After the combat had lasted two hours and a-half, the Griquas, finding their ammunition rapidly diminishing, advanced to take the enemy’s position.  The latter gave way and fled, at first westward, but being intercepted, they turned towards the town.  Here a desperate struggle took place.  At last, seized with despair, the enemy fled precipitately, and were pursued by the Griquas for about eight miles.

Soon after the battle commenced, the Bechwanas who accompanied the Griqua force came up, and began discharging their poisoned arrows into the midst of the Mantatees.  Half-a-dozen of these fierce warriors, however, turned upon them, and the whole body scampered off in wild disorder.  But as soon as these cowards saw that the Mantatees had retired, they rushed like hungry wolves to the spot where they had been encamped, and began to plunder and kill the wounded, also murdering the women and children with their spears and battle-axes.

Fighting not being within the missionary’s province, he refrained from firing a shot, though for safety he kept with the Griqua force.  Seeing now the savage ferocity of the Bechwanas in killing the inoffensive women and children, he turned his attention to these objects of pity, who were fleeing in all directions.  Galloping in among them, many of the Bechwanas were deterred from their barbarous purpose, and the women, seeing that mercy was shown them, sat down, and baring their breasts, exclaimed, “I am a woman; I am a woman.”  The men seemed as though it was impossible to yield, and although often sorely wounded, they continued to throw their spears and war-axes at any one who approached.

It was while carrying on his work of mercy among the wounded that Moffat nearly lost his life.  He had got hemmed in between a rocky height and a body of the enemy.  A narrow passage remained, through which he could escape at full gallop.  Right in the middle of this passage there rose up before him a man who had been shot, but who had collected his strength, and, weapon in hand, was awaiting him.  Just at that moment one of the Griquas, seeing the situation, fired.  The ball whizzed past, close to Moffat.  The aim had been a true one, and the way of escape was clear.

This battle saved the mission.  It did more than that—­it saved the Mantatees themselves from terrible destruction.  As a devastating host they would in all probability have advanced to the borders of the Colony, and being driven back, would have perished miserably, men, women, and children, either of starvation, or at the hands of those tribes whom they would have overcome in their advance, and through whose territories they must have passed in their retreat.

After the battle was over, Mr. Melville and Robert Moffat collected many of the Mantatee women and children, who were taken to the missionary station.  Alarm prevailed there for some days, it being feared that the Mantatees might make a descent upon the place after the Griquas had left.  At one time the prospect was so ominous that the missionary band, with their wives and children, after burying their property, left Lattakoo for a short time, and sought shelter at Griqua Town.  The threatened attack not being made, and as it was found that the Mantatees had left the neighbourhood, the station was again occupied.