SOUTHERN AFRICA. 363 
and orphans, had been fully proved against him before the 
provincial court of judicature ; but being one of the patriotic 
party, and a very distinguished character in all the disturb- 
ances that had taken place in this district, he was considered 
as too valuable a subject to be taken off by a regular course 
of justice. Accordingly, about fourteen boors, each armed 
with an enormous musquet used for killing elephants and 
other wild beasts, were dispatched upon the Karroo, or great 
desert, on the meritorious enterprize of restoring the culprit 
to the society of which he was a member. The dragoon, 
however, into whose custody he had been committed, thought 
proper to demur, and told them, in a very resolute and spirited 
manner, that sooner than surrender him into their hands, or 
suffer him to be taken out of his, he should certainly blow out 
his brains. But the Landrost's secretary, who had also been 
sent in joint charge of the prisoner, no less frightened than the 
boors were at the determined manner of the dragoon, pre- 
vailed upon the latter, if not to relinquish the criminal, at 
least to suffer him to be conveyed back to the drosdy, and de- 
livered up to the Landrost; to this he reluctantly assented ; 
the courageous boors keeping at a proper distance from the 
waggon. 
Having, however, proceeded thus far, without displaying 
any extraordinary exploits of patriotism, the shame of their 
failure seemed to require that they should go a step farther. 
With the assistance of a schoolmaster, whom they found no 
difficulty in persuading to be of their party, they issued circu- 
lar letters to their brother boors, entreating such as they knew 
to be well disposed to act with them, and commanding, in a 
3 A 2 
