598 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1818. 



Captain Sheridan, and by the 

 Landdrosts and Hcemraden of 

 the two frontier distiicts, and 

 two interpreters. The CafFre 

 guard sat in semicircle behind 

 their chiefs, and paid great atten- 

 tion to what was passing. 



" The conference lasted near 

 thi'ee hours, minutes of the whole 

 being made by Lieut. -Colonel 

 Bird ; the mutual interests of the 

 two countries were discussed. 



" Gaikaexpressedgreatanxiety 

 that his people should be per- 

 mitted to trade with the colony 

 for iron, copper, copper-wire, and 

 other articles, of which the whole 

 nation was much in want, and in 

 return for which they could barter 

 ivory and skins : this was agreed 

 to, and it was settled that they 

 should come to Graham's Town 

 twice a year for tiie purpose, 

 provided they had licence and 

 passes from Gaika himself, which 

 passes should be produced to the 

 officer commanding at De Bruin's- 

 Drift, the only entrance to be 

 permitted. Gaika nhserving that 

 other chiefs claimed equality with 

 himself, and were quite inde- 

 pendent; he was answered, that 

 he had always been acknowledged 

 by the Cape governors as the 

 principal CaflTre chiei", and that if 

 other chiefs wished to correspond 

 and trade with the colony, they 

 liad it in their power to do so by 

 applying for his passport, without 

 which none could be admitted 

 into our territory. Gaika ex- 

 pressed his satisfaction at this 

 arrangement, and addressing the 

 other chiefs, called their atten- 

 tion to the Governor's declaration. 



" Gaika, in presence of, and with 

 the concurrence of the other 

 chiefs, agreed to use his utmost 



endeavours to put a stop to the 

 continual depredations committed 

 on the colonists; and he consent- 

 ed, that in future cases of cattle 

 being stolen from the colony, and 

 traced to any particular kraal, 

 that kraal should be made res- 

 ponsible for the cattle, although 

 not to be found there, and should 

 be bound to furnish from its own 

 herds the number of cattle stolen 

 from the colony; he said this 

 would be right and just, and 

 would induce the kraals to give 

 up and not to secret the thieves, 

 as they now did. He said he 

 would assuredly punish with 

 death any Caft'rcs he discovered 

 plundering the colonists ; and 

 added, that he knew an Almighty 

 Ruler presided over all chiefs, 

 however great, and that they were 

 accountable to him for the right 

 or wrong they permitted. 



" A Caffre who had been taken 

 in the act of committing depre- 

 dation on the Sunday River, was 

 then returned to Gaika, and his 

 pardon stipulated for. Gaika 

 questioned him in a most authori- 

 tative manner, and then said that 

 the whole Caft're people was in- 

 debted to his Excellency for 

 saving this man's life, for that he 

 should certainly have had him put 

 to death, but for the powerful 

 interference of the 'Koze 'Kooloo 

 (Great Chief). 



" The gracefulness with which 

 Gaika spoke was very striking, 

 and the manly and decided tone 

 he took was extremely impressive. 



" The CafFre language is very 

 soft, abounding in vowels ; the z 

 appears to recur frequently ; they 

 have a slight clack similar to the 

 Hottentot aspiration, though not 

 so strong. 



Gaika's 



