t
the Caffre scorns this warfare, or indeed any treachery; his weapons are
his assaguay, or spear, and his shield; he fights openly and bravely.
The Caffres also cultivate their land to a certain extent, and are more
cleanly and civilized. The boors on the Caffre frontier were often
plundered by the bushmen, and perhaps occasionally by some few of the
Caffres who were in a lawless state on the frontier; but if any
complaint was made to the Caffre chiefs, every redress in their power
was given: this, however, did not suit the Dutch boors.

"They had entered the Caffre country, and had perceived that the Caffres
possessed large herds of cattle, and their avarice pointed out to them
how much easier it would be to grow rich by taking the cattle of the
Caffres than by rearing them themselves. If the bushmen stole a few head
of cattle, complaints were immediately forwarded to Cape Town, and
permission asked to raise a force, and recover them from the Caffres.

"The force raised was termed a _Commando_, and was composed of all the
Dutch boors and their servants, well armed and mounted; these would make
an incursion into the Caffre territory, and because a few head of cattle
had been stolen by parties unknown, they would pour down upon the
Caffres, who had but their assaguays to oppose to destructive fire-arms,
set the kraals or villages in flames, murder indiscriminately man,
woman, and child, and carry off, by way of indemnification for some
trifling loss, perhaps some twenty thousand head of cattle belonging to
the Caffres.

"The Caffres, naturally indignant at such outrage and robbery, made
attacks upon the boors to recover the cattle, but with this difference
between the Christian boor and the untutored savage: the boors murdered
women and children wantonly, the Caffres never harmed them, and did not
even kill men, if they could obtain possession of their property without
bloodshed."

"But how could the Dutch government permit such atrocities?"

"The representations made to the government were believed, and the order
was given in consequence. It is true that afterward the government
attempted to put a stop to these horrors, but the boors were beyond
their control; and in one instance in which the home government had
insisted that punishment should be inflicted for some more than common
outrage on the part of the boors, the Cape governor returned for answer,
that he could not venture to do as they wished, as the system