d took up our quarters in a
Dutch church. The road from Algoa Bay to Graaf-Reynett is hill and dale,
and infested with lions, tigers, hyenas, wolves, and elephants; and we
frequently saw eight or ten a-day, at a place called Rovee Bank, a day's
march on this side of the great pass. One day I went out shooting wild
ducks here with another person. We came to a pool of water, surrounded
with very high grass--some of it ten feet high--which abounded with wild
ducks and geese. I took aim and fired, and had just time to see, that at
least one bird had fallen a victim to number four, when I heard a most
tremendous roar, and the whole pool was in a moment in a state of
commotion. I was in the act of plunging into the water after my
butchered duck, when, imagine my astonishment and alarm, on seeing an
enormous white elephant rush out from the high grass, roaring loudly,
and striking the grass aside with his trunk. Neither myself nor my
companion had ever seen one before, and we had now no inclination for a
second peep; so, leaving the ducks to their fate, we took to our heels,
and never stopped till we arrived safe in camp.

At every farmer's house on our line of march, we found sad vestiges of
murder and desolation. Whole families had been wantonly massacred by
this wild and misguided race of people, whose devastations it was now
our duty to check, and whose ignorance is so extraordinary, that I am
persuaded they are insensible that murder is a crime. Beautiful
farmhouses were to be still seen smoking; the families either murdered,
or run away to seek refuge elsewhere. Not a living creature was to be
seen, unless, perchance, a poor dog might be discovered howling over the
dead body of his master; or some wounded horse or ox, groaning with the
stab of a spear or other mutilation. The savage Caffre exults in these
appalling sights; gaping wounds, and the pangs of the dying, are to his
dark and infatuated mind the very acme of enjoyment. This barbarous
race, when they have succeeded in any of their murderous exploits,
appear to be so excited to ecstasy, that they will jump about in a sort
of frenzy, hurling their spears in all directions, and in the most
reckless manner, either at man or beast. They are quite insensible to
the value of money, which they would accept on account of its glitter
only; while a more shining gilt button would be prized by them as of
inestimable value. In short, they seem scarcely to possess a rational
id