To all thefe he readily agreed, except to the latter part of
the third article, obferving that he 'did not think it right for
Kaffers to make prifoners of mem fo foperior to themfelVèï as
Chriftians were; but he promifed to give intelligence to thé
landroft, ihould any be met with in his territories It js a
common idea, induftrioufly kept up m the colony, that the
Kaffers are a favage, treacherous, and cruel pe opl e a charaiter
as falfe as it is unmerited. Their moderation towards the colo-
nifts, -and all white people, has ihewn itfelf on many occafions ;
and if the inhabitants of the bordering parts of the colony had
any fenfe of honor or feelings o f gratitude, inftead o f affifting
to propagate, they would endeavour to fupprefs, fuch an idea.
They know very well that in the height of a war into which
this people was iniquitoufly driven, thé lives of all their women
and children.that fell into the hands of the Kaffers were fpared
by them, whilft their ¿wn fell promifcuoufly by the hands of
the colonifts. Another inftance of the different manner in
which the Dutch and the Kaffers conducted themfelyes, under
the fame circumftances, will ferve to ihew which of the two
nations moft deferves the character thrown upon the .latter.
In the month of February 1.796, a veffel from India under
Genoefe colours was wrecked on the! coaft of the Colony
between the Bosjefman and Sunday rivers. The peafantry
from various parts of the coaft, from Langé-kfoüf to Kaftcr-
land, -flocked down to the wreck, not for the humane purpofe
o f giving àfliftance to the unfortunate '{offerers, but to plunder"
them o f every thing that could be got oh 'fhdré; and it is a
notorious fait, that the only man who was anxious to fecure
fome
fome property for the captain and officers had his brains dalhed
out with an iron bolt by .one of his neighbours: jffcnii »«?
In June 1.797, the Hercules, an American ihip, was ftranded
between the mouths of the Keiikamma and the Beeka. By the
time that the Crew, oonfifting of about fixty perfons, had got on
ihore, they found themfelves furrounded:. byi Kaffers, and ek~
peited immediately to have been put to death by thefe favages.
Inftead of vvhich, to their, no linall degree of j oy. and furprife, a
chief gave orderg for an- ox to .be inftantly killed, and the flefo
diftrihuted among. the - unfortunate,fufferers?, There is, however,
one temptation which a Kadi'ex pauixot refill the fight o f
metal buttons; and thofe who fuffered ihipwreck, and who
happened to have any of thefe articles, about their perfons, had
them, cut off without much ceremony. They were deprived of
no other part of their property ; and jhey were conducted in
fafety to the refidence.of fome of the colonifts, ■ from whom a
demand was. made of five rixdollars for the captain,, and an
equal firm for the whole of the crew,-as a full compenfatiou for
their trouble—-a very moderate and juft demand; and it were
to be wiihed that the example of the Kaffers wa-s obferved on
fome more civilized coafts.
Having arranged the bpfinefs that .brought us into Kaffer-
land with the king, wc made him ,a preftnt oonfifting of fheets
of copper, brais-wire, glafs-heads, knives for fkinning animals,
iooking-glaffes, flints, fteels, and tinder-boxes, and a quantity
of. tobacco. His j mothefr;; #lfo ¡received a ¡prefent o f the fame
nature. E x cep t this lady, sfl'l the, .other women kept in the
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