SOUTHERN AFRICA. 305 



October, within tlie doaiinions of the Autocrat of all the 

 Zooloos. Their intention from the first had been to proceed 

 straig-htway to Ding-aan, in order to neg'ociate for the cession 

 of territory near Port Natal : — but an event occurred which 

 served to accelerate their advance. A strono* detachment 

 of the despot's warriors, spear in hand, suddenly appeared 

 outside the emigTant camp, upon the trail of some cattle 

 that had recently been carried off in a foray by Sikon3^ela, 

 King- of the Mantatees : — a prince with whom the former 

 had long* been eng-ag'ed in active hostilities : but who, by 

 clinging" to the mountain fastnesses about the rug'g'ed sources 

 of the Nu Gareep, had hitherto derided the Zooloo javelin, 

 and manfully maintained his own independence. Not 

 relishing- the warlike appearance of the Dutch cavalcade, 

 the warriors turned back for a reinforcement ; and Retief— 

 receiving* intimation of the dang-er that impended, and per- 

 ceiving- also that appearances were g-reatly ag-ainst him — lost 

 not a moment in sending* to the king* a conciliatory message, 

 disclaiming* on the part of the Boors any share in the recent 

 depredation. Ding-aan " thanked him for the word," but 

 replied, that since the oxen had been traced to Retief 's camp, 

 he should of course not only hold him responsible for their 

 immediate restoration, but for the capture also of the ^^ thief 

 who stole them j" and this equitable adjustment having- been 

 fully ag-reed to, the commandant paid a visit of ceremony to 

 the despot, and was received at Unkunking-love, the Zooloo 

 metropolis, with much apparent cordiality. Aware of the 

 predilection of his g-uests for the ^^ beest-jees," and bent upon 

 a display of his own wealth, the barbarian chief took advan- 

 tage of the interview to exhibit his carefully assorted droves 

 of horned cattle, the smallest of which consisted of nearly 

 three thousand head of white hacks, all pied precisel) alike. 

 His red and black herds were countless as the sand on the 



