530 
CAFFRARIA. 
CHAP. V. 
ORIGIN OF THE CAFFRE WAR WITH THE ENGLISH 
I HAD the following account of the origin of this war 
from a respectable quarter, many particulars of which have 
been corroborated by others. 
A boor had taken a farm on the banks of the Great Fish 
River, where there was a ford, across which the Caffres fre- 
quently drove their cattle, some of which happened now and 
then to go into his garden, which no doubt offended the 
proprietor. To make the Caffres more careful, he began to 
demand a part of the cattle which broke into his garden. 
When there happened to be three, he demanded one cow or 
ox ; when five, he required two, as a line for the damage he 
had sustained. The Caffres peaceably submitted to these 
demands for some time. The farmer finding this to be a 
lucrative concern, is said to have begun to assist the CaftVe 
cattle in getting into his garden, and then resolved to seize all 
he found there. The fnst seizure after coming to this reso- 
lution happened to be a considerable number. The Caffre 
complained to his chief, who instantly ordered his own cattle 
to be driven across the Fish River at the farmer's ford, when 
they all went into the boor's trap, or garden ; when, like the 
others, they were detained by the boor. No sooner had the 
Caffre chief heard of what had happened, than he went with 
an armed force to visit the boor. On his arrival, he not only 
demanded the restoration of his own cattle, but also carried 
off all the boor's. 
The other Caffres who had lost cattle b} this boor, having 
such an example set them by their chief, determined to make 
up their losses in a similar way, by carrying off cattle from 
other boors, though they had not offended them. In this 
way, a thieving, plundering disposition became general among 
them, which afterwards made it appear necessary to the go- 
vernment to drive all the Caffres beyond the Great Fish River, 
which has been effected. But notwithstanding the number 
and vigilance of the military posts opposite to Caffraria, 
parties of the Caffres have still the audacity to penetrate many 
miles into the colony, and carry off great numbers of cattle 
from the boors. 
