aded them with civilities, they retired
to the fort, and passed the major part of the night with Captain
Maxwell; but to avoid the crowd which would have accompanied them, and
have impeded their progress, they had resolved to set off before
daylight. At two o'clock in the morning the Hottentots were roused up,
the oxen yoked, and an hour before daybreak the whole train had quitted
the town, and were travelling at a slow pace, lighted only by the
brilliant stars of the southern sky.

CHAPTER NINE.

The plans of our travellers had been well digested. They had decided
that they would first prosecute the object of their journey by
proceeding straight through the Caffre country to the borders of the
Undata River, near or whereabout it was reported that the descendants of
the whites would be found located; and as soon as Alexander had
accomplished his mission, that they would cross the chain of mountains,
and return through the Bushmen and the Koranna country. Their reason
for making this arrangement was, that throughout the whole of the Caffre
country, with the exception of lions and elephants in the forest, and
hippopotami in the rivers, there was little or no game to be found, the
Caffres having almost wholly destroyed it.

This plan had been suggested by Major Henderson, and had been approved
by Alexander and Mr Swinton,--Alexander being equally desirous as the
Major to have plenty of field-sport, and Mr Swinton anxious to increase
his stock and knowledge of the animal kingdom. There was little to be
feared in their advance through the Caffre country, as the missionaries
had already planted two missions, one at Butterworth and the other at
Chumie; and the first of these Alexander had decided upon visiting, and
had, in consequence, several packages in his waggon, which had been
intrusted to his care.

It was on the 7th of May, 1829, that the caravan quitted Algoa Bay for
Graham's Town. The weather had for some weeks been fine, the heavy
rains having ceased, and the pasturage was now luxuriant; the waggons
proceeded at a noiseless pace over the herbage, the sleepy Hottentots
not being at all inclined to exert themselves unnecessarily. Alexander,
Swinton, and Henderson were on horseback, a little ahead of the first
waggon.

"I don't know how you feel," said the Major; "but I feel as if I were a
prisoner just released from his chains. I breathe the air of
independence and liberty now. After the bustle, and n