not long since attacked by a mounted party of Abasootu, in the direction he is now said to have taken. In this affair he had decidedly the advantage, killing several of the assailants, and capturing ten of their horses. I am, notwithstanding, inclined to suspect that he is still here concealed among his people. SOLITUDE SWEETENED. And is this solitude-to be alone? No heart to soothe-no face to cheer! Is there not One to whom we're known, Though yet unseen, still always near? Ah, yes-a Friend the Christian knows, Who follows him where'er he goes! Dear Lord thy people can attest Thou art a precious Friend indeed! Possessing Thee, they must be blessed; For thou canst give them all they need! Sweet solace of my loneliest hour, Quicken my heart to feel thy power. With such a Friend for ever nigh, And all His wonted love reveal. Saturday, 8th.-Having understood from Gugu, the petty chief in charge of the station, that in the absence of Ferdana, the Incosi-case frequently issued orders under the direction of the Amapakati (councillors,) I walked over to the village this morning in the hope at least of forwarding a letter to the English camp. She informed me that the messengers despatched for Ferdana had returned last night, without having discovered any trace of his route; and, as the councillors were all with him, nothing could in consequence be done; that the people were unwilling to venture their lives among the Amakosa, who were lurking about in small parties to cut off all intercourse from this quarter. On inquiring whether she would give her sanction, should I find a person willing to go, she assented, saying, that probably I might procure one, but she was quite certain no one would go for her. As Gugu had previously assured me, that a native acquainted with the country might proceed without much difficulty, I now thought there was some prospect of succeeding, and immediately returned to consult with him. Not one of them, however, could be induced to move in the matter, notwithstanding a tempting offer of cattle was made. They had no idea of volunteering in this service if ordered by their chief, they said, they must go, but without such a command they would not undertake it. Had not Gugu represented the undertaking as one of no great hazard in the way that they would manage it, I should not have urged the point, making it a rule never to require of others what I would not, if necessary, undertake myself. To attempt without guides my original plan, of riding through during the night, would have been madness, especially as it required excellent horses, and ours were none of the fleetest. Could fresh horses have been procured here, with a mounted guide, it was my intention to have made the attempt; but the reported absence of Ferdana, and the decided disinclination to forward my wishes on the part of all here, obliged me to give up the plan. My next and only resort was to procure guides to escort me through the mountain passes to the westward, in which direction it would be only needful to traverse a very small tract of country, recently occupied by a part of Hinza's tribe, and by which route I should probably reach the colonial frontier in the course of a very few days. This, however, was also declined; and thus foiled in all my plans for pushing forward, but two courses seemed to offer-either to wait here an indefinite time for Ferdana, or to return to Bunting, with the hope of inducing Faku to furnish me with a sufficient force to make my way through the hostile tribes. On many accounts the latter appeared to be the most judicious; and I accordingly resolved to commence my return early on Monday morning. The wind from south-west to east has been very high for these three days past, and the weather quite cold, with a sharp frost whitening the ground every morning. The soil, which is clay, and generally bare of trees, may contribute to lower the temperature; at present every thing is so dried up, that scarcely any grass is remaining. This part of the country, notwithstanding its present arid appearance, is very populous, several villages being visible from the windows of the missionhouse. In no other respect does it appear an eligible spot for such an establishment, particularly as the water is not convenient; that procured from the neighboring well being frequently much discolor ed after rain. Sunday, 9th. your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord." (Psalm "Be of good courage and He shall strengthen xxxi. 24.) Hence ye faithless fears away- "As thy day thy strength shall be?" For all who to His succour flee. Ah, yes, dear Lord! though all should fail, Thy people Thou wilt never leave! Thou art my hope-whate'er betide And life itself I could resign. Oh! if Thy presence go before, Then every path is smooth and plain; And though it lead to Jordan's shore, "Twill end in everlasting gain! What rapture then to join that band, Through fires of tribulation brought! For ever round the throne to stand, Adoring Him our ransom bought! No natives could be collected in the morning, but in the afternoon a few attended the Kafir service in the mission-house. Monday, 10th.-In this weak and suspicious country, I thought it prudent to advise the good people at the Gumkula of my intended return, and accordingly rode round by their huts, but either by design or otherwise the Incosi-case was not forthcoming. After a little demur, Cheecha, an old man (reported to be a councillor) came up, and to him I delivered a message to Ferdana, with a request that on his return he would either furnish me with a mounted guide to the Kei, or forward a letter to the English camp on the other side. The message he said should be delivered; but he was quite sure that Ferdana would do neither the one nor the other, as he was daily expecting an attack from the people of Chungi; the Amamaias, who are in league with them, captured two herds of cattle but the day before. They appear never to have forgiven the loss of some cattle taken from them by the Machallas (the Amatembu tribe among whom we now are,) as the escort were conveying the missionaries from Clarkebury across their territory, about three months since; and it is no doubt in order to avenge this loss that they are now combining against them. As an evidence of the insincerity of these people, no less than seventeen or eighteen horses were observed near Ferdana's cattle-place, on the banks of the Bashee, as we passed; which at once confirmed my opinion that the whole of his absence was a deceit. On reaching Kăbi's to my great disappointment, I found that the guides had returned home the day before. It had been my endeavor while at Clarkebury, to communicate with them, being desirous that they should join me there; but notwithstanding all my efforts, with the promise of beads, no person could be induced to undertake this errand. To procure a guide on the route was out of the question; for so uncivil were they at every village we passed, that nothing, not even a drop of milk could be procured. On leaving the inhabited district, I had no other resource than to direct my course by the sun. After a tedious ride, partly in the dark, we reached the Umtata, and rested on the bank for the night; but, although the cold was severe, I was unwilling to indulge in a fire, lest it might attract notice and bring down an armed party to disturb our repose. For some time I endeavored to sleep; but at length, almost benumbed, determined at all risks to kindle a blaze. Observing a deep fissure where the flame might be sufficiently concealed, we repaired thither; but, although a tolerable fire was kept up throughout the remainder of the night, it was but little sleep that I could obtain, the air being keen and the ground covered with frost. Tuesday, 11th.-Finding that I had made the river at a point considerably higher than the usual ford, I this morning shaped a most easterly course; the whole country to the Umgazi being a complete wilderness without an inhabitant. A small bundle of Kafir-corn brought from Clarkebury, with the expectation of having it ground and boiled on the road, was now, for want of this necessary preparation, given to the jaded horses; one of whom was so thoroughly knocked up, that in order to urge him on at all it became necessary to secure the bridle to my saddle and literally take it in tow, my interpreter occasionally dismounting and flogging it on. The locusts were so numerous in some parts of our journey this day, that the ground could scarcely be seen, and numbers were crushed under the horses' feet. They are smaller than those generally seen in the Zoolu country, and have not the pink color on the wing. Delayed by our sorry beasts, we did not reach Bunting till after sunset; and although much disappointed at the necessity of retracing my steps, I felt thankful at having again reached such comfortable quarters, especially as we had tasted nothing since eight o'clock on the previous morning, when we had breakfasted on Kafir-corn gruel. It was a providential circumstance that I did not partake of the Kafir-corn in its raw state, as I had more than once intended in the course of this day's ride; having since learned that in all probability it would have been fatal, as it has the property of swelling, and even when not sufficiently boiled, is very prejudicial: many instances, I am told, have occurred when natives, exhausted by hunger on their warlike expeditions, have died in a few hours after eating a quantity of it improperly cooked. Found the station in much concern respecting the melancholy tidings brought by the guides who arrived last night. Both of the messengers who had been killed on their way to the camp were much respected; and one of them, David, is said to have been under deep religious impressions. Their wives and families were in great grief. Previous to starting, David had imprudently borrowed the panther-skin ingoobo (cloak) which had been given to the last messenger on his reaching the British head-quarters: and it is said that this was recognised by a party of Amakosa as having formerly belonged to one of their chiefs, killed by the English, and led to their discovery and consequent murder. My own guides, it appeared, had not been very handsomely treated; their lives had been more than once threatened while remaining at Kabi's village; and as they had heard nothing from me for three days, they said they concluded I had proceeded to the Kei, and were glad to leave a country where they had all along been taken for spies. Saturday, 15th.-With the hope of obtaining some information respecting a route which I might be necessitated to take across the Quathlamba mountains, towards the north-eastern frontier of the colony, I crossed the Umzimvoobo on Thursday, to Mr. Fynn's village, about twenty-six miles distant from hence, and returned last night. The remains of that immense and extirpating horde, led on by the celebrated Matuana;-and who, from their unsparing ferocity, have obtained the name of Fitcani (destroyers) are still to be found in almost every district of this part of the continent their battle-ground having extended quite across to the very embouchure of the Orange river. It was from some of these people that I was anxious to obtain an account of the country to the westward, and a promise of assistance, should I attempt the to be often so swollen after this dreadful infliction as to appear scarcely human. If found guilty, they are only released to be beaten to death with knobbed sticks and stones. Accounts have just been received of some spies from Kheeli (son of the late Hinza) having traversed the country, from which I have just returned, in their way to one of the upper branches of the Umzimvoobo; where, it is said, a part of his tribe have an intention of removing on the advance of the English troops. It is a providential circumstance that we "Do this in remembrance of me."-(Luke xxii. 19.) did not fall in with them, as they are reported to What a hateful thing is sin! How it steals the heart away; Though subdued-it leaves within A poison, death alone can stay; It dims the eye of faith, and chills The love that oft our bosom fills. Could we otherwise refrain From weeping when he heard Him say; "Remember me who once was slain To wash your guilty stains away." What is all our love compared To that which Jesus has bestowed? In all our sorrows he has shared, For us his precious blood has flowed! Can we behold that wond'rous sight And not our thankless bosoms smite? Kindle, O Lord! a heavenly flame, Within my heart thy grace impart ; I would confess with deepest shame The coldness of my lukewarm heart. Oh! let me ever mindful be Of Him whose blood was shed for me. Be this my boast while life shall last, In realms of endless joy, above, Conducted the Kafir services morning and afternoon. Tuesday, 18th.-The affection from which Faku has lately been suffering in his eyes has, as usual, been attributed to witchcraft. Since I last saw him, he has allowed himself to be punctured above the eye-brow by a witch doctor, who pretended to extract from the opening a small quantity of snuff, which he declared had been placed there by an enemy, and had occasioned the dis ease. The inflammation, relieved by the operation, has since gradually subsided; and the alleged Umtakati (bewitcher) is already in confinement. In order to extort confession, it is not an unusual method to pinion the accused individual to the ground with forked stakes, with the head resting in an ant-hill; the body is then strewed over with the debris of ants'-nests taken from the trees, while water is dashed upon them in order to excite the insects to bite more sharply. The torture must be extreme, as the whole body is said have been well armed and mounted, and are not likely to have spared two Englishmen who were defenceless. Although the Amapondas are a mild and hospitable people, some of their customs would indicate the utmost degree of barbarity. It is usual for the ruling chief, on his accession to the government, to be washed in the blood of a near relative, generally a brother, who is put to death on the occasion, and his skull used as a receptacle for his blood. Faku would have undergone this horrid libation, had not his brother Gwingi, whose turn it was, according to the rules prescribed, made his escape to a neighboring tribe. For some time after a diligent search was made for his person, and he has never since thoroughly recovered from the exposure and hardships which he endured while lying so long concealed from his merciless pursuers. In consequence of the Christian remonstrances of Mr. Tainton, he was at length suffered to return; and Faku has allowed the horrid practice, as regards himself, to go into desuetude, which, for the sake of humanity, it is to be hoped will never again be revived. The palliative sanction of custom cannot, however, be admitted in the case of Umyăki, now an independent Amaponda chief, residing near the coast in the direction of Morley. Having defeated a party of Amatembu, who had attacked him in his own country, Gallǎka, the son of an inferior chief, fell into his hands a prisoner. On his being brought to Umyǎki, he immediately despatched him with his own hand, and then ordered his heart and liver to be boiled, with the broth of which, poured into his skull, he caused himself to be washed. This, however, is regarded, even by the natives themselves, as an unusual act of barbarity, and has given great offence to all the neighboring chiefs; still, in both instances, as well as in the more ge neral custom of drinking the gall of their enemies, (practised, I believe, exclusively among the chiefs,) the object mainly in view is the acquisition, as they imagine, of additional bodily strength. But even these are nothing when compared with the various and wanton inflictions of their witch doctors, many of which are revolting in the extreme. About three years ago one of these diabolical agents (not, as it is said, without some color of ancient sanction,) perpetrated the following act in order to propitiate success for Faku's army, then on the eve of taking the field. He directed that the fore-leg of a living bull should be cut off at the shoulder, and then ordered the men with their teeth to tear the flesh from the reeking limb and devour it on the spot, while the tortured animal was left to a cruel and lingering death. The acquisition of cattle is the grand incitive to war A ZOOLU CHIEF IN HIS WAR-DRESS among all the tribes in this part of Africa; and peace of any long duration is only to be expected by those who, like the Bushmen, are unencumbered with this description of property. The elysium of a native is to be enabled to drink abundance of sour milk without fear or molestation; and, although his country may abound with corn, he keenly feels the want of this favorite beverage. The Amapondas having suffered so severely in their wars with Charka, have, in consequence, become great beerdrinkers; and even now that they are gradually recovering their losses by the increase of their cattle, still I fear this baneful habit, induced by the scarcity of milk, is likely to be of long continuance. When reproached for their frequent inebriety, (for they often meet in large parties, and drink until they are stupified,) they archly reply, "What can we do?we have no cattle this is our milk." Even Fakü himself is not free from this reproach; and is said to have been frequently found sealed in a torpor induced by outchualla. This morning I received a note from Mr. Fynn, informing me of his ill success in endeavoring to procure guides for the inland route from among Tpai's people, or a messenger who would venture across with a letter to the camp. As a dernier resort I rode over to the Great Place with the hope of inducing Faku to assist me with his army; but, unfortunately, he was in one of his stupors, and laid on the ground at full length, surrounded by many of his people, during the greater part of the time I was there, scarcely conscious of any thing that was passing. On my return, I stopped a short time at a neighboring village belonging to Damas, Faku's eldest son, in order to witness a dance which was taking place in honor of one of his sisters about to be married to Tpai, several of whose people were present on the occasion. This kind of performance is very inferior to that of the Zoolus; the men, holding short knobbed sticks in their hands, were arranged three deep in a semicircle; the women, as usual, occupying a compact group before them. The song was not in parts, as among the Zoolus, but often strangely broken by the whole of the men suddenly seating themselves on the ground, and then as abruptly rising and going on with the tune; while the women during the whole time were straining their voices, jumping and clapping their hands by way of accompaniment. As they had already been some time engaged in this violent exercise, much of the ochres-red, white, and yellow-with which their faces were besmeared, had disappeared; enough was, however, remaining to render them sufficiently hideous. The men were generally decorated with the tail-hair of their cattle, tied round the calf of the leg and on their arms, which gave them a very wild and ferocious appearance. Many, both men and wo- the various tribes that would oppose him at every men, wore large ivory rings, (always a very be-step of the road; that he was fearful that some coming ornament,) on the upper part of the arm; harm might happen to me; and, in fact, acknowshell bracelets, (white, with black streaks,) with ledged that he was himself opposed to the measure. one or more panther's teeth suspended round the On hearing this, it was in vain to say more than to neck, were also worn by some of the men; while assure him that, if he would sanction the attempt, many of the ladies, in addition to their other em- I was quite willing to accompany them. The bellishments, had their hair twisted into lank and chiefs by this time had crowded round, each evimop-like ringlets, and the whole thickly plastered dently prepared to give his opinion, which, from with red ochre. all I have since heard, would have been quite at Faku himself is utterly regardless of every des- variance with that of their ruler; but, as his word cription of personal ornament; with his ivory is law, not a dissentient voice was heard; and snuff-spoon stuck in his hair, and his reed snuff-after a few observations in which Faku begged it box in his ear, he is dressed, with the exception of a leopard-skin mantle occasionally thrown over his shoulders or gathered round his waist. It this respect he is a perfect contrast to Dingarn, and only deigns to wear beads when he joins in the dance. Friday, 21st.-Faku having signified his wish to see me on the subject of my late proposal, I went this morning by appointment to the Great Place, accompanied by Mr. Tainton and my interpreter, and was soon after joined by Mr. Fynn. On our approach, Faku was observed to come from his hut and stretch himself at full length under the shade of a low thorn bush, near the cattle-fold, a short distance from a group of his principal people seated on the ground. He gave his hand to each as we took our stations near, but not a syllable was uttered relating to the business on which we were expressly met to consult. At length I inquired whether he had been informed of what I had said when I saw him last, on which he requested me to repeat what had then been stated, as he had only heard it through his people. The proposed plan I told him was this, to collect his army, and, in combination with that of Tpai, to make a sudden and rapid march to the Kei, without turning to the right hand or to the left, and only opposing those who actually obstructed his progress. That by doing this they would take the country by surprise, none of the tribes through which they would pass would have an idea of their destination, much less would they have time to combine in order to oppose their advance. On reaching the English troops they would meet with the most friendly reception, and they would doubtless escort them on their way back as far as they pleased. Faka then stated his own plan, which was first to make an attack upon Umyaki, and the other petty chiefs with whom he was at war in the neighborhood of the Umtata, and clear his way as far as the Bashee, after which his army could again go out and open a road to the Kei. This I told him would be the very way to increase the difficulty; that he would not only weaken his own forces, but cause his enemies to combine in greater numbers; that there was but one plan which offered any probability of ultimate success, and that was to make a rapid movement through the country directly along the wagon road to the Kei; and that he would be sure to fail if he attempted it in any other way. Faku then pleaded his want of strength; that his army was unequal to cope with A large perforation is made in the ear for this purpose, and is characteristic of the nation. might be understood that the decision he had made was not with any unfriendly feeling towards the English, as he belonged to the same Great House, we took our leave. The real fact I believe to be, that Tpai could not be induced to unite his forces with those of the Amapondas: for, notwithstanding the pending family alliance between Fakū and him, these people are naturally so jealous of each other, that any long continuance of cordiality, is not to be relied upon; and even had they taken the field together, some dispute might probably have arisen whereby the two parties might have been arrayed against each other. Were Faku in person to head his army, they would be sufficient for any practicable enterprise, but this he has not done for years; they are generally led on by one of his sons, but neither they nor any of the inferior chiefs have sufficient influence to control the whole, so that his army is composed of a number of almost independent chiefs with their different clans acting generally in concert, but without any acknowledged head. This circumstance at once accounts for the ill-success which has almost invariably attended every expedition which has carried them to any distance beyond the limits of their own country. It may here perhaps be as well to explain, that, in consequence of the total absence of all correct intelligence from the scene of action, as also from any part of the colony in which for months we had been kept, it was fully believed that the war had not terminated with the Kafirs. Had I at this time been aware of the actual state of affairs on the colonial frontier, a proposition of the nature just alluded to would never have been made to Faku; but considering the importance of speedily communicating with the government on the affairs of Port Natal, I felt myself justified in the adoption of these means, though feeling deeply the necessity of casting to such a quarter for assistance. My progress to the colony in this direction seems now completely obstructed; especially as a party of Amapondas, in revenge for some real or pretended wrong, have lately captured cattle, and fired some houses belonging to Cosiana. Little did I imagine on leaving Port Natal that I should so soon be obliged to retrace my steps; this, however, appears to be the only probable means of eventually prosecuting my journey, especially as accounts have just been received of a vessel having lately appeared off the Umcamas apparently standing towards the port. On my return to Bunting I obtained a distant view of a remarkable rock which rises like a fortress among a very broken range of mountains on the right; so scarped and precipitous are the approaches to this insulated crag, |