36 TRAVELS IN 
James Craig to fend a military force into the diftrlft, to com- 
pel them, by martial law if neceflary, to a fenfe of their duty ; 
which a juft and indulgent adminiftration of the colonial lav.'S 
had failed to do : — that this force had adually marched to the 
feet of the firft range of mountains, where a moft humble and 
fubmiffive addrefs from the rebels, promifmg, in future, ob- 
fervance of good order and obedience to the laws, flopped its 
progrels : — that Lord Macartney, thinking to conciliate by lay- 
ing them under obHgations, fuch as their former government 
never could have done, but which his Majefty's inftrudlions 
enabled him to put in pradlice, not only granted a full pardon 
for all their manifold offences and mifdemeanors, but alfo re- 
mitted them arrears of ground-rent, due to the treafury, to the 
amount of two hundred thoufand rix dollars ; not doubting 
that he fhould, at leaft, obtain from their gratitude, what their 
reftlefs temper, joined to their extreme ignorance, had hitherto 
feemed to have rendered almoft a moral impoflibility — refpeft 
for his Majefty's government, and obedience to their own 
laws. , < 
Thefe gracious indulgencies, that appeared to make fbme im- 
preffion for the moment, were however foon forgotten, and it 
now became obvious that nothing ftiort of a military force 
could keep them in any fort of order. And as, at this time, 
the Cape was perfedly fecure from any attack of a foreign 
enemy. General Dundas thought it expedient to diredt that a 
detachment, compofed of a fquadron of dragoons, a few com- 
panies of infantry, and the greater part of the Hottentot corps, 
fliould march into the diftrid under the command of brigadier 
General 
