28 HOSTILITY OF THE BOERS. Chap. II. 



This was in soeqb degree beneficial to us ; the fear it inspired 

 prevented any foray in our direction for eight years. 



During the whole of that period no winter passed without 

 some of the tribes in the East country being plundered of 

 both cattle and children by the Boers. It is only in winter, 

 when horses can be used without danger of dying from 

 disease, that these expeditions can take place. One or two 

 friendly tribes are forced to accompany a party of mounted 

 Boers, and are ranged in front to form " a shield." The Boers 

 then coolly fire over their heads till the devoted people flee 

 and leave cattle, wives, and children to the captors. This 

 was done in nine cases during my residence in the interior, 

 and on no occasion was a drop of Boer blood shed. Letters 

 were repeatedly sent by them to Sechele ordering him to 

 surrender himself as their vassal, and stop English traders 

 from proceeding into the country with firearms for sale. He 

 replied, " I was made an independent chief and placed here by 

 God, and not by you. I was never conquered by Mosilikatze, 

 as those tribes whom you rule over ; and the English are my 

 friends. I get everything I wish from them. I cannot 

 hinder them from going where they like." 



I attempted to benefit the tribes among the Boers of Maga- 

 liesberg by placing native teachers at different points. " You 

 must teach the blacks," said Mr. Hendrick Potgeiter, the 

 commandant in chief, " that they are not equal to us." Other 

 Boers said, " I might as well teach the baboons on the rocks 

 as the Africans." These sneerers declined my proposition to 

 examine whether they or my native attendants could read 

 best. When Sir George Cathcart proclaimed the independ- 

 ence of the Boers, a treaty was made with them by which 

 they undertook to allow the English a free passage to the 

 country beyond, and to abolish slavery. " But what about 

 the missionaries ?" they inquired. " You may do as you please 

 with them" is said to have been the answer of the "Com- 

 missioner." This remark, if uttered at all, was probably 

 made in joke. The general belief in its seriousness doubtless 

 led to the destruction of three mission stations immediately 

 after. The Boers, four hundred in number, were sent by tho 

 late Mr. Pretorius to attack the Bakwainsin 1852, and, besides 

 slaughtering a considerable number of adults, carried off two 



