90 EXPEDITION INTO [Chap. XI. 



A laborious search among the reeds brought his 

 cap and gun to light, and the wounded man being 

 borne out by the savages, was placed upon a horse 

 and conducted to Mosega, where he enjoyed the 

 advanlage of Dr. Wilson's professional aid. 



On our return, Mr. Lindley, one of the Mission- 

 aries, still very weak, though slowly recovering from 

 fever, came to apprize us of the return of the mes- 

 sengers from Kapain with a pressing invitation from 

 the king, who declared that we were " his own white 

 men," and must hasten our advance as much as pos- 

 sible, so as to arrive on the third day. These men 

 had used extraordinary expedition, and allured by 

 the promise of beads had performed one hundred 

 miles in less than thirty-six hours. Seeing us de- 

 termined to continue our journey the next morning, 

 Mr. Lindley and the Doctor again endeavoured by 

 every argument in their power to dissuade us from 

 our intention of forcing our way out by the Vaal 

 River, which we were bent upon doing, whether 

 Moselekatse permitted it or not; but we at the same 

 time expressed our conviction that we had in the 

 waggons that which would bribe his majesty to ac- 

 cede to our wishes. Without the least anticipating 

 the success of our project. Dr. Wilson then entrusted 

 us with a letter, announcing to his family the heavy 

 loss he had recently sustained. 



The accounts given by these gentlemen were not 

 calculated to raise our spirits, or give us a favourable 

 impression of the treatment we should experience 

 from the despot, of whose inliuman executions and 



