tack the
band of Kaffirs hidden in the dark kloof above: each is good in his
calling.

The Cape corps is almost entirely composed of Hottentots, and they are
right well fitted for the work of fighting the Kaffirs. Courageous and
cunning, endowed with a sort of instinct that seems superior to reason,
they can hear, see, and almost smell danger in all shapes, and are ever
on the watch for suspicious signs. No footmark of Kaffir, wolf, lion,
or elephant is passed unnoticed; no bird is seen to flit away from a
distant bush without apparent cause, but a careful watch is at once set
up; not a dog lifts up his ears, but the Totty--as the Hottentot is
familiarly called--is also suspicious.

The wild life led in Africa causes even one lately removed from
civilisation to feel his instincts become rapidly keener.

A man who has been born and nurtured in the wilderness, therefore, must
be far superior to the freshly transplanted European, who finds that he
has to commence the A, B, C, under these very men whose appearance would
at first produce only a feeling of contempt for their prowess.

A deadly hatred exists between the Kaffir and the Hottentot, and both
are equally expert in the bush, where an Englishman is so rarely at
home.

In fair fighting the British soldier has proved that no country produces
men fit to cope with him; but let him be cautious of ambuscades and
bush-fighting.

A naval officer, who was in a fort on the west coast of Africa, happened
to be attacked by the natives, but as his fort was a stronghold that the
barbarians could make nothing of, they were easily repulsed. Elated
with his successful defence, he sallied out, and gave them a good
drubbing on some open ground near. But not contented with this triumph,
he must needs follow them up into the bush, where he was defeated with
great slaughter. His jaw-bones are now said to be beating the big drum
of Ashantee.

Our victories over the barbarians of Africa have not been so very great,
but that we might condescend to take a useful lesson from these men,
savages as they are.

Any man who has seen the Kaffirs or Hottentots approach dangerous
game,--their perseverance, courage, activity, and hardihood, combined
with caution and cunning, may easily understand that they could employ
these gifts in a manner that would make them anything but despicable
enemies.

There is a recklessness about the Hottentot which the Kaffir does not
possess, the former