Chap. XL] SOUTHERN AFRICA. 359 



the star of Moselekatse was still in the ascendant. 

 At the time of this successful attack he was residing 

 at Kapain, fifty miles farther to the northward ; 

 and Kalipi, having singularly enough been sum- 

 moned thither only the day before, escaped the fate 

 of a large proportion of his brave but unfortunate 

 followers. 



Had Maritz followed up the advantage thus 

 gained, and marched at once upon Kapain, Mosele- 

 katse could not possibly have effected his escape. 

 Inflated by the recent success of his arms, the 

 despot was basking in the sunshine of security, little 

 dreaming of so sudden an invasion. Struck at 

 that moment, another blow would have completed 

 the work of destruction, and left the emigrants to 

 pursue their pilgrimage in safety. Blind, however, 

 to the obvious course they should have pursued, 

 and content for the present with what they had 

 achieved, the boors secured seven thousand head of 

 cattle, and the waggons that had been taken from 

 Erasmus, with ^vhich they immediately set out on 

 their return, by forced marches ; and, accompanied 

 by the American missionaries, who, whilst they 

 reasonably dreaded the summary vengeance of the 

 exasperated savage, had now no further field for 

 their labours — arrived in a few days at Thaba 

 Uncha, without molestation or pursuit on the part 

 of the Matabili. 



Magical indeed was the effect which the news of 

 this victory produced upon the Dutch colonists. It 

 fanned the smouldering embers of the epidemic 



