Part 2 (2/2)
Hospitality was one of the cardinal South African virtues in those days It has been truly said that even a quarter of a century ago a ht ride fro in his pocket, and be well entertained all the way Things have, however, ed in this respect I suppose this was inevitable; true hospitality is a plant which seldole for riches
Grahaest size and with a teas to the city, which has since become so celebrated as the abode of saints Our first outspan was in the valley of the Zwartkops River, close to a big vlei, which was surrounded by dense, scrubby jungle I had a sle-barreled rifle, so I loaded this and went off in search of big game In anticipation of our translation to Africa I had done a good deal of rifle practice at Springfield, and had thus becoreat disappoint on which to exercise , hot, circular walk, in the course of which I had not seen a living thing, I found e of the vlei, within a hundred yards of the wagon I was so thirsty that I found it iin of the vlei was very ainst a tree, I stepped froet within reach of deeper and, therefore, clearer water I bent down to drink, placing one hand on a tussock and the other on what I took to be a stone, about six inches in diameter But when I touched it the supposed stone emitted a terrible ”quor-r-rr-k,” and squattered away It was an i up and fled Such was ame
After a six days' trek we reached Grahamstown We failed to observe any, saints, but, on the other hand, met a nu our stay a pleasant one For a ere the guests of Judge Fitzpatrick and his wife The judge andmen in Dublin ”Sir Percy” was then a boy I should say about three or four years e's orchard was all that could be desired by hungry boys; the flavor of the apricots there groill never be forgotten by me
We took a house as a te to secure a suitable farm In this he was unsuccessful, so after six weeks we hired another wagon and started for King William's Town The rains had been heavy, and the drift of the Fish River on the direct road was consequently ier route and crossed by the old wooden e ept away by the great flood of 1874 A great iron girder structure has been put in its place
Just before fording the Keiskamma River we encountered aall due allowance for inexperience, and having since sampled some heavy weather of various sorts in the tropics, I am of opinion that this storm was the worst I have ever seen Early in the afternoon of a hot bright day, snohite, solid-looking clouds began to collect around the peaks of the Arew rapidly until they coalesced in a dense, co stationary, for soan to ly white at the su speed The air throbbed with thathail
For so sheets Then the hail s cataract The as so furious that the wagon tilt was alencies, these were as nothing to the lightning which appeared to stab the ground so closely and incessantly all around us that escape seemed an impossibility and to the thunder, which kept up a continuous bellow, punctuated by stunning crashes The storht; then the clouds rolled away, leaving an absolutely clear sky Nextwas cloudless, and was followed by a lovely day We searched far and near for evidence of dae, but all we found was a shatteredabout, frayed into their ultih they showed no sign of burning
After a trek lasting eight days we reached King Willia place Three regiments were stationed there--the 9th and 11th Infantry and the old Imperial Cape Mounted Riflemen Of the latter, the rank and file were principally Hottentots, but the officers were European This regiment, an excellent one in every respect, was shortly afterwards disbanded
We settled down for a stay in King Willias My fatherfor a suitable farm Red-coated soldiers and red-blanketed natives were everywhere in evidence The liquor-shops (canteens they were called) did a roaring trade Everyhundreds of natives,but trousers and red blanket, would gallop into the town by every road In the afternoon they would gallop back again, nearly ail more or less tipsy The ponies were excellent animals; in breed they were identical with the faiven today It is a great pity that these ponies have been allowed to become practically extinct in the Cape Colony For hardiness and docility they were unequalled Like so much else, they melted away in the coffers of the canteen-keeper
Socially, King William's Toas in a most curious condition The military absolutely ruled the roost Trade, whether wholesale or retail, carried the Mark of the Beast, and no one connected thereas recognized Neither beauty, intellect, nor wealth was allowed to count against the disgrace involved in one being in any way connected with co this preposterous feeling was
My sister was very popular with the h, in all conscience, but we had not disgraced ourselves by, contact with trade) She struck up a friendshi+p with the daughter of the proprietor of a large business He belonged to an old and irl was pretty, acco Dance after dance was given, but Miss X never received an invitation My sister was distressed at this, and, when a large military dance was projected, used every ounce of her influence towards having her friend invited But all her trouble was in vain
What made the situation hopeless was the circumstance that the civilians accepted it with contemptible humility It was almost pathetic to observe how people, just on the border-line, received with hunition as were occasionally thrown to them Snobbery increases in offensiveness when it is transplanted
Living was exceedingly cheap I think the price of s of excellent potatoes offered on themarket and taken away unsold because no one would bid a shi+lling per bag for them Most people were poor, but they see as pauperism
Even the poorest could afford to keep horses Journeys were generally perfor carried on a pack-horse, led by an after-rider I had a splendid pony, which cost only 3 He grazed on the town co to eat but an occasional handful of ood condition On this pony I regularly followed the hounds for some months for the military kept a pack of foxhounds hich duiker antelopes were hunted and was usually in at the death
After a tied to hire as believed to be a suitable fared to Mr Benjaan farht hundred sheep, and a few head of cattle The far slopes, divided by shallow kloofs full of forest The pasturage was rich and water was plentiful But our far was not successful; it was hardly possible that it could have been so Far is a trade, and has to be learnt
Moreover, ent down in price and the sheep contracted various diseases However, the latter evil was overcohbors
In the days I write of, the whole of the coast of British Kaffraria between the Kei River and the Keiskanificant town of East London and a small area in its vicinity, was almost uninhabited It was the custom for practically, all Kaffrarian stock-farmers to trek down to the coast with their stock for the three winterthe coastline held a succession of ca; every valley brireen forest, and between the valleys sloped downs, clothed with rich grass
Gaoon at thethe line of sandhills teemed with fish The trek period was looked upon as one of holiday Care was thrown to the winds; picnics, hunting, and sea-bathing were the order of the day Social gatherings took place alternately at the various camps not too distant from each other More or less ih to the sea, divided the coast tract into so many separate blocks
Horses were plentiful; probably every individual, not too old or too young to ride, had at least oneof riding ten athering broke up Ho and the strains of the now led with the softened thunder of the surf, and, borne by the mild breath of the sea wind, no doubt surprised the wild creatures whose sanctuaries we had invaded I have since heard soers and instruiven ht in a clearing of the forest near the mouth of the Gonubie River, with the chastened resonance of the Indian Ocean surf as an acco The beach was level and sandy, not a reef nor even a rock ithin sight Iitives from the wrath of far-off te these would tower aloft, their fine-drawn crests poised for an instant in the sunlight Our favorite sport was a zone Then, as thewater swept up, ould drive through them, one by one, or else lie flat on the water in the hollow, side to the advancing wave In the latter case the ould pick the bather up with a sudden swing, poise hi crest, and then whirl him round and round as it swept restlessly shoreward This whirling was so rapid that I have occasionally alrip of an unusually, powerful breaker We never considered that ere doing anything venturesome; the sport described was followed by all and sundry, quite as a matter of course
Nevertheless, I think the boys used to venture out farther than the ht of It was not considered possible that we could be carried out to sea, for the greatest difficulty lay in keeping oneself fro waves I wonder whether bathers nowadays venture out as far as we did
The friends hom I usually stayed were the Barbers, who lived at Grey Park, a few miles from Sunny Slope I mean Mr Hilton Barber, now of Halesowen, near Cradock, and his brothers Guy and Graham The latter, one of the truest friends I ever had, is, alas! long since dead He fell a victi in the early days
Related to or connected with the Barbers were the Atherstones, cus, McIntoshes, and dicks, whose tents usually, stood in the vicinity of the Barber encareat deal of laughter Mr Guy Barber was then engaged to his present wife, as Miss McIntosh, a girl of remarkable beauty A certain Mr Larry O'Toole, who had co at a caress Larry, who knew little or nothing about shooting, was of the party The sportse, sinuous vlei The ducks, after being disturbed, flew up and down Miss McIntosh, with her fiance, was on horseback opposite Larry, on the other side of the water Some ducks flew past and Larry fired The birds were untouched, but the horse ridden by, Miss McIntosh was severely peppered and began to plunge violently In the course of a severe reproof for his carelessness, Larry was asked by Guy Barber:
”Now, supposing you had blinded or otherwise badly injured Miss McIntosh, ould you have done?”
”Oh! begor,” replied Larry, ”I suppose I'd have had to marry, her”