letters from the cape-第10部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


ff。

This　morning　I　walked　on　the　Veld；　and　met　a　young　black　shepherd　leading　his　sheep　and　goats；　and　playing　on　a　guitar　composed　of　an　old　tin　mug　covered　with　a　bit　of　sheepskin　and　a　handle　of　rough　wood；　with　pegs；　and　three　strings　of　sheep…gut。　　I　asked　him　to　sing；　and　he　flung　himself　at　my　feet　in　an　attitude　that　would　make　Watts　crazy　with　delight；　and　CROONED　queer　little　mournful　ditties。　　I　gave　him　sixpence；　and　told　him　not　to　get　drunk。　　He　said；　'Oh　no；　I　will　buy　bread　enough　to　make　my　belly　stiff　…　I　almost　never　had　my　belly　stiff。'　　He　likewise　informed　me　he　had　just　been　in　the　Tronk　（prison）；　and　on　my　asking　why；　replied：　'Oh；　for　fighting；　and　telling　lies；'　Die　liebe　Unschuld！　　（Dear　innocence！）

Hottentot　figs　are　rather　nice　…　a　green　fig…shaped　thing；　containing　about　a　spoonful　of　SALT…SWEET　insipid　glue；　which　you　suck　out。　　This　does　not　sound　nice；　but　it　is。　　The　plant　has　a　thick；　succulent；　triangular　leaf；　creeping　on　the　ground；　and　growing　anywhere；　without　earth　or　water。　　Figs　proper　are　common　here；　but　tasteless；　and　the　people　pick　all　their　fruit　green；　and　eat　it　so　too。　　The　children　are　all　crunching　hard　peaches　and　plums　just　now；　particularly　some　little　half…breeds　near　here；　who　are　frightfully　ugly。　　Fancy　the　children　of　a　black　woman　and　a　red…haired　man；　the　little　monsters　are　as　black　as　the　mother；　and　have　RED　wool　…　you　never　saw　so　diabolical　an　appearance。　　Some　of　the　coloured　people　are　very　pretty；　for　example；　a　coal…black　girl　of　seventeen；　and　my　washerwoman；　who　is　brown。　　They　are　wonderfully　slender　and　agile；　and　quite　old　hard…working　women　have　waists　you　could　span。　　They　never　grow　thick　and　square；　like　Europeans。

I　could　write　a　volume　on　Cape　horses。　　Such　valiant　little　beasts；　and　so　composed　in　temper；　I　never　saw。　　They　are　nearly　all　bays　…　a　few　very　dark　grey；　which　are　esteemed；　VERY　few　white　or　light　grey。　　I　have　seen　no　black；　and　only　one　dark　chestnut。　　They　are　not　cobs；　and　look　'very　little　of　them'；　and　have　no　beauty；　but　one　of　these　little　brutes；　ungroomed；　half…fed；　seldom　stabled；　will　carry　a　six…and…a…half…foot　Dutchman　sixty　miles　a　day；　day　after　day；　at　a　shuffling　easy　canter；　six　miles　an　hour。　　You　'off　saddle'　every　three　hours；　and　let　him　roll；　you　also　let　him　drink　all　he　can　get；　his　coat　shines　and　his　eye　is　bright；　and　unsoundness　is　very　rare。　　They　are　never　properly　broke；　and　the　soft…mouthed　colts　are　sometimes　made　vicious　by　the　cruel　bits　and　heavy　hands；　but　by　nature　their　temper　is　perfect。

Every　morning　all　the　horses　in　the　village　are　turned　loose；　and　a　general　gallop　takes　place　to　the　water　tank；　where　they　drink　and　lounge　a　little；　and　the　young　ones　are　fetched　home　by　their　niggers；　while　the　old　stagers　know　they　will　be　wanted；　and　saunter　off　by　themselves。　　I　often　attend　the　Houyhnhnm　CONVERSAZIONE　at　the　tank；　at　about　seven　o'clock；　and　am　amused　by　their　behaviour；　and　I　continually　wish　I　could　see　Ned's　face　on　witnessing　many　equine　proceedings　here。　　To　see　a　farmer　outspan　and　turn　the　team　of　active　little　beasts　loose　on　the　boundless　veld　to　amuse　themselves　for　an　hour　or　two；　sure　that　they　will　all　be　there；　would　astonish　him　a　little；　and　then　to　offer　a　horse　nothing　but　a　roll　in　the　dust　to　refresh　himself　withal！

One　unpleasant　sight　here　is　the　skeletons　of　horses　and　oxen　along　the　roadside；　or　at　times　a　fresh　carcase　surrounded　by　a　convocation　of　huge　serious…looking　carrion　crows；　with　neat　white　neck…cloths。　　The　skeletons　look　like　wrecks；　and　make　you　feel　very　lonely　on　the　wide　veld。　　In　this　district；　and　in　most；　I　believe；　the　roads　are　mere　tracks　over　the　hard；　level　earth；　and　very　good　they　are。　　When　one　gets　rutty；　you　drive　parallel　to　it；　till　the　bush　is　worn　out　and　a　new　track　is　formed。

January　17th。　…　Lovely　weather　all　the　week。　　Summer　well　set　in。



LETTER　VI　…　CALEDON



Caledon；　January　19th。

Dearest　Mother；

Till　this　last　week；　the　weather　was　pertinaciously　cold　and　windy；　and　I　had　resolved　to　go　to　Worcester；　which　lies　in　a　'Kessel'；　and　is　really　hot。　　But　now　the　glorious　African　summer　is　come；　and　I　believe　this　is　the　weather　of　Paradise。　　I　got　up　at　four　this　morning；　when　the　Dutchmen　who　had　slept　here　were　starting　in　their　carts　and　waggons。　　It　was　quite　light；　but　the　moon　shone　brilliantly　still；　and　had　put　on　a　bright　rose…coloured　veil；　borrowed　from　the　rising　sun　on　the　opposite　horizon。　　The　freshness　（without　a　shadow　of　cold　or　damp）　of　the　air　was　indescribable　…　no　dew　was　on　the　ground。　　I　went　up　the　hill…side；　along　the　'Sloot'　（channel；　which　supplies　all　our　water）；　into　the　'Kloof'　between　the　mountains；　and　clambered　up　to　the　'Venster　Klip'；　from　which　natural　window　the　view　is　very　fine。　　The　flowers　are　all　gone　and　the　grass　all　dead。　　Rhenoster　boschjes　and　Hottentot　fig　are　green　everywhere；　and　among　the　rocks　all　manner　of　shrubs；　and　far　too　much　'Wacht　een　beetje'　（WAIT　A　BIT）；　a　sort　of　series　of　natural　fish…hooks；　which　try　the　robustest　patience。　　Between　seven　and　eight；　the　sun　gets　rather　hot；　and　I　came　in　and　TUBBED；　and　sat　on　the　stoep　（a　sort　of　terrace；　in　front　of　every　house　in　South　Africa）。　　I　breakfast　at　nine；　sit　on　the　stoep　again　till　the　sun　comes　round；　and　then　retreat　behind　closed　shutters　from　the　stinging　sun。　　The　AIR　is　fresh　and　light　all　day；　though　the　sun　is　tremendous；　but　one　has　no　languid　feeling　or　desire　to　lie　about；　unless　one　is　sleepy。　　We　dine　at　two　or　half…past；　and　at　four　or　five　the　heat　is　over；　and　one　puts　on　a　shawl　to　go　out　in　the　afternoon　breeze。　　The　nights　are　cool；　so　as　always　to　want　one　blanket。　　I　still　have　a　cough；　but　it　is　getting　better；　so　that　I　can　always　eat　and　walk。　　Mine　host　has　just　bought　a　horse；　which　he　is　going　to　try　with　a　petticoat　to…day；　and　if　he　goes　well　I　shall　ride。

I　like　this　inn…life；　because　I　see　all　the　'neighbourhood'　…　farmers　and　traders　…　whom　I　like　far　better　than　the　GENTILITY　of　Capetown。　　I　have　given　letters　to　England　to　a　'boer'；　who　is　'going　home'；　i。e。　to　Europe；　the　FIRST　OF　HIS　RACE　SINCE　THE　REVOCATION　OF　THE　EDICT　OF　NANTES；　when　some　poor　refugees　were　inveigled　hither　by　the　Dutch　Governor；　and　oppressed　worse　than　the　Hottentots。　　M。　de　Villiers　has　had　no　education　AT　ALL；　and　has　worked；　and　traded；　and　farmed；　…　but　the　breed　tells；　he　is　a　pure　and　thorough　Frenchman；　unable　to　speak　a　word　of　French。　When　I　went　in　to　dinner；　he　rose　and　gave　me　a　chair　with　a　bow　which；　with　his　appearance；　made　me　ask；　'MONSIEUR　VIENT　D'ARRIVER？'　　This　at　once　put　him　out　and　pleased　him。　　He　is　very　unlike　a　Dutchman。　　If　you　think　that　any　of　the　French　will　feel　as　I　felt　to　this　far…distant　brother　of　theirs；　pray　give　him　a　few　letters；　but　remember　that　he　can　speak　only　English　and　Dutch；　and　a　little　German。　　Here　his　name　is　CALLED　'Filljee'；　but　I　told　him　to　drop　that　barbarism　in　Europe；　De　Villiers　ought　to　speak　for　itself。　　He　says　they　came　from　the　neighbourhood　of　Bordeaux。

The　postmaster；　Heer　Klein；　and　his　old　Pylades；　Heer　Ley；　are　great　cronies　of　mine　…　stout　old　greybeards；　toddling　down　the　hill　together。　　I　sometimes　go　and　sit　on　the　stoep　with　the　two　old　bachelors；　and　they　take　it　as　a　great　compliment；　and　Heer　Klein　gave　me　my　letters　all　decked　with　flowers；　and　wished　'Vrolyke　tydings；　Mevrouw；'　most　heartily。　　He　has　also　made　his　tributary　mail…cart　Hottentots　bring　from　various　higher　mountain　ranges　the　beautiful　everlasting　flowers；　which　will　make　pretty　wreaths　for　J…。　　When　I　went　to　his　house　to　thank　him；　I　found　a　handsome　Malay；　with　a　basket　of　'Klipkaus'；　a　shell…fish　much　esteemed　here。　　Old　Klein　told　me　they　were　sent　him　by　a　Malay　who　was　born　in　his　father's　house；　a　slave；　and　had　been　HIS　'BOY'　and　play…fellow。　　Now；　the　slave　is　far　richer　than　the　old　young　master；　and　no　waggon　comes　without　a　little　gift　…　oranges；　fish；　&c。　…　for　'Wilhem'。　　When　Klein　goes　to　Capetown；　the　old　Malay　seats　him　in　a　grand　chair　and　sits　on　a　little　wooden　stool　at　his　feet；　Klein　begs　him；　as　'Huisheer'；　to　sit　properly；　but；　'Neen　Wilhem；　Ik　zal　niet；　ik　kan　niet　vergeten。'　　'Good　boy！'　said　old　Klein；　'good　people　the　Malays。'　　It　is　a　relief；　after　the　horrors　one　has　heard　of　Dutch　cruelty；　to　see　such　an　'idyllisches　Verhaltniss'。　　I　have　heard　other　instances　of　the　same　fidelity　from　Malays；　but　they　were　utterly　unappreciated；　and　only　told　to　prove　the　excellence　of　slavery；　and　'how　well　the　rascals　must　have　been　off'。

I　have　fallen　in　love　with　a　Hottentot　baby　here。　　Her　mother　is　all　black；　with　a　broad　face　and　soft　spaniel　eyes；　and　the　father　is　Bastaard；　but　the　baby　（a　girl；　nine　months　old）；　has　walked　out　of　one　of　Leonardo　da　Vinci's　pictures。　　I　never　saw　so　beautiful　a　child。　　She　has　huge　eyes　with　the　spiritual　look　he　gives　to　them；　and　is　exquisite　in　every　way。　　When　the　Hottentot　blood　is　handsome；　it　is　beautiful；　there　is　a　delicacy　and　softness　about　some　of　the　women　which　is　very　pretty；　and　the　eyes　are　those　of　a　GOOD　dog。　　Most　of　them　are　hideous；　and　nearly　all　drink；　but　they　are　very　clean　and　honest。　　Their　cottages　are　far　superior　in　cleanliness　to　anything　out　of　England；　except　in　picked　places；　like　some　parts　of　Belgium；　and　they　wash　as　much　as　they　can；　with　the　bad　water…supply；　and　the　English　outcry　if　they　strip　out　of　doors　to　bathe。　　Compared　to　French　peasants；　they　are　very　clean　indeed；　and　even　the　children　are　far　more　decent　and　cleanly　in　their　habits　than　those　of　France。　　The　woman　who　comes　here　to　clean　and　scour　is　a　model　of　neatness　in　her　work　and　her　person　（quite　black）；　but　she　gets　helplessly　drunk　as　soon　as　she　has　a　penny　to　buy　a　glass　of　wine；　for　a　penny；　a　half…pint　tumbler　of　very　strong　and　remarkably　nasty　wine　is　sold　at　the　canteens。

I　have　many　more　'humours'　to　tell；　but　A…　can　show　you　all　the　long　story　I　have　written。　　I　hope　it　does　not　seem　very　stale　and　DECIES　REPETITA。　　All　being　new　and　curious　to　the　eye　here；　one　becomes　long…winded　about　mere　trifles。

One　small　thing　more。　　The　first　few　shillings　that　a　coloured　woman　has　to　spend　on　her　cottage　go　in　…　what　do　you　think？　…　A　grand　toilet　table