Chap. XIII.] SOUTHERN AFRICA. 105 



birds that were ever in attendance about the habi- 

 tation of the destroyer, whose whole country had 

 become a sepulchre white with the bones of his 

 murdered subjects ! Early one n^rnii%, Chaka 

 took his seat as usual, and having*with great 

 earnestness enjoined his audience to secrecy^ ac- 

 quainted them that he had had a dream which 

 greatly concerned him. The spirit of Umbeah, an 

 old and favourite chief, had appeared, warning him 

 of the designs of his people, and acquainting him 

 that whilst he (Chaka) had been teaching songs to 

 some of l]is warriors the preceding evening, others 

 had been debauching his women, and polluting the 

 imperial seraglio ! This offence he declared himself 

 determined to punish with rigour; and the courtiers 

 applauding his resohition, he held a consultation 

 with them as to the best mode of securing the whole 

 of the people in the kraal. The place having been 

 suddenly surrounded, the diabolical tyrant entered 

 at the head of a party of warriors, and having first 

 beaten his aged and infirm mother with incon- 

 ceivable cruelty, " for not taking proper care of the 

 girls," he caused one hundred and seventy persons, 

 of both sexes, to be driven into the cattle enclosure ; 

 selecting several to be put to death with truly 

 monstrous refinement by the hands of their own 

 relatives, and leaving the remainder to be afterwards 

 indiscriminately butchered. Upon the completion 

 of this infernal work, his Majesty announced his 

 intention of consulting Umbeah " in order that he 

 might find out the rest of the delinquents ;" adding, 



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