letters from the cape-第7部分

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n　to　ride　a　little　and　see　the　country；　which　is　beautiful。

The　water…line　is　all　red　from　the　iron　stone；　and　there　are　hot　chalybeate　springs　up　the　mountain　which　are　very　good　for　rheumatism；　and　very　strengthening；　I　am　told。　　The　boots　here　is　a　Mantatee；　very　black；　and　called　Kleenboy；　because　he　is　so　little；　he　is　the　only　sleek　black　I　have　seen　here；　but　looks　heavy　and　downcast。　　One　maid　is　Irish　（they　make　the　best　servants　here）；　a　very　nice　clean　girl；　and　the　other；　a　brown　girl　of　fifteen；　whose　father　is　English；　and　married　to　her　mother。　　Food　here　is　scarce；　all　but　bread　and　mutton；　both　good。　　Butter　is　3S。　a　pound；　fruit　and　vegetables　only　to　be　had　by　chance。　　I　miss　the　oranges　and　lemons　sadly。　　Poultry　and　milk　uncertain。　　The　bread　is　good　everywhere；　from　the　fine　wheat：　　in　the　country　it　is　brownish　and　sweet。　　The　wine　here　is　execrable；　this　is　owing　to　the　prevailing　indolence；　for　there　is　excellent　wine　made　from　the　Rhenish　grape；　rather　like　Sauterne；　with　a　SOUPCON　of　Manzanilla　flavour。　　The　sweet　Constantia　is　also　very　good　indeed；　not　the　expensive　sort；　which　is　made　from　grapes　half　dried；　and　is　a　liqueur；　but　a　light；　sweet；　straw…coloured　wine；　which　even　I　liked。　　We　drank　nothing　else　at　the　Admiral's。　　The　kind　old　sailor　has　given　me　a　dozen　of　wine；　which　is　coming　up　here　in　a　waggon；　and　will　be　most　welcome。　　I　can't　tell　you　how　kind　he　and　Lady　Walker　were；　I　was　there　three　weeks；　and　hope　to　go　again　when　the　south…easter　season　is　over　and　I　can　get　out　a　little。　　I　could　not　leave　the　house　at　all；　and　even　Lady　Walker　and　the　girls；　who　are　very　energetic；　got　out　but　little。　　They　are　a　charming　family。

I　have　no　doubt　that　Dr。　Shea　was　right；　and　that　one　must　leave　the　coast　to　get　a　fine　climate。　　Here　it　seems　to　me　nearly　perfect　…　too　windy　for　my　pleasure；　but　then　the　sun　would　be　overpowering　without　a　fresh　breeze。　　Every　one　agrees　in　saying　that　the　winter　in　Capetown　is　delicious　…　like　a　fine　English　summer。　　In　November　the　southeasters　begin；　and　they　are　'fiendish'；　this　year　they　began　in　September。　　The　mornings　here　are　always　fresh；　not　to　say　cold；　the　afternoons；　from　one　to　three；　broiling；　then　delightful　till　sunset；　which　is　deadly　cold　for　three…quarters　of　an　hour；　the　night　is　lovely。　　The　wind　rises　and　falls　with　the　sun。　　That　is　the　general　course　of　things。　　Now　and　then　it　rains；　and　this　year　there　is　a　little　south…easter；　which　is　quite　unusual；　and　not　odious；　as　it　is　near　the　sea；　and　there　is　seldom　a　hot　wind　from　the　north。　　I　am　promised　that　on　or　about　Christmas…day；　then　doors　and　windows　are　shut；　and　you　gasp。　　Hitherto　we　have　had　nothing　nearly　so　hot　as　Paris　in　summer；　or　as　the　summer　of　1859　in　England；　and　they　say　it　is　no　hotter；　except　when　the　hot　wind　blows；　which　is　very　rare。　　Up　here；　snow　sometimes　lies；　in　winter；　on　the　mountain　tops；　but　ice　is　unknown；　and　Table　Mountain　is　never　covered　with　snow。　　The　flies　are　pestilent　…　incredibly　noisy；　intrusive；　and　disgusting　…　and　oh；　such　swarms！　　Fleas　and　bugs　not　half　so　bad　as　in　France；　as　far　as　my　experience　goes；　and　I　have　poked　about　in　queer　places。

I　get　up　at　half…past　five；　and　walk　in　the　early　morning；　before　the　sun　and　wind　begin　to　be　oppressive；　it　is　then　dry；　calm；　and　beautiful；　then　I　sleep　like　a　Dutchman　in　the　middle　of　the　day。　At　present　it　tires　me；　but　I　shall　get　used　to　it　soon。　　The　Dutch　doctor　here　advised　me　to　do　so；　to　avoid　the　wind。

When　all　was　settled；　we　climbed　the　Hottentot's　mountains　by　Sir　Lowry's　Pass；　a　long　curve　round　two　hill…sides；　and　what　a　view！　Simon's　Bay　opening　out　far　below；　and　range　upon　range　of　crags　on　one　side；　with　a　wide　fertile　plain；　in　which　lies　Hottentot's　Holland；　at　one's　feet。　　The　road　is　just　wide　enough　for　one　waggon；　i。e。　very　narrow。　　Where　the　smooth　rock　came　through；　Choslullah　gave　a　little　grunt；　and　the　three　bays　went　off　like　hippogriffs；　dragging　the　grey　with　them。　　By　this　time　my　confidence　in　his　driving　was　boundless；　or　I　should　have　expected　to　find　myself　in　atoms　at　the　bottom　of　the　precipice。　　At　the　top　of　the　pass　we　turned　a　sharp　corner　into　a　scene　like　the　crater　of　a　volcano；　only　reaching　miles　away　all　round；　and　we　descended　a　very　little　and　drove　on　along　great　rolling　waves　of　country；　with　the　mountain　tops；　all　crags　and　ruins；　to　our　left。　　At　three　we　reached　Palmiet　River；　full　of　palmettos　and　bamboos；　and　there　the　horses　had　'a　little　roll'；　and　Choslullah　and　his　miniature　washed　in　the　river　and　prayed；　and　ate　dry　bread；　and　drank　their　tepid　water　out　of　a　bottle　with　great　good　breeding　and　cheerfulness。　　Three　bullock…waggons　had　outspanned；　and　the　Dutch　boers　and　Bastaards　（half　Hottentots）　were　all　drunk。　　We　went　into　a　neat　little　'public'；　and　had　porter　and　ham　sandwiches；　for　which　I　paid　4S。　6D。　to　a　miserable…looking　English　woman；　who　was　afraid　of　her　tipsy　customers。　　We　got　to　Houw　Hoek；　a　pretty　valley　at　the　entrance　of　a　mountain　gorge；　about　half…past　five；　and　drove　up　to　a　mud　cottage；　half　inn；　half　farm；　kept　by　a　German　and　his　wife。　　It　looked　mighty　queer；　but　Choslullah　said　the　host　was　a　good　old　man；　and　all　clean。　　So　we　cheered　up；　and　asked　for　food。　　While　the　neat　old　woman　was　cooking　it；　up　galloped　five　fine　lads　and　two　pretty　flaxen…haired　girls；　with　real　German　faces；　on　wild　little　horses；　and　one　girl　tucked　up　her　habit；　and　waited　at　table；　while　another　waved　a　green　bough　to　drive　off　the　swarms　of　flies。　　The　chops　were　excellent；　ditto　bread　and　butter；　and　the　tea　tolerable。　　The　parlour　was　a　tiny　room　with　a　mud　floor；　half…hatch　door　into　the　front；　and　the　two　bedrooms　still　tinier　and　darker；　each　with　two　huge　beds　which　filled　them　entirely。　　But　Choslullah　was　right；　they　were　perfectly　clean；　with　heaps　of　beautiful　pillows；　and　not　only　none　of　the　creatures　of　which　he　spoke　with　infinite　terror；　but　even　no　fleas。　　The　man　was　delighted　to　talk　to　me。　　His　wife　had　almost　forgotten　German；　and　the　children　did　not　know　a　word　of　it；　but　spoke　Dutch　and　English。　　A　fine；　healthy；　happy　family。　It　was　a　pretty　picture　of　emigrant　life。　　Cattle；　pigs；　sheep；　and　poultry；　and　pigeons　innumerable；　all　picked　up　their　own　living；　and　cost　nothing；　and　vegetables　and　fruit　grow　in　rank　abundance　where　there　is　water。　　I　asked　for　a　book　in　the　evening；　and　the　man　gave　me　a　volume　of　Schiller。　　A　good　breakfast；　…　and　we　paid　ninepence　for　all。

This　morning　we　started　before　eight；　as　it　looked　gloomy；　and　came　through　a　superb　mountain　defile；　out　on　to　a　rich　hillocky　country；　covered　with　miles　of　corn；　all　being　cut　as　far　as　the　eye　could　reach；　and　we　passed　several　circular　threshing…floors；　where　the　horses　tread　out　the　grain。　　Each　had　a　few　mud　hovels　near　it；　for　the　farmers　and　men　to　live　in　during　harvest。　Altogether；　I　was　most　lucky；　had　two　beautiful　days；　and　enjoyed　the　journey　immensely。　　It　was　most　'ABENTHEUERLICH'；　the　light　two…wheeled　cart；　with　four　wild　little　horses；　and　the　marvellous　brown　driver；　who　seemed　to　be　always　going　to　perdition；　but　made　the　horses　do　apparently　impossible　things　with　absolute　certainty；　and　the　pretty　tiny　boy　who　came　to　help　his　uncle；　and　was　so　clever；　and　so　preternaturally　quiet；　and　so　very　small：　　then　the　road　through　the　mountain　passes；　seven　or　eight　feet　wide；　with　a　precipice　above　and　below；　up　which　the　little　horses　scrambled；　while　big　lizards；　with　green　heads　and　chocolate　bodies；　looked　pertly　at　us；　and　a　big　bright　amber…coloured　cobra；　as　handsome　as　he　is　deadly；　wriggled　across　into　a　hole。

Nearly　all　the　people　in　this　village　are　Dutch。　　There　is　one　Malay　tailor　here；　but　he　is　obliged　to　be　a　Christian　at　Caledon；　though　Choslullah　told　me　with　a　grin；　he　was　a　very　good　Malay　when　he　went　to　Capetown。　　He　did　not　seem　much　shocked　at　this　double　religion；　staunch　Mussulman　as　he　was　himself。　　I　suppose　the　blacks　'up　country'　are　what　Dutch　slavery　made　them　…　mere　animals　…　cunning　and　sulky。　　The　real　Hottentot　is　extinct；　I　believe；　in　the　Colony；　what　one　now　sees　are　all　'Bastaards'；　the　Dutch　name　for　their　own　descendants　by　Hottentot　women。　　These　mongrel　Hottentots；　who　do　all　the　work；　are　an　affliction　to　behold　…　debased　and　SHRIVELLED　with　drink；　and　drunk　all　day　long；　sullen　wretched　creatures　…　so　unlike　the　bright　Malays　and　cheery　pleasant　blacks　and　browns　of　Capetown；　who　never　pass　you　without　a　kind　word　and　sunny　smile　or　broad　African　grin；　SELON　their　colour　and　shape　of　face。　　I　look　back　fondly　to　the　gracious　soft…　looking　Malagasse　woman　who　used　to　give　me　a　chair　under　the　big　tree　near　Rathfelders；　and　a　cup　of　'bosjesthee'　（herb　tea）；　and　talk　so　prettily　in　her　soft　voice；　…　it　is　such　a　contrast　to　these　poor　animals；　who　glower　at　one　quite　unpleasantly。　　All　the　hovels　I　was　in　at　Capetown　were　very　fairly　clean；　and　I　went　into　numbers。　　They　almost　all　contained　a　handsome　bed；　with；　at　least；　eight　pillows。　　If　you　only　look　at　the　door　with　a　friendly　glance；　you　are　implored　to　come　in　and　sit　down；　and　usually　offered　a　'coppj'　（cup）　of　herb　tea；　which　they　are　quite　grateful　to　one　for　drinking。　　I　never　saw　or　heard　a　hint　of　'backsheesh'；　nor　did　I　ever　give　it；　on　principle　and　I　was　always　recognised　and　invited　to　come　again　with　the　greatest　eagerness。　　'An　indulgence　of　talk'　from　an　English　'Missis'　seemed　the　height　of　gratification；　and　the　pride　and　pleasure　of　giving　hospitality　a　sufficient　reward。　　But　here　it　is　quite　different。　　I　suppose　the　benefits　of　the　emancipation　were　felt　at　Capetown　sooner　than　in　the　country；　and　the　Malay　population　there　furnishes　a　strong　element　of　sobriety　and　respectability；　which　sets　an　example　to　the　other　coloured　people。

Harvest　is　now　going　on；　and　the　so…called　Hottentots　are　earning　2S。　6D。　a　day；　with　rations　and　wine。　　But　all　the　money　goes　at　the　'canteen'　in　drink；　and　the　poor　wretched　men　and　women　look　wasted　and　degraded。　　The　children　are　pretty；　and　a　few　of　them　are　half…breed　girls；　who　do　very　well；　unless　a　white　man　admires　them；　and　then　they　think　it　quite　an　honour　to　have　a　whitey…brown　child；　which　happens　at　about　fifteen；　by　which　age　they　look