letters from the cape-第17部分

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e　place　up　in　the　'gardens'；　quite　out　of　the　town　and　very　comfortable。　　But　I　regret　Caledon。　　A…　will　show　you　my　account　of　my　beautiful　journey　back。　　Worcester　is　a　fairy…land；　and　then　to　catch　tortoises　walking　about；　and　to　see　'baviaans'；　and　snakes　and　secretary　birds　eating　them！　and　then　people　have　the　impudence　to　think　I　must　have　been　'very　dull！'　　SIE　MERKEN'S　NICHT；　that　it　is　THEY　who　are　dull。

Dear　Dr。　Hawtrey！　he　must　have　died　just　as　I　was　packing　up　the　first　Caffre　Testament　for　him！　　I　felt　his　death　very　much；　in　connexion　with　my　father；　their　regard　for　each　other　was　an　honour　to　both。　　I　have　the　letter　he　wrote　me　on　J…'s　marriage；　and　a　charming　one　it　is。

I　took　Mrs。　A…　a　drive　in　a　Hansom　cab　to…day　out　to　Wynberg；　to　see　my　friends　Captain　and　Mrs。　T…；　who　have　a　cottage　under　Table　Mountain　in　a　spot　like　the　best　of　St。　George's　Hill。　　Very　dull　too；　but　as　she　is　really　a　lady；　it　suits　her；　and　Capetown　does　not。　　I　was　to　have　stayed　with　them；　but　Wynberg　is　cold　at　night。　Poor　B…'s　wife　is　very　ill　and　won't　leave　Capetown　for　a　day。　　The　people　here　are　WUNDERLICH　for　that。　　A　lady　born　here；　and　with　7；000L。　a　year；　has　never　been　further　than　Stellenbosch；　about　twenty　miles。　　I　am　asked　how　I　lived　and　what　I　ate　during　my　little　excursion；　as　if　I　had　been　to　Lake　Ngami。　　If　only　I　had　known　how　easy　it　all　is；　I　would　have　gone　by　sea　to　East　London　and　seen　the　Knysna　and　George　district；　and　the　primaeval　African　forest；　the　yellow　wood；　and　other　giant　trees。　　However；　'For　what　I　have　received；'　&c。；　&c。　　No　one　can　conceive　what　it　is；　after　two　years　of　prison　and　utter　languor；　to　stand　on　the　top　of　a　mountain　pass；　and　enjoy　physical　existence　for　a　few　hours　at　a　time。　　I　felt　as　if　it　was　quite　selfish　to　enjoy　anything　so　much　when　you　were　all　so　anxious　about　me　at　home；　but　as　that　is　the　best　symptom　of　all；　I　do　not　repent。

S…　has　been　an　excellent　travelling　servant；　and　really　a　better　companion　than　many　more　educated　people；　for　she　is　always　amused　and　curious；　and　is　friendly　with　the　coloured　people。　　She　is　quite　recovered。　　It　is　a　wonderful　climate　…　SANS　QUE　CELE　PARAISSE。　　It　feels　chilly　and　it　blows　horridly；　and　does　not　seem　genial；　but　it　gives　new　life。

To…morrow　I　am　going　with　old　Abdool　Jemaalee　to　prayers　at　the　Mosque；　and　shall　see　a　school　kept　by　a　Malay　priest。　　It　is　now　Ramadan；。　and　my　Muslim　friends　are　very　thin　and　look　glum。　Choslullah　sent　a　message　to　ask；　'Might　he　see　the　Missis　once　more？　　He　should　pray　all　the　time　she　was　on　the　sea。'　　Some　pious　Christians　here　would　expect　such　horrors　to　sink　the　ship。　　I　can't　think　why　Mussulmans　are　always　gentlemen；　the　Malay　coolies　have　a　grave　courtesy　which　contrasts　most　strikingly　with　both　European　vulgarity　and　negro　jollity。　　It　is　very　curious；　for　they　only　speak　Dutch；　and　know　nothing　of　oriental　manners。　　I　fear　I　shall　not　see　the　Walkers　again。　　Simon's　Bay　is　too　far　to　go　and　come　in　a　day；　as　one　cannot　go　out　before　ten　or　eleven；　and　must　be　in　by　five　or　half…past。　　Those　hours　are　gloriously　bright　and　hot；　but　morning　and　night　are　cold。

I　am　so　happy　in　the　thought　of　sailing　now　so　very　soon　and　seeing　you　all　again；　that　I　can　settle　to　nothing　for　five　minutes。　　I　now　feel　how　anxious　and　uneasy　I　have　been；　and　how　I　shall　rejoice　to　get　home。　　I　shall　leave　a　letter　for　A…；　to　go　in　April；　and　tell　him　and　you　what　ship　I　am　in。　　I　shall　choose　the　SLOWEST；　so　as　not　to　reach　England　and　face　the　Channel　before　June；　if　possible。　　So　don't　be　alarmed　if　I　do　not　arrive　till　late　in　June。　　Till　then　good…bye；　and　God　bless　you；　dearest　mother　…　AUF　FROHES　WIEDERSEHN。



LETTER　XII



Capetown；　Sunday；　March　23d。

It　has　been　a　REAL　hot　day；　and　threatened　an　earthquake　and　a　thunderstorm；　but　nothing　has　come　of　it　beyond　sheet　lightning　to…　night；　which　is　splendid　over　the　bay；　and　looks　as　if　repeated　in　a　grand　bush…fire　on　the　hills　opposite。　　The　sunset　was　glorious。　That　rarest　of　insects；　the　praying　mantis；　has　just　dropped　upon　my　paper。　　I　am　thankful　that；　not　being　an　entomologist；　I　am　dispensed　from　the　sacred　duty　of　impaling　the　lovely　green　creature　who　sits　there；　looking　quite　wise　and　human。　　Fussy　little　brown　beetles；　as　big　as　two　lady…birds；　keep　flying　into　my　eyes；　and　the　musquitoes　are　rejoicing　loudly　in　the　prospect　of　a　feast。　　You　will　understand　by　this　that　both　windows　are　wide　open　into　the　great　verandah；　…　very　unusual　in　this　land　of　cold　nights。

April　4th。　…　I　have　been　trying　in　vain　to　get　a　passage　home。　　The　CAMPERDOWN　has　not　come。　　In　short；　I　am　waiting　for　a　chance　vessel；　and　shall　pack　up　now　and　be　ready　to　go　on　board　at　a　day's　notice。

I　went　on　the　last　evening　of　Ramadan　to　the　Mosque；　having　heard　there　was　a　grand　'function'；　but　there　were　only　little　boys　lying　about　on　the　floor；　some　on　their　stomachs；　some　on　their　backs；　higgledy…piggledy　（if　it　be　not　profane　to　apply　the　phrase　to　young　Islam）；　all　shouting　their　prayers　E　TUE　TETE。　　Priests；　men；　women；　and　English　crowded　in　and　out　in　the　exterior　division。　The　English　behaved　E　L'ANGLAISE　…　pushed　each　other；　laughed；　sneered；　and　made　a　disgusting　display　of　themselves。　　I　asked　a　stately　priest；　in　a　red　turban；　to　explain　the　affair　to　me；　and　in　a　few　minutes　found　myself　supplied　by　one　Mollah　with　a　chair；　and　by　another　with　a　cup　of　tea　…　was；　in　short；　in　the　midst　of　a　Malay　SOIREE。　　They　spoke　English　very　little；　but　made　up　for　it　by　their　usual　good　breeding　and　intelligence。　　On　Monday；　I　am　going　to　see　the　school　which　the　priest　keeps　at　his　house；　and　to　'honour　his　house　by　my　presence'。　　The　delight　they　show　at　any　friendly　interest　taken　in　them　is　wonderful。　　Of　course；　I　am　supposed　to　be　poisoned。　　A　clergyman's　widow　here　gravely　asserts　that　her　husband　went　mad　THREE　YEARS　after　drinking　a　cup　of　coffee　handed　to　him　by　a　Malay！　…　and　in　consequence　of　drinking　it！　　It　is　exactly　like　the　mediaeval　feeling　about　the　Jews。　　I　saw　that　it　was　quite　a　DEMONSTRATION　that　I　drank　up　the　tea　unhesitatingly。　　Considering　that　the　Malays　drank　it　themselves；　my　courage　deserves　less　admiration。　　But　it　was　a　quaint　sensation　to　sit　in　a　Mosque；　behaving　as　if　at　an　evening　party；　in　a　little　circle　of　poor　Moslim　priests。

I　am　going　to　have　a　photograph　of　my　cart　done。　　I　was　to　have　gone　to　the　place　to…day；　but　when　Choslullah　（whom　I　sent　for　to　complete　the　picture）　found　out　what　I　wanted；　he　implored　me　to　put　it　off　till　Monday；　that　he　might　be　better　dressed；　and　was　so　unhappy　at　the　notion　of　being　immortalized　in　an　old　jacket；　that　I　agreed　to　the　delay。　　Such　a　handsome　fellow　may　be　allowed　a　little　vanity。

The　colony　is　torn　with　dissensions　as　to　Sunday　trains。　　Some　of　the　Dutch　clergy　are　even　more　absurd　than　our　own　on　that　point。　A　certain　Van　der　Lingen；　at　Stellenbosch；　calls　Europe　'one　vast　Sodom'；　and　so　forth。　　There　is　altogether　a　nice　kettle　of　religious　hatred　brewing　here。　　The　English　Bishop　of　Capetown　appoints　all　the　English　clergy；　and　is　absolute　monarch　of　all　he　surveys；　and　he　and　his　clergy　are　carrying　matters　with　a　high　hand。　　The　Bishop's　chaplain　told　Mrs。　J…　that　she　could　not　hope　for　salvation　in　the　Dutch　Church；　since　her　clergy　were　not　ordained　by　any　bishop；　and　therefore　they　could　only　administer　the　sacrament　'UNTO　DAMNATION'。　　All　the　physicians　in　a　body；　English　as　well　as　Dutch；　have　withdrawn　from　the　Dispensary；　because　it　was　used　as　a　means　of　pressure　to　draw　the　coloured　people　from　the　Dutch　to　the　English　Church。

This　High…Church　tyranny　cannot　go　on　long。　　Catholics　there　are　few；　but　their　bishop　plays　the　same　game；　and　it　is　a　losing　one。　The　Irish　maid　at　the　Caledon　inn　was　driven　by　her　bishop　to　be　married　at　the　Lutheran　church；　just　as　a　young　Englishman　I　know　（though　a　fervent　Puseyite）　was　driven　to　be　married　at　the　Scotch　kirk。　　The　colonial　bishops　are　despots　in　their　own　churches；　and　there　is　no　escape　from　their　tyranny　but　by　dissent。　　The　Admiral　and　his　family　have　been　anathematized　for　going　to　a　fancy　bazaar　given　by　the　Wesleyans　for　their　chapel。

April　8th。　…　Yesterday；　I　failed　about　my　cart　photograph。　　First；　the　owner　had　sent　away　the　cart；　and　when　Choslullah　came　dressed　in　all　his　best　clothes；　with　a　lovely　blue　handkerchief　setting　off　his　beautiful　orange…tawny　face；　he　had　to　rush　off　to　try　to　borrow　another　cart。　　As　ill　luck　would　have　it；　he　met　a　'serious　young　man'；　with　no　front　teeth；　and　a　hideous　wen　on　his　eyebrow；　who　informed　the　priest　of　Choslullah's　impious　purpose；　and　came　with　him　to　see　that　he　did　NOT　sit　for　his　portrait。　　I　believe　it　was　half　envy；　for　my　handsome　driver　was　as　pleased；　and　then　as　disappointed；　as　a　young　lady　about　her　first　ball；　and　obviously　had　no　religious　scruples　of　his　own　on　the　subject。　　The　weather　is　very　delightful　now　…　hot；　but　beautiful；　and　the　south…easters；　though　violent；　are　short；　and　not　cold。　　As　in　all　other　countries；　autumn　is　the　best　time　of　year。

April　15th。　…　Your　letters　arrived　yesterday；　to　my　great　delight。　I　have　been　worrying　about　a　ship；　and　was　very　near　sailing　to…day　by　the　QUEEN　OF　THE　SOUTH　at　twenty…four　hours'　notice；　but　I　have　resolved　to　wait　for　the　CAMPERDOWN。　　The　QUEEN　OF　THE　SOUTH　is　a　steamer；　…　which　is　odious；　for　they　pitch　the　coal　all　over　the　lower　deck；　so　that　you　breathe　coal…dust　for　the　first　ten　days；　then　she　was　crammed　…　only　one　cabin　vacant；　and　that　small；　and　on　the　lower　deck　…　and　fifty…two　children　on　board。　　Moreover；　she　will　probably　get　to　England　too　soon；　so　I　resign　myself　to　wait。　The　CAMPERDOWN　has　only　upper…deck　cabins；　and　I　shall　have　fresh　air。　　I　am　not　as　well　as　I　was　at　Caledon；　so　I　am　all　the　more　anxious　to　have　a　voyage　likely　to　do　me　good　instead　of　harm。

I　got　my　cart　and　Choslullah　photographed　after　all。　　Choslullah　came　next　day　（having　got　rid　of　his　pious　friend）；　quite　resolved　that　'the　Missis'　should　take　his　portrait；　so　I　will　send　or　bring　a　few　copies　of　my　beloved　cart。　　After　the　photograph　was　done；　we　drove　round　the　Kloof；　between　Table　and　Lion　Mountain。　　The　road　is　cut　on　the　side　of　Lion　Mountain；　and　overh