318 BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 



During the last Kaffir war, one chieftain belonging to the 

 Ama Rosa tribe, whose name wasTaloosa, finding no chance 

 of satisfying his cupidity with colonial cattle, made an 

 expedition towards the north, and entered this country in 

 order to rob the peaceful Bassootas of their flocks. This 

 attempt, however, was frustrated through the vigilance and 

 valour of that tribe. Taloosa, with almost all his followers, 

 was slain, and thus severely punished for his crime. 



The King of the Bassoota's name is Moshee, (others call him 

 Moshoosa). His residence and capital lie several days* journey 

 higher up the river ; it is built on an extensive table-land 

 on the summit of a high mountain, which is surrounded 

 by inaccessible precipices, a spot that has been very ju- 

 diciously chosen by the king about the year 1824, at the 

 time when he and his tribe fled before the victorious spears 

 of the Zoolas, led by Moselekato. Moshoosa is described as 

 being of a very peaceful disposition ; there is scarcely any rob- 

 bery committed by his people, and he lives on amiable terms 

 with his surrounding neighbours, as well as with the colony. He 

 rules over a numerous tribe, and occupies an extensive, but 

 very mountainous country. A missionary station of the 

 same French society is attached close to his capital, below 

 that mountain, and some of his younger sons were placed 

 under the immediate care of its missionaries at that time. 



There are several other villages higher up that river, 

 inhabited by Bastards, a mixed race of Hottentots, and 

 the rest are Koranas. The latter are also a Hottentot race 

 speaking nearly the same language. One of these villages, 

 called Nieuland, has a great fame in that part of the country 

 with regard to the abundance of wheat cultivated by this 

 people. In time of scarcity it supplies many districts with 

 its produce; so that even the inhabitants from the Natal 

 country resort here with waggons, notwithstanding the 

 distance is more than two hundred miles, to buy loads of 

 wheat from this people. 



There is scarcely any water running in the channel of 



