n, to ascertain who they might
be, leaving the caravan to proceed by the banks of the river. In about
an hour, they came close to them, and Swinton immediately recognized
them as Griquas, or mixed European and Hottentot races. Of course, they
met in the most friendly manner, and the Griquas said that they had come
to hunt the elephant, eland, and other animals; the former for their
ivory, and the latter for their flesh. Their wagon, which was a very old
one, was loaded with flesh, cut in long strips, and hanging to dry; and
they had a great many hundred-weight of ivory, which they had already
collected. As soon as our travelers had explained to them their own
motions, the Griquas said that they would bring their wagon down in the
evening and encamp with them. Our travelers then returned to the
caravan.

As they promised, the Griquas joined them late in the afternoon. They
were a party of sixteen; all stout fellows, and armed with the long guns
used by the Dutch boors. They said that they had been two months from
Griqua-town, and were thinking of returning very soon, as their wagon
was loaded to the extent that it would bear. The Major stating that it
was their intention to hunt the giraffe, the Griquas informed them that
they would not find the animal to the southward of the Val River, and
they would have to cross over into the territories of the king
Moselekatsee, who ruled over the Bechuana country, to the northward of
the river; and that it would be very dangerous to attempt so to do
without his permission; indeed, that there would be danger in doing so,
even with it.

"Do you know any thing of this person, Swinton?"

"Yes, I have heard of him, but I did not know that he had extended his
conquests so low down as to the Val River."

"Who is he?"

"You have heard of Chaka, the king of the Zoolus, who conquered the
whole country, as far as Port Natal to the eastward?"

"Yes," replied Alexander; "we have heard of him."

"Well, Moselekatsee was a chief of two or three tribes, who, when hard
pressed by his enemies, took refuge with Chaka, and became one of his
principal warrior chiefs. After a time he quarreled with Chaka, about
the distribution of some cattle they had taken, and aware that he had no
mercy to expect from the tyrant, he revolted from him with a large
force, and withdrew to the Bechuana country. There he conquered all the
tribes, enrolled them in his own army, and gradually became as
formidable as C