SOUTHERN AFRICA. 55 
" and Trliter would wait their return, to furnifh them with 
" mufquets, powder, and ball. On being alked how they were 
" to execute it ? they anfwered, by attacking the farm-houfes 
" by two and two at the fame time, fo that they could not 
" aflift one another. All the fifteen we have shot 
DEAD (doodgefchooten), having first extorted this 
" CONFESSION FROM THEM. The hat which Triiter gave to 
** the captain we have got ; it is a black one with a filver band, 
" and a cane with a brafs head, on which is engraved " Captain 
" Kauwinnoub." Mark now with what murderous intentions 
" is this Triiter infpired againft us ! To have us all maflacred 
" in our houfes ! 
" You may with great fafety fhew this to Andries MuHer. 
« (Signed) O. A. S. MEYER." 
I obferved in the preliminary chapter of this volume, that 
Meffrs. Triiter and Somerville had penetrated farther into 
the interior of South Africa than any former Europeans. Thefe 
gentlemen were fent in an official capacity, with a view of pro- 
curing a fupply of draught oxen, on a ferious alarm being en- 
tertained, and reprefentations made to government, that the 
operations of agriculture muft be fufpended, on account of the 
numbers of cattle that had perifhed through the drought of the 
year 1800, unlefs a frefli fupply could be obtained from fome of 
the bordering tribes of the original inhabitants. Though thefe re- 
prefentations were meant, in all probability, to be the foundation 
of a fcheme fimilar to many of the fame kind which were 
pra^lifed under the Dutch government, with no other view 
thaa 
