Page:George McCall Theal, History of South Africa since September 1795, Volume 1 (1908).pdf/221

1811] occupied Bruintjes Hoogte, so as to cover the country north of the Zuurberg range.

On the 27th of December a division of Colonel Graham's force, under Major Cuyler, crossed the Sunday river, and formed a camp within easy reach of Habana's kraal on the southern side of the Rietbergen. When passing through a thicket within five hundred yards of the river a few assagais were thrown at the burghers, and one man was wounded. Major Cuyler with an escort then rode to Cungwa's kraal which was close to a dense thicket, with the object of trying to induce that chief to retire peaceably. Cungwa did not appear, but he sent a message that he was disposed to do as desired, and asked to be allowed until next day to give a final answer. This was acceded to. The men at the kraal were seen to be in readiness for war, and the veterans were all ornamented with blue crane feathers.

On the following day Major Cuyler with twenty-five farmers and a Hottentot interpreter returned to Cungwa's kraal. Observing a party of Kaffirs close to the thicket, they rode up, when Ndlambe advanced a few paces from the others, and cried out "Here is no honey; I will eat honey, and to procure it will cross the rivers Sunday, Koega, and Zwartkops." Stamping his foot on the ground, he shouted again: "This country is mine; I won it in war, and shall maintain it." Then shaking an assagai with one hand, with the other he raised a horn to his mouth. Upon blowing it, two or three hundred warriors rushed towards Major Cuyler's party, who owed their escape solely to the fleetness of their horses.

The district east of the Sunday river at a short distance from the coast is very rugged. Between the mountain range called the Zuurberg and the sea are chains of hills and irregular elevations, which were known in 1812 as the Rietbergen. In thickets spread over a tract of this broken land, some forty miles in length by ten or twelve in breadth, the followers of Ndlambe and Cungwa took shelter.

On the 27th of December Colonel Graham sent an express to Landdrost Stockenstrom, directing him to proceed from