elcomed the return of Retief and his party, and actually
affixed his signature to a document which ceded to the emigrants the
greater part of the Natal district. During all this time, however, a
plot had been thickening in the mind of the crafty savage. He had heard
how his powerful enemy, Moselekatse, had been defeated by these white
men; how he had been compelled to quit his kraal, and retreat into the
interior; and he therefore decided that they were dangerous neighbours.
With a mistaken, short-sighted policy, he fancied that, could he destroy
all those who were now near his country, he would deter others from
again venturing near him; but such an act, instead of freeing him from
his neighbours, was only likely to bring destruction on his head. His
proceedings, however, had been determined on, and his acts may be
described as follows.

Having acted in every way so as to gain the confidence of his guests, he
invited them to witness a great war-dance, as a fit termination to the
visit; and as it was against custom to bring any weapons into the royal
presence, the visitors were requested to leave their guns outside the
kraal. Dingaan had assembled about three thousand warriors, all armed
with the broad-bladed stabbing assagy, and with the heavy knob-kerrie,
or clubbed stick. The Boers were invited into the centre of a circle of
these warriors, and invited to sit down and drink itchuala, a species of
beer; whilst the warriors, striking their shields and beating their feet
in time, continued to advance and retire, whilst they shouted one of
their popular songs. The very ground seemed to tremble beneath the
heavy beat of six thousand feet, and the Boers began to regret that they
had left their trusty weapons outside the kraal. The Zulu warriors
advanced and retired, shaking their assagies and knob-kerries with
threatening gestures, the chief Dingaan watching the effect upon his
guests. Suddenly withdrawing from the immediate presence of his men, he
from a distance exclaimed, "Bulala," and on the signal the warriors
closed in on their victims, whom they outnumbered forty to one, and
after a brief struggle,--for the Dutchmen drew their hunting-knives, and
fought desperately, slaying several of their enemies,--killed them all,
not before they had tortured several who had been the most formidable in
the defence.

As soon as this slaughter was complete, Dingaan ordered ten thousand men
to dash into the Natal territory,