letters from the cape-第20部分

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ander'；　then　here　and　there　you　see　that　a　Chinese　or　a　Bengalee　A　PASSE　PAR　LE。　　The　Malays　are　also　a　mixed　race；　like　the　Turks　…　i。e。　they　marry　women　of　all　sorts　and　colours；　provided　they　will　embrace　Islam。　A　very　nice　old　fellow　who　waits　here　occasionally　is　married　to　an　Englishwoman；　CI…DEVANT　lady's…maid　to　a　Governor's　wife。　　I　fancy；　too；　they　brought　some　Chinese　blood　with　them　from　Java。　　I　think　the　population　of　Capetown　must　be　the　most　motley　crew　in　the　world。

Thursday；　May　8th。　…　I　sail　on　Saturday；　and　go　on　board　to…morrow；　so　as　not　to　be　hurried　off　in　the　early　fog。　　How　glad　I　am　to　be　'homeward　bound'　at　last；　I　cannot　say。　　I　am　very　well；　and　have　every　prospect　of　a　pleasant　voyage。　　We　are　sure　to　be　well　found；　as　the　Attorney…General　is　on　board；　and　is　a　very　great　man；　'inspiring　terror　and　respect'　here。

S…　says　we　certainly　SHALL　put　in　at　St。　Helena；　so　make　up　your　minds　not　to　see　me　till　I　don't　know　when。　　She　has　been　on　board　fitting　up　the　cabin　to…day。　　I　have　SUCH　a　rug　for　J…！　a　mosaic　of　skins　as　fine　as　marqueterie；　done　by　Damara　women；　and　really　beautiful；　and　a　sheep…skin　blanket　for　you；　the　essence　of　warmth　and　softness。　　I　shall　sleep　in　mine；　and　dream　of　African　hill…　sides　wrapt　in　a　'Veld　combas'。　　The　poor　little　water…tortoises　have　been　killed　by　drought；　and　I　can't　get　any；　but　I　have　the　two　of　my　own　catching　for　M…。

Good…bye；　dearest　mother。

You　would　have　been　moved　by　poor　old　Abdool　Jemaalee's　solemn　benediction　when　I　took　leave　to…day。　　He　accompanied　it　with　a　gross　of　oranges　and　lemons。



LETTER　XV



Capetown；　Thursday；　May　8th。

At　last；　after　no　end　of　'casus'　and　'discrimina　rerum'；　I　shall　sail　on　Saturday　the　10th；　per　ship　CAMPERDOWN；　for　East　India　Docks。

These　weary　six　weeks　have　cost　no　end　of　money　and　temper。　　I　have　been　eating　my　heart　out　at　the　delay；　but　it　was　utterly　impossible　to　go　by　any　of　the　Indian　ships。　　They　say　there　have　never　been　so　few　ships　sailing　from　the　Cape　as　this　year；　yet　crowds　were　expected　on　account　of　the　Exhibition。　　The　Attorney…　General　goes　by　our　ship；　so　we　are　sure　of　good　usage；　and　I　hear　he　is　very　agreeable。　　I　have　the　best　cabin　next　to　the　stern　cabin；　in　both　senses　of　NEXT。　　S…　has　come　back　from　the　ship；　where　she　has　spent　the　day　with　the　carpenter；　and　I　am　to　go　on　board　to…morrow。　　Will　you　ask　R…　to　cause　inquiries　to　be　made　among　the　Mollahs　of　Cairo　for　a　Hadji；　by　name　Abdool　Rachman；　the　son　of　Abdool　Jemaalee；　of　Capetown；　and；　if　possible；　to　get　the　inclosed　letter　sent　him？　　The　poor　people　are　in　sad　anxiety　for　their　son；　of　whom　they　have　not　heard　for　four　months；　and　that　from　an　old　letter。　　Henry　will　thus　have　a　part　of　all　the　blessings　which　were　solemnly　invoked　on　me　by　poor　old　Abdool；　who　is　getting　very　infirm；　but　toddled　up　and　cracked　his　old　fingers　over　my　head；　and　invoked　the　protection　of　Allah　with　all　form；　besides　that　Betsy　sent　me　twelve　dozen　oranges　and　lemons。　　Abdool　Rachman　is　about　twenty…six；　a　Malay　of　Capetown；　speaks　Dutch　and　English；　and　is　supposed　to　be　studying　theology　at　Cairo。　　The　letter　is　written　by　the　prettiest　Malay　girl　in　Capetown。

I　won't　enter　upon　my　longings　to　be　home　again；　and　to　see　you　all。　　I　must　now　see　to　my　last　commissions　and　things；　and　send　this　to　go　by　next　mail。

God　bless　you　all；　and　kiss　my　darlings；　all　three。



LETTER　XVI



Friday；　May　16th。

On　board　the　good　ship　CAMPERDOWN；　500　miles　North…west　of　Table…　Bay。

I　embarked　this　day　week；　and　found　a　good　airy　cabin；　and　all　very　comfortable。　　Next　day　I　got　the　carpenter's　services；　by　being　on　board　before　all　the　rest；　and　relashed　and　cleeted　everything；　which　the　'Timmerman'；　of　course；　had　left　so　as　to　get　adrift　the　first　breeze。　　At　two　o'clock　the　Attorney…General；　Mr。　Porter；　came　on　board；　escorted　by　bands　of　music　and　all　the　volunteers　of　Capetown；　QUORUM　PARS　MAXIMA　FUIT；　i。e。　Colonel。　　It　was　quite　what　the　Yankees　call　an　'ovation'。　　The　ship　was　all　decked　with　flags；　and　altogether　there　was　LE　DIABLE　E　QUATRE。　　The　consequence　was；　that　three　signals　went　adrift　in　the　scuffle；　and　when　a　Frenchman　signalled　us；　we　had　to　pass　for　BRUTAUX　ANGLAIS；　because　we　could　not　reply。　　I　found　means　to　supply　the　deficiency　by　the　lining　of　that　very　ancient　anonymous　cloak；　which　did　the　red；　while　a　bandanna　handkerchief　of　the　Captain's　furnished　the　yellow；　to　the　sailmaker's　immense　amusement。　　On　him　I　bestowed　the　blue　outside　of　the　cloak　for　a　pair　of　dungaree　trowsers；　and　in　signalling　now　it　is；　'up　go　2。41；　and　my　lady's　cloak；　which　is　7。'

We　have　had　lovely　weather；　and　on　Sunday　such　a　glorious　farewell　sight　of　Table　Mountain　and　my　dear　old　Hottentot　Hills；　and　of　Kaap　Goed　Hoop　itself。　　There　was　little　enough　wind　till　yesterday；　when　a　fair　southerly　breeze　sprang　up；　and　we　are　rolling　along　merrily；　and　the　fat　old　CAMPERDOWN　DOES　roll　like　an　honest　old　'wholesome'　tub　as　she　is。　　It　is　quite　a　BONNE　FORTUNE　for　me　to　have　been　forced　to　wait　for　her；　for　we　have　had　a　wonderful　spell　of　fine　weather；　and　the　ship　is　the　NE　PLUS　ULTRA　of　comfort。　　We　are　only　twelve　first…class　upper…deck　passengers。　The　captain　is　a　delightful　fellow；　with　a　very　charming　young　wife。　　There　is　only　one　child　（a　great　comfort）；　a　capital　cook；　and　universal　civility　and　quietness。　　It　is　like　a　private　house　compared　to　a　railway　hotel。　　Six　of　the　passengers　are　invalids；　more　or　less。　　Mr。　Porter；　over…worked；　going　home　for　health　to　Ireland；　two　men；　both　with　delicate　chests；　and　one　poor　young　fellow　from　Capetown　in　a　consumption；　who；　I　fear；　will　not　outlive　the　voyage。　　The　doctor　is　very　civil；　and　very　kind　to　the　sick；　but　I　stick　to　the　cook；　and　am　quite　greedy　over　the　good　fare；　after　the　atrocious　food　of　the　Cape。　　Said　cook　is　a　Portuguese；　a　distinguished　artist；　and　a　great　bird…fancier。　　One　can　wander　all　over　the　ship　here；　instead　of　being　a　prisoner　on　the　poop；　and　I　even　have　paid　my　footing　on　the　forecastle。　　S…　clambers　up　like　a　lively　youngster。　　You　may　fancy　what　the　weather　is；　that　I　have　only　closed　my　cabin…window　once　during　half　of　a　very　damp　night；　but　no　one　else　is　so　airy。　　The　little　goat　was　as　rejoiced　to　be　afloat　again　as　her　mistress；　and　is　a　regular　pet　on　board；　with　the　run　of　the　quarter…deck。　　She　still　gives　milk　…　a　perfect　Amalthaea。　　The　butcher；　who　has　the　care　of　her；　cockers　her　up　with　dainties；　and　she　begs　biscuit　of　the　cook。　　I　pay　nothing　for　her　fare。　　M…'s　tortoises　are　in　my　cabin；　and　seem　very　happy。　　Poor　Mr。　Porter　is　very　sick；　and　so　are　the　two　or　three　coloured　passengers；　who　won't　'make　an　effort'　at　all。　　Mrs。　H…　（the　captain's　wife）；　a　young　Cape　lady；　and　I　are　the　only　'female　ladies'　of　the　party。　　The　other　day　we　saw　a　shoal　of　porpoises；　amounting　to　many　hundreds；　if　not　some　thousands；　who　came　frisking　round　the　ship。　　When　we　first　saw　them　they　looked　like　a　line　of　breakers；　they　made　such　a　splash；　and　they　jumped　right　out　of　the　water　three　feet　in　height；　and　ten　or　twelve　in　distance；　glittering　green　and　bronze　in　the　sun。　Such　a　pretty；　merry　set　of　fellows！

We　shall　touch　at　St。　Helena；　where　I　shall　leave　this　letter　to　go　by　the　mail　steamer；　that　you　may　know　a　few　weeks　before　I　arrive　how　comfortably　my　voyage　has　begun。

We　see　no　Cape　pigeons；　they　only　visit　outward　ships　…　is　not　that　strange？　…　but；　EN　REVANCHE；　many　more　albatrosses　than　in　coming；　and　we　also　enjoy　the　advantage　of　seeing　all　the　homeward…bound　ships；　as　they　all　PASS　us　…　a　humiliating　fact。　　The　captain　laughed　heartily　because　I　said；　'Oh；　all　right；　I　shall　have　the　more　sea　for　my　money'；　…　when　the　prospect　of　a　slow　voyage　was　discussed。　　It　is　very　provoking　to　be　so　much　longer　separated　from　you　all　than　I　had　hoped；　but　I　really　believe　that　the　bad　air　and　discomfort　of　the　other　ships　would　have　done　me　serious　injury；　while　here　I　have　every　chance　of　benefiting　to　the　utmost；　and　having　mild　weather　the　whole　way；　besides　the　utmost　amount　of　comfort　possible　on　board　ship。　　There　are　some　cockroaches；　indeed；　but　that　is　the　only　drawback。　　The　CAMPERDOWN　is　fourteen　years　old；　and　was　the　crack　ship　to　India　in　her　day。　　Now　she　takes　cargo　and　poop…passengers　only；　and；　of　course；　only　gets　invalids　and　people　who　care　more　for　comfort　than　speed。

Monday　Evening；　May　26th。　…　Here　we　are；　working　away　still　to　reach　St。　Helena。　　We　got　the　tail　of　a　terrific　gale　and　a　tremendous　sea　all　night　in　our　teeth；　which　broke　up　the　south…　east　trades　for　a　week。　　Now　it　is　all　smooth　and　fair；　with　a　light　breeze　again　right　aft；　the　old　trade　again。　　Yesterday　a　large　shark　paid　us　a　visit；　with　his　suite　of　three　pretty　little　pilot…fish；　striped　like　zebras；　who　swam　just　over　his　back。　　He　tried　on　a　sailor's　cap　which　fell　overboard；　tossed　it　away　contemptuously；　snuffed　at　the　fat　pork　with　which　a　hook　was　baited；　and　would　none　of　it；　and　finally　ate　the　fresh　sheep…skin　which　the　butcher　had　in　tow　to　clean　it；　previous　to　putting　it　away　as　a　perquisite。　　It　is　a　beautiful　fish　in　shape　and　very　graceful　in　motion。

To…day　a　barque　from　Algoa　Bay　came　close　to　us；　and　talked　with　the　speaking　trumpet。　　She　was　a　pretty；　clipper…built；　sharp…　looking　craft；　but　had　made　a　slower　run　even　than　ourselves。　　I　dare　say　we　shall　have　her　company　for　a　long　time；　as　she　is　bound　for　St。　Helena　and　London。　　My　poor　goat　died　suddenly　the　other　day；　to　the　general　grief　of　the　ship；　also　one　of　the　tortoises。　The　poor　consumptive　lad　is　wonderfully　better。　　But　all　the　passengers　were　very　sick　during　the　rough　weather；　except　S…　and　I；　who　are　quite　old　salts。　　Last　week　we　saw　a　young　whale；　a　baby；　about　thirty　feet　long；　and　had　a　good　view　of　him　as　he　played　round　the　ship。　　We　shall　probably　be　at　St。　Helena　on　Wednesday；　but　I　cannot　write　from　thence；　as；　if　there　is　time；　I　shall　get　a　run　on　shore　while　the　ship　takes　in　water。　　But　this　letter　will　tell　you　of　my　well…being　so　far；　and　in　about　six　weeks　after　the　date　of　it　I　hope　to　be　with　you。　　I　hope　you　won't　expect　too　much　in　the　way　of　improvement　in　my　health。　　I　look　forward；　oh；　so　eagerly；　to　be　with　you　aga