neither remorfe nor compunction in having deftroyed three of
his fellow-creatures, but was apprehenfive only of what might
have been the confequences to himfelf.
The General immediately rode back to his houfe. He found
the dead bodies lying on the ground, juft where they had fallen,
one at the diftance of ten or twelve yards from the door, the
other two at forty or fifty. The firft had evidently been fliot
through the breaft, but both the others through the back. From
thefe circumftances it was ftrortgly eonjedured that Van Roy
and his fens had waited at the door, with their loaded mufquets,
the approach of thefe unfortunate men ; that, on the firft being
fhot, the other two had attempted to make their efeape; in,
doing which they afforded the Dutchmen an opportunity of
taking a cool and fure aim. The family,' of courfe, told the-
fame ftory as the mafter; What then remained to be done ? De-
fertion had already begun, and threatened to become very general.
It was, therefore, deemed advifeable to let the matter
reft; and to fummon the troops in the neighbourhood to attend
the funeral of the unfortunate men, whofe fate might operate as-
a check to its further progrefs.
It would feem, by the end which this fame Van Roy was
doomed to make, that, as our immortal poet has finely ex-
prefled it,
.... .... . Even-handed juftice
" Returns th’ ingredients o f our, poifon’d chalice-
“ T o our own. Ups.”
He,
He, in the fubfequent wars between the boors and Hottentots,
was fhot through the head ip his own houle ; which was afterwards
burnt to the ground; his property plundered and dc-
ftroyed, and his family reduced to extreme poverty.
The fanguinary charader of many o f the African colonifts
may be owing, perhaps, in a certain degree, to the circumftance
of their having been foldiers in German regiments ferving
abroad; where the leaft relaxation from a rigid fyftem of difci-
pline is followed up by the greateft feverity of punifhment. The
foldier, having ferved out the time of his engagement, which
at moft is five years, is at liberty to demand his difcharge. I f
he is able to read and write, however indifferently, he ufually
finds employment, as fchoolmafter, in a boor’s family; if not
qualified for fuch a fituation, he either engages as a fort of fer-
vant, or hires himfelf to fome butcher of the town, who fends
him to the extremities of the colony to colled fheep and cattle.
In all thefe fituations he has the opportunity of making an intimate
acquaintance with the boors, which generally leads to his-
marriage with one of their daughters. The parents of the girt
fpare him a few iheep and cattle to commence with, on condition
of their receiving half the produce as intereft, until he
can repay the capital; he looks out for a place, as it is called, no
matter where, whether within or without the limits of the colony,
and builds for himfelf a hut; with his cattle are configned
to him, at the fame time, and on the fame terms, as he fuppofes-,
a few little Hottentot children to look after them ; and on thefe
little creatures, in the plenitude of his power, fubjed to no
3 controul.