58 Messrs. Cowic and Greens Expedition 



expedition the following professes to be only a very condensed 

 abstract, came into my hands, we were without any distinct 

 knowledge of the extensive tract intervening between this and 

 the Portuguese Settlement ; but wo are now enabled, through 

 their means, to throw some little light upon the present state 

 of its inhabitants, and to fill up with geographical details, and 

 with some degree of precision, what has hitherto been a com- 

 plete blank in the Maps.* 



The expedition under these gentlemen, fitted out at a very 

 large expense, left the British Settlement of Albany in July 1828, 

 but was detained in its vicinity, at the Keisikamma river, for u 

 considerable period, by the Commandoes then dispatched to 

 arrest the progress of theZoolab king.Chaka, whose forces were 

 (erroneously) supposed to be on their march towards the 

 Colony. The interval, however, was profitably employed in 

 the acquisition of a number of subjects of Natural History, 

 among these were skeletons of Hippopotami, specimens of 

 which are desiderata in the Museums of Europe. 



The return of the Military Expeditions to the Colony, after 

 having fallen in with and routed a savage tribe named Le- 

 mangwani, under the chief Matuana, which had been driven 

 from its native country on the sources of the Omvaloosie or 

 St. Lucia river, by Chaka, about the year 1822, and originated 

 the horde of Mantatees, who precipitated themselves like an 

 avalanche on the unwarlikc Bichuaoa natives from the sources 

 of the Orange-river as fur north as the Tropic, and which 

 afterwards fixed itself on the Omtata river, — allowed the ex- 

 pedition under Messrs. Cowie and Green to proceed, and on 

 the 29th of December they commenced their descent of the 

 almost precipitous sides of the Omzimvoobo or St. John's 

 river, which present a height of nearly 2,000 feet, having 

 visited Matuana just alluded to, as well as the descendants 

 of the Europeans wrecked in the Grosvenor, respecting whom 

 many interesting details were obtained. 



Having, after four days hard labor, crossed this formidable 

 gulph.f which they considered in fact to be the starting poir.t 



• From the copious materials prepared by these Travellers, and by others 

 collected by the writer of this article during a period of five years, and from 

 a multitude of authentic sources, he has been enabled to construct a Chart of 

 tbe South-eastern Peninsular of Africa, which embraces all the country from 

 the Colonial Frontier to Dela Goa Bay, along and from the coast within 50 

 miles towards the interior, and on the Northward nearly to the Tropic of 

 Capricorn. A sketch intended for publication has already been sent home to 

 His Majesty's Secretary of Stale for tbe Colonies. 



+ Tbe constant intercourse which has taken place sinco this Expedition, 

 between tbe Colony and Natal, has, it is declared by the Traders, so ini- 



FOTed the road that it is now equally good with that between the Colonial 

 rentier and the Capital, Cape Town. 



