nner, 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 waggon, which
was a very old one, was loaded with flesh, cut up 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 travellers had explained to
them their own motions, the Griquas said that they would bring their
waggon down in the evening and encamp with them. Our travellers 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 waggon
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 Vaal 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 anything 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 Vaal 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 quarrelled 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 Chaka himself. In the arrangements of his army, he
followed the same plans as Chaka, and has now become a most powerful
monarch, and, they do say, is almost as great a tyrant and despot as
Chaka himself was. I believe that the Griquas are right in sayi