Note 3. Captain Donovan nearly lost his life on the banks of the Gwanga, on the day of the memorable action there. On reaching a drift, whither he had led his horse to drink, four or five Kaffirs suddenly rushed upon him. His rifle was on the ground, and there was no time to draw his sword, before the musket of a savage was levelled at his head. A man named Brown, formerly a private in the 75th Regiment, coming up at this instant, snatched up Captain Donovan's rifle, and shot the Kaffir dead on the spot. PART TWO, CHAPTER NINE. EXTRACTS FROM JOURNAL. "September 13th. Sir Peregrine Maitland is moving with his division towards the Fish River mouth. A report is in circulation that Faku, the Amaponda Chief, has come down upon Kreli's country. This is not to be desired. Faku is a man of immense power, with a great number of people, who will be ready to creep into the Colony at all points for plunder. "Among our allies employed with the army are 150 Bushmen, with poisoned arrows. [It was some of these who were exhibited lately in England.] The Kaffirs have great dread of these `new assegais,' which are barbed, and cannot be extracted without additional injury to the wounds they inflict. "More intelligence has been received relative to Sir Andries Stockenstrom's expedition to the Kei. The capture of 7,000 head of cattle is cheering and important; but the treaty appears a sorry affair. "Kama, the Christian Chief, has proved himself worthy of our confidence and respect. With the few followers who have remained true to him and us, he has been, as far as lay in his power, an active and efficient ally in defence of the district to which he was driven by the threat of assassination from his half-brother, Pato. Hermanus, too, has, I am told, been true to us for many years; but of him I know nothing personally. We were always glad to receive Kama in our cottage at Fort Peddie. It is proposed to give these friendly chiefs the land in the ceded territory, hitherto occupied by Tola and Botman--Gaikas. "September 9th.--We learn that General Maitland has reached the mouth of the Fish River; but he finds it necessary to contract the line of forces, so to speak. Much impatience is manifested by people `sitting still' themselves, at the delay in military operations. It is said, `With such a force the Kaffirs ought long since to have been crushed.' To use a lady's simile, a skein of thread is a simple thing to unwind when fresh from the weaver's hands; but, when once entangled, it requires time and patience to unravel it.