was struggling between hope and despair of
being able to rout the enemy, information was brought that the
half of the enemy, under Choane, were reposing in the town,
within sound of the guns, perfectly regardless of the fate of the
other division, under the command of Karagauye. It was supposed
they possessed entire confidence in the yet invincible army of
the latter, being the more warlike of the two. Humanly speaking,
had both parties been together, the day would have been lost,
when they would with perfect ease have carried devastation into
the centre of the colony [of the Cape]. When both parties were
united, they set fire to all parts of the town, and appeared to
be taking their departure, proceeding in an immense body toward
the north. If their number may be calculated by the space of
ground occupied by the entire body, it must have amounted to
upward of 40,000. The Griquas pursued them about eight miles; and
though they continued desperate, they seemed filled with terror
at the enemies by whom they had been overcome.... As fighting was
not my province, I avoided discharging a single shot, though, at
the request of Mr. Melville and the chiefs, I remained with the
commando as the only means of safety. Seeing the savage ferocity
of the Bechuanas in killing the inoffensive women and children
for the sake of a few paltry rings, or to boast that they had
killed some of the Mantatees, I turned my attention to these
objects of pity, who were flying in consternation in all
directions. By my galloping in among them, many of the Bechuanas
were deterred from their barbarous purpose. Shortly after they
began to retreat, the women, seeing that mercy was shown them,
instead of flying, generally sat down, and, baring their bosoms,
exclaimed, 'I am a woman. I am a woman.' It seemed impossible for
the men to yield. There were several instances of wounded men
being surrounded by fifty Bechuanas, but it was not till life was
almost extinct that a single one would allow himself to be
conquered. I saw more than one instance of a man fighting boldly
with ten or twelve spears or arrows fixed in his body.... The
men, struggling with death, would raise themselves from the
ground, and discharge their weapons at any one of our number