letters from the cape-第19部分

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I　fear　I　shall　have　to　fly　from　next　winter　again；　and　certainly　will　go　with　J…　to　Egypt；　which　seems　to　me　like　next　door。

I　have　run　on；　and　not　thanked　you　for　your　letter　and　M。　Mignet's　beautiful　ELOGE　of　Mr。　Hallam；　which　pleased　me　greatly。　　I　wish　Englishmen　could　learn　to　speak　with　the　same　good　taste　and　MESURE。

Mr。　Wodehouse；　who　has　been　very　civil　to　me；　kindly　tried　to　get　me　a　passage　home　in　a　French　frigate　lying　here；　but　in　vain。　　I　am　now　sorry　I　let　the　Jack　tars　here　persuade　me　not　to　go　in　the　little　barque；　but　they　talked　so　much　of　the　heat　and　damp　of　such　tiny　cabins　in　an　iron　vessel；　that　I　gave　her　up；　though　I　liked　the　idea　of　a　good　tossing　in　such　a　tiny　cockboat。　　I　will　leave　a　letter　for　the　May　mail；　unless　I　sail　within　a　week　of　to…morrow；　or　go　by　the　JASON；　which　would　be　home　far　sooner　than　the　mail。　I　only　hope　you　and　A…　won't　be　uneasy；　the　worst　that　can　happen　is　delay；　and　the　long　voyage　will　be　all　gain　to　health；　which　would　not　be　the　case　in　a　steamer。

All　I　hear　of　R…　makes　me　wild　to　see　her　again。　　The　little　darkies　are　the　only　pleasing　children　here；　and　a　fat　black　toddling　thing　is　'allerliebst'。　　I　know　a　boy　of　four；　literally　jet　black；　whom　I　long　to　steal　as　he　follows　his　mother　up　to　the　mountain　to　wash。　　Little　Malays　are　lovely；　but　TOO　well…behaved　and　quiet。　　I　tried　to　get　a　real　'TOTTIE'；　or　'Hotentotje'；　but　the　people　were　too　drunk　to　remember　where　they　had　left　their　child。　　C'EST　ASSEZ　DIRE；　that　I　should　have　had　no　scruple　in　buying　it　for　a　bottle　of　'smoke'　（the　spirit　made　from　grape　husks）。　　They　are　clever　and　affectionate　when　they　have　a　chance；　poor　things；　…　and　so　strange　to　look　at。

By　the　bye；　a　Bonn　man；　Dr。　Bleek；　called　here　with　'Grusse'　from　our　old　friends；　Professor　Mendelssohn　and　his　wife。　　He　is　devoting　himself　to　Hottentot　and　aboriginal　literature！　…　and　has　actually　mastered　the　Caffre　CLICK；　which　I　vainly　practised　under　Kleenboy's　tuition。　　He　wanted　to　teach　me　to　say　'Tkorkha'；　which　means　'you　lie'；　or　'you　have　missed'　（in　shooting　or　throwing　a　stone；　&c。）　…　a　curious　combination　of　meanings。　　He　taught　me　to　throw　stones　or　a　stick　at　him；　which　he　always　avoided；　however　close　they　fell；　and　cried　'Tkorkha！'　　The　Caffres　ask　for　a　present；　'Tkzeelah　Tabak'；　'a　gift　for　tobacco'。

The　Farnese　Hercules　is　a　living　TRUTH。　　I　saw　him　in　the　street　two　days　ago；　and　he　was　a　Caffre　coolie。　　The　proportions　of　the　head　and　throat　were　more　wonderful　in　flesh；　or　muscle　rather；　than　in　marble。　　I　know　a　Caffre　girl　of　thirteen；　who　is　a　noble　model　of　strength　and　beauty；　such　an　arm　…　larger　than　any　white　woman's　…　with　such　a　dimple　in　her　elbow；　and　a　wrist　and　hand　which　no　glove　is　small　enough　to　fit　…　and　a　noble　countenance　too。　　She　is　'apprenticed'；　a　name　for　temporary　slavery；　and　is　highly　spoken　of　as　a　servant；　as　the　Caffres　always　are。　　They　are　a　majestic　race；　but　with　just　the　stupid　conceit　of　a　certain　sort　of　Englishmen；　the　women　and　girls　seem　charming。

Easter　Sunday。　…　The　weather　continues　beautifully　clear　and　bright；　like　the　finest　European　spring。　　It　seems　so　strange　for　the　floral　season　to　be　the　winter。　　But　as　the　wind　blows　the　air　is　quite　cold　to…day；　nevertheless；　I　feel　much　better　the　last　two　days。　　The　brewing　of　the　rain　made　the　air　very　oppressive　and　heavy　for　three　weeks；　but　now　it　is　as　light　as　possible。

I　must　say　good…bye；　as　the　mail　closes　to…morrow　morning。　　Easter　in　autumn　is　preposterous；　only　the　autumn　looks　like　spring。　　The　consumptive　young　girl　whom　I　packed　off　to　the　Cape；　and　her　sister；　are　about　to　be　married　…　of　course。　　Annie　has　had　a　touch　of　Algoa　Bay　fever；　a　mild　kind　of　ague；　but　no　sign　of　chest　disease；　or　even　delicacy。　　My　'hurrying　her　off'；　which　some　people　thought　so　cruel；　has　saved　her。　　Whoever　comes　SOON　ENOUGH　recovers；　but　for　people　far　gone　it　is　too　bracing。



LETTER　XIV



Capetown；　Saturday；　May　3d。

Dearest　mother；

After　five　weeks　of　waiting　and　worry；　I　have；　at　last；　sent　my　goods　on　board　the　ship　CAMPERDOWN；　now　discharging　her　cargo；　and　about　to　take　a　small　party　of　passengers　from　the　Cape。　　I　offered　to　take　a　cabin　in　a　Swedish　ship；　bound　for　Falmouth；　but　the　captain　could　not　decide　whether　he　would　take　a　passenger；　and　while　he　hesitated　the　old　CAMPERDOWN　came　in。　　I　have　the　best　cabin　after　the　stern　cabins；　which　are　occupied　by　the　captain　and　his　wife　and　the　Attorney…General　of　Capetown；　who　is　much　liked。　The　other　passengers　are　quiet　people；　and　few　of　them；　and　the　captain　has　a　high　character；　so　I　may　hope　for　a　comfortable；　though　slow　passage。　　I　will　let　you　know　the　day　I　sail；　and　leave　this　letter　to　go　by　post。　　I　may　be　looked　for　three　weeks　or　so　after　this　letter。　　I　am　crazy　to　get　home　now；　after　the　period　was　over　for　which　I　had　made　up　my　mind；　home…sickness　began。

Mrs。　R…　has　offered　me　a　darling　tiny　monkey；　which　loves　me；　but　I　fear　A…　would　send　me　away　again　if　I　returned　with　her　in　my　pocket。　　Nassirah；　old　Abdool's　pretty　granddaughter；　brought　me　a　pair　of　Malay　shoes　or　clogs　as　a　parting　gift；　to…day。　　Mr。　M…；　the　resident　at　Singapore；　tells　me　that　his　secretary's　wife；　a　Malay　lady；　has　made　an　excellent　translation　of　the　ARABIAN　NIGHTS；　from　Arabic　into　Malay。　　Her　husband　is　an　Indian　Mussulman；　who；　Mr。　M…　said；　was　one　of　the　ablest　men　he　ever　knew。　　Curious！

I　sat；　yesterday；　for　an　hour；　in　the　stall　of　a　poor　German　basket…maker　who　had　been　long　in　Caffre…land。　　His　wife；　a　Berlinerin；　was　very　intelligent；　and　her　account　of　her　life　here　most　entertaining；　as　showing　the　different　ANSICHT　natural　to　Germans。　　'I　had　never'；　she　said；　'been　out　of　the　city　of　Berlin；　and　KNEW　NOTHING。'　　（Compare　with　London　cockney；　or　genuine　Parisian。）　　Thence　her　fear；　on　landing　at　Algoa　Bay　and　seeing　swarms　of　naked　black　men；　that　she　had　come　to　a　country　where　no　clothes　were　to　be　had；　and　what　should　she　do　when　hers　were　worn　out？　　They　had　a　grant　of　land　at　Fort　Peddie；　and　she　dug　while　her　husband　made　baskets　of　cane；　and　carried　them　hundreds　of　miles　for　sale；　sleeping　and　eating　in　Caffre　huts。　　'Yes；　they　are　good；　honest　people；　and　very　well…bred　（ANSTANDIG）；　though　they　go　as　naked　as　God　made　them。　　The　girls　are　pretty　and　very　delicate　（FEIN）；　and　they　think　no　harm　of　it；　the　dear　innocents。'　　If　their　cattle　strayed；　it　was　always　brought　back；　and　they　received　every　sort　of　kindness。　　'Yes；　madam；　it　is　shocking　how　people　here　treat　the　blacks。　　They　call　quite　an　old　man　'Boy'；　and　speak　so　scornfully；　and　yet　the　blacks　have　very　nice　manners；　I　assure　you。'　　When　I　looked　at　the　poor　little　wizened；　pale；　sickly　Berliner；　and　fancied　him　a　guest　in　a　Caffre　hut；　it　seemed　an　odd　picture。　　But　he　spoke　as　coolly　of　his　long；　lonely　journeys　as　possible；　and　seemed　to　think　black　friends　quite　as　good　as　white　ones。　　The　use　of　the　words　ANSTANDIG　and　FEIN　by　a　woman　who　spoke　very　good　German　were　characteristic。　　She　could　recognise　an　'ANSTANDIGKEIT'　NOT　of　Berlin。　　I　need　not　say　that　the　Germans　are　generally　liked　by　the　coloured　people。　　Choslullah　was　astonished　and　Pleased　at　my　talking　German；　he　evidently　had　a　preference　for　Germans；　and　put　up；　wherever　he　could；　at　German　inns　and　'publics'。

I　went　on　to　bid　Mrs。　Wodehouse　good…bye。　　We　talked　of　our　dear　old　Cornish　friends。　　The　Governor　and　Mrs。　Wodehouse　have　been　very　kind　to　me。　　I　dined　there　twice；　last　time；　with　all　the　dear　good　Walkers。　　I　missed　seeing　the　opening　of　the　colonial　parliament　by　a　mistake　about　a　ticket；　which　I　am　sorry　for。

If　I　could　have　dreamed　of　waiting　here　so　long；　I　would　have　run　up　to　Algoa　Bay　or　East　London　by　sea；　and　had　a　glimpse　of　Caffreland。　　Capetown　makes　me　very　languid　…　there　is　something　depressing　in　the　air　…　but　my　cough　is　much　better。　　I　can't　walk　here　without　feeling　knocked…up；　and　cab…hire　is　so　dear；　and　somehow；　nothing　is　worth　while；　when　one　is　waiting　from　day　to　day。　　So　I　have　spent　more　money　than　when　I　was　most　amused；　in　being　bored。

Mr。　J…　drove　me　to　the　Capetown　races；　at　Green　Point；　on　Friday。　As　races；　they　were　NICHTS；　but　a　queer…looking　little　Cape　farmer's　horse；　ridden　by　a　Hottentot；　beat　the　English　crack　racer；　ridden　by　a　first…rate　English　jockey；　in　an　unaccountable　way；　twice　over。　　The　Malays　are　passionately　fond　of　horse…racing；　and　the　crowd　was　fully　half　Malay：　　there　were　dozens　of　carts　crowded　with　the　bright…eyed　women；　in　petticoats　of　every　most　brilliant　colour；　white　muslin　jackets；　and　gold　daggers　in　their　great　coils　of　shining　black　hair。　　All　most　'anstandig'；　as　they　always　are。　　Their　pleasure　is　driving　about　EN　FAMILLE；　the　men　have　no　separate　amusements。　　Every　spare　corner　in　the　cart　is　filled　by　the　little　soft　round　faces　of　the　intelligent…looking　quiet　children；　who　seem　amused　and　happy；　and　never　make　a　noise　or　have　the　fidgets。　　I　cannot　make　out　why　they　are　so　well　behaved。　　It　favours　A…'s　theory　of　the　expediency　of　utter　spoiling；　for　one　never　hears　any　educational　process　going　on。　Tiny　Mohammed　never　spoke　but　when　he　was　spoken　to；　and　was　always　happy　and　alert。　　I　observed　that　his　uncle　spoke　to　him　like　a　grown　man；　and　never　ordered　him　about；　or　rebuked　him　in　the　least。　　I　like　to　go　up　the　hill　and　meet　the　black　women　coming　home　in　troops　from　the　washing　place；　most　of　them　with　a　fat　black　baby　hanging　to　their　backs　asleep；　and　a　few　rather　older　trotting　alongside；　and　if　small；　holding　on　by　the　mother's　gown。　She；　poor　soul；　carries　a　bundle　on　her　head；　which　few　men　could　lift。　　If　I　admire　the　babies；　the　poor　women　are　enchanted；　…　DU　RESTE；　if　you　look　at　blacks　of　any　age　or　sex；　they　MUST　grin　and　nod；　as　a　good…natured　dog　must　wag　his　tail；　they　can't　help　it。　The　blacks　here　（except　a　very　few　Caffres）　are　from　the　Mozambique　…　a　short；　thick…set；　ugly　race；　with　wool　in　huge　masses；　but　here　and　there　one　sees　a　very　pretty　face　among　the　women。　　The　men　are　beyond　belief　hideous。　　There　are　all　possible　crosses　…　Dutch；　Mozambique；　Hottentot　and　English；　'alles　durcheinander'；　then　here　and　there　you　see　that　a　Chinese　or　a　Bengalee　A　PASSE　PAR　LE。　　The　Malays　are　als