320 A HOTTENTOT PATRIOT. 



As soon as Great Britain had resigned control of 

 the Transvaal, and withdrawn her soldiers into 

 Natal, those dissatisfied with the former British con- 

 trol at once turned their attention to punishing the 

 native tribes that had been loyal and true to the 

 Imperial Government, especially such as had their 

 residence along the frontier of Bechuanaland. 



Persons that live at home can scarcely credit or 

 believe the frightful scenes of carnage and spoliation 

 that were then enacted in this unhappy part of 

 Africa. They are too horrible to relate, too dreadful 

 to gain credence. 



Cigar had heard, from some Griqua hunters on 

 their route to the Zambesi, that I was again in his 

 country. No sooner did he obtain this information 

 than he travelled many days' journey to meet me, 

 and render me such assistance as lay in his power, 

 for well he knew that we were both living in perilous 

 places. Nothing could have been more opportune 

 for me than this resolve, for I was about to enter 

 the debatable ground that, for nearly a year, had 

 been the daily scene of tragedies, horrible even 

 now to think of. The dangers anticipated by me 

 were twofold : first, from the natives who had been 

 driven desperate from the incursions of hordes of 

 freebooters ; secondly, from the freebooters them- 

 selves, whose animosity to British subjects was, if 

 possible, more vindictive than even towards the 

 natives. 



