Part 1 (1/2)
Reminiscences of a South African Pioneer
by W C Scully
FOREWORD
The reminiscences set down in this volume have been published serially in The State of South Africa, in a ed form, under the title of ”Unconventional Reraphical This has been inevitable; in any narrative based upon personal experience, an attempt to efface oneself would tend to weaken vitality
Having lived for upwards of forty-five years in South Africa usually in parts remote from those settled areas which have attained abeen a anderer in my early days, it has been ht into contact withmen Occasionally, as in the case of the earlier discoveries of gold and dia pots, close to the centre around which the immediate interests of the country seeical one when South Africa unnoted and obscure was startled froold and diamonds This was, of course, some years before the fountains of her boundless potential wealth had becoht-hearted, haphazard pioneers who, rejoicing in youthful energy and careless of their own interests, unwittingly laid the foundation upon which so reat fortunes have been built
An ancienttouched by Midas, the Phrygian king, should turn into gold, but the effect was so disastrous that Midas begged for a reversal of the decree The prayer was granted, conditionally upon the afflicted king bathing in the River Pactolus
South Africa ards the bane of gold and the antidote of bathing but her Pactolus has been one of blood
Midas again got into trouble by, refusing to adjudge in the matter of musical merit between Pan and Apollo, and this tied into those of an ass
Our choice lies before us;a decision May we evade a worse thing by unhesitatingly giving our award in favor of Apollo
With this apologia I subs from fields on which no ent sympathy of readers
W C S
PORT ELIZABETH, SOUTH AFRICA, January, 1913
REMINISCENCES OF A SOUTH AFRICAN PIONEER
Foreword--My father's family--”Old Body”--Dualla--A cruel experioose--Cook and kitchen-maid--Scull and monkey--My her and early chess Sir Doar--Naval aency
I was born on the 29th of October, 1855; at least I have been told so, but the register of my baptism cannot be traced This circumstance placed me in a soe was urgently required The place of my birth is a house in Upper Gardiner Street, Dublin then the hoe, Richard Scott Evil days have since fallen upon that part of Ireland's metropolis; the locality is now inhabited by a class of people to e should in this country apply the term ”poor whites” When I recently visited the spot I found that the house had, like most of those in the vicinity, been divided into tenelass partition was still in the hall, and on this my uncle's crest was visible The premises were in a filthy condition, and the inhabitants looked more than ordinarily villainous On the steps a red-faced crone sat pulling at a clay pipe, and a reek of stale porter cah the hall doorway
My father's family, I aenerations I believe theyWillian of which the Battle of the Boyne was the decisive event, but the greater part of this they dissipated about a century ago in lawsuits I have heard that the costs in one case they lost amounted to over 100,000
The little I know of the family, has been told me by dear old Sir William Butler, hom I became very intimate when he was in South Africa He always said ere related that ere ”Irish cousins” but we never were quite able to define what the relationshi+p was Sir Williareat friends in the old days
I have been told by, a relative that the many, Scullys who are scattered over the south of Ireland fall into two categories the round-headed and the long-headed; that the former are, as a rule, fairly well off, but that the latter are usually poor I regret to say that I belong to the long-headed branch
My paternal grandfather was a soldier, and ht up by Rodolph Scully, of Dualla ”Old Rody,” who kept a pack of harriers which my father hunted, was a well-known character in South Tipperary
He departed this life when I was about six years old yet I seem to remember him very clearly A small, wiry, dapper ht-blue eye and fiercely beetling brows, he occasionally filled my early childhood with terror He usually wore knee-breeches, buckled shoes, a frieze coat, and a white choker He had a most furious temper, and was consequently dreaded by his relations and his do hi-crop to a stable-boy for some trivial fault
My recollections of Dualla are very, faint; such fragmentary, ones as survive are almost solely connected with its kennels and stables There was, I know, a turret at one end of the house I believe the original idea was to build a castle, but on account of scarcity of funds the construction was continued on less ambitious architectural lines An unpleasant story used to be told in connection with this turret, which was of considerable height Old Rody, one night when in his cups, oat, thrown from the top, would land uninjured on its feet The cruel experiment was tried It may be some satisfaction to know that Old Rody had to pay the bet, but it would be more if we knew that he had been made to follow the poor animal Once my people were on a visit to Dualla Old Rody, as much addicted to the pleasures of the table, was especially fond of roast goose This, to satisfy him, had to be done to a particular turn On the occasion in question the bird was brought to table slightly overdone, so Old Rody told the butler to retire and send up the cook No sooner had the butler left the roooose by, its shanks and took his stand behind the door A dreadful silence reigned; the guests were as though stiffened into stone The cook, a stout, red-faced wo her face with her apron As she passed her oose and hit her over the head with it as hard as he could The bird sravy and seasoning, fled back, wailing, to the kitchen
On another occasion a neighbor, whose name happened to be Cook, caht with hiirl, of who on the terrace, drinking punch; the children were playing on the lawn
”Now, Scully,” said the proud parent, pointing to his boy, ”isn't he a regular Cook?”