SOUTHERN AFRICA. ^39 



CHAPTER VII. 



FROM KURUMAN TO LITTLE CHOOI. 



Twenty days had iioav elapsed without any tiding-s of 

 Andries, when at last that worthy follower of our fortunes 

 was seen approaching- in equestrian order. Whilst, however, 

 he had undoubtedly broug-ht back the horses, he had con- 

 trived to render them unserviceable for some weeks by g-alling- 

 their backs : and had besides sacrificed the mare upon a\ hich 

 he had set forth on his quest. Had the accounts that he 

 g-ave us of the privations he suffered on the road, and of his 

 personal combats with surty Boors, who had opposed them- 

 selves to the fulfilment of his mission, been correct, his 

 claims to our everlasting- g-ratitude might have been acknow- 

 ledged ; but, unfortunately for him, we subsequently disco- 

 vered that they had no foundation in truth 5 and on the con- 

 trary, that having' speedily recovered the fugitives, he had 

 embraced the opportunity of surreptitiously pa^^ng a visit 

 to his mother, and some of his cronies who resided at a 

 distance. 



Mr. Moffat confirmed the reports that we had heard from 

 Captain Sutton respecting* the attacks made upon the emi- 

 grant farmers by Moselekatse, of whose histor}^ it will be 

 expected that I should here offer a brief outline. He is the 

 despotic ruler of a poAverful tribe called Abaka Zooloo, or 

 Matabili. His father was a chieftain, whose territories lay 

 at some distance to the north-eastward of Natal, but being- 

 attacked and totally defeated by a neighbouring tribe, he 

 took refuge with Chaka, the Zooloo tyrant, (predecessor 



