90 Itecollections of Adventures 



In 1865 the Transvaal Government tried to 

 patch up peace but failed. The native hunters had, 

 as usual, got all the guns and ammunition from the 

 Boers for the year's hunt, and when they found that 

 there were no more to be had, they declared war and 

 joined the hill tribes. 



Alex's diary for 1865 is interesting as showing 

 the barbarous life and mode of warfare on the fron- 

 tiers of civilisation. Albasini, the Portuguese Consul, 

 trader and kaffir chief, was ruined by this war ; and 

 many accounts owed by people in Zoutpansberg 

 could never be paid to my father. Alex, was detained 

 five months in the Boer laager, and his substance 

 frittered away. They were six weeks without bread 

 and lived on musty kaffir corn (" Sorghum:") He 

 had eventually to walk to Pretoria. In April 1866, 

 he was still at his hut near the Livubu, unable to go 

 in, as the kaffirs wou d not give up the guns, while 

 the Government sent a commando from Pretoria. 

 This was under Commandant Paul Kruger. They 

 made a futile attempt to take the mountain strong- 

 holds, but retreated routed. Kruger gave the inhabi- 

 tants three days to take away (from the village of 

 Schoemansdal and the farms) as much as they could, 

 and then retreated " en masse " to Rhenosterpoort. 

 As soon as they left, the kaffirs burnt the village 

 and all the farms near the foot of the mountain. 

 Alex, sent out what cash and ivory he could muster 

 to pay me what he owed but always refused to take 

 payment in so-called " black ivory " (little captured 

 Kaffirs), as neither he nor I would have anything to 

 do with such traffic, although it paid well and was 

 everyday dealing at that time. After wasting about 

 three years in vain attempts to get into the interior, 

 he eventually started with an induna of Mazila's 

 for guide. He took part with the Boers in attacking 



