letters from the cape-第14部分

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ad　taken　8L。　in　one　week　in　'tips'。　　She　was　an　excellent　servant。　　Up　country　here　the　wages　are　less；　but　the　comfort　greater；　and　the　chances　of　'getting　on'　much　increased。　But　I　believe　Algoa　Bay　or　Grahamstown　are　by　far　the　best　fields　for　new　colonists；　and　（I　am　assured）　the　best　climate　for　lung　diseases。　　The　wealthy　English　merchants　of　Port　Elizabeth　（Algoa　Bay）　pay　best。　　It　seems　to　me；　as　far　as　I　can　learn；　that　every　really　WORKING　man　or　woman　can　thrive　here。

My　German　host　at　Houw　Hoek　came　out　twenty…three　years　ago；　he　told　me；　without　a　'heller'；　and　is　now　the　owner　of　cattle　and　land　and　horses　to　a　large　amount。　　But　then　the　Germans　work；　while　the　Dutch　dawdle　and　the　English　drink。　　'New　wine'　is　a　penny　a　glass　（half　a　pint）；　enough　to　blow　your　head　off；　and　'Cape　smoke'　（brandy；　like　vitriol）　ninepence　a　bottle　…　that　is　the　real　calamity。　　If　the　Cape　had　the　grape　disease　as　badly　as　Madeira；　it　would　be　the　making　of　the　colony。

I　received　a　message　from　my　Malay　friends；　Abdool　Jemaalee　and　Betsy；　anxious　to　know　'if　the　Misses　had　good　news　of　her　children；　for　bad　news　would　make　her　sick'。　　Old　Betsy　and　I　used　to　prose　about　young　Abdurrachman　and　his　studies　at　Mecca；　and　about　my　children；　with　more　real　heartiness　than　you　can　fancy。　We　were　not　afraid　of　boring　each　other；　and　pious　old　Abdool　sat　and　nodded　and　said；　'May　Allah　protect　them　all！'　as　a　refrain；　…　'Allah；　il　Allah！'



LETTER　IX



Caledon；　Feb。　21st。

This　morning's　post　brought　your　packet；　and　the　announcement　of　an　extra　mail　to…night　…　so　I　can　send　you　a　P。S。　　I　hear　that　Capetown　has　been　pestilential；　and　as　hot　as　Calcutta。　　It　is　totally　undrained；　and　the　Mozambiquers　are　beginning　to　object　to　acting　as　scavengers　to　each　separate　house。　　The　'VIDANGES'　are　more　barbarous　even　than　in　Paris。　　Without　the　south…easter　（or　'Cape　doctor'）　they　must　have　fevers；　&c。；　and　though　too　rough　a　practitioner　for　me；　he　benefits　the　general　health。　　Next　month　the　winds　abate；　but　last　week　an　omnibus　was　blown　over　on　the　Rondebosch　road；　which　is　the　most　sheltered　spot；　and　inhabited　by　Capetown　merchants。　　I　have　received　all　the　SATURDAY　REVIEWS　quite　safe；　likewise　the　books；　Mendelssohn's　letters；　and　the　novel。　　I　have　written　for　my　dear　Choslullah　to　fetch　me。　　The　Dutch　farmers　don't　know　how　to　charge　enough；　moreover；　the　Hottentot　drivers　get　drunk；　and　for　two　lone　women　that　is　not　the　thing。　　I　pay　my　gentle　Malay　thirty　shillings　a　day；　which；　for　a　cart　and　four　and　such　a　jewel　of　a　driver；　is　not　outrageous；　and　I　had　better　pay　that　for　the　few　days　I　wait　on　the　road；　than　risk　bad　carts；　tipsy　Hottentots；　and　extortionate　boers。

This　intermediate　country　between　the　'Central　African　wilderness'　and　Capetown　has　been　little　frequented。　　I　went　to　the　Church　Mission　School　with　the　English　clergyman　yesterday。　　You　know　I　don't　believe　in　every　kind　of　missionaries；　but　I　do　believe　that；　in　these　districts；　kind；　judicious　English　clergymen　are　of　great　value。　　The　Dutch　pastors　still　remember　the　distinction　between　'Christenmenschen'　and　'Hottentoten'；　but　the　Church　Mission　Schools　teach　the　Anglican　Catechism　to　every　child　that　will　learn；　and　the　congregation　is　as　piebald　as　Harlequin's　jacket。　　A　pretty；　coloured　lad；　about　eleven　years　old；　answered　my　questions　in　geography　with　great　quickness　and　some　wit。　　I　said；　'Show　me　the　country　you　belong　to。'　　He　pointed　to　England；　and　when　I　laughed；　to　the　cape。　　'This　is　where　we　are；　but　that　is　the　country　I　BELONG　TO。'　　I　asked　him　how　we　were　governed；　and　he　answered　quite　right。　　'How　is　the　Cape　governed？'　　'Oh；　we　have　a　Parliament　too；　and　Mr。　Silberbauer　is　the　man　WE　send。'　　Boys　and　girls　of　all　ages　were　mixed；　but　no　blacks。　　I　don't　think　they　will　learn；　except　on　compulsion；　as　at　Gnadenthal。

I　regret　to　say　that　Bill's　wife　has　broken　his　head　with　a　bottle；　at　the　end　of　the　honeymoon。　　I　fear　the　innovation　of　being　MARRIED　AT　CHURCH　has　not　had　a　good　effect；　and　that　his　neighbours　may　quote　Mr。　Peachum。

I　was　offered　a　young　lion　yesterday；　but　I　hardly　think　it　would　be　an　agreeable　addition　to　the　household　at　Esher。

I　hear　that　Worcester；　Paarl；　and　Stellenbosch　are　beautiful；　and　the　road　very　desolate　and　grand：　　one　mountain　pass　takes　six　hours　to　cross。　　I　should　not　return　to　Capetown　so　early；　but　poor　Captain　J…　has　had　his　leg　smashed　and　amputated；　so　I　must　look　out　for　myself　in　the　matter　of　ships。　　Whenever　it　is　hot；　I　am　well；　for　the　heat　here　is　so　LIGHT　and　dry。　　The　wind　tries　me；　but　we　have　little　here　compared　to　the　coast。　　I　hope　that　the　voyage　home　will　do　me　still　more　good；　but　I　will　not　sail　till　April；　so　as　to　arrive　in　June。　　May；　in　the　Channel；　would　not　do。

How　I　wish　I　could　send　you　the　fruit　now　on　my　table　…　amber…　coloured　grapes；　yellow　waxen　apples　streaked　with　vermillion　in　fine　little　lines；　huge　peaches；　and　tiny　green　figs！　　I　must　send　dear　old　Klein　a　little　present　from　England；　to　show　that　I　don't　forget　my　Dutch　adorer。　　I　wish　I　could　bring　you　the　'Biltong　'　he　sent　me　…　beef　or　bok　dried　in　the　sun　in　strips；　and　slightly　salted；　you　may　carry　enough　in　your　pocket　to　live　on　for　a　fortnight；　and　it　is　very　good　as　a　little　'relish'。　　The　partridges　also　have　been　welcome；　and　we　shall　eat　the　tiny　haunch　of　bok　to…day。

Mrs。　D…　is　gone　to　Capetown　to　get　servants　（the　Scotch　girl　having　carried　on　her　amours　too　flagrantly）；　and　will　return　in　my　cart。　S…　is　still　keeping　house　meanwhile；　much　perturbed　by　the　placid　indolence　of　the　brown　girl。　　The　stableman　cooks；　and　very　well　too。　　This　is　colonial　life　…　a　series　of　makeshifts　and　difficulties；　but　the　climate　is　fine；　people　feel　well　and　make　money；　and　I　think　it　is　not　an　unhappy　life。　　I　have　been　most　fortunate　in　my　abode；　and　can　say；　without　speaking　cynically；　that　I　have　found　'my　warmest　welcome　at　an　inn'。　　Mine　host　is　a　rough　soldier；　but　the　very　soul　of　good　nature　and　good　feeling；　and　his　wife　is　a　very　nice　person　…　so　cheerful；　clever；　and　kindhearted。

I　should　like　to　bring　home　the　little　Madagascar　girl　from　Rathfelders；　or　a　dear　little　mulatto　who　nurses　a　brown　baby　here；　and　is　so　clean　and　careful　and　'pretty　behaved'；　…　but　it　would　be　a　great　risk。　　The　brown　babies　are　ravishing　…　so　fat　and　jolly　and　funny。

One　great　charm　of　the　people　here　is；　that　no　one　expects　money　or　gifts；　and　that　all　civility　is　gratis。　　Many　a　time　I　finger　small　coin　secretly　in　my　pocket；　and　refrain　from　giving　it；　for　fear　of　spoiling　this　innocence。　　I　have　not　once　seen　a　LOOK　implying　'backsheesh'；　and　begging　is　unknown。　　But　the　people　are　reserved　and　silent；　and　have　not　the　attractive　manners　of　the　darkies　of　Capetown　and　the　neighbourhood。



LETTER　X



Caledon；　Feb。　22d。

Yesterday　Captain　D…　gave　me　a　very　nice　caross　of　blessbok　skins；　which　he　got　from　some　travelling　trader。　　The　excellence　of　the　Caffre　skin…dressing　and　sewing　is；　I　fancy；　unequalled；　the　bok…　skins　are　as　soft　as　a　kid　glove；　and　have　no　smell　at　all。

In　the　afternoon　the　young　doctor　drove　me；　in　his　little　gig…cart　and　pair　（the　lightest　and　swiftest　of　conveyances）；　to　see　a　wine…　farm。　　The　people　were　not　at　work；　but　we　saw　the　tubs　and　vats；　and　drank　'most'。　　The　grapes　are　simply　trodden　by　a　Hottentot；　in　a　tub　with　a　sort　of　strainer　at　the　bottom；　and　then　thrown　…　skins；　stalks；　and　all　…　into　vats；　where　the　juice　ferments　for　twice　twenty…four　hours；　after　which　it　is　run　into　casks；　which　are　left　with　the　bung　out　for　eight　days；　then　the　wine　is　drawn　off　into　another　cask；　a　little　sulphur　and　brandy　are　added　to　it；　and　it　is　bunged　down。　　Nothing　can　be　conceived　so　barbarous。　　I　have　promised　Mr。　M…　to　procure　and　send　him　an　exact　account　of　the　process　in　Spain。　　It　might　be　a　real　service　to　a　most　worthy　and　amiable　man。　　Dr。　M…　also　would　be　glad　of　a　copy。　　They　literally　know　nothing　about　wine…making　here；　and　with　such　matchless　grapes　I　am　sure　it　ought　to　be　good。　　Altogether；　'der　alte　Schlendrian'　prevails　at　the　Cape　to　an　incredible　degree。

If　two　'Heeren　M…'　call　on　you；　please　be　civil　to　them。　　I　don't　know　them　personally；　but　their　brother　is　the　doctor　here；　and　the　most　good…natured　young　fellow　I　ever　saw。　　If　I　were　returning　by　Somerset　instead　of　Worcester；　I　might　put　up　at　their　parents'　house　and　be　sure　of　a　welcome；　and　I　can　tell　you　civility　to　strangers　is　by　no　means　of　course　here。　　I　don't　wonder　at　it；　for　the　old　Dutch　families　ARE　GENTLEFOLKS　of　the　good　dull　old　school；　and　the　English　colonists　can　scarcely　suit　them。　　In　the　few　instances　in　which　I　have　succeeded　in　THAWING　a　Dutchman；　I　have　found　him　wonderfully　good…natured；　and　the　different　manner　in　which　I　was　greeted　when　in　company　with　the　young　doctor　showed　the　feeling　at　once。　　The　dirt　of　a　Dutch　house　is　not　to　be　conceived。　　I　have　had　sights　in　bedrooms　in　very　respectable　houses　which　I　dare　not　describe。　　The　coloured　people　are　just　as　clean。　　The　young　doctor　（who　is　much　Anglicised）　tells　me　that；　in　illness；　he　has　to　break　the　windows　in　the　farmhouses　…　they　are　built　not　to　open！　　The　boers　are　below　the　English　in　manners　and　intelligence；　and　hate　them　for　their　'go…ahead'　ways；　though　THEY　seem　slow　enough　to　me。　　As　to　drink；　I　fancy　it　is　six　of　one　and　half　a　dozen　of　the　other；　but　the　English　are　more　given　to　eternal　drams；　and　the　Dutch　to　solemn　drinking　bouts。　　I　can't　understand　either；　in　this　climate；　which　is　so　stimulating；　that　I　more　often　drink　ginger…beer　or　water　than　wine　…　a　bottle　of　sherry　lasted　me　a　fortnight；　though　I　was　ordered　to　drink　it；　somehow；　I　had　no　mind　to　it。

27th。　…　The　cart　could　not　be　got　till　the　day　before　yesterday；　and　yesterday　Mrs。　D…　arrived　in　it　with　two　new　Irish　maids；　it　saved　her　3L。；　and　I　must　have　paid　equally。　　The　horses　were　very　tired；　having　been　hard　at　work　carrying　Malays　all　the　week　to　Constantia　and　back；　on　a　pilgrimage　to　the　tomb　of　a　Mussulman　saint；　so　to…day　they　rest；　and　to…morrow　I　go　to　Villiersdorp。　Choslullah　has　been　appointed　driver　of　a　post…cart；　he　tried　hard　to　be　allowed　to　pay　a　REMPLACANT；　and　to　fetch　'his　missis'；　but　was