letters from the cape-第5部分

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religion。　The　young　Prince　had　done　so　too；　and　Allah　would　not　forget　to　protect　him。　　He　also　did　not　laugh　at　their　prayers；　praise　be　to　God！'　　I　had　already　heard　that　Prince　Alfred　is　quite　the　darling　of　the　Malays。　　He　insisted　on　accepting　their　FETE；　which　the　Capetown　people　had　snubbed。　　I　have　a　friendship　with　one　Abdul　Jemaalee　and　his　wife　Betsy；　a　couple　of　old　folks　who　were　slaves　to　Dutch　owners；　and　now　keep　a　fruit…shop　of　a　rough　sort；　with　'Betsy；　fruiterer；'　painted　on　the　back　of　an　old　tin　tray；　and　hung　up　by　the　door　of　the　house。　　Abdul　first　bought　himself；　and　then　his　wife　Betsy；　whose　'missus'　generously　threw　in　her　bed…　ridden　mother。　　He　is　a　fine　handsome　old　man；　and　has　confided　to　me　that　5；000　pounds　would　not　buy　what　he　is　worth　now。　　I　have　also　read　the　letters　written　by　his；　son；　young　Abdul　Rachman；　now　a　student　at　Cairo；　who　has　been　away　five　years　…　four　at　Mecca。　The　young　theologian　writes　to　his　'HOOG　EERBARE　MOEDER'　a　fond　request　for　money；　and　promises　to　return　soon。　　I　am　invited　to　the　feast　wherewith　he　will　be　welcomed。　　Old　Abdul　Jemaalee　thinks　it　will　divert　my　mind；　and　prove　to　me　that　Allah　will　take　me　home　safe　to　my　children；　about　whom　he　and　his　wife　asked　many　questions。　　Moreover；　he　compelled　me　to　drink　herb　tea；　compounded　by　a　Malay　doctor　for　my　cough。　　I　declined　at　first；　and　the　poor　old　man　looked　hurt；　gravely　assured　me　that　it　was　not　true　that　Malays　always　poisoned　Christians；　and　drank　some　himself。　Thereupon　I　was　obliged；　of　course；　to　drink　up　the　rest；　it　certainly　did　me　good；　and　I　have　drunk　it　since　with　good　effect；　it　is　intensely　bitter　and　rather　sticky。　　The　white　servants　and　the　Dutch　landlady　where　I　lodge　shake　their　heads　ominously；　and　hope　it　mayn't　poison　me　a　year　hence。　　'Them　nasty　Malays　can　make　it　work　months　after　you　take　it。'　　They　also　possess　the　evil　eye；　and　a　talent　for　love　potions。　　As　the　men　are　very　handsome　and　neat；　I　incline　to　believe　that　part　of　it。

Rathfelder's　Halfway　House；　6th　November。　…　I　drove　out　here　yesterday　in　Captain　T…'s　drag；　which　he　kindly　brought　into　Capetown　for　me。　　He　and　his　wife　and　children　came　for　a　change　of　air　for　whooping　cough；　and　advised　me　to　come　too；　as　my　cough　continues；　though　less　troublesome。　　It　is　a　lovely　spot；　six　miles　from　Constantia；　ten　from　Capetown；　and　twelve　from　Simon's　Bay。　　I　intend　to　stay　here　a　little　while；　and　then　to　go　to　Kalk　Bay；　six　miles　from　hence。　　This　inn　was　excellent；　I　hear；　'in　the　old　Dutch　times'。　　Now　it　is　kept　by　a　young　Englishman；　Cape…born；　and　his　wife；　and　is　dirty　and　disorderly。　　I　pay　twelve　shillings　a　day　for　S…　and　self；　without　a　sitting…room；　and　my　bed　is　a　straw　paillasse；　but　the　food　is　plentiful；　and　not　very　bad。　　That　is　the　cheapest　rate　of　living　possible　here；　and　every　trifle　costs　double　what　it　would　in　England；　except　wine；　which　is　very　fair　at　fivepence　a　bottle　…　a　kind　of　hock。　　The　landlord　pays　1　pound　a　day　rent　for　this　house；　which　is　the　great　resort　of　the　Capetown　people　for　Sundays；　and　for　change　of　air；　&c。　…　a　rude　kind　of　Richmond。　　His　cook　gets　3　pounds　10S。　a　month；　besides　food　for　himself　and　wife；　and　beer　and　sugar。　　The　two　（white）　housemaids　get　1　pound　15S。　and　1　pound　10S。　respectively　（everything　by　the　month）。　　Fresh　butter　is　3S。　6D。　a　pound；　mutton　7D。；　washing　very　dear；　cabbages　my　host　sells　at　3D。　a　piece；　and　pumpkins　8D。　　He　has　a　fine　garden；　and　pays　a　gardener　3S。　6D。　a　day；　and　black　labourers　2S。　　THEY　work　three　days　a　week；　then　they　buy　rice　and　a　coarse　fish；　and　lie　in　the　sun　till　it　is　eaten；　while　their　darling　little　fat　black　babies　play　in　the　dust；　and　their　black　wives　make　battues　in　the　covers　in　their　woolly　heads。　　But　the　little　black　girl　who　cleans　my　room　is　far　the　best　servant；　and　smiles　and　speaks　like　Lalage　herself；　ugly　as　the　poor　drudge　is。　The　voice　and　smile　of　the　negroes　here　is　bewitching；　though　they　are　hideous；　and　neither　S…　nor　I　have　yet　heard　a　black　child　cry；　or　seen　one　naughty　or　quarrelsome。　　You　would　want　to　lay　out　a　fortune　in　woolly　babies。　　Yesterday　I　had　a　dreadful　heartache　after　my　darling；　on　her　little　birthday；　and　even　the　lovely　ranges　of　distant　mountains；　coloured　like　opals　in　the　sunset；　did　not　delight　me。　　This　is　a　dreary　place　for　strangers。　　Abdul　Jemaalee's　tisanne；　and　a　banana　which　he　gave　me　each　time　I　went　to　his　shop；　are　the　sole　offer　of　'Won't　you　take　something？'　or　even　the　sole　attempt　at　a　civility　that　I　have　received；　except　from　the　J…s；　who；　are　very　civil　and　kind。

When　I　have　done　my　visit　to　Simon's　Bay；　I　will　go　'up　country'；　to　Stellenbosch；　Paarl　and　Worcester；　perhaps。　　If　I　can　find　people　going　in　a　bullock…waggon；　I　will　join　them；　it　costs　1　pound　a　day；　and　goes　twenty　miles。　　If　money　were　no　object；　I　would　hire　one　with　Caffres　to　hunt；　as　well　as　outspan　and　drive；　and　take　a　saddle…horse。　　There　is　plenty　of　pleasure　to　be　had　in　travelling　here；　if　you　can　afford　it。　　The　scenery　is　quite　beyond　anything　you　can　imagine　in　beauty。　　I　went　to　a　country　house　at　Rondebosch　with　the　J…s；　and　I　never　saw　so　lovely　a　spot。　　The　possessor　had　done　his　best　to　spoil　it；　and　to　destroy　the　handsome　Dutch　house　and　fountains　and　aqueducts；　but　Nature　was　too　much　for　him；　and　the　place　lovely　in　neglect　and　shabbiness。

Now　I　will　tell　you　my　impressions　of　the　state　of　society　here；　as　far　as　I　have　been　able　to　make　out　by　playing　the　inquisitive　traveller。　　I　dare　say　the　statements　are　exaggerated；　but　I　do　not　think　they　are　wholly　devoid　of　truth。　　The　Dutch　round　Capetown　（I　don't　know　anything　of　'up　country'）　are　sulky　and　dispirited；　they　regret　the　slave　days；　and　can't　bear　to　pay　wages；　they　have　sold　all　their　fine　houses　in　town　to　merchants；　&c。；　and　let　their　handsome　country　places　go　to　pieces；　and　their　land　lie　fallow；　rather　than　hire　the　men　they　used　to　own。　　They　hate　the　Malays；　who　were　their　slaves；　and　whose　'insolent　prosperity'　annoys　them；　and　they　don't　like　the　vulgar；　bustling　English。　　The　English　complain　that　the　Dutch　won't　die；　and　that　they　are　the　curse　of　the　colony　（a　statement　for　which　they　can　never　give　a　reason）。　But　they；　too；　curse　the　emancipation；　long　to　flog　the　niggers；　and　hate　the　Malays；　who　work　harder　and　don't　drink；　and　who　are　the　only　masons；　tailors；　&c。；　and　earn　from　4S。　6D。　to　10S。　a　day。　The　Malays　also　have　almost　a　monopoly　of　cart…hiring　and　horse…　keeping；　an　Englishman　charges　4　pounds　10S。　or　5　pounds　for　a　carriage　to　do　what　a　Malay　will　do　quicker　in　a　light　cart　for　30S。　　S…　says；　'The　English　here　think　the　coloured　people　ought　to　do　the　work；　and　they　to　get　the　wages。　　Nothing　less　would　satisfy　them。'　　Servants'　wages　are　high；　but　other　wages　not　much　higher　than　in　England；　yet　industrious　people　invariably　make　fortunes；　or　at　least　competencies；　even　when　they　begin　with　nothing。　　But　few　of　the　English　will　do　anything　but　lounge；　while　they　abuse　the　Dutch　as　lazy；　and　the　Malays　as　thieves；　and　feel　their　fingers　itch　to　be　at　the　blacks。　　The　Africanders　（Dutch　and　negro　mixed　in　various　proportions）　are　more　or　less　lazy；　dirty；　and　dressy；　and　the　beautiful　girls　wear　pork…pie　hats；　and　look　very　winning　and　rather　fierce；　but　to　them　the　philanthropists　at　home　have　provided　formidable　rivals；　by　emptying　a　shipload　of　young　ladies　from　a　'Reformatory'　into　the　streets　of　Capetown。

I　am　puzzled　what　to　think　of　the　climate　here　for　invalids。　　The　air　is　dry　and　clear　beyond　conception；　and　light；　but　the　sun　is　scorching；　while　the　south…east　wind　blows　an　icy　hurricane；　and　the　dust　obscures　the　sky。　　These　winds　last　all　the　summer；　till　February　or　March。　　I　am　told　when　they　don't　blow　it　is　heavenly；　though　still　cold　in　the　mornings　and　evenings。　　No　one　must　be　out　at；　or　after　sunset；　the　chill　is　so　sudden。　　Many　of　the　people　here　declare　that　it　is　death　to　weak　lungs；　and　send　their　POITRINAIRES　to　Madeira；　or　the　south　of　France。　　They　also　swear　the　climate　is　enervating；　but　their　looks；　and　above　all　the　blowsy　cheeks　and　hearty　play　of　the　English　children；　disprove　that；　and　those　who　come　here　consumptive　get　well　in　spite　of　the　doctors；　who　won't　allow　it　possible。　　I　believe　it　is　a　climate　which　requires　great　care　from　invalids；　but　that；　with　care；　it　is　good；　because　it　is　bracing　as　well　as　warm　and　dry。　　It　is　not　nearly　so　warm　as　I　expected；　the　southern　icebergs　are　at　no　great　distance；　and　they　ice　the　south…east　wind　for　us。　　If　it　were　not　so　violent；　it　would　be　delicious；　and　there　are　no　unhealthy　winds　…　nothing　like　our　east　wind。　　The　people　here　grumble　at　the　north…wester；　which　sometimes　brings　rain；　and　call　it　damp；　which；　as　they　don't　know　what　damp　is；　is　excusable；　it　feels　like　a　DRY　south…wester　in　England。　　It　is；　however；　quite　a　delusion　to　think　of　living　out　of　doors；　here；　the　south…easters　keep　one　in　nearly；　if　not　quite；　half　one's　time；　and　in　summer　they　say　the　sun　is　too　hot　to　be　out　except　morning　and　evening。　　But　I　doubt　that；　for　they　make　an　outcry　about　heat　as　soon　as　it　is　not　cold。　　The　transitions　are　so　sudden；　that；　with　the　thermometer　at　76　degrees；　you　must　not　go　out　without　taking　a　thick　warm　cloak；　you　may　walk　into　a　south…easter　round　the　first　spur　of　the　mountain；　and　be　cut　in　two。　　In　short；　the　air　is　cold　and　bracing；　and　the　sun　blazing　hot；　those　whom　that　suits；　will　do　well。　　I　should　like　a　softer　air；　but　I　may　be　wrong；　when　there　is　only　a　moderate　wind；　it　is　delicious。　　You　walk　in　the　hot　sun；　which　makes　you　perspire　a　very　little；　but　you　dry　as　you　go；　the　air　is　so　dry；　and　you　come　in　untired。　　I　speak　of　slow　walking。　　There　are　no　hot…climate　diseases；　no　dysentery；　fever；　&c。

Simon's　Bay；　18th　Nov。　…　I　came　on　here　in　a　cart；　as　I　felt　ill　from　the　return　of　the　cold　weather。　　While　at　Rathfelder　we　had　a　superb　day；　and　the　J…s　drove　me　over　to　Constantia；　which　deserves　all　its　reputation　for　beauty。　　What　a　divine　spot！　…　such　kloofs；　with　silver　rills　running　down　them！　　It　is　useless　to　describe　scenery。　　It　was　a　sort　of　glorified　Scotland；　with　sunshine；　flowers；　and　orange…groves。　　We　got　home　hungry　and　tired；　but　in　great　spirits。　　A