328 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
his best horsemen with him, leaving it, how- 
ever, optional to any person to accompany him 
or to remain behind; this only induced an 
additional number of spirited young men to 
join, and during the last week in January, 
1838, Pieter Eetief, accompanied by seventy 
of the most respectable and picked men from 
among the emigrants, with about thirty young 
Hottentots and servants riding or leading their 
spare horses, formed an imposing cavalcade, 
with which he crossed the Umzinjaate, or Buffalo 
river, and on the 2nd February arrived at Um- 
kongloof, Dingaan' s capital, and delivered over 
the cattle recovered from Sikonyella, with the 
receipt of which Dingaan expressed himself 
highly satisfied; and having collected several 
of his regiments from the neighbouring kraals, 
he entertained them for two days with their 
favourite sham fights, which give a fearful re- 
presentation of their mode of warfare. On the 
4th of February, Dingaan had fixed for signing 
a formal cession of the whole of this district to 
Pieter Eetief, for himself and the emigrant 
farmers for ever; and the Eev. Mr. Owen, 
still then residing with Dingaan, was requested 
to draw out, and witness the instrument, which 
he accordingly did in English, and to this docu- 
ment, Dingaan, and some of his principal coun- 
cillors, affixed their marks, after the tenor 
