INTRODUCTION. xxiu 



curity by the friendly reception they had experienced, 

 many famihes imprudently detached themselves 

 from the main body, and were actively engaged in 

 the division of the land; when, on the fifth day 

 after their separation, they were treacherously at- 

 tacked by the crafty savage, and man, woman and 

 child, indiscriminately butchered. It is confidently 

 reported that Retief, together with two hundred and 

 seventy souls, had thus miserably perished ; and the 

 intelligence of the dreadful catastrophe having been 

 conveyed to Maritz, he was exerting himself to ob- 

 tain reinforcements from among the emigrants who 

 were still on the Reit and Modder rivers, with the 

 design of taking summary vengeance on the despot, 

 and succouring the remnant of Retief's unfortunate 

 party; but so great had been the panic created, 

 that his endeavours had hitherto proved unsuc- 

 cessful ; and the escape of the survivors from their 

 hampered position among hostile tribes, and natural 

 barriers, being next to impossible, as a glance at 

 the map will show, it is too probable that accounts 

 will shortly be received of still further massacres. 



In the mean time, our Colonial authorities were 

 ushig their utmost exertions to check further emi- 

 gration, as will appear from the following extract 

 of a proclamation by the Governor, dated Cape 

 Town, the 26th April last : — " His Excellency ear- 

 nestly exhorts the Civil Commissioners, and all 



