350 EXPEDITION INTO [Chap. XXXIX. 



About the end of May, two parties, headed by 

 J, S. Bronkhorst, and H. Potgeiter, left the emi- 

 grant camp for the purpose of exploring the country 

 to the north-eastward. They visited Louis Triechard 

 at the Zout-pans-berg, or Salt-pan-hill, and penetra- 

 ted sixteen days' journey beyond, through a lovely, 

 fertile, and unoccupied country, until they arrived 

 within six day's journey of Delagoa Bay, where 

 they met with two sons of the notorious Conrad 

 Buys, living amongst a friendly tribe of natives, 

 whom, from a peculiarity in the nasal pi'ominence, 

 they dignified with the appellation of " knob-nosed 

 Kafirs." Returning hence by a nearer route with 

 the account of their success, and of the discovery of 

 a land flowing with milk and honey, they found 

 their camp totally deserted, and the ground strewed 

 with the mutilated bodies of their friends and rela- 

 tions ! The migratory farmers had been attacked 

 three days before, by Moselekatse, and twenty-eight 

 of their number had been butchered. 



It will have becm seen, from the foregoing pages, 

 that the country over which this powerful and des- 

 potic prince claims sovereignty, is of great extent, 

 and is bounded on the south by the Likwa, or Vaal 

 river, one of the two principal branches of the Ga- 

 reep. From that direction he had been repeatedly 

 attacked by Jan Bloem, a notorious and often suc- 

 cessful freebooter, and by other leaders of predatory 

 bands of Griquas, who had scoured his territories, 

 and swept away his cattle. In 1831, it has been 

 shown, he was last attacked by a strong commando 



