Page:George McCall Theal, History of South Africa since September 1795, Volume 1 (1908).pdf/69

1799] Meantime news of Van Jaarsveld's arrest had been conveyed to Marthinus Prinsloo, at the Boschberg, who at once called out a number of men to rescue him. About forty responded, and on the 21st they overtook the waggon and demanded that the prisoner should be released. Mr. Oertel and the three dragoons complied, as resistance was out of the question. On the 16th of February the secretary reached Capetown, and reported what had occurred.

After releasing Van Jaarsveld, the party under Marthinus Prinsloo marched back, and encamped a short distance from the drostdy. There they were joined by some farmers from the Zwartkops river and the Zuurveld, who brought up their number to about one hundred and fifty men.

The landdrost sent the heemraden Hermanus Olivier and Andries Smit to inquire what their object was in appearing there with weapons in their hands. Marthinus Prinsloo and three others then went to the drostdy, and informed Mr. Bresler that the fear of being arrested as Van Jaarsveld had been was the cause of their taking up arms. They would not believe that Van Jaarsveld had been apprehended on a charge of setting the summons of the high court of justice at defiance, but insisted that the real reason was the part he had acted in former years.

The farmers of the Sneeuwberg and generally of the northwestern portion of the district now declared themselves on the side of the government, which greatly disconcerted the insurgents. Leaving thirty men at the camp to blockade the drostdy, they dispersed; but on the 28th of January most of them assembled again on Prinsloo's farm. There they were joined by Jan Botha and Coenraad du Buis, two men who had long been living with the Kaffirs, and who were believed to have great influence with the young chief Gaika.

Botha, who had lost one of his arms, was a man of no education, but was possessed of more than ordinary courage, and was not altogether devoid of good principles. Under favourable circumstances he would probably have lived and died a respectable burgher. His companion Du Buis was a