Historical records of the 91st Argyllshire ... - waughfamily.ca

124 HISTORICAL RECORDS OF THE1846. committed a theft, of which no further notice wastaken than causing the restitution of the stolenproperty and drivingthe offender out of FortBeaufort. But the thief shortly returned, and,having been again detected purloining a hatchetfrom out of the commissariat stores, he was madeprisoner and despatchedother malefactors to Grahamstown,under an escort withto be triedthere by the civil power for his offence, which,havingbeen committed within the bounds of themade him amenable to its laws.colony, " The prisoners thus sent to take their trialwere the above-mentioned Kaffir, a Hottentot, towhom for the sake of security he had beenmanacled, an English soldier, and a Fingoe (thetwo latter alsochained together), and the wholeguarded by a small escort. Theyhad notproceeded many miles from Fort Beaufort, when,at the pass known as Dan's Hoek, overlookingthe waters of the Kat River, they were suddenlyattacked by a strong body of Kaffirs, who liberatedtheir countrymen, and in doing so dreadfullymutilated the poor Hottentot, whose wrist bearingthe handcuffs was first severed from his body,after which he was deliberately pierced to deathwith assegais. Meanwhile the English soldier