198 
TRAVELS IN 
back-ground during the converfation, as did alfo Zambie^ the 
uncle and ufurper, who was then a prifoner at large in the vil- 
lage. The young king's treatment of this man did him great 
honor. All his former attendants, his cattle, and his fix wives, 
were reftored to him, with as much liberty as the reft of his 
fubjeds, except that he was always obliged to be in the fame 
village with the king. 
Gaika was a young man, at this time under twenty years of 
age, of an elegant form, and a graceful and manly deportment ; 
his height about five feet ten inches ; his face of a deep bronze 
color, approaching nearly to black ; his fkin foft and fmooth ; 
his eyes dark brown, and full of animation ; his teeth regular, 
well-fet, and white as the pureft ivory ; his countenance open, 
but more marked with the habit of reflexion than is ufually ob- 
ferved in that of a Kaffer : he had the appearance, indeed, of 
pofTefling in an eminent degree a folid underftanding and a clear 
head : to every queftion that related to their manners, cuftoms, 
laws, and various other points, he gave, without embarraflinent 
or referve, dire£l and unequivocal anfwers ; and it is to him 
I am principally indebted for the little information I am 
enabled to give concerning the Kaffer nation : his underftand- 
ing was not more ftrong than his difpofition appeared to be 
amiable : he feemed to be the adored objedl: of his fubjefls ; the 
name of Gaika was in every mouth, and it was feldom pro- 
nounced without fymptoms of joy. He had one wife only, 
very young, and, fetting afide the prejudice againft color, very 
pretty, by whom he had a little girl called '^jjafa. Like the 
chiefs in the colony he wore a brafs chain fufpended, on the 
left 
