letters from the cape-第4部分

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very　pretty。　　A　little　black　girl；　about　R…'s　age；　has　carefully　tied　what　little　petticoat　she　has；　in　a　tight　coil　round　her　waist；　and　displays　the　most　darling　little　round　legs　and　behind；　which　it　would　be　a　real　pleasure　to　slap；　it　is　so　shiny　and　round；　and　she　runs　and　stands　so　strongly　and　gracefully。

Here　comes　another　Malay；　with　a　pair　of　baskets　hanging　from　a　stick　across　his　shoulder；　like　those　in　Chinese　pictures；　which　his　hat　also　resembles。　　Another　cart　full　of　working　men；　with　a　Malay　driver；　and　inside　are　jumbled　some　red…haired；　rosy…cheeked　English　navvies；　with　the　ugliest　Mozambiques；　blacker　than　Erebus；　and　with　faces　all　knobs　and　corners；　like　a　crusty　loaf。　　As　we　drive　home　we　see　a　span　of　sixteen　noble　oxen　in　the　marketplace；　and　on　the　ground　squats　the　Hottentot　driver。　　His　face　no　words　can　describe　…　his　cheek…bones　are　up　under　his　hat；　and　his　meagre…pointed　chin　halfway　down　to　his　waist；　his　eyes　have　the　dull　look　of　a　viper's；　and　his　skin　is　dirty　and　sallow；　but　not　darker　than　a　dirty　European's。

Capetown　is　rather　pretty；　but　beyond　words　untidy　and　out　of　repair。　　As　it　is　neither　drained　nor　paved；　it　won't　do　in　hot　weather；　and　I　shall　migrate　'up　country'　to　a　Dutch　village。　　Mrs。　J…；　who　is　Dutch　herself；　tells　me　that　one　may　board　in　a　Dutch　farm…house　very　cheaply；　and　with　great　comfort　（of　course　eating　with　the　family）；　and　that　they　will　drive　you　about　the　country　and　tend　your　horses　for　nothing；　if　you　are　friendly；　and　don't　treat　them　with　ENGELSCHE　HOOG…MOEDIGHEID。

Oct。　19th。　…　The　packet　came　in　last　night；　but　just　in　time　to　save　the　fine　of　50L。　per　diem；　and　I　got　your　welcome　letter　this　morning。　　I　have　been　coughing　all　this　time；　but　I　hope　I　shall　improve。　　I　came　out　at　the　very　worst　time　of　year；　and　the　weather　has　been　（of　course）　'unprecedentedly'　bad　and　changeable。　But　when　it　IS　fine　it　is　quite　celestial；　so　clear；　so　dry；　so　light。　　Then　comes　a　cloud　over　Table　Mountain；　like　the　sugar　on　a　wedding…cake；　which　tumbles　down　in　splendid　waterfalls；　and　vanishes　unaccountably　halfway；　and　then　you　run　indoors　and　shut　doors　and　windows；　or　it　portends　a　'south…easter'；　i。e。　a　hurricane；　and　Capetown　disappears　in　impenetrable　clouds　of　dust。　But　this　wind　coming　off　the　hills　and　fields　of　ice；　is　the　Cape　doctor；　and　keeps　away　cholera；　fever　of　every　sort；　and　all　malignant　or　infectious　diseases。　　Most　of　them　are　unknown　here。　Never　was　so　healthy　a　place；　but　the　remedy　is　of　the　heroic　nature；　and　very　disagreeable。　　The　stones　rattle　against　the　windows；　and　omnibuses　are　blown　over　on　the　Rondebosch　road。

A　few　days　ago；　I　drove　to　Mr。　V…'s　farm。　　Imagine　St。　George's　Hill；　and　the　most　beautiful　bits　of　it；　sloping　gently　up　to　Table　Mountain；　with　its　grey　precipices；　and　intersected　with　Scotch　burns；　which　water　it　all　the　year　round；　as　they　come　from　the　living　rock；　and　sprinkled　with　oranges；　pomegranates；　and　camelias　in　abundance。　　You　drive　through　a　mile　or　two　as　described；　and　arrive　at　a　square；　planted　with　rows　of　fine　oaks　close　together；　at　the　upper　end　stands　the　house；　all　on　the　ground…floor；　but　on　a　high　stoep：　　rooms　eighteen　feet　high；　the　old　slave　quarters　on　each　side；　stables；　&c。；　opposite；　the　square　as　big　as　Belgrave　Square；　and　the　buildings　in　the　old　French　style。

We　then　went　on　to　Newlands；　a　still　more　beautiful　place。　　Immense　trenching　and　draining　going　on　…　the　foreman　a　Caffre；　black　as　ink；　six　feet　three　inches　high；　and　broad　in　proportion；　with　a　staid；　dignified　air；　and　Englishmen　working　under　him！　　At　the　streamlets　there　are　the　inevitable　groups　of　Malay　women　washing　clothes；　and　brown　babies　sprawling　about。　　Yesterday；　I　should　have　bought　a　black　woman　for　her　beauty；　had　it　been　still　possible。　　She　was　carrying　an　immense　weight　on　her　head；　and　was　far　gone　with　child；　but　such　stupendous　physical　perfection　I　never　even　imagined。　　Her　jet　black　face　was　like　the　Sphynx；　with　the　same　mysterious　smile；　her　shape　and　walk　were　goddess…like；　and　the　lustre　of　her　skin；　teeth；　and　eyes；　showed　the　fulness　of　health；　…　Caffre　of　course。　　I　walked　after　her　as　far　as　her　swift　pace　would　let　me；　in　envy　and　admiration　of　such　stately　humanity。

The　ordinary　blacks；　or　Mozambiques；　as　they　call　them；　are　hideous。　　Malay　here　seems　equivalent　to　Mohammedan。　　They　were　originally　Malays；　but　now　they　include　every　shade；　from　the　blackest　nigger　to　the　most　blooming　English　woman。　　Yes；　indeed；　the　emigrant…girls　have　been　known　to　turn　'Malays'；　and　get　thereby　husbands　who　know　not　billiards　and　brandy　…　the　two　diseases　of　Capetown。　　They　risked　a　plurality　of　wives；　and　professed　Islam；　but　they　got　fine　clothes　and　industrious　husbands。　　They　wear　a　very　pretty　dress；　and　all　have　a　great　air　of　independence　and　self…respect；　and　the　real　Malays　are　very　handsome。　　I　am　going　to　see　one　of　the　Mollahs　soon；　and　to　look　at　their　schools　and　mosque；　which；　to　the　distraction　of　the　Scotch；　they　call　their　'Kerk。'

I　asked　a　Malay　if　he　would　drive　me　in　his　cart　with　the　six　or　eight　mules；　which　he　agreed　to　do　for　thirty　shillings　and　his　dinner　（i。e。　a　share　of　my　dinner）　on　the　road。　　When　I　asked　how　long　it　would　take；　he　said；　'Allah　is　groot'；　which　meant；　I　found；　that　it　depended　on　the　state　of　the　beach　…　the　only　road　for　half　the　way。

The　sun；　moon；　and　stars　are　different　beings　from　those　we　look　upon。　　Not　only　are　they　so　large　and　bright；　but　you　SEE　that　the　moon　and　stars　are　BALLS；　and　that　the　sky　is　endless　beyond　them。　On　the　other　hand；　the　clear；　dry　air　dwarfs　Table　Mountain；　as　you　seem　to　see　every　detail　of　it　to　the　very　top。

Capetown　is　very　picturesque。　　The　old　Dutch　buildings　are　very　handsome　and　peculiar；　but　are　falling　to　decay　and　dirt　in　the　hands　of　their　present　possessors。　　The　few　Dutch　ladies　I　have　seen　are　very　pleasing。　　They　are　gentle　and　simple；　and　naturally　well…bred。　　Some　of　the　Malay　women　are　very　handsome；　and　the　little　children　are　darlings。　　A　little　parti…coloured　group　of　every　shade；　from　ebony　to　golden　hair　and　blue　eyes；　were　at　play　in　the　street　yesterday；　and　the　majority　were　pretty；　especially　the　half…castes。　　Most　of　the　Caffres　I　have　seen　look　like　the　perfection　of　human　physical　nature；　and　seem　to　have　no　diseases。　Two　days　ago　I　saw　a　Hottentot　girl　of　seventeen；　a　housemaid　here。　You　would　be　enchanted　by　her　superfluity　of　flesh；　the　face　was　very　queer　and　ugly；　and　yet　pleasing；　from　the　sweet　smile　and　the　rosy　cheeks　which　please　one　much；　in　contrast　to　all　the　pale　yellow　faces　…　handsome　as　some　of　them　are。

I　wish　I　could　send　the　six　chameleons　which　a　good…natured　parson　brought　me　in　his　hat；　and　a　queer　lizard　in　his　pocket。　　The　chameleons　are　charming；　so　monkey…like　and　so　'CARESSANTS'。　　They　sit　on　my　breakfast　tray　and　catch　flies；　and　hang　in　a　bunch　by　their　tails；　and　reach　out　after　my　hand。

I　have　had　a　very　kind　letter　from　Lady　Walker；　and　shall　go　and　stay　with　them　at　Simon's　Bay　as　soon　as　I　feel　up　to　the　twenty…　two　miles　along　the　beaches　and　bad　roads　in　the　mail…cart　with　three　horses。　　The　teams　of　mules　（I　beg　pardon；　spans）　would　delight　you　…　eight；　ten；　twelve；　even　sixteen　sleek；　handsome　beasts；　and　oh；　such　oxen！　noble　beasts　with　humps；　and　hump　is　very　good　to　eat　too。

Oct。　21st。　…　The　mail　goes　out　to…morrow；　so　I　must　finish　this　letter。　　I　feel　better　to…day　than　I　have　yet　felt；　in　spite　of　the　south…easter。

Yours；　&c。



LETTER　III



28th　Oct。　…　Since　I　wrote；　we　have　had　more　really　cold　weather；　but　yesterday　the　summer　seems　to　have　begun。　　The　air　is　as　light　and　clear　as　if　THERE　WERE　NONE；　and　the　sun　hot；　but　I　walk　in　it；　and　do　not　find　it　oppressive。　　All　the　household　groans　and　perspires；　but　I　am　very　comfortable。

Yesterday　I　sat　in　the　full　broil　for　an　hour　or　more；　in　the　hot　dust　of　the　Malay　burial…ground。　　They　buried　the　head　butcher　of　the　Mussulmans；　and　a　most　strange　poetical　scene　it　was。　　The　burial…ground　is　on　the　side　of　the　Lion　Mountain　　…　on　the　Lion's　rump　…　and　overlooks　the　whole　bay；　part　of　the　town；　and　the　most　superb　mountain　panorama　beyond。　　I　never　saw　a　view　within　miles　of　it　for　beauty　and　grandeur。　　Far　down；　a　fussy　English　steamer　came　puffing　and　popping　into　the　deep　blue　bay；　and　the　'Hansom's'　cabs　went　tearing　down　to　the　landing　place；　and　round　me　sat　a　crowd　of　grave　brown　men　chanting　'Allah　il　Allah'　to　the　most　monotonous　but　musical　air；　and　with　the　most　perfect　voices。　　The　chant　seemed　to　swell；　and　then　fade；　like　the　wind　in　the　trees。

I　went　in　after　the　procession；　which　consisted　of　a　bier　covered　with　three　common　Paisley　shawls　of　gay　colours；　no　one　looked　at　me；　and　when　they　got　near　the　grave；　I　kept　at　a　distance；　and　sat　down　when　they　did。　　But　a　man　came　up　and　said；　'You　are　welcome。'　So　I　went　close；　and　saw　the　whole　ceremony。　　They　took　the　corpse；　wrapped　in　a　sheet；　out　of　the　bier；　and　lifted　it　into　the　grave；　where　two　men　received　it；　then　a　sheet　was　held　over　the　grave　till　they　had　placed　the　dead　man；　and　then　flowers　and　earth　were　thrown　in　by　all　present；　the　grave　filled　in；　watered　out　of　a　brass　kettle；　and　decked　with　flowers。　　Then　a　fat　old　man；　in　printed　calico　shirt　sleeves；　and　a　plaid　waistcoat　and　corduroy　trousers；　pulled　off　his　shoes；　squatted　on　the　grave；　and　recited　endless　'Koran'；　many　reciting　after　him。　　Then　they　chanted　'Allah…il…Allah'　for　twenty　minutes；　I　think：　　then　prayers；　with　'Ameens'　and　'Allah　il…Allahs'　again。　　Then　all　jumped　up　and　walked　off。　　There　were　eighty　or　a　hundred　men；　no　women；　and　five　or　six　'Hadjis'；　draped　in　beautiful　Eastern　dresses；　and　looking　very　supercilious。　　The　whole　party　made　less　noise　in　moving　and　talking　than　two　Englishmen。

A　white…complexioned　man　spoke　to　me　in　excellent　English　（which　few　of　them　speak）；　and　was　very　communicative　and　civil。　　He　told　me　the　dead　man　was　his　brother…in…law；　and　he　himself　the　barber。　I　hoped　I　had　not　taken　a　liberty。　　'Oh；　no；　poor　Malays　were　proud　when　noble　English　persons　showed　such　respect　to　their　religion。　The　young　Prince　had　done　so　too；　and　Allah　would　not　forget　to　protect　him。　　He　also　did