Page:Life of Africaner.pdf/5

 may literally be called a river of life, for trees grass, &c., for a little distance from its banks look green, healthy, and lively; but beyond, all is a barren waste.

It was about this time that the Cape colony first came under the government of the English, by being captured from the Dutch. A report was circulated by evil-minded persons, that all the Hottentots were to be forced to become soldiers, and to be sent out of Africa. This report made old Africaner and his sons resolve to retire beyond the bounds of the colony, to escape being forced into the army. However, they still continued in the service of Piemaar, the boor, who sometimes employed them on plundering expeditions against the defenceless natives of the interior, furnishing them with muskets and powder for that purpose. In this way, they were taught to rob for their master, and thus, after a time, they learned to rob for themselves.

From some circumstances which occurred, suspicions arose in the minds of the old Hottentot and his sons that their employer acted unfaithfully to them during their absence, and his sending them more frequently from home confirmed their suspicions; and they determined to refuse to leave home any more on such expeditions.

Information having come to Piemaar that the Bushmen pirates had carried off some cattle belonging to the district over which he was field-cornet, (a kind of justice of peace,) he, in his official character, commanded them to pursue the Bushmen, in order to re-capture the cattle. This order they positively refused to obey, saying, that his only motive for sending them on