SOUTHERN AFRICA. 75 



still very weak, tlioug-h slowly recovering- from fever, came to 

 ap})rize us of the retmni of the messeng'ers from Kapain 

 with a pressing' invitation from the king*, who declared that 

 we were " his own white men/' and must hasten our advance 

 as much as possible, so as to arrive on the third day. These 

 men had used extraordinary expedition, and allured by the 

 promise of beads had performed one hundred miles in less 

 than thirty-six hours. Seeing us determined to continue our 

 journey the next morning', Mr. Lindley and the Doctor ag-ain 

 endeavoured by every argument in their power to dissuade 

 us from our intention of forcing* our way out by the Vaal 

 River, which we were bent upon doing', whether Moselekatse 

 permitted it or not j but we at the same time expressed our 

 conviction that we had in the wag'g-ons that which would 

 bribe his majesty to accede to our wishes. Without the 

 least anticipating* the success of our project, Dr. Wilson 

 then entrusted us with a letter announcing* to his family the 

 heavy loss he had recently sustained. 



The accounts g*iven by these g*entlemen were not calculated 

 to raise our spirits, or g*ive us a favourable impression of the 

 treatment we should experience from the despot, of whose 

 inhuman executions and horrible butcheries they could never 

 speak with patience ; representing* him to be treacherous, 

 oppressive, cruel, and capricious in an extraordinary degi'ee, 

 and to exact from his subjects an abject deference, little 

 according- with American notions of tolerance. Amonofst his 

 more recent enormities they adduced the murder of a trader, 

 named Gibson, with the whole of his followers, and of two 

 servants belong-ing* to Captains Sutton and Moultry, the 

 particulars of which shall be hereafter g-iven. Althoug-h the 

 tyrant had not opposed the establishment of the Mission, 

 its presence was far from ag*reeable to him ; and not only had 

 he entirely withdrawn himself from Moseg*a, but he had also 

 g*iven great annoyance, by interdicting* his people from en- 



