secondary chief, and whom they had conquered. No regard was paid to this
remonstrance; the English troops were sent forward, the Caffres attacked
in their hamlets, slaughtered or driven into the woods, 23,000 head of
cattle taken from them, of which 9,000 were given to Gaika, and the rest
distributed to the Dutch boors, or sold to defray part of the expenses
of the expedition.

"Deprived of their means of subsistence by the capture of their cattle,
the Caffres were rendered furious reckless, and no sooner had the
expedition returned, than they commenced hostilities. They poured into
the frontier districts, captured several detached military forts, drove
the Dutch boors from the Zurweld, or neutral territory, and killed a
great many of our soldiers and of the Dutch boors. All the country was
overrun as far as the vicinity of Algoa Bay, and nothing could at first
check their progress."

"Why, it really does not appear that the colonial government, when in
our hands, was more considerate than when it was held by the Dutch,"
replied Alexander.

"Not much, I fear," said Mr. Fairburn.

"The councils of the Caffre chiefs were at that time much influenced by
a most remarkable personage of the name of Mokanna. In the colony he was
usually known by the sobriquet of 'Links,' or the left-handed. He was
not a chief, but had by his superior intellect obtained great power. He
gave himself out to be a prophet, and certainly showed quite as much
skill as ever did Mahommed or any other false prophet. He had often
visited Cape Town, and had made himself master of all that he could
acquire of European knowledge.