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imofFending pebple, originated in motives 
ot ftill fuperior wickednefs. The cohnlfis 
are the fabricators of thefe tales, and propa- 
gate tiiem throughout the country, and at 
the Cape, with uncommon indultry. — — 
When the natives incenfed at an unprovok- 
ed and defigned aggreflion of a colonift, re- 
taliates and kills a white man^ the intelligence 
is fure to be conveyed immediately to the 
feat of government, but v/ithout ever fo 
much as hinting at the real caufe of the dii- 
pute. The poor favages are defcribed as a 
heard of wolves prowling throughout the 
country, and devaitating wherever they 
come. The chrijiian farmers feizing this 
opportunity, immediately alTemble, pene- 
trate the country of the people they call 
tjieir enemies, and then maffacre entire koordes 
without any diftinftion of fex or infancy. 
Their objeft being chiefly to get poffeiiion 
of the cattlej thcj drive whole herds before 
them, and then wait until they hear of 
more being within their reach, when a fim- 
ilar depredation is committed. To iliucidate 
this matter ftill further, I fhall here relate 
an anecdote which I learnt in the courfe of 
our proceeding towards the chriftian fettle- 
ments. 
One of our guides fuddenly called out to 
the party to halt. On my defiring to know 
his reafon, he faid, " be fo good as to look 
attentively on the fpot where you now ftand ; 
it is an unfortunate place, but worthy your 
eoniideration/'— Not'obferving' any tliiiig' 
