30(5 EXPEDITION INTO 



eea-shore ; and the farmers saw with amazement that many 

 were trained to take a prominent part in the Zooloo war 

 dance^ and other such savag-e exhibitions. 



Completely thrown off his g'uard by the mock hospitality 

 observed towards him by Ding-aan^ Retief shortly proceeded 

 to fulfil his eng-ag-ement by recovei'ing* the booty taken by 

 the Mantatees. This object was speedily accomplished^ but 

 in consequence of the amicable understanding- that subsisted 

 between the emig-rants and Sikon} ela^ that chieftain was not 

 delivered up to the tender mercies of the tyrant — a breach 

 of the ag-reement at which the latter appears to have been 

 g-reatly incensed. On the 3rd of Februar}^, 1888^ Retief 

 returned to the capital, and made over the booty which he 

 had captured, amounting- to seven hundred head of oxen^ 

 and some sixty or seventy horses. He was accompanied to 

 the royal lodg-e by sixty-three Boors w ith their achter ryders, 

 or henchmen, making- in all about one hundred men. The 

 party entered Unkunking-love firing- off their roers,* and 

 making- an ostentatious exhibition of their equestrian skill, 

 with the desig-n probably of instilling- respect into the mind 

 of the savage potentate, by whom they were ag-ain received 

 with every outward demonstration of friendship. In return 

 for the sig-nal service they had rendered to the state, he 

 bestowed upon them the whole of the unoccupied territory 

 lying- between the Tug-ala and the Umzimfooboo, and styled 

 IN atal j of which —notwithstanding- that he had already g-iven 

 it away some twenty times under similar circumstances — 

 he expressed his arbitrary will and pleasure that they should 

 assume immediate possession. But it was not written on 

 the pag-e of Betief's destiny that he should enter upon this 

 land of promise. The sang-uinary veng-eance wreaked upon 

 Moselekatse Avas yet g-reen in the roj^al recollection ; and 

 although naturally pleased at the humiliation of his ancient 



* Lung heavy yuns. 



