in a state of alarm, and repeatedly ruined,
by the incursions of these savages — as a precaution
against whose aggressions, patroles, commandos, and
every measure suggested by foresight and prudence,
have hitherto been of no avail; whilst their more
serious invasions of 1819 and 1834-35 have well nigh
deprived us of this fine province.
" Sir Benjamin d'Urban was so perfectly convinced
of the utter insecurity of this hue of frontier, that,
after the latter daring attempt of the Kaffirs, he re-
solved on driving the whole of the Amakosse tribes
across the Kye, the open nature of whose banks was
so much better- adapted for defence, and observation of
the movements of the Kaffirs, than those of the Great
Fish River, Such was his original intention ;^ in
pursuance of which he, at an enormous expense to
Government, erected several strong posts, which —
together with the line of policy he had adopted —
would, it was then generally supposed, have secured
the permanent tranquillity of the Colony.
" Lord Glenelg, however, guided by the representa-
tions of ***** * and influenced by the mistaken
and mawkish philanthropy of the day — an affectation of
humanity exercised at the expense of the lives, pro-
perty, and happiness, of our fellow-countrymen — upset
all these arrangements, and adopted that vacillating
line of policy, and those childish half-measures, which
have entailed all the miseries of the late war, to say
nothing of tlie immense outlay to which it has put the
British Government.
' "Which -was suhscqucntly modified, by allowing some of the
Ga'ika Tribes to occupy the country as British subjects.
THE EASTERN FRONTIER. 439
" Under such circumstances, the question naturally
suf^gests itself — ' How are all these evils to be reme-
died? And ought recourse again to be had to Sir JJen-
jamin d'Urbau's original plans T — 'Yes/ we would
answer ; ' but on a still more extended and more
stringent system."'
" A great power, when it has once thrown back the
limits of its boundary, more especially — as in this
case — when dealing with savages, should, right or
wrong, never again retrench those limits.
" Any concession — even common kindness — is, with
the barbarian, put down to the account of fear. The iirst
symptom of a retreat is construed into weakness, or in-
ability to retain possession of the abandoned territory;
and the moral influence of the power of civilization once
destroyed, the consequent fatal results are incalculable.
" Above all, no threat should be made, unless there
be full power to carry it into eft'ect ; and, when it /*■
executed, it should be done in such a manner as not to
be readily forgotten.
" Were I called upon for an opinion on the subject,
it would be: — 'That all the Kaffir Tribes be driven
beyond the Kye,' the latter to be then considered as
' It is well known, that between PortXatal and the Umzini-
voobou River there are large tracts of fertile country jjerfectly
uninhabited, and which could be occupied by the Kaffirs, if
expelled from this side of the Kye ; where, moreover, they are
only intruders of a very recent date ; Avhilst the most advan-
tageous appropriation of the territory thus vacated by them
might be a matter of after-consideration — whether to be sold,
distributed as grants to Settlers ; to be occupied by Fingoes and
Hottentots; or else by that race of half-castes, known under
the denomination of " Griq^uas," or " Bastaards."
440 RETURN FROM
the boundary of the Eastern Province ; that, after the
expiration of a reasonable period, every male Kaffir
above the age of sixteen, caught within this limit
(whether armed or unarmed), be put to death like a
beast of prey ; or, if taken alive, be removed to the
vicinity of Cape Town, there to work as a felon on the
public roads ; and, as a further encouragement to their
capture or extirpation, that, dead or alive (at the ter-
mination of the above-fixed period), a price be put on
their heads. Tlie Boers, Fingoes, and Hottentots,
would then, I have no doubt, save Government all
further trouble on this account.'
" That Kreili, the paramount Chief of all the Kaffir
tribes, should, by the delivery of suitable hostages, be
made responsible for the due fulfilment of so indis-
pensable a preliminary to peace (the evacuation of the
territory on this side of the Kye), for the further
maintenance of which, that lines of posts be esta-
blished along the new boundary — communicating with
each other — with the seat of Government of the
Eastern Province (which, by the by, ought to be local,
and without reference to the authorities at Cape Town),
and with the nearest seaport, by good military roads,
with bridges over the numerous torrents. This com-
munication to extend to Port Elizabeth — the locality
at wliich the work of road-making should commence —
(instead of the neighbourhood of Cape Town,) where it
is of much more immediate importance.
" Tliat, before any treaty be definitively concluded
with Kreili, lie, as the responsible agent, be made to
' See Sir Ilcnry Pottinger's Letter of June 20th, 1847.
Enclosure 6, Despatch 26. "Blue Book" for 1848.
THE EASTERN FRONTIER. 441
give up the fall amount of plundered cattle, as a
slight compensation to the Colonists, for the losses
and sufterings sustained by them during the war ; the
expenses of whirh nmst however unavoidably fall on
the British Government.
" Should the above terms of a proposed peace not
be deemed palatable by the Kaffirs, they ought to be
enforced at the point of the bayonet ; and, in order
more probably to avoid a recurrence of that want of
success which marked the events <jf the last campaign,
it may be as well to review a few of the apparent errors
committed during its progress.
" In the first place, the ball was opened at a season
when there was no food for the cattle ; without the
establishment of a proper base of operations ; without
magazines, or adequate provision of any kind, and with
a most faulty system of transport, for the conveyance
of commissariat supplies and camp equipage.
" All these deficiencies would have been more than
sufficient to upset the most fully matured and best
arranged plan of a campaign. ]Jut, when the total
want of combination — the weakness and vacillation of
purpose — the mistake of permanently disbanding the
Burghers — and the discontent excited amongst the
native Levies by not attending to their legitimate de-
mands — when all these combined causes are taken
into consideration, it is only matter of surprise that the
British force in Kaffirland did not share the fate of
the unfortunate Cabul expedition, which most pro-
bably would have been the case, had we had a foe like
the Aftghan, or a less favourable cliniate to deal with.
" I think it would likewise be Q;reatlv conducive to
u 5
442 RETURN FROM
the tranquillity of the Colony at laroe, were European
traders, missionaries, and other unauthorized persons,
kept out of Kaffirland ; at all events, unless provided
with a pass, duly signed by competent authority.
" The sale of gunpowder and firearms, as likewise
the propogation of doctrines of independence, and of a
supposed equality to the white man, would thus, in a
great measure, be put a stop to amongst these savages ;
whilst traffic miirht still be carried on at stated times
and places, but subject to proper ' surveillance,"' and
under pain of the severest penalty — even death — to
those infringing a strict prohibition to sell the above-
named forbidden articles.
" If we must still try to convert the Kaffirs, let the
establishments for that purpose be along the frontier
line superintended by qualified ministers, and under
the authority of Government ; for at present, any
broken-down mechanic, who fancies, or whose interest
it is to have a ' call,' may be, and often is, the means
of doing an infinity of mischief.
" As to the extent of success attending our attempts
at conversion, they have hitherto proved an utter
failure ; and the Kaffirs, it is well known, have lately
converted^ to our cost, the Missionary Bibles into ball-
cartridges, or wadding. The Hottentots are more
drunken and dissolute than ever ; and some reverend
personages have not — to their shame be it said — set
them the most rigorous examples of morality.
" The great mistake has been hitherto committed,
of constantly employing missionaries in our political
relations with the Kaffirs ; principally, I believe,
owino- to their local influence and exclusive knowledge
THE EASTERN FRONTIER. 443
of the language ; but, if proper iiulucements were held
out, many men brought up in the diplomatic line, as
well as military officer;-!, would no doubt soon (puilify
tliemselves to an equal extent, in the same manner.
" It may not be irrelevant to remark, that, whilst
making hostile incursions into the enemy's country, it
would much tend to ultimate success — by crippling his
resources — were we to carry off the women (who play
the part of spies, as well as that of conmiissaries), for
without their assistauce the Kaffirs are, in a great
measure, helpless ; and would often rather starve than
be at the trouble of collecting, transporting, and cooking
their own victuals. Their crops and gardens should
also, on these occasions, be invariably destroyed, and
their huts burnt to the ground. ^
# * * *
" Should the war be continued, it appears to me
that, by acting diametrically opposite to former mea-
sures, a very different result might fairly be anti-
cipated.
" 1st. Not to open the campaign until fully assured
of abundant supplies, and at a season when there is a
sufficiency of grass for the horses and commissariat
cattle.
"2nd. To substitute, in the transport of supplies and
^ Were the plan, moreover, adopted of destroying instead of
capturing KatKr cattle, whilst convincing the enemy that our
object is not plunder, it would, besides, relieve our troops from
that most harassing duty of guarding and driving back large
droves of oxen to the frontier, through hordes of hostile bar-
barians, who allow no opi)ortunity to escape, of endeavouring
to recover, what by them is intinitely more valued than the
richest treasure.
444 RETURN FROM
canij)-equipage, pack oxen' for conveyance by wheeled
carriages — that eflectual drawback to anytliing like
celerity of military movement, particularly in a coun-
try intersected, as this is, by dense bush, rapid tor-
rents, and deep, rugged water-courses. Camels, which
might easily be procured at the Cape de Yerds, from
whence tliey could be brought at little cost, by ships
going out in ballast, would in this country be invalu-
able as beasts of burden. From their peculiar con-
formation and habits, being little affected by the
frequent want of water and scarcity of grass ; and as
they wallingly feed on the succulent plants and thorny
shrubs with which the liush abounds, they would
thrive, and even grow fat, where oxen must inevitably
perish.
" Why, also, the elephant ^ should not here be
turned to account, as well as in Indian warfare, is a
problem of difficult solution. This animal could easily
force its way tlirough the thick busli — impervious
to all save a Kaffir ; and, if properly trained, a few
practised marksmen, with a good supply of firearms,
would, from the commanding height of a howdah, be
able to do great execution in this jungle warfare.
However, the mere fact of its being an innovation on
the good old Dutcli customs w^ould, in both the above
cases, ensure opposition in this dull, plodding, waggon-
' Pack-mules were subsequently employed for this purpose. '
- lie is indigenous to Southern Africa, and, were the attempt
made, could no doul>t be domesticated as easily as his Asiatic
brethren of Ilindostan and Ceylon. The elephants which
accompanied Ilannitjal's army across the Alps probably were
of African origin, and most likely of the same species as those
which are now found in the southern portion of that continent.
THE EASTERN FRONTIER. 445
driving part of tlio world. But to return from this
digression to my ' suggestions.'
" 3rd. To cause a correct survey and report to be
made of the mouth of every river or bay between the
Great Fish River and Port Natal, and wherever secure
anchorage were found, or a safe landing deemed prac-
ticable, there to establish a military post and maga-
zines ; in short, to establish the ' base of operations'*
along the eastern line of sea-coast, by which you would
have your supplies in the very lieart of the enemy^s
country, and be able to get at once at his front and
left flank, with Port Natal on your own right, and
ample resources in your rear.
" At present, owing to the insecurity of Waterloo
Bay, the greater part of the supplies for the army are
landed at Port Elizabeth, (itself bj^ no means a safe
roadstead) and then transported in waggons, over an
execrable country, to Graham's Town, Avhence they
are forwarded to the scene of operations in the same
lumbering conveyances.
" H.M. Steamer Thunderbolt was some time since
sent to examine the mouth of the Buftaloe River. I
understand that a favourable report was the result,
and coasting- vessels have been known to remain there
safely at anchor, for weeks together ; yet, from some
unaccountable cause, its capabilities have never, during
the whole course of the war, been made in the least
available.'
" Again, as considerable delay and tiic greatest in-
convenience have often of late resulted, in consequence
^ Shortly after the above was written, a military post was
established at this locality.
446 RETURN FROM
of a sudden rise in those numerous rivers flowino; throug-h
the scene of operations, it strikes me that a pontoon
train, with a few sailors, might with great advantage
be attached to the forces in the flehl ;' whilst scientific
oflScers were appointed to take military surveys of the
ground over which we may advance, of many parts
of whose features we are still in total ignorance ; as
a good plan (on a large scale) would greatly facilitate
military movements in this broken and entangled
country.
" With reference to the passage of the numerous
rivers in Kaffirland — during the former winter, (1846)
when there was no chance of their being flooded, a
large punt was dragged about with the force ; but last
December (the time when rain is always expected on
the frontier) the army was stopped for ten or twelve
days at the Kye, part of it cut off from its supplies,
for want of means to pass them over ; and during this
time, the troops unprovided with tents, and exposed
to incessant rain, without biscuit, flour, or even salt,
were reduced to the necessity of living entirely on beef,
and that often nearly raw.
*****
" Lastly. If all these measures be deemed insuf-
ficieftt to ensure success, Faku, the chief of the Ama-
ponda Kaffirs, only waits, it is said, a signal (or bribe)
from us, to fall on the enemy's rear ; let that signal
' Though not in consequence of the above suggestion, it is,
nevertheless, satisfactory to the author to find its feasibility
subsequently fully tested, in the successful passage of the Orange
River on pontoons, by the forces under Sir Harry Smith, during
the late expedition against the Boers.
THE EASTERN FRONTIER. 447
be given, aud these incorrigible robber tribes will
then be li;t*t to their well-merited fate of mutual
destruction !
" Such, Sir, is a rough outline of my — perhaps mis-
taken — ideas on the subject in question ; it may, per-
chance, be deemed presumption in an officer of my
standing, venturing to advance an opinion on such
points — still, ' knowledge,"' saith the proverb, ' may
even be gathered from fools :'' — but, without exactly
subscribinii" mvself as such, I have the honour to re-
main, most respectfully, your Excellency ""s
obedient, humble servant,
E. Napier.
Lieut-Colonel on Particular Service."
To Lieut-General Sir G, Berkeley,
K.C.B., &c., &c., &c.,
Commander-in-Chief
at the Cape of Good Hope.
^r •* tt "^P ^
If the above were ever perused by tlie officer to
whom it was addressed — whether or not, he availed
himself of the suggestions therein contained — is now
a matter of little import ; suffice it to say, that from
the date of this letter, nearly another year had elapsed,
and the Kaffir war still dragged on its weary length,
until Sir Harry Smith at last appeared on the scene.
Sir Harry ''s well known energy and decision of cha-
racter — his indomitable valour — the recollection of his
gallant exploits during the war of 1835 ; — in short, his
name alone, sufficed at once to awe the barbarians and
448 THE EASTERN FROxNTIER.
drive them to instant submission.' Their greatest chiefs
humbly approaching, kissed the feet of tlie " Inkoso
Eukuhf (the representative of the great Queen ;)
Kaffirland then bowed to the yoke, and, together with
the whole Colony — if we do not " entirely neglect
our Settlers, persecute the Boers, or enforce an odious
Convict system""' — will — with its present lluler — pro-
bablv continue to be governed in quietness and peace,
under the same judicious system — so injudiciously dis-
carded — which was established in 1835 by the "bene-
factor of the Cape of Good Hope :" the universally
respected, and now, alas ! deeply to be lamented Sir
Benjamin d'Urban.
^ See "Five Years in KafRrlantl," vol. ii., p. 334.
A P P E T^ D I X.
Fort Hare. — Page 99.
It is difficult to divine what could have been the motive for
naming the Fort — then erecting near Block Drift — after the
late Major-Gcncral Hare ; as, in consequence of his having been
so severely censured for his proceedings at this verj' locality before
the breaking out of the war, such an appellation would appear
to have been bestowed more in contumely than compliment.
Of the Justice of the censure Avhich is said to have brought
this veteran officer to an untimely end,^ the impartial reader
will be enabled to form an opinion by attentively perusing that
correspondence on the subject contained in the " Blue Book "
for 1847, relating to the affairs of the Cape of Good Hope, and
more particularly the official letters having reference to the
unauthorized and unjustifiable violation of territorj^ on our
part, by the survey which was ordered to be made in Sandilla's
territories, without the consent of that Chief, and when at peace
with his Tribe. Should the i)apers above referred to not have
already met the eye of the friends of tlie late Major-General
Hare, they would be found well worth perusing.
Outline of the Services of the 91st Regiment in
Kaffirland in 1846,
together with the Official Report of the engagement in the
Amatola. — Page 199.
"The Kaffirs (after the aifair of the Amatola, on the IGth,
l7th, and 18th April, 1846) now poured into the Colony, and
^ See Mrs. Ward's " Five Years in KafErland," vol. ii., eh. viii.
450 SERVICES OF
thinking to carry all before them, assailed the following outposts,
which were held by detachments of the Reserve Battalion of
the 91st Regiment; but they were in every instance repulsed
with heavy loss; namely, at the Tyuraie (Chumie) post on the
19th April, when one private, 91st Regiment, was wounded ; at
Leuwe Fontain, on the 19th, when two privates, 91st Regi-
ment, were killed; at Blinkwater Post, 20th April; Double
Drift, 26th April; INIancazana Tost, on 1st and 3rd May; and
Trumpeters' Drift, 2nd May.
" At the attack on the train of forty-one waggons passing
from Trumpeters' Drift to Fort Peddle on 24th May, 60 men
of the Reserve Battalion, 91st Regiment, were present, and the
conduct of Lieutenant Dickson on that occasion was highly
commended by his Excellency, Sir P. Maitland,
"This detachment, in conjunction with the 1st Battalion,
was again engaged on the 28th and 29th May, in the attack
made by the whole Tribes of Kaffirland on Fort Peddle, on
which occasion the enemy had to retire with great slaughter.
In the mean time, the head-quarters of the Battalion were
directed to occupy and maintain the seminary and other build-
ings at Block Drift, when the remainder marched, on the 27th
April, to the defence of Lower Albany.
" On the afternoon of the 12th of May, the Kaffirs attacked
Block Drift; but, though repelled from the buildings, they
succeeded in capturing about 100 head of cattle and a few
sheep, and wounding one private of the 91st Regiment. On
this occasion, the loss of the enemy was 40 killed.
" On the 5th of June, 100 men of the 91st Regiment assisted
in re-capturing from a party of the enemy about 5,300 sheep
and goats, and nine horses, and bringing them in safety to the
Post. On the 6th of June, a strong patrole, of 250 of the 91st
Regiment, a party of Royal Sappers and Miners, with one gun,
40 of the Cape Corps, 400 mounted Burghers, and 200 Fingoes,
started from Block Drift, under the command of Major Camp-
bell, and having scoured all the kloofs and valleys to the foot
of the Amatola Mountains, and meeting with no opposition, re-
turned to the Post. On the 15th of June, 200 men of the 91st
Regiment, 200 of the 27th Regiment, a company of the Royal
Sappers and Miners, and two guns, with 40 Cape Corps, and
600 of the Burgliers, and Hottentot and Fingoe Levies, under
the command of Colonel Hare, again patrolled to the Amatola
THE 9 1st regiment. 451
Mountains; but, mcctinj^ with no opposition — the enemy only
appearing on the top of the liills — the force returned to Block
Drift. On the 27th of July, the Reserve Battalion of the
91st Regiment, of the strength of 11 officers and "ioO men,
formed part of the first division, under the command of Colonel
Hare, and having left 80 men to maintain Block Drift, pro-
ceeded to the Chumie flats.
" On the night of the •29th of July, the Kaffirs made an
attack on the camp, but were soon silenced by the fire of the
troops, which caused them quickly to retire; and, by daybreak
next morning, the division, more than "2,000 strong, with two
guns, ascended the sununit of the Amatola range, the enemy
every where fleeing before them. The following day, the
Division proceeded to Fort Cox, with a view to intercept the
retreating foe. On the 4th of August, the force again took up
the pursuit, atul for four days was employed in scouring the
kloofs and hills towards the source of the Keiskamma River,
and up to the Buffalo Mountains. Finding that the Kaffirs
had eluded their search, and meeting with no enemy to con-
tend against, the troops returned to Fort Cox on the 7th of
August.
" On the IGth of August, a patrolc of 1 JO of the 91st Regi-
ment, with a party of the 27th Regiment, and 100 Fingoes,
ascended the Amatola ]\Iountains, and, passing into the valley
below, returned to camp without seeing an enemy. On the
same day, 81 men of the 91st Regiment, with a Hottentot corps
600 strong, under the command of Captain Hogg, 7th Dragoon
Guards, started for Tambookieland, to punish the Chief Ma-
passa, who had now joined in the war against the British.
"This party was thus employed till the 19th of October,
when it arrived at Fort Beaufort, having been engaged in the
several affairs and skirmishes with the enemy, which took place
during that time, and in one of which the spirited conduct of
Ensign Fitzgerald, 91st Regiment, was particularly noticed.
" The detachment marched, on the 2;]rd of October, to
Phoonah's Kloof, and thence to Post Victoria on the 9th of
December.
" On the 23rd of August, a body of Hottentots and Fingoes
that had been sent out on two days' patrole, were, on their
return to Fort Cox, suddenly attacked, on the Amatola ]\Ioun-
tains, by a superior force of Kaffirs, and on the eve of being
452 SERVICES OF
overpowered by tliem, when the opportune arrival of 100 men
of the 91st Regiment, hastily despatched to their support,
rescued them from their danger, and, throwing themselves in
the face of the foe, directed such a volley into them as to com-
pel them to make a precipitate retreat, and the party returned
to camp without further molestation.
"On the 29th of August, the 91st Regiment furnished 116
men as part of a patrole under Captain Durnford, 27th Regi-
ment, which again scoured the bushy kloofs of the surrounding
country.
" On the 5th of September, the R. B. 91st regiment was
directed to remain and occupy Fort Cox, with 200 of the Cape
Town Burghers, all under the command of Major, now Lieu-
tenant-Colonel Campbell, 91st Regiment. The Division,
having placed the Fort in a good state of repair, then moved
towards the Debe River.
"While at Fort Cox, daily patroles of 100 men, under a
Captain, were furnished by the 91st Regiment and Cape
Burghers, for the purpose of keeping the surrounding bush
clear of the enemy, and reconnoitcring the neighbourhood.
"On the 17th of September, Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell
had an interview with the Kaffir Chief, Macomo, who said that
he came in the name of all Kaffirland to sue for peace ; and a
report of this interview was forwarded to the officer command-
ing the 1st Division. On the 23rd of October, a party of 12:3
men, 91st Regiment, an equal number of Burghers, and six of
the Cape Corps, acting in co-operation with 1st Division, pa-
trolled under Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell, in the direction of
Block Drift, and, sweeping along the face of the mountains, suc-
ceeded in capturing 92 head of cattle. On the 1st of December,
100 of the 91st Regiment, 100 Cape Town Burghers, and six of
the Cape Corps, again sallied out of the Fort, and co-operating
with the 1st Division, as on the previous occasion, captured lOG
head of cattle and nine horses, having experienced very trifling
opposition."
Fort Cox continued to be occupied by the Head-quarters of
the 2nd Battalion of the 91st Regiment and the Cape Town
Burgher Levy until the 2.'}rd of December, at which period it
was abandoned, and Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell joined the
1st Division at Block Drift.
The following is Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell's official ac-
THE 91ST REGIMKNT. 453
count of his encounters with the Kaffirs on the IGth April and
12th May, 1846.
Block Drift, 19th April, 184G.
Sir — I have the honour to acquaint you that in compliance
with your order on the morning of the 16th inst., I proceeded
from the Camp at Burns' Hill, with two hundred rank and file
of the 91st Kegiment, and one hundred and eighty Burgher
Hottentots across the Keiskamma, and up the Amatola Hoek.
The principal part of the way was by a narrow path through a
densely wooded valley. After j)roceeding without any moles-
tation for about five or six miles, the country became more open.
I here halted for a short time. During the time of our halt,
I perceived numbers of Kaffirs collecting on the heights all
round, but more especially at the only outlet which leads to the
flats, where I expected to meet with your division. In forming
a moderate estimate of Avhat we could see of the enemy's num-
bers, I should compute them at two thousand, and all appa-
rently armed with firearms. As their numbers were increasing
every moment, and they seemed closing upon us, I determined
on ascending the heights without delay, so as to gain the flats
and get clear of the Bush. The outlet was up a steep rugged
cattle path, about three-quarters of a mile in length, thickly
wooded on either side, l)ut more particularly on our left. As
soon as we commenced the ascent, the Burgher Hottentots
skirmishing in our front, the Kaffirs opened a heavy fire upon
us, from front and both flanks. We continued advancing stea-
dily, firing to both flanks. When about half way up, the
Kaffirs closed on our rear, so that we were entirely surrounded.
I here ordered my men to fix bayonets, and fire a volley in
the thick bush on our left, from which the hottest of the
enemy's fire jiroceeded. This for a short time silenced their
fire in that direction, when we again pushed on, keeping up a
constant fire to our flanks, as before. On gaining the top, I
formed the men in line to the rear, and commenced firing on
the Kaffirs, who where now emerging from the Bush. IVIy men
were now much done up, owing to the steepness of the ascent ;
at this moment you arrived with your di\ision to our support.
With the subsequent occurrences of the day you are ac-
quainted. The casualties of my party on this occasion, were
three privates 91st liegiment killed; one coq)oral and two pri-
vates wounded; one Hottentot Burgher wounded, who died
454 SERVICES OF
on the following morning, and my horse shot during the as-
cent.
I have much pleasure in being able to state, that the whole
of the party under my command, including the Burgher Hot-
tentots, behaved with the greatest coolness and deteriuination.
I have the honour to be. Sir,
Your most obedient humble servant,
J. F. G. Campbell, Major 91st Regt.
Commanding Reserve Battalion, 91st Regt.
To Col. Somerset, K.H., Commanding
the Troops in Kaffirland.
PS. On this occasion the Kaffirs acknowledge^ to have lost
two hundred. The conduct of my two hundred men was admi-
rable ; nothing but coolness and the most determined courage,
under a merciful God, brought us through. One poor fellow,
after being wounded, shot one, and bayonetted two. We were
actually at times muzzle to muzzle.
Block Drift, May 13th, 1846.
Sir — I have the honour to acquaint you, for the information
of his Honour the Colonel commanding, that yesterday, about
2 P.M., a body of about one hundred and fifty mounted Kaflars
were seen approaching the slaughter cattle guard (twelve men of
the 91st Regiment) which was about four hundred yards above
Fort Thompson, on the slope of the hill, and immediately com-
menced firing on them. Conceiving this to be only a ruse on the
part of the KaflSrs to draw the force out of the building, I merely
sent a party consisting of one officer and twenty men to support
the cattle guard, who were retiring on the Camp, and got the rest
of the men and gun into position. I then opened a fire with
the gun, and after a few discharges, which seem to have been
effective, as several of the Kaffirs were seen to fall from their
horses, and were afterwards picked up by the others, and car-
ried off, the body of Kaffirs then retired up the hill, out of
range, and immediately, as I had anticipated, a large force of
Kaffirs on foot made a rush from the top, and from each side
of the wooded hill, about eight hundred yards in rear of the
building, and made directly for it. By this time I had the gun
1 It is well known the Kaffirs always endeavour to conceal the
numbers they lose in war; so the chances are, that whatever they
acknowledge to is greatly under the mark.
THE 9 1st regimknt. 455
brought to the other flank, so as to fire on the hill, and opened
a fire of musketry, from the top windows and roof, on them as
they advanced, which checked them, and made them change
their direction to the thick bush on our right rear. The gun
was then brought to bear on this point, when the Kaffirs retired
in various directions behind the hill to our rear. It is impos-
sible to say what may have been the loss of the enemy on this
occasion, but on that part of the hill where the gun and mus-
ketry fire were directed, there were distinctly seen eight bodies
carried away.' Our casualty was one man of the cattle guard,
severely and dangerously wounded.
^Vhilst these operations were going on, another large body of
Kaffirs, both mounted, and on foot, carried off the whole of
the slaughtered cattle and sheep. This party kept along the
ridge of the south-west, between this and Post Victoria, and
shortly fell in with the trek oxen, which were grazing in that
direction, under their leaders and drivers, and captured the
whole of them, killing one of the drivers. Shortly afterwards,
I saw the oxen and Kaffirs make a detour to the loft, and go in
the direction of the Amatola INIountains. Having one day'a
rations of meat onlj', for those on the post, I have caused it to
be divided into two days' supply, and reduced the forage allow-
ance. I beg to enclose returns, showing the quantity of am-
munition and supplies now at the Post, and would suggest, for
the consideration of his Honour, the Colonel commanding, that
the quantity of gun ammunition specified in the enclosed requi-
sition should be sent to this Post. Should it be at any time
required, there is no ammunition at present for the Cape
Corps.
I have to add that the water in the duct lately laid on, ap-
pears to have been cut off last night, but as I have reason to
believe there are still Kaffirs in the vicinity, I have not thought
it advisable to ascertain whether it is so, or accidental, by the
water breaking the banks. The head of the duct is nearly
two miles off, and through bushy ground.
I have, &c., &c., &c.,
J. F. G. Camphkll, jMajor, 91st Rcgt.,
Commanding Block Drift.
To Lieut. ^lolcsworth, '27th Kegt., Field and Fort
Adjutant, Fort Beaufort.
* On this occasion the loss acknowk'i.lgecl by the Kaffirs was forty.
456 JSER VICES OF THE 91 ST RECaMKXT,
Extract from a Second Report, dated likewise I3th May,
1846.
I may add, that the guard which was out j'esterday, although
nearly a mile distant, escaped in a most remarkable manner, as,
by the time the relief which I sent out to their aid had reached,
they were completely surrounded by Kaffirs, and this small
party deserves the greatest credit for the manner in which they
fouo-ht their way, through the body of attacking Kaffirs so
many times more than their number, and to which I was an
eye-witness.
I have, &c., &c., &c.,
J. F. G. Campbell, Major, 91st Regt.,
Commanding Block Drift.
To Lieut. iMolesworth, 27th Regt., Field and Fort
Adjutant, Fort Beaufort.
THE END.
V. Shoberl, Jun., rrinterto II.U.II. Prince AUxTt.ol, Unpen St., Ilaymarket.
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