Mexico and Its Religion: With Incidents of Travel in That Country During Parts of the Years 1851-52-53-54, and Historical Notices of Events Connected With Places VisitedWilson, Robert Anderson
Religion
Mexico and Its Religion: With Incidents of Travel in That Country During Parts of the Years 1851-52-53-54, and Historical Notices of Events Connected With Places Visited
Wilson, Robert Anderson
Mexico -- Description and travel; Mexico -- Religion
[49] Moffatt's Southern Africa, page 242, furnishes the following
complete illustration of the effect produced by horsemen and
fire-arms upon savage warriors. "The commando approached within
150 yards with a view to beckon some one to come out. On this,
the enemy commenced their terrible howl, and at once discharged
their clubs and javelins. Their black, dismal appearance and
savage fury, with their hoarse and stentorian voices, were
calculated to daunt; and the Griquas [horsemen], on their first
attack, wisely retreated to a short distance, and then drew up.
Waterboer, the chief, commenced firing, and leveled one of their
warriors to the ground; several more instantly shared the same
fate. It was confidently expected that their courage would be
daunted when they saw their warriors fall by an invisible weapon,
and it was hoped they would be humbled and alarmed, that thus
further bloodshed might be prevented. Though they beheld with
astonishment the dead and the stricken warriors writhing in the
dust, they looked with lion-like fierceness at the horsemen, and
yelled vengeance, violently wrenching the weapons from the hands
of their dying companions to supply the place of those they had
discharged at their antagonists. Sufficient intervals were
afforded, and every encouragement held out for them to make
proposals, but all was ineffectual. They sallied forth with
increased vigor, so as to oblige the Griquas to retreat, though
only to a short distance, for they never attempted to pursue
above 200 yards from their camp. The firing, though without any
order, was very destructive, as each took a steady aim. Many of
their chief men fell victims to their own temerity, after
manifesting undaunted spirit. Again and again the chiefs and Mr.
Melville met to deliberate on how to act to prevent bloodshed
among a people who determined to die rather than flee, which they
could easily have done.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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