colonel) could understand and, being then on his return home with his
health much impaired by fatigue, the only thing that he could do was to
make a friend of the native by presents and promises of reward on
condition that he would take a letter to this woman and bring him back an
answer. Accordingly he wrote letters in English, French, and Dutch
desiring that some sign or mark might be returned, either by writing with
a burnt stick or by any means she should be able to devise, to satisfy
him that she was there; and that on receiving such token from her every
effort should be made to ensure her safety and escape. But the Caffre,
although apparently delighted with the commission which he had
undertaken, never returned, nor has the colonel ever heard anything more
of him, though he had been instructed in methods of conveying information
through the Hottentot country.

To this account, that I may not again have occasion to introduce so
melancholy a subject, I shall add the little information I received
respecting it when I revisited the Cape in my return towards Europe. A
reputable farmer of the name of Holhousen, who lives at Swellendam, eight
days journey from the Cape, had information from some Caffre Hottentots
that at a kraal or village in their country there were white men and
women. On this intelligence Mr. Holhousen asked permission of the
governor to make an expedition with some of the farmers into the country,
requiring a thousand rix-dollars to bear his expenses. The governor
referred him to Mr. Wocke, the Landros of Graaf Rienet, a new colony in
his way. But from the place where Mr. Holhousen lives to the Landros, Mr.
Wocke's residence, is a month's journey, which he did not choose to
undertake at an uncertainty, as Mr. Wocke might have disapproved of the
enterprise. It was in October last that Mr. Holhousen offered to go on
this service. He was one of the party who went along the sea-coast in
search of these unfortunate people when a few of them first made their
appearance at the Cape. I am however informed that the Dutch farmers are
fond of making expeditions into the country, that they may have
opportunities of taking away cattle; and this I apprehend to be one of
the chief reasons why undertakings of this kind are not encouraged.

On the 13th of June the Dublin East Indiaman arrived from England, on
board of which ship was a party of the 77th regiment under the command of
colonel Balfour.

The result of