THE TWO CAFFERS. 193 



daughter of the old Caffer who accompanied him. 

 His father-in-law not having received the whole pay- 

 ment stipulated for, had become impatient, and sent 

 for his daughter to his own kraal, on the plea that he 

 was very sick and wished to see her : she accordingly 

 went, but since that time the young man had been 

 unable to obtain any tidings of her. The old man, 

 when questioned by Mr. V., at first declared that he 

 knew nothing about her ; upon being closely pressed, 

 however, he acknowledged that he had agreed to 

 exchange his daughter, a fine young girl, for nine 

 cows ; but that the husband having failed to comply 

 with the terms, he had forfeited his claim to her ; 

 alleging further, that he had never since the contract 

 treated him with any more respect than he would 

 pay to a hound. The other replied, in his defence, 

 that he had certainly agreed to give nine cows, and 

 had already paid four and a half, (one having been 

 killed between them for the marriage feast,) and 

 that as soon as he was able to obtain the remainder 

 from his employer, he would pay all he had pro- 

 mised. He was but a poor man, he said, had no 

 cattle of his own, and he only begged that time might 

 be allowed him, entreating Mr. Van der Nes to insist 

 on his wife being restored to him, as he knew that 

 she was detained against her will. The Veld Cornet 

 inquired where she was : the father replied, with a 

 shrug of his shoulders, that he did not know ; upon 

 which the husband broke out into a violent raa'e 



VOL. I. O 



