Part 7 (1/2)

Note 1. This fine jetty was destroyed in a gale of wind, in 1847, by a s.h.i.+p, which, having broken from her moorings, was driven, stern foremost, right through the fabric. The unfortunate crew, jumping from the s.h.i.+p to the lower end of the jetty, had congratulated themselves on their escape from the raging waves, when another vessel coming in contact with the wood-work, carried the whole of it away with its unhappy and ill-starred freight into the boiling surge beneath!

Note 2. It is very unsafe, when travelling in Southern Africa, to trust to procuring _anything_ on the road; such a chance is very uncertain.

Milk, boiled with plenty of white sugar, will keep good if bottled, for three days at least.

PART TWO, CHAPTER THREE.

SOJOURN AT FORT PEDDIE.

We left Graham's Town for Fort Peddie, on the 22nd of March, 1843, the waggon allowed by the Commissariat being only half the size of the one we obtained at Port Elizabeth. Just as we were about to start, we were ordered to halt and await further orders; and then I had to listen to a variety of reports. Some said another regiment had arrived at Cape Town, and we were to proceed to Natal; others whispered something about the Isle of France. At all events, important despatches had reached Graham's Town from the seat of Government. So there was I, in my waggon, hired and packet for Fort Peddie, the troops under arms, the commissariat preparations made for the march, the tents struck, etc, and a probability of all these arrangements being upset. At last, a mounted orderly arrived, full of important haste, and breathless, as becomes a herald of South African counter-orders. The detachment was to be detained--for an hour--I forget what for, something about a few extra men, or arms, and we were thus delayed till the afternoon, when we proceeded as far as we could, and pitched our tents on the top of one of many hills, between which the wind came rus.h.i.+ng in gusts that threatened to withdraw our shelter from over our heads. My child I screened a little from the chilling wind by placing a saddle in an angle at her head--a novel addition to the couch of a young lady.

The next day's journey led us over gra.s.sy plains, in which the mimosa, with its bright golden cl.u.s.ters, abounded; and on the third day from Graham's Town we reached Trumpeter's Drift. Here we were detained for two days, owing to the swollen state of the river. When we crossed it, we sent the waggons before us, ere we took our seats in the ferry-boats, as it is not an unusual thing to be wrecked in the Great Fish River, although seated in a ponderous waggon drawn by fourteen oxen. The following ingenious mode of crossing a river was once displayed by a Kaffir who had for some time stood watching the vain attempts of a party of soldiers to struggle across the stream at a time when to ford it was attended by considerable danger. After smiling at their efforts with that sardonic expression remarkable among these savages, he quietly raised a heavy stone, placed it on his head, and then walked, with perfect ease, through the torrent to the opposite side.

Another instance of Kaffir ingenuity has been related to me. A missionary and his family were travelling in severely cold weather; now and then they lighted fires, warmed themselves, and then went on. The Kaffir drivers s.n.a.t.c.hed brands from the fires, running on in advance, setting fire to the bushes on the roadside, returning to the waggons, again advancing, and so on, till they left a long line of fiery bushes in the track they had pa.s.sed over.

One of our waggons stuck in the mud on its way; the drivers shouted, the dogs barked, the oxen struggled, but all in vain till the soldiers lent their a.s.sistance.

It is said that Trumpeter's Drift is so called from a trumpeter of the 21st Light Dragoons having been lost in the river one dark night. It is a small post about twenty miles from Graham's Town. The little barrack for the soldiers and the officer commanding, faces inwards upon a quadrangle, and makes but a dull abode, the windows looking into the little square, and the air being admitted through loop-holes in the outward walls. This gives the quarters a dreary appearance; but, in a land of savages determined to annoy us whenever they dare, and in whom no faith should be placed, prevention is better than cure.

Fort Peddie, from a distance, reminds one of Cooper's descriptions of groups of buildings erected by settlers in the prairies of America. The Fingo huts scattered all round favour the delusion, especially at night, when dark figures stalk to and fro, dimly seen in the light of their fires, and the chant I have endeavoured to describe rises and falls on the air. It was worthy of English philanthropy to rescue the Fingoes from their captivity, under their hard taskmasters, the Kaffirs; but their idleness is almost incredible. It is true that on occasion they are able a.s.sistants to the Government agents in rescuing stolen cattle; but for this they are amply rationed. The Missionaries are indefatigable in teaching them their catechism; but no attempt is made to fit the women for service. Idle they are, and idle they will be; and we foster their idleness by protecting them with troops, while they absolutely refuse to milk the cows, unless they want money at the moment.

As Fort Peddie is on the eastern side of the Great Fish River, which is frequently impa.s.sable from its swollen state, we were often without the comforts of b.u.t.ter, rice, flour, wine, etc. The mutton, of the Cape breed, is indifferent, and the beef execrable. The bread was of the coa.r.s.est description. Poultry could only be obtained, when the Fingoes took the trouble to catch their fowls and sell them.

Since the Kaffir war, a tower has been built here, on the top of which is a six-pounder. An excellent barrack has been built for the Cape corps, and another for the troops of the line, but as yet no officers'

quarter. The houses which are scattered about the plain on which the fortifications stand, (for, besides the barracks, there is another temporary fortress thrown up from the earth, and protected by a ditch), give a picturesque air to the spot, and the thatched cottages and white chimneys rising above the few trees which have thriven round them, make a tolerable picture to look at, however little comfort there is to be found within them. The climate is certainly good, especially in the winter, which reminds one of our English autumnal days. The hot winds occasionally prevailing in the summer, when the thermometer is at 120 degrees, are most unpleasant; but the house may be kept cool by closing and darkening doors and windows. These winds never last many days. I must not omit to mention our simple barometer, which saves us the trouble of carrying one about. Thus, take a bottle with a wide neck--a large anchovy bottle for instance--and fill it nearly up to the neck with water; into this insert an inverted empty salad flask, or bottle of such description, and in the neck of the flask place a loose piece of cork, of a size that will admit of its free movement up and down. The falling of the cork indicates the approach of wet or windy weather, while the rising of it foretells it will be fair. Mention is made of such a barometer in some old Dutch ma.n.u.script lately brought under observation at the Cape.

And now, having given an abstract of particulars relative to the inhabitants of this land, in order to explain their relations to our Government, and the character of the people among whom England has established settlers and soldiers, I shall begin to relate such occurrences as I witnessed during my sojourn on the eastern side of the Great Fish River; I shall not confine myself strictly to either the diary or the narrative form, but shall use either as it may seem best to answer my purpose of giving my reader a lively idea of the events that I attempt to describe.

In looking over my rough journal, I find the part best worth transcribing is dated April 12th, 1843, and opens with a description of the ”Entrance of Sandilla to Fort Peddie.”

”I was sitting at my work one morning in my low cottage room, when the tramp of horses' feet, long continued, like troops on a march, attracted my attention. I looked out, and saw across the plain a crowd of wild-looking hors.e.m.e.n. A young man was at the head of them, preceded by an advanced guard, armed and mounted. Forty others followed their chief, the young Sandilla, son of old Gaika, and head of the Gaika tribe, his mother being Sutu, a Tambookie; he is also nephew to Macomo, at present _nominally_ our ally. The appearance of this troop was certainly picturesque; a bright handkerchief formed the head-dress of each, save one, whose head was shaved in token of mourning. The corners of the handkerchiefs hanging down on the left side, gave a jaunty air to the said head-gear; the kaross concealed the form but the feet and right arm, the right hand carrying the war allowance of seven a.s.segais. They rode on in great precision, the advance guard alone preceding the chief, who was professedly on his way to visit Mr Shepstone, but was supposed to be sent out of the way of a council at Beaufort, under some pretext, by Macomo, as it was well-known that Mr Shepstone was absent.

Sandilla, being of royal blood, great jealousy is felt towards him; he is imagined by some to be a fool, by others a knave. He has always an Imrad (councillor) at his elbow, who watches him, and, as he speaks no English, interprets for him, and is no doubt his princ.i.p.al guide in words and deeds.

”Not long ago, a picture was exhibited in London of Sandilla, in his boyhood, and a note appended to the picture informed the curious that 'this young prince might be considered a fortunate youth, since, in the first instant of his birth, he stood a chance of being destroyed in consequence of his left foot being withered, but that during the war, he was concealed, and taken care of; otherwise, but for his extreme youth, he would have been sought out and murdered by some of his uncles, who would gladly have established themselves in his government, which is superior to most others; the Gaika Chief being head of many other great tribes, each having their chiefs with petty chiefs under them.' His uncle, Bothman, long ago seceded from Sandilla, establis.h.i.+ng a tribe for himself, despising him as a chief on account of his youth: he is now barely one and twenty.

”Sandilla and his followers hung about the post for two or three days, and were remarkably insolent in their demands; asking for rations as a right, and carrying off as much firewood as they wanted on their bivouac, from the wood-stacks of the inhabitants. They went to every house with the usual cry of 'Baseila!' and asking for wine and tobacco.

”I was standing with my husband on the green, round which the fort, tower, barracks, and outbuildings are erected, at Fort Peddie, when Sandilla, himself on horseback, but with two followers on foot, came up to us at full tilt. When in front of us he reined in his horse, and, leaning forward in his sheepskin saddle, took a quiet survey of us.

There was something singularly wild and almost interesting in his demeanour. For a minute, he sate with his gleaming eyes glancing from one to the other with an intensely earnest look, and helplessly at his horse's side hung down his withered foot and ankle, no larger than a child's. Near him, in silence, stood his two followers, magnificent-looking creatures, with complexions of dark olive, set off by their bright blue head-dresses. Their att.i.tudes, as they leaned on their a.s.segais, were easy and graceful. So they stood, till their young chief had finished his survey, while we repaid him glance for glance.

Sandilla then spoke in a low, muttered tone to his followers, who repeated, as if demanding a right, 'Baseila!' But we had nothing with us, and, after another examination of our countenances, Sandilla turned his horse away, and galloped off without further salutation, his running footmen keeping pace with his swift steed. They then established themselves at our cottage-garden gate; but at last, getting tired of waiting for us, the crowd of savage cavalry withdrew to the position they had fixed on for the night, about a mile from the post. In a few days, they departed, in the same order as they came.

”Our most interesting visitor is the Christian Kaffir Chief, Kama; his habits and demeanour are those of a gentleman, his dress is of good, though plain materials, and his mild voice, coupled with his smooth and gentle language, is pleasant to listen to. He has long been a convert to Christianity, and is so conscientious that, some time ago, he created a dangerous party against himself by sending back to her country a Tambookie woman [the Tambookies are considered as a royal race of Kaffirs]--who had been offered him as a wife--saying that the religion he had embraced permitted him only one wife. On the Tambookies complaining to his brother-in-law, Macomo, the latter declined interfering, whether from from policy or good feeling is doubtful. So uncertain is Kama of the good faith of his brothers, Pato and Cobus Congo, that he is about to remove to the Bechuana country, where he intends putting himself under the protection of Mosheesh, the Basoota Chief, and having, like Mosheesh, a house built in the English style.

So far, Mosheesh is civilised; but on my asking how many wives he had, he replied, 'Perhaps a hundred!'

”We showed Kama, the other day, a six-barrelled revolving pistol, and an air-cane. What wonder and admiration were depicted in his fine countenance! The Kaffir seldom expresses open surprise; all that he says is 'Soh! soh!' repeated slowly, and with a reflective air. Kama was more delighted with the workmans.h.i.+p of the pistol, than with the wonderful power of the air-cane.