Page:George McCall Theal, History of South Africa since September 1795, Volume 1 (1908).pdf/130

106 When the colony was transferred, the Hottentot regiment in the British service was transferred with it to the Batavian authorities. The regiment was then quartered at Rietvlei, a farm on the Cape flats that from early times had been kept for the use of the government. There were two hundred and fifty-nine privates, thirty corporals, and seventeen drummers, drawing rations and trifling pay, and requiring to be clothed and housed. At the same place, Rietvlei, were the seven captains that Mr. Maynier had induced to remove from the Zuurveld, and who had with them one hundred and twenty-three men, two hundred and eighty-nine women, and two hundred and fifty-two children. All these were being fed at the expense of government, and their presence had a very bad effect upon the pandours. To those among them who would not enter service the governor allotted locations of ample size at some distance from the frontier, and he furnished them with a few cattle to commence stock-breeding.

By these arrangements the disturbances with the Hottentots were brought to an end.

Upon the arrival of General Janssens at Fort Frederick he sent messengers to the Xosa chiefs in the Zuurveld, inviting them to come and talk over matters with him. Ndlambe and Jalusa thereupon sent some of their councillors to declare that they wished to live in peace and friendship with the white people. Cungwa and one of the sons of Langa returned for reply that they would meet the governor on the Sunday river in five days' time, if he would be there, and that they were anxious to be on good terms with the colonists.

The governor then made arrangements for a conference with the chiefs at the place of their own selection. He was accompanied from Fort Frederick by sixty-five soldiers and thirty other attendants, and on the way was joined by Commandant Van Rensburg with one hundred and eight burghers, who came to pay their respects and express their gratification that the country had been restored to its ancient owners.

The conference took place on the 24th of May, on the eastern bank of the Sunday river. The chiefs would not