•776- January. friend and I, mounted on our horfes, would have been a match for them, in like manner as the two men were who revenged H e u p p e n a e r ’s death; but in this cafe, we had not a moment to lofe, much lefs had we any fpare time to fetch our horfes from pafture. I therefore refolved in- ftantly to carry matters with as high a hand as it was pollible for me to affume in the lituation we were in, efpecially as I knew from experience, that by this means the Indians might fometimes be kept in awe juft like children. Accordingly, I began with my own Hottentots, threatening with the moit terrible Dutch oaths my memory furniihed ■me with, to ihoot the firft man through the head, who ihould ftir a foot without leave, or once open his mouth to the Caffres; or, in fine, Ihould not, at the fmalleft nod, perform what I might think fit to command. My companion, on his part, taking a handful of bullets, put them into a loaded gun of an uncommon length which he had brought with h im ; in the mean time frequently addreff- ing himfelf to me, and making it out to be a very eafy matter (and of the feafibility of which there could be no doubt) to kill with it the whole body of Caffres at a fingle ihot, in cafe they ihould offer to behave in a hoftile manner ; and at the fame time, in order to give fome probability to this gafconade, did not omit to pradtife a few manoeuvres in the true legerdemain ftyle. While Mr. Im- m e l m a n was thus with his long gun, beyond all doubt, making a tremendous figure in the eyes of the Caffres, and J was likewife armed with my gun, and the fierceft mien I could poffibly mufter up, they came towards us wedged up, as it-were, into a clofe body, with three, leaders in their their front. A Hottentot interpreter in one of the wings, feemed j.uft going to open with a long harangue ; when I put a fudden flop to his fublime oratory, by accofting him with a few rough compliments in the Swedifh language,, and turning my back upon him. This haughty and uncivil reception, which would only have ferved to irritate any other than Hottentots and Caffres,- on the contrary, from the very beginning, abafed their pride, fo that they flood like a parcel of orderly, or rather intimidated, fchoofrboys, and waited for my queftioning them ; upon which- we, in quality o f the principal fions of the company, ordered our interpreter to afk them what nation they, were of ? Whence they came? and whither they were going ? For. the purpofe o f making this examination, I called out J a n S k e p e r , the moft alert and intelligent of all my Hottentots, and had the fatisfafition to fee him fl:y to me like a flafh of lightning ; a proof of his obedience, which, indeed, was at this time verÿ agreeable to me ; as it was requifite in order to excite in the Caffres a high opinion of our authority and power: but the ftill higher ideas, and even dread which he had conceived o f this nation,. put his whole body into a tremor, fo that, even his teeth ehattered in fuch a manner, that he could not utter a word. This unlookcd for cowardly behaviour, threatened to fpoil my whole plan for which reafion, both from indignation', and in order to difgudfe the reafon of his trembling, I threatened him very hard, and accofted him in the rougheft manner. I am not certain, however; whether the. Caffres were not more lharp-lighted than I. wifhed. them, to be ; a how- 1776. January.
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