No. IV. 
ACCOUNT OF JOHN BLOOM, AN AFRICAN 
ROBBER. 
HIS father was an European, of the same name : nothing 
more is known of him^ but that iie lived successively in four 
different parts of the colony. 
His son John left the colony with the same Piet Piemaar 
who was afterwards murdered by the sons of Africaner. 
His object in leaving the colony was only to attend some 
cattle belonging to Piemaar, on the Great River. Some time 
after removing thither, hearing of the multitude of cattle 
possessed by Bootchuanas and Corannas, and the defenceless 
state of these people, he resolved to make an attack upon 
them, in order to carry off their cattle, and so become rich 
by a single expedition. By some means or other he prevail- 
ed on many Hottentots to accompany him on this plundering 
expedition. He and his people killed many of the poor in- 
habitants, against whom they went, and captured a great 
number of their cattle; indeed, the number was so great that 
more than a thousand are said to have fallen to the share of 
Piemaar, which no doubt was the largest. 
When Piemaar transported his ill-gotten property to the 
colony, John Bloom remained behind, and took several 
wives from among the Corannas ; he also continued to 
make plundering excursions against that people. His first 
attempt was attended with a shocking event, for, besides those 
who fell by means of his fire arms, which greatly terrified the 
Corannas, many of the defenceless women and children ran 
for refuge from their murderers into the Great River, where 
they perished. 
He afterwards went higher up the river, and took up 
his residence near the mouth of the Malalareen. There 
he commenced his ravages by attacking the Bootchuanas, 
many of whom were slain, and much cattle taken. 
3 z 2 
