Chap. XXXIX.] SOUTHERN AFRICA. 351 



of Barend Barend's Griquas, who succeeded in ob- 

 taining possession of the whole of the Matabili herds ; 

 and, all the regular warriors of Moselekatse being 

 absent at the time on an expedition to the north- 

 ward, the ruin of the tribe had nearly been accom- 

 plished. Owing, however, to a want of proper pre- 

 caution on the part of the invaders, they were sig- 

 nally defeated by a mere handful of irregulars, who 

 attacked them during the night, and ere the day 

 dawned, had slaughtered the greater part of them. 



Since that occiu-rence, Moselekatse had publicly 

 and positively prohibited any trader or traveller 

 from nsiting him, or entering his territories from 

 that quarter : whilst, to guard against the inroads 

 of his enemies, strong armed parties were frequently 

 sent to scovir the country watered by the Likvva. 

 But, on the other hand, he declared his willingness 

 to receive as friends, those visiters who might find 

 it convenient to approach him by way of Kuruman, 

 or New Litalcoo, having the most implicit confidence 

 in Mr. Moffat, the enhghtened Missionary at that 

 station, through whose assistance only they could 

 effect an entrance. 



Can it be wondered at, under these circumstances, 

 that Moselekatse should have viewed with a jealous 

 and suspicious eye, the sudden advance of so for- 

 midable a body of strangers from the forbidden 

 quarter, to the very borders, if not actually within, 

 the confines of his territories? Without so fair a 

 pretext as their open defiance of his commands 

 affbrded him, would it have been surprising that the 



