J 821.1 



f'oyage to the Cape of the New Seithrs, 



319 



reap-hooks, sickles, scythes, chissels 

 broad-axes, felling-axes, latches,catches 

 and keepers, locks, padlocks, bill-hooks, 

 files, smiths' tools, screws, tents, camp- 

 kettles, painted canvas,beddingof every 

 description, &c. &c. &c. These articles, 

 as well as the rations, are issued on 

 the responsibility of the heads of parties 

 at three years' credit,but we are given to 

 uudei-stand that government will never 

 be pressing ; indeed 1 cannot speak in 

 terms sufficiently grateful for the as- 

 sistance we have received at the hands 

 of our countiy, she has left nothing 

 undone that can contribute to our com- 

 fort and well-doing, and is still doing 

 every thing that can establish and con- 

 solidate our interests. The country 

 we are in possession of, is nearly unin- 

 habited. A few Hottentots are found 

 here and there in kras, passing their 

 time in smoaking, to which practice 

 both men and women are particularly 

 addicted. They breed a number of 

 horned cattle, but no sheep, subsisting 

 solely on milk and meat ; beiug excel- 

 lent marksmen, they are seldom at a 

 loss for the latter, as haart beasts and 

 quaggas are considered great dainties 

 among them ; they live in a state of 

 great inactivity, without any mark 

 but their persons to distinguish them 

 from the brute creation. We have little 

 to fear from our neighbours, the Caffres, 

 as they have suffered dearly for their 

 late encroachments ; the only chance 

 one can have of even seeing them is by 

 going into their territories with the 

 party of soldiers, who go to the 

 Keiskamma River, generally once a 

 week, where they sound the bugle, as 

 a signal for them to bring them milk, 

 and whatever tliey may have to dis- 

 pose of. 



They are a veiy fine race of people, 

 and lead a very active life; the only 

 ^^eapou of defence they use is a spear of 

 about five foot long, which they throw 

 with great exactness to a surprising 

 distance ; the only implement they use 

 for making them is a stone, which 

 answers the purpose both of hammer 

 and anvil. Stories concerning them 

 would scarcely be credited, but from 

 their tallying one may be induced to 

 believe them. On their defeat at Gra- 

 ham's town (upon which place they 

 made a descent about 18 months since,) 

 a party of soldiers consisting of 25 men, 

 one woman, and one child, the gar- 

 rison of the military post at Hassagai- 

 busli,on their way to reinforce their 

 comrades at Graliam's-town, fell in 



with a party of alwut 3000 Caffres; upon 

 the approach of the soldiers the Caffres 

 made a stand, the soldiers doing the 

 same, resolving to sell their lives as 

 dearly as possible, as death seemed in- 

 evitable; the day being excessively 

 hot, from the fatigue of a hard day's 

 march,' they were almost famished 

 with thirst ; on the left hand at a few 

 hundred yards distant, ran a small ri- 

 vulet, but as they. dare not all leave 

 together, they dispatclied five of the 

 men with the woman and child for the 

 piu-pose of procuring some water; at 

 the expiration of an hour the Caffres 

 wheeled about without throwing an 

 Hassagai ; in the mean time the five 

 men not returning, their comrades 

 began to feel alarmed, they immediately 

 went in search of (hem, and found 

 their mangled bodies behind some 

 bushes entirely naked, some with their 

 hands cut oft' and thrust into their 

 mouths, others with their eyes put out, 

 and cut across the belly with the en- 

 trails hanging out, and the woman and 

 child were literally quartered. Many 

 stories equally horrible are related of 

 them. 



A few weeks back a party of about 

 500 made their appearance a few miles 

 from Bathurst, killed a Hottentot and 

 effected their escape as far as the oppo- 

 site banks of the Fish River, with a 

 number of oxen he was herding. They 

 were here overtaken, and five men and 

 two women were killed ; the cattle of 

 course were recovered. 



Among the animals that are to be 

 found here, are the lion, elephant, ti- 

 ger, leopard, hyena, wolf, tiger-cat, 

 rhinoceros, buft'alo, wild hog, camel- 

 leopard, hippopotamus or sea-cow, ze- 

 bra, and quaggas ; rabbits are here in 

 abundance. Armadillos, ant-bears, 

 mangooses, raccoons, squirrels, ichneu- 

 mons, are also found here ; animals of 

 the antelope kind are particularly nu- 

 merous, and known by the following 

 names : the spring bock, stein bock, 

 bosch bock, reit bock, derker bock, 

 gries bock, bouti bock, and haart beast, 

 common deer, large antelope, small 

 antelope, and little spotted-deer, not 

 larger than a hare ; horses, sheep, goats, 

 oxen, and dogs, constitute the chief 

 part of their domesticated animals. 

 Monkeys are very numerous in the vi- 

 cinity of the locations, and of various 

 descriptions, the baboon and bear-ape are 

 extremely mischievous. The feathered 

 race are very nuineious, eagles, jvul- 

 turcs, kite:), crow^, &c. &c. are found 



here. 



