300 EXrEDITION INTO 



of five hundred farmers^ was preparing- to march on the 1st 

 June, for the purpose either of nrrang'ino* matters with the 

 king", or completely subverting- his power. This done, their 

 march towards Louis Triechard's camp will be resumed — 

 there the corner stone of their city is to be laid, and a New 

 Amsterdam will rear its head in the very heart of the wil- 

 derness. 



Such, in a few words, is the history of the emigration of 

 the border colonists — an event which, while it has materially 

 weakened the north-eastern frontier, has kindled a flame in 

 the interior Avhich can be only quenched with blood. The 

 place vacated by every Dutch farmer will doubtless be speed- 

 ily filled by an industrious peasant ; and when the colony 

 shall have recovered from the first shock, it will probably be 

 found not to have suffered from the chnng-e. Yet, taking- a 

 political view of this important feature in the colonial history, 

 it cannot but appear extraordinary that so larg-e a body of 

 disaffected subjects, from what cause soever their discontent 

 may have arisen, should have been permitted to detach them- 

 selves from their alleg'iance, and cross the frontier in open 

 defiance of existing- laws — taking- with them their slaves, and 

 forcibly entering* the territories of an ally, for the avowed 

 purpose of establishing themselves in a position where they 

 might shortly become the most formidable of our enemies. 

 Fortunately, however, many and insuperable obstacles are 

 arra3^ed ag-ainst the success of their scheme. The g-olden 

 opportunity of crushing- the formidable viper in their path is 

 gone ; and Moselekatse, having' g-ained wisdom from the past, 

 is not likely to be assailed a second time with success. No 

 sooner had the tiding-s of his disastrous defeat at Moseg-a 

 reached the ears of his hereditary foe Dingaan, than the 

 Zooloo tyrant despatched an army with orders to complete 

 what the emigrant farmers had, in his eyes so laudably begun. 

 Already harassed by a long- march, in the course of which 



