Chap. XL.] SOUTHERN AFRICA. 357 



of Gert Maritz, a wealthy and ambitious burgher, 

 from Graaff Reinet, who soon contrived to cause 

 himself to be elected governor-general. At this 

 period the number of waggons assembled near 

 the populous Barolong village of Thaba Uncha, 

 amounted to about two hundred and fifty, and the 

 number of souls may be estimated at above eighteen 

 hundred. 



Maritz's first step, after assuming the reins of 

 government, was to assemble a force for the purpose 

 of retaliating vipon the Amazooloo monarch the in- 

 juries that the emigrants had received at his hands; 

 but for which, in truth, they had alone to thank 

 their own obstinacy and imprudence. On the 3rd 

 of January, 1837, a commando, consisting of one 

 hundred and seven Dutch farmers, forty of Peter 

 David's mounted Griquas, and sixty armed savages 

 on foot, left Thaba Uncha on their march to invade 

 Moselekatse's country, under the guidance of a 

 warrior, who, having been taken prisoner in the 

 affair of the 29th October, durst never again present 

 himself before his royal master. Keeping consider- 

 ably to the westward of north, they crossed the head 

 of the Hart river, and struck into the Kuruman 

 road — by this masterly manoeuvre approachino- the 

 Matabili from the very quarter whence they were 

 least prepared to expect an attack. A lovely and 

 fertile valley, bounded on the north and north-east by 

 the Kurrichane mountains, and in form resembling 

 a basin of ten or twelve miles in circumference, 

 contained the military town of Mosega, and fiifteen 



