that it was morally impoffible for the by-ftanders to obferve
the gravity of countenance which the occafion required; and
the awkward manner in which they difmounted, with the difficulty
that fome of them experienced on account of the protuberance
of their bellies, in grounding their arms, were fuffi-
cient to throw the moft ferious off their guard. The General
feledted nine of the ringleaders, and fent them under an efcort
on board his Majefty’s fhip the Rattlefnake, then at anchor in
Algoa Bay; on the reft he levied a certain fine towards defraying
the expences of the expedition, which their abfurd and
rebellious conduit had occafioned.
Before this termination of difturbances, which, if fuffered to
extend to the other diftriits of the colony, might have been
attended with more ferions confequences, General Dundas accepted
my offer to proceed through the diftridt of Zwellendam,
for the purpofe of cutting off any communication with Graaf
Reynet, and particularly with a view of preventing any fup-
plies of gunpowder from reaching the rebels; at the fame time
to fend up to the Gape certain perfons, who had fhewn them-
felves aitive in promoting difcontent in Zwellendam, and who
were known to be difaffeited, not only to the Britilh government,
but to every other that laid them under the reftraint of
laws. This journey, the extent of which was intended to be
confined to the borders of the Camtoos river, dividing the
two diftriits of Graaf Reynet and Zwellendam, was prolonged,
by unforefeen circumftances, into the country inhabited by the
Kaffers : and it thus afforded the principal part of the remarks
and obfervations which are contained in theprefent chapter.
On
On the 8th of March 1799 I joined Lieutenant (now Captain)
Smyth, of the corps of engineers and Aid-du-Camp of
General Dundas, with a ferjeant’s party' of dragoons at the
foot of Hottentot Holland’s Kloof, which is the only pafs
leading to the eaftern parts of the colony, over the high chain
of mountains that terminates the Cape ifthmus; which chain,
at x few miles to the fouthward of the Kloof, forms the eaftern
boundary of the extenfive bay Falfe. In the north-eaft corner
of this arm of the fea is a cove called Gordon’s Bay, a place that
has not hitherto obtained that attention, which the importance
of its fituation would feem to point out. The anchorage is faid
to be fafe, the landing eafy on a fmooth fandy beach; and its
proximity to the above mentioned pafs over the mountains would
jnfure an enemy the poffeffion of it, in its prefent defencelefs ftate,
long before means could be taken for preventing it from the Cape,
or even from Simon’ s Town on the oppofite fide of the bay.
A few men with a couple of light guns, long field-pieces or
howitzers, ftationed in this Kloof, would require a whole regiment
to drive them out; and, fo long as they could hold this
important pafs, all fupplies coming through it from the nearer
parts of the diftria of Zwellendam would be completely cut off
from Cape Town; nor would they find the leaft difficulty in
fubfifting themfelves from the country in their rear. To make
a diverfion, in meditating an attack upon the Cape, by fending
a frigate to land a company in Gordon’s Bay, one at Blauwberg
oppofite Roben ifland, and another with two or three companies
into Saldanha Bay, would greatly embarrafs the garrifon,
as it would be under the neceffity of detaching from the works
a very fuperior force in order to make any imprefikm. A poft
1 at