JUNE.] 
RECEPTION AT LATTAKOO. 
247 
square formed by our waggons was like a bee-hive, in 
which the confused noise rendered conversation almost 
impossible. On something being put down on our 
table, we were agreeably surprised to find the crowd 
immediately retire. Whether this proceeded from a 
sense of decorum, or in consequence of orders from 
Munaneets, the uncle and deputy of the king, I could 
not learn. 
We were now completely at their mercy, and our 
oxen had left the town for pasture ; but we considered 
ourselves safe : at the same time we judged it prudent 
to establish a regular watch for the protection of our 
property. 
About seven years ago Lord Caledon, when Gover- 
nor of the Cape, sent up a party, consisting of Dr. 
Cowan, Lieutenant Denovan, twenty of the Cape 
regiment, a boor, and a person from Klaar W^ater, to 
explore Africa as far as the Portuguese settlement al 
Mosambique, since which they had never been heard 
of by the government. The whole party having been 
murdered by the Wanketzens^ the next nation or tribe 
beyond Lattakoo, we learned that the people were 
whispering to one another, that our coming was to 
revenge that murder, which suspicion was undoubtedly 
the cause of the strange silence of the city on our en- 
tering it. Although king Mateebe was from home, 
yet in consequence of this information, we judged it 
fiecessary to invite the chief men to a conference with 
