edical
advice, and others to trade in those very articles which their own laws
and policy forbid. When I happened to stumble upon any of them in the
town, with his muskets and powder displayed, he would begin an apology,
on the ground that he was a poor man, etc., which I always cut short by
frankly saying that I had nothing to do with either the Boers or their
laws. Many attempts were made during these visits to elicit the truth
about the guns and cannon; and ignorant of the system of espionage which
prevails, eager inquiries were made by them among those who could jabber
a little Dutch. It is noticeable that the system of espionage is as well
developed among the savage tribes as in Austria or Russia. It is a proof
of barbarism. Every man in a tribe feels himself bound to tell the
chief every thing that comes to his knowledge, and, when questioned by
a stranger, either gives answers which exhibit the utmost stupidity, or
such as he knows will be agreeable to his chief. I believe that in this
way have arisen tales of their inability to count more than ten, as
was asserted of the Bechuanas about the very time when Sechele's father
counted out one thousand head of cattle as a beginning of the stock of
his young son.

In the present case, Sechele, knowing every question put to his people,
asked me how they ought to answer. My reply was, "Tell the truth." Every
one then declared that no cannon existed there; and our friends, judging
the answer by what they themselves would in the circumstances have
said, were confirmed in the opinion that the Bakwains actually possessed
artillery. This was in some degree beneficial to us, inasmuch as fear
prevented any foray in our direction for eight years. During that time
no winter passed without one or two tribes in the East country being
plundered of both cattle and children by the Boers. The plan pursued
is the following: one or two friendly tribes are forced to accompany a
party of mounted Boers, and these expeditions can be got up only in the
winter, when horses may be used without danger of being lost by disease.
When they reach the tribe to be attacked, the friendly natives are
ranged in front, to form, as they say, "a shield"; the Boers then coolly
fire over their heads till the devoted people flee and leave cattle,
wives, and children to the captors. This was done in nine cases during
my residence in the interior, and on no occasion was a drop of Boer's
blood shed. News of these