434 CATTLE AS AN ECOx\0MIC FACTOR IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



i 



Liesbeek River to adventurous settlers, who thus became free 

 burgliers, so forming a protective belt around the hitherto open 

 settlement. But this only accentuated the trouble, for the Hotten" 

 tots speedily came to see that they were losing not only the ground 

 actually under cultivation l)ut also tlie pasture land where from 

 time immemorial they had been accustomed to graze their herds. 

 In consequence they took every opportunity of driving off the 

 settlers' cattle, even shedding blood to accomplish their purpose. 

 The eft'orts at piniishing these elusive people however were not 

 too successful, and so a strong fence was erected along the 

 boundary of the settlement, tliree watchhouses were built, and the 

 settlers behind this barrier simply awaited events, until in due 

 time after a long period of isolation negotiations were re-opened 

 in 1660, and the cattle trade proceeded afresh, brightly-coloured 

 beads and " truck " worth from eight to ten ]:)ence being given for 

 an ox. 



Then followed a period of comparative quiet, during which 

 the settlement grew apace— but with every expansion the abori- 

 gines were aft'ronted. Tt took twelve years for this agitation to 

 come to a head. It is strange indeed to think that " the country 

 around Cape Town was teeming with game, antelopes of many 

 kinds, elephants, rhinoceroses, and hippopotami ;" and we can well 

 understand that Gonnema. the Hottentot chief, must have been 

 gravely annoyed to see the burghers constantly hunting in his 

 hunting grounds, killing off the game in large quantities, in order 

 to supply the garrison with dry meat without sacrificing their 

 herds of cattle, and that this, together with the old grievances, was 

 quite sufiicient to cause the smouldering embers to burst into 

 flame. Coming upon a hunting party near Riebeeks Kasteel one 

 day. he confiscated the waggons and their teams, but permitted 

 the burghers to escape with their lives. The next hunting party 

 he caught he murdered. A third incident occurred at Saldanha 

 Bay, where one of his lieutenants captured a small trading post 

 belonging to the company. 



Such contumacy ( !) could not be passed over, and accord- 

 ingly a ptmitive expedition was fitted out, and successfully 

 accomplished the capture of 800 head of cattle, and goo sheep. 

 During the course of this the second Hottentot war the Cochoqua 

 tribe was effectively handled, losing all their cattle to the 

 Europeans, but " he who fights and runs away will live to fight 

 another day," and the wily Gonnema bided his time until he could 

 literally get some of his own back. Pouncing on the Hottentot 

 allies of the Company he swept off the greater part of their cattle 

 and then returned to his mountain fastnesses where he could 

 resist all who came against him. For four years the settlement 

 was practically blockaded on the land side — until Gonnema pro- 

 posed peace, the final arrangement being that he should pav the 

 Company a yearly tribute of thirty head of cattle — a tribute which 

 by the way was never paid ! 



Trifling- as all this may seem the consequences were of very 



