letters from the cape-第13部分

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go　back　to　Capetown；　stopping　by　the　way；　so　as　to　get　there　early　in　March；　and　arrange　for　my　voyage。　　The　weather　had　a　relapse　into　cold；　and　an　attempt　at　rain。　　Pity　it　failed；　for　the　drought　is　dreadful　this　year；　chiefly　owing　to　the　unusual　quantity　of　sharp　drying　winds　…　a　most　unlucky　summer　for　the　country　and　for　me。

My　old　friend　Klein；　who　told　me　several　instances　of　the　kindness　and　gratitude　of　former　slaves；　poured　out　to　me　the　misery　he　had　undergone　from　the　'ingratitude'　of　a　certain　Rosina；　a　slave…girl　of　his。　　She　was　in　her　youth　handsome；　clever；　the　best　horsebreaker；　bullock…trainer　and　driver；　and　hardest　worker　in　the　district。　　She　had　two　children　by　Klein；　then　a　young　fellow；　six　by　another　white　man；　and　a　few　more　by　two　husbands　of　her　own　race！　　But　she　was　of　a　rebellious　spirit；　and　took　to　drink。　After　the　emancipation；　she　used　to　go　in　front　of　Klein's　windows　and　read　the　statute　in　a　loud　voice　on　every　anniversary　of　the　day；　and　as　if　that　did　not　enrage　him　enough；　she　pertinaciously　（whenever　she　was　a　little　drunk）　kissed　him　by　main　force　every　time　she　met　him　in　the　street；　exclaiming；　'Aha！　when　I　young　and　pretty　slave…girl　you　make　kiss　me　then；　now　I　ugly；　drunk；　dirty　old　devil　and　free　woman；　I　kiss　you！'　　Frightful　retributive　justice！　　I　struggled　hard　to　keep　my　countenance；　but　the　fat　old　fellow's　good…humoured；　rueful　face　was　too　much　for　me。　　His　tormentor　is　dead；　but　he　retains　a　painful　impression　of　her　'ingratitude　'。

Our　little　Mantatee　'Kleenboy'　has　again；　like　Jeshurun；　'waxed　fat　and　kicked'；　as　soon　as　he　had　eaten　enough　to　be　once　more　plump　and　shiny。　　After　his　hungry　period；　he　took　to　squatting　on　the　stoep；　just　in　front　of　the　hall…door；　and　altogether　declining　to　do　anything；　so　he　is　superseded　by　an　equally　ugly　little　red…　headed　Englishman。　　The　Irish　housemaid　has　married　the　German　baker　（a　fine　match　for　her！）；　and　a　dour　little　Scotch　Presbyterian　has　come　up　from　Capetown　in　her　place。　　Such　are　the　vicissitudes　of　colonial　house…keeping！　　The　only　'permanency'　is　the　old　soldier　of　Captain　D…'s　regiment；　who　is　barman　in　the　canteen；　and　not　likely　to　leave　'his　honour'；　and　the　coloured　girl；　who　improves　on　acquaintance。　　She　wants　to　ingratiate　herself　with　me；　and　get　taken　to　England。　　Her　father　is　an　Englishman；　and　of　course　the　brown　mother　and　her　large　family　always　live　in　the　fear　of　his　'going　home'　and　ignoring　their　existence；　a　MARRIAGE　with　the　mother　of　his　children　would　be　too　much　degradation　for　him　to　submit　to。　　Few　of　the　coloured　people　are　ever　married；　but　they　don't　separate　oftener　than　REALLY　married　folks。　　Bill；　the　handsome　West　Indian　black；　married　my　pretty　washerwoman　Rosalind；　and　was　thought　rather　assuming　because　he　was　asked　in　church　and　lawfully　married；　and　she　wore　a　handsome　lilac　silk　gown　and　a　white　wreath　and　veil；　and　very　well　she　looked　in　them。　　She　had　a　child　of　two　years　old；　which　did　not　at　all　disconcert　Bill；　but　he　continues　to　be　dignified；　and　won't　let　her　go　and　wash　clothes　in　the　river；　because　the　hot　sun　makes　her　ill；　and　it　is　not　fit　work　for　women。

Sunday；　9th。　…　Last　night　a　dance　took　place　in　a　house　next　door　to　this；　and　a　party　of　boers　attempted　to　go　in；　but　were　repulsed　by　a　sortie　of　the　young　men　within。　　Some　of　the　more　peaceable　boers　came　in　here　and　wanted　ale；　which　was　refused；　as　they　were　already　very　VINOUS；　so　they　imbibed　ginger…beer；　whereof　one　drank　thirty…four　bottles　to　his　own　share！　　Inspired　by　this　drink；　they　began　to　quarrel；　and　were　summarily　turned　out。　　They　spent　the　whole　night；　till　five　this　morning；　scuffling　and　vociferating　in　the　street。　　The　constables　discreetly　stayed　in　bed；　displaying　the　true　Dogberry　spirit；　which　leads　them　to　take　up　Hottentots；　drunk　or　sober；　to　show　their　zeal；　but　carefully　to　avoid　meddling　with　stalwart　boers；　from　six　to　six　and　a　half　feet　high　and　strong　in　proportion。　　The　jabbering　of　Dutch　brings　to　mind　Demosthenes　trying　to　outroar　a　stormy　sea　with　his　mouth　full　of　pebbles。　　The　hardest　blows　are　those　given　with　the　tongue；　though　much　pulling　of　hair　and　scuffling　takes　place。　　'Verdomde　Schmeerlap！'　…　'Donder　and　Bliksem！　am　I　a　verdomde　Schmeerlap？'　…　'Ja；　u　is；'　&c。；　&c。　　I　could　not　help　laughing　heartily　as　I　lay　in　bed；　at　hearing　the　gambols　of　these　Titan　cubs；　for　this　is　a　boer's　notion　of　enjoying　himself。　　This　morning；　I　hear；　the　street　was　strewn　with　the　hair　they　had　pulled　out　of　each　other's　heads。　　All　who　come　here　make　love　to　S…；　not　by　describing　their　tender　feelings；　but　by　enumerating　the　oxen；　sheep；　horses；　land；　money；　&c。；　of　which　they　are　possessed；　and　whereof；　by　the　law　of　this　colony；　she　would　become　half…owner　on　marriage。　　There　is　a　fine　handsome　Van　Steen；　who　is　very　persevering；　but　S…　does　not　seem　to　fancy　becoming　Mevrouw　at　all。　　The　demand　for　English　girls　as　wives　is　wonderful　here。　　The　nasty　cross　little　ugly　Scotch　maid　has　had　three　offers　already；　in　one　fortnight！

February　18th。　…　I　expect　to　receive　the　letters　by　the　English　mail　to…morrow　morning；　and　to　go　to　Worcester　on　Thursday。　　On　Saturday　the　young　doctor　…　good…humoured；　jolly；　big；　young　Dutchman　…　drove　me；　with　his　pretty　little　greys；　over　to　two　farms；　at　one　I　ate　half　a　huge　melon；　and　at　the　other；　uncounted　grapes。　　We　poor　Europeans　don't　know　what　fruit　CAN　BE；　I　must　admit。　　The　melon　was　a　foretaste　of　paradise；　and　the　grapes　made　one's　fingers　as　sticky　as　honey；　and　had　a　muscat　fragrance　quite　inconceivable。　　They　looked　like　amber　eggs。　　The　best　of　it　is；　too；　that　in　this　climate　stomach…aches　are　not。　　We　all　eat　grapes；　peaches；　and　figs；　all　day　long。　　Old　Klein　sends　me；　for　my　own　daily　consumption；　about　thirty　peaches；　three　pounds　of　grapes；　and　apples；　pears；　and　figs　besides　…　'just　a　little　taste　of　fruits'；　only　here　they　will　pick　it　all　unripe。

February　19th。　…　The　post　came　in　late　last　night；　and　old　Klein　kindly　sent　me　my　letters　at　near　midnight。　　The　post　goes　out　this　evening；　and　the　hot　wind　is　blowing；　so　I　can　only　write　to　you；　and　a　line　to　my　mother。　　I　feel　really　better　now。　　I　think　the　constant　eating　of　grapes　has　done　me　much　good。

The　Dutch　cart…owner　was　so　extortionate；　that　I　am　going　to　wait　a　few　days；　and　write　to　my　dear　Malay　to　come　up　and　drive　me　back。　It　is　better　than　having　to　fight　the　Dutch　monopolist　in　every　village；　and　getting　drunken　drivers　and　bad　carts　after　all。　　I　shall　go　round　all　the　same。　　The　weather　has　been　beautiful；　to…　day　there　is　a　wind；　which　comes　about　two　or　three　times　in　the　year：　　it　is　not　depressing；　but　hot；　and　a　bore；　because　one　must　shut　every　window　or　be　stifled　with　dust。

The　people　are　burning　the　veld　all　about；　and　the　lurid　smoke　by　day　and　flaming　hill…sides　by　night　are　very　striking。　　The　ashes　of　the　Bosh　serve　as　manure　for　the　young　grass；　which　will　sprout　in　the　autumn　rains。　　Such　nights！　　Such　a　moon！　　I　walk　out　after　dark　when　it　is　mild　and　clear；　and　can　read　any　print　by　the　moonlight；　and　see　the　distant　landscape　as　well　as　by　day。

Old　Klein　has　just　sent　me　a　haunch　of　bok；　and　the　skin　and　hoofs；　which　are　pretty。



LETTER　VIII



Caledon；　Sunday。

You　must　have　fallen　into　second　childhood　to　think　of　PRINTING　such　rambling　hasty　scrawls　as　I　write。　　I　never　could　write　a　good　letter；　and　unless　I　gallop　as　hard　as　I　can；　and　don't　stop　to　think；　I　can　say　nothing；　so　all　is　confused　and　unconnected：　　only　I　fancy　YOU　will　be　amused　by　some　of　my　'impressions'。　　I　have　written　to　my　mother　an　accurate　account　of　my　health。　　I　am　dressed　and　out　of　doors　never　later　than　six；　now　the　weather　makes　it　possible。　　It　is　surprising　how　little　sleep　one　wants。　　I　go　to　bed　at　ten　and　often　am　up　at　four。

I　made　friends　here　the　other　day　with　a　lively　dried…up　little　old　Irishman；　who　came　out　at　seven　years　old　a　pauper…boy。　　He　has　made　a　fortune　by　'going　on　TOGT'　（GERMAN；　TAUSCH）；　as　thus；　he　charters　two　waggons；　twelve　oxen　each；　and　two　Hottentots　to　each　waggon；　leader　and　driver。　　The　waggons　he　fills　with　cotton；　hardware；　&c。；　&c。　…　an　ambulatory　village　'shop'；　…　and　goes　about　fifteen　miles　a　day；　on　and　on；　into　the　far　interior；　swapping　baftas　（calico）；　punjums　（loose　trowsers）；　and　voerschitz　（cotton　gownpieces）；　pronounced　'foossy'；　against　oxen　and　sheep。　　When　all　is　gone　he　swaps　his　waggons　against　more　oxen　and　a　horse；　and　he　and　his　four　'totties'　drive　home　the　spoil；　and　he　has　doubled　or　trebled　his　venture。　　EN　ROUTE　home；　each　day　they　kill　a　sheep；　and　eat　it　ALL。　　'What！'　says　I；　'the　whole？'　　'Every　bit。　　I　always　take　one　leg　and　the　liver　for　myself；　and　the　totties　roast　the　rest；　and　melt　all　the　fat　and　entrails　down　in　an　iron　pot　and　eat　it　with　a　wooden　spoon。'　　JE　N'EN　REVENAIS　PAS。　　'What！　the　whole　leg　and　liver　at　one　meal？'　　'Every　bit；　ay；　and　you'd　do　the　same；　ma'am；　if　you　were　there。'　　No　bread；　no　salt；　no　nothing　…　mutton　and　water。　　The　old　fellow　was　quite　poetic　and　heroic　in　describing　the　joys　and　perils　of　Togt。　　I　said　I　should　like　to　go　too；　and　he　bewailed　having　settled　a　year　ago　in　a　store　at　Swellendam；　'else　he'd　ha'　fitted　up　a　waggon　all　nice　and　snug　for　me；　and　shown　me　what　going　on　togt　was　like。　　Nothing　like　it　for　the　health；　ma'am；　and　beautiful　shooting。'　　My　friend　had　700L。　in　gold　in　a　carpet　bag；　without　a　lock；　lying　about　on　the　stoep。　'All　right；　nobody　steals　money　or　such　like　here。　　I'm　going　to　pay　bills　in　Capetown。'

Tell　my　mother　that　a　man　would　get　from　2L。　to　4L。　a　month　wages；　with　board；　lodging；　&c。；　all　found；　and　his　wife　from　1L。　10S。　to　2L。　a　month　and　everything　found；　according　to　abilities　and　testimonials。　　Wages　are　enormous；　and　servants　at　famine　price；　emigrant　ships　are　CLEARED　OFF　in　three　days；　and　every　ragged　Irish　girl　in　place　somewhere。　　Four　pounds　a　month；　and　food　for　self；　husband；　and　children；　is　no　uncommon　pay　for　a　good　cook；　and　after　all　her　cookery　may　be　poor　enough。　　My　landlady　at　Capetown　gave　that。　　The　housemaid　had　ONLY　1L。　5S。　a　month；　but　told　me　herself　she　had　taken　8L。　in　one　week　in　'tips'。　　She　was　an　excellent　servant。　　Up　country　here　the　wages　are　le