Native Wars and Unrest 127 



broken ground towards Cornelius River. The 

 Basutos evidently soon gave up the chase, as after a 

 time, I could not hear them ; but for fear of a trap, 

 I kept on through the veld away from the road in 

 the dim moonlight. It was a cloudy night, and I 

 had to return to the road to cross Cornelius River. 

 After reconnoitreing I saw or heard nothing, so ven- 

 tured to cross and rode on to Field Cornet Lodewyk 

 Oortendaal's farm, found the place recently burned 

 and deserted; so I kept off the road to the back 

 of the hill, tied my splendid horse "Tromp" to 

 my wrist (as I was too sleepy to risk holding him), 

 and each time I woke I shifted in the damp green 

 grass, to allow him to graze a little. Before day- 

 light I again pushed on, reaching Drosky's place 

 over the Vaal River, at midnight, about eighty miles 

 ride. In this war, Moshesh's sons, (who had been 

 educated at a Cape Town Native College), were said 

 to be the most active enemies of the white man. 



My father and one Van Saarveld, while 

 travelling to Bloemfontein, were nearly caught at 

 Kromellenboog ; fortunately, Van Saarveld, an old 

 campaigner, had hid the cart and horses in a deep 

 gulley, when soon after, about sunset, a Basuto com- 

 mando, camped about a mile from them. They had 

 to remain in hiding till after sunrise next morning, 

 when the Kaffirs rode off towards Basutoland. 



I always considered that the behaviour of Gover- 

 nor Wodehouse was disgraceful, after all the Boers 

 had suffered both before and during the long and 

 tiring war which had ruined their country. 



Since the Basutos were again taken over by the 

 Imperial Government (after the fiasco of the Sprigg- 

 Merriman Government), they have been at peace, 

 living their own life under their chiefs, subject only 



