em they held their ground gallantly. The Wesleyan chapel,
mission-house, and schoolhouse, were filled with refugees, and although
the Kafirs swooped down on it at night in large numbers and carried off
the cattle, they failed to overcome the stout defenders. Theopolis also
held out successfully against them--and so did the Scottish party at
Baviaans River, although attacked and harassed continually.

During an attack near the latter place a Scottish gentleman of the
Pringle race had a narrow escape. Sandy Black was with him at the time.
Three or four Kafirs suddenly attacked them. Mr Pringle shot one,
Sandy wounded another. A third ran forward while Pringle was loading
and threw an assagai at him. It struck him with great force on the
leathern bullet-pouch which hung at his belt. Sandy Black took aim at
the savage with a pistol.

"Aim low, Sandy," said Pringle, continuing to load.

Sandy obeyed and shot the Kafir dead, then, turning round, said
anxiously--

"Are 'ee stickit, sir?"

"I'm not sure, Sandy," replied Pringle, putting his hand in at the waist
of his trousers, "there's blood, I see."

On examination it was found that the assagai had been arrested by the
strong pouch and belt, and had only given him a trifling scratch, so
that the gallant and amiable Mr Dods Pringle lived to fight in future
Kafir wars. [See Note 1.]

In another place, near the Kat River, thirty men were attacked by a
hundred and fifty Kafirs. The latter came on with fury, but five of the
farmers brought down seven of the enemy at the first discharge, and
thereafter poured into them so rapid and destructive a fire that they
were seized with panic, and fled, leaving seventy-five of their number
dead.

Instances of individual heroism might be endlessly multiplied, but we
think this is enough to show the desperate nature of the struggle which
had begun.

In the course of one fortnight the labours of fourteen years were
annihilated. Forty-four persons were murdered, 369 dwellings consumed,
261 pillaged, and 172,000 head of live-stock carried off into Kafirland
and irretrievably lost; and what aggravated the wickedness of the
invasion was the fact that during a great part of the year the Governor
had been engaged in special negotiations for a new--and to the Kafirs
most advantageous--system of relations, with which all the chiefs except
one had expressed themselves satisfied.

Writing on the condition of the country Colonel Smi