eetief's visit to DINGAAN. 327 
one thousand wagons had already descended 
and passed down the slopes of the Draaksberg 
into this district ; and the emigrant farmers, 
finding the country entirely denuded of all 
population (with the single exception of one 
small party under the chief Matuan, who now 
still occupies nearly the same ground), spread 
themselves over the whole of the Klip river 
division, down to the Bushman's river, where 
the remains of thousands of stone kraals clearly 
indicated that a very dense population must 
have once been established there ; thus giving 
a promise of the great fertility of the soil, as 
it could not otherwise have maintained so large 
a population. 
" Upon Eetief ? s return to that part of this 
district, on his way to Dingaan, with the cattle 
surrendered by Sikonyella, to be delivered to 
the former, a sad presentiment seems to have 
come over many of the leaders of the parties, 
who, however, then still acknowledged Eetief 
as their commander. Gert Maritz proposed that 
he should proceed to Dingaan, with the cattle 
recovered, taking only three or four men with 
him, arguing, very justly, that the insignificance 
of such a force would be its best safeguard; 
but Eetief appeared to have desired to show 
Dingaan something like a respectable force, 
and insisted upon taking some forty or fifty of 
