-ff TrUie of Coffers on the East of the Caj^e Colony. 5 



The face of the country is very uneven, the higher ground 

 being formed of plains and ridges from which branch a number 

 of kloofs and ravines, each of which opens into some stream or 

 river. The upper part of the country, or that nearest the 

 mountains, is the least intersected by these ravines, and is also 

 more open than the lower part next the sea, which is full of 

 xidges. The whole country abounds with the Mimosa tree ; and 

 the courses of the rivers, streams, and ravines are frequently 

 concealed by thick bush ; the different species composing which 

 are the same as are met with in similar situations in the colony. 

 The climate is very healthy, and does not materially differ from 

 that of the eastern part of the colony. The winter is here general- 

 ly the dry season. The spring is showery, but the greatest falls 

 of rain happen in the summer and autumn, and are always attend- 

 .ed with thunder, lightning, and hurricanes of wind. The rivers 

 and streams which before were fordable, almost everywhere at 

 this time become torrents, rushing with inconceivable rapiditj'', 

 and swelling to a great height, so as to render tliem for a time 

 .quite impassable. The water, however, soon runs off, and they 

 sink to their former level. The mouths of none of these rivers 

 are navigable. 



I shall now endeavour to give some account of the general 

 history of these nations, first premising that it is very difficult 

 if not impossible to acquire any correct knowledge on this 

 head, as they have used no method of recording past events.. 

 Their oral traditions scarcely appear to have preserved any 

 thing of their ojigin ; and every person seems to speak only from 

 liis own recollection. If you desire intelligence of an earlier 

 date than he is able to give, you are referred to an older per- 

 son, who, perhaps, may give a little more information of 

 former events. Thus every affair of past times is very imper- 

 fectly obtained, and even the most recent circumstances are 

 collected by the enquirer with the greatest difficulty. 



The only tradition among- them of their origin is, that the 

 first Caffers came out of a cave, which they describe as being 

 situated to the eastward, somewhere between Caffraria and 

 Tambookieland, and from thence they spread over the country 

 towards the setting sun. The name of the cave they call 

 TJ'Daliwe. Dala is the word they use for the Creator, and 

 Uka Dalwa the Creation. 



They say that there was only one Chief formerly, and that 

 from him came all the different Captains of the present time,; 

 and, by a Chronological Table compiled by a Missionary of the 

 Glasgow Missionary Society, it appears that, in all instances, 

 the various chiefs trace their families into the same stock, at a 

 few generations back, probably about two centuries ago, 

 during the time uf a chief of the name of Um Conde. 



