of the Colony of the Cape of . Good Hope. 355 



upon as many more as possible to accompany the people to 

 the Fort by land. At all events, to take the three persons off 

 the small island, where they have been placed as convicts 

 by the commander of the French ship, and bring them hither. 

 To which proceeding (the Council considers) no one can ob- 

 ject, it being an act of mercy." Supporting this conduct by 

 the example of the English, who, in 1642, there being at that 

 time peace between the two nations, had taken from Robben 

 Island some Dutch sailors, banished there from the ship Rot- 

 terdam, Capt. Caron, and had forwarded them to Holland 

 before the homeward-bound fleet arrived. Which example, 

 as the people had made bitter complaints of ill-treatment and 

 want, Van Riebeck, " from motives of pity," thought himself 

 justified in following; and the necessary directions were ac- 

 cordingly despatched to the Commander of the Galiot, then in 

 Saldanha Bay. 



During these affairs, or at least shortly after, on the 18th, 

 he had the satisfaction to record the birth of a son, being the 

 second child born in the Fort Good Hope. On the following 

 day, a circumstance occurred which grieved him exceedingly. 

 Just after Divine Service ('t Sermoen), he was informed that 

 the interpreter Harry, who resided near the Fort, had sud- 

 denly departed with his family; and before Van Riebeck had 

 dined, he received the distressing intelligence that the boy,, 

 who, with Hendrik Wilders, had charge of the cattle, lay 

 murdered near the Lion's Rump. The cattle was gone, and" 

 every circumstance induced him to suspect Harry. The Com- 

 mander immediately despatched a sergeant, with 4 or 5 men 

 on horseback, behind the Lion Hill, to regain the cattle; and 

 two corporals, with 15 or Hi men, through the pass between 

 the Table and Lion Mountains,* to meet the other party. 

 The sergeant, however, returned in the evening, after prayers, 

 with the unwelcome report that the cattle had been already 

 driven behind the Table Mountain, along the sea shore, over 

 rocks and stones where he was unable to follow them on horse- 

 back ; but that the two corporals, with their people on foot, 

 might probably be more successful. The number of cattle 

 stolen by the natives was 42; and Van Riebeck felt assured 

 they were on their way to Hout Bay with the plunder. He 

 therefore sent 4 more men to the wood, to make the party 

 working there acquainted with what had happened, and after- 

 wards to take these wood-cutters with them, being then ten 

 in number and well armed, to cut off the passage of the 

 thieves, and to assist the other people, who were still in pur- 

 suit. Several attempts were made, but in vain; and from the 

 Records of two Council-meetings held on this subject,t in 



* Called here " the Kloof."— Tram. 



t Records of Council, 21st and 23d October, 1652. 



