ever witnessed
on earth. [8] The British Parliament even passed a law in 1836 to impose
punishments beyond their jurisdiction up to the 25th degree south, and
when we trekked further north, Lord Grey threatened to extend this
unrighteous law to the Equator. It may be remarked that in this law it
was specially enacted that no sovereignty or overlordship was to be
considered as established thereby over the territory in question.

[Sidenote: The Trichardt Trek.]

The first trek was that of Trichardt and the Van Rensburgs. They went to
the north, but the Van Rensburgs were massacred in the most horrible way
by the Kaffirs, and Trichardt's party reached Delagoa Bay after
indescribable sufferings in a poverty-stricken condition, only to die
there of malarial fever.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 4: Theal, _History of the Boers_, page 64.]

[Footnote 5: _Oceana_, page 34.]

[Footnote 6: Theal, page 62.]

[Footnote 7: Theal, 102.--Cachet.]

[Footnote 8: 6 & 7, William IV., ch. 57.]

THE FOUNDING OF NATAL.

[Sidenote: Murder of Piet Retief.]

The second trek was equally unfortunate. Piet Retief had duly paid for
and obtained possession from Dingaan, chief of the Zulus, of that tract
of territory now known as Natal, the latter, incited by some Englishmen,
treacherously murdered him and his party on the 6th February, 1838; 66
Boers and 30 of their followers perished. The Great Trek thus lost its
most courageous and noble-minded leader. [9] Dingaan then sent two of
his armies, and they overcame the women and children and the aged at
Boesmans River (Blaauw-krantz), where the village of Weenen now stands;
282 white people and 252 servants were massacred.

Towards the end of the year we entered the land of this criminal with a
small commando of 464 men, and on the 16th December, 1838--since known
as "Dingaan's Day," the proudest in our history--we overthrew the
military might of the Zulus, consisting of 10,000 warriors, and burnt
Dingaan's chief kraal.

[Sidenote: No extension of British territory.]

[10] After that we settled down peaceably in Natal, and established a
new Republic. The territory had been purchased with our money and
baptised with our blood. But the Republic was not permitted to remain in
peace for long. The Colonial Office was in pursuit. The Government first
of all decided upon a military occupation of Natal, for, as Governor
Napier wrote to Lord Russell on the 22nd June, 1840, "it was apparently