The fame letter gave an account of an unfortunate affair that:
happened to Lieutenant Chumney and twenty men of the 8 i f f
regiment. This officer had been detached towards the fea-
coaft, and was returning to the camp at Bosjefman’s River,,
when he was furprized among the thickets by a large party of
Kaffers, who attacked them hand to hand with the iron part
of their Haffagais, the wooden ihaft being previoufly broken
off. This young officer defended himfelf bravely, till fixteem
of his party were killed. The remaining four,, with a Dutch:
boor, got into a waggetr that accompanied-the detachment, and.
arrived fafe at the camp. Poor Chumney was on horfeback,,
and when the-waggon fet out had three Haffagais flicking in hts-
body. Binding himfelf mortally wounded, and perceiving that
die whole aim of the enemy was diredted towards him, he made*
a lign to the waggon to drive off; and turning his horfe, he fet
off in a contrary direction, purfued by the whole body of Kaf-
fers ; affording thus an opportunity Lor the fmall remains of his-
party to fave their lives by flight.
Bn this fituation of affairs the rebel boors, affociated., with the
Kaffers, contrived to circulate a report among, the Hottentots at
Algoa Bay, that it was the intention of the Englifh to put them,
on board fhip, and to fend them to the Cape. Such an idea«
created no fmall degree,of alarm among thefe poor creatures;,
and I obferved on the following morning, that a great number
had ftolen away in the night; and, as we afterwards found, had
joined the Kaffers. This malicious and ilhjudged conduit of-
the boors was the. caufe of all the fubfequent misfortunes that
befel themfelves and their countrymen, and ultimately brought
' on
t>n their own deftruition. For it not only defeated our intention
of carrying into effeit fuch arrangements as were likely to
have reconciled the two parties to each other; but it was, like-
wife, the means of bringing together a colleaive body of Kaffers
and Hottentots, whbfe firft ftep was to drive all the boors
out of their feciety, tri plunder them of the reft of their cattle,
fet fire to their houfes, and put feveral of them to death. Having
cleared the whole of the lower part of Oraaf Reynet, they
advanced into the diftria of- Zwellendam. Their whole hatred
was levelled againft the boors. Single dragoons carrying dif»
patches have-frequently been met by large parties of thefe plunderers,
and fuffered to pais without moleftation. Even a houfe,
which they difcovered at Plettenberg's Bay to belong to- ad'
Engliih gentleman, they left undiftarbed, whilft all the' reft that
fell in their way were burnt to the ground.
The fame houfe, however, was afterwards plundered' by a
party of boors who had been collefted by the magiftrates- of
-Zwellendam to clear the diftria of the Kaffers’ and Hottentotss-
Thefe unprincipled men, either out of revenge, or from are
irrefiftible impulfe to mifchief, broke open the lioufe, carried
away clothing and every thing that was portable; drank all the'
wine and fpirits they could find, and made themfelves completely
intoxicated. Yet the very men who committed thofe7
enormities, were, at that moment, under the impreffion that
their deareft connexions (if it were poffible any thing could be
dear to fuch men), their wives,'and children; were maflacred
by the enemy, into whofe hands they knew them to have fallen.
They had been met, it feems, a few days before, in a narrow
s 2 pafs