raders going past Kolobeng, by dispersing the tribe of
Bechuanas, and expelling all the missionaries. Sir George Cathcart
proclaimed the independence of the Boers. A treaty was entered into with
them; an article for the free passage of Englishmen to the country
beyond, and also another, that _no slavery should be allowed in the
independent territory_, were duly inserted, as expressive of the views
of Her Majesty's Government at home. 'But what about the missionaries?'
enquired the Boers. '_You may do as you please with them_,' is said to
have been the answer of the Commissioner. This remark, if uttered at
all, was probably made in joke: designing men, however, circulated it,
and caused the general belief in its accuracy which now prevails all
over the country, and doubtless led to the destruction of three mission
stations immediately after. The Boers, 400 in number, were sent by the
late Mr. Pretorius to attack the Bechuanas in 1852. Boasting that the
English had given up all the blacks into their power, and had agreed to
aid them in their subjugation by preventing all supplies of ammunition
from coming into the Bechuana country, they assaulted the Bechuanas,
and, besides killing a considerable number of adults, carried off 200 of
our school children into slavery. The natives, under Sechele, defended
themselves till the approach of night enabled them to flee to the
mountains; and having in that defence killed a number of the enemy, the
very first ever slain in this country by Bechuanas, I received the
credit of having taught the tribe to kill Boers! My house, which had
stood perfectly secure for years under the protection of the natives,
was plundered in revenge. English gentlemen, who had come in the
footsteps of Mr. Cumming to hunt in the country beyond, and had
deposited large quantities of stores in the same keeping, and upwards of
eighty head of cattle as relays for the return journeys, were robbed of
all; and when they came back to Kolobeng, found the skeletons of the
guardians strewed all over the place. The books of a good library--my
solace in our solitude--were not taken away, but handfuls of the leaves
were torn out and scattered over the place. My stock of medicines was
smashed; and all our furniture and clothing carried off and sold at
public auction to pay the expenses of the foray. I do not mention these
things by way of making a pitiful wail over my losses, in order to
excite commiseration; for though I fe