494 
AFRICAANDER — CAFFRE WARFARE. 18— 25 Dec. 
a kraal situated several days journeys lower down the river, to 
solicit his family and friends here to assist them in removing to 
Klaarwater ; the villain Africaander having robbed them of every 
thing, and reduced them to the necessity, through want of food, 
of eating leathern thongs and the halters of their oxen. At the time 
when this Hottentot came away, Africaander was stationed a little 
below the great Waterfall, his party consisting of sixteen Hottentots, 
besides Bushmen. He was possessed of twenty-seven muskets, with 
a small quantity of ammunition ; and it was now reported that he 
had lately attacked two kraals of Namaquas, many of whom he had 
murdered. This lawless wretch had, by caution and cunning, con- 
trived hitherto to escape the revenge of those whom he had injured, 
and to elude even a commando (an armed party of boors), which had 
been a few weeks before ordered out by the Landdrost. in pursuit of 
him, but which had returned into the colony without accomplishing 
the service upon which it had been sent. 
This occurrence created a sensation at Klaarwater, and seem- 
ed to excite, in some degree, the fears of my own people, who 
had been industriously told that the great quantity of gunpowder 
which I had in my waggons, would strongly tempt Africaander to 
attack us, in the hope of being able to get possession of it ; for 
without a supply of ammunition, his freebooting schemes could not 
be carried on, as he had no means of recruiting his stock but by 
plunder. Tales of this kind, most frequently unfounded, were con- 
tinually being related to my men, who, indeed, too readily listened 
to them ; while I had thus a constant business in endeavouring to 
do away the impression they generally made. 
Fortunately the kraal of Calfres had for a long time been so 
quiet and peaceable, that we heard nothing of them ; but this was 
accounted for by the season of the year, as they always prefer the 
long nights of winter, as more favourable for their marauding expe- 
ditions. It has been remarked that they more frequently make their 
attack about an hour before day-light ; or, as they express themselves, 
as soon as they can just see the horns of the oxen ; for they know that 
at this hour it is most likely that all the enemy will be fast asleep. 
