Ten years after he was firmly established in power he entered into a
treaty with the colonial government, and during the twenty years which
followed not a single charge was ever brought against either him or
his people; on the contrary, his faithful adherence to the stipulated
provisions elicited numerous expressions of approbation from successive
governments. A late governor, however, of whom it is impossible to speak
without respect, in a paroxysm of generalship which might have been
good, had it not been totally inappropriate to the case, set about
conciliating a band of rebellious British subjects (Boers), who murdered
the Honorable Captain Murray, by proclaiming their independence while
still in open rebellion, and not only abrogated the treaty with the
Griquas, but engaged to stop the long-accustomed supplies of gunpowder
for the defense of the frontier, and even to prevent them from
purchasing it for their own defense by lawful trade.

If it had been necessary to prevent supplies of ammunition from finding
their way into the country, as it probably was, one might imagine that
the exception should not have been made in favor of either Boers or
Caffres, our openly-avowed enemies; but, nevertheless, the exception was
made, and is still continued in favor of the Boers, while the Bechuanas
and Griquas, our constant friends, are debarred from obtaining a
single ounce for either defense or trade; indeed, such was the state of
ignorance as to the relation of the border tribes with the English, even
at Cape Town, that the magistrates, though willing to aid my researches,
were sorely afraid to allow me to purchase more than ten pounds of
gunpowder, lest the Bechuanas should take it from me by force. As it
turned out, I actually left more than that quantity for upward of two
years in an open box in my wagon at Linyanti.

The lamented Sir George Cathcart, apparently unconscious of what he was
doing, entered into a treaty with the Transvaal Boers, in which articles
were introduced for the free passage of English traders to the north,
and for the entire prohibition of slavery in the free state. Then passed
the "gunpowder ordinance", by which the Bechuanas, whom alone the Boers
dare attempt to enslave, were rendered quite defenseless. The Boers
never attempt to fight with Caffres, nor to settle in Caffreland. We
still continue to observe the treaty. The Boers never did, and
never intended to abide by its provisions; for, imme