180 EXPEDITION INTO [Chap. XXI. 



tippet, foKmed of white cows' tails, encircled the 

 shoulders, and covered the upper part of the body, 

 the knees, wrists, elbows, and ankles, being orna- 

 mented with a single ox-tail fastened above the 

 joint. Several of their shields bore marks of the 

 recent conflict, being drilled with musket balls, and 

 they carried with them the arms of those who had 

 perished, to place them at the foot of the king — 

 having left the bodies of their comrades, as usual, a 

 prey to vultures and hyaenas ; for no funeral ob- 

 sequies ever honour the deeds, or crown the devotion 

 and bravery, of a Matabili warrior. 



IS othing could be more savage, wild, and martial, 

 than the appearance presented by this barbarian 

 army returning to their despotic sovereign, wreathed 

 with laurels and laden with spoils. We continued 

 to meet large straggling parties during the whole 

 of the day, and could not have passed fewer than 

 five or six thousand head of captured cattle. 



Contrary to the practice of the Kafirs, the Mata- 

 bili prefer attacking in open ground, rushing in at 

 once upon their foes, striking their shields by way 

 of intimidation, and stabbing with their short spears, 

 of which a bundle of five or six is taken when going 

 to war. So terrible is this mode of combat to the 

 rinwarhke Bechuana, that one Matabili champion 

 is a match for fifty of them. In the late affair, 

 however, they received a severe lesson in the su- 

 periority of fire-arms, of which, since the signal 

 defeat of Barends' Griquas, in 1831, Moselekatse 

 had entertained a great contempt. Kalipi had 



