marie-第25章

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meet　again　in　the　world。　　But　if　not；　remember　what　I　have　taught　you；

and　if　I　survive　you；　for　my　part　I　shall　remember　that　you　died　trying

to　do　your　duty。　　Oh；　what　trouble　has　the　blind　madness　of　Henri　Marais

brought　upon　us　all！　　Well；　I　warned　him　that　it　would　be　so。　　Good…bye；

my　dear　boy；　good…bye：　my　prayers　will　follow　you；　and　for　the　rest

Well；　I　am　old；　and　what　does　it　matter　if　my　grey　hairs　come　with

sorrow　to　the　grave？〃



I　kissed　him　back；　and　with　an　aching　heart　sprang　to　the　saddle。　　In

five　more　minutes　the　station　was　out　of　sight。





Thirteen　and　a　half　hours　later　I　pulled　rein　upon　the　quay　of　Port

Elizabeth　just；　only　just；　in　time　to　catch　Captain　Richardson　as　he　was

entering　his　boat　to　row　out　to　the　Seven　Stars；　on　which　the　canvas　was

already　being　hoisted。　　As　well　as　I　could　in　my　exhausted　state；　I

explained　matters　and　persuaded　him　to　wait　till　the　next　tide。　　Then；

thanking　God　for　the　mare's　speedthe　roan　had　been　left　foundered

thirty　miles　away；　and　Hans　was　following　on　the　chestnut；　but　not　yet

upI　dragged　the　poor　beast　to　an　inn　at　hand。　　There　she　lay　down　and

died。　　Well；　she　had　done　her　work；　and　there　was　no　other　horse　in　the

country　that　could　have　caught　that　boat。



An　hour　or　so　later　Hans　came　in　flogging　the　chestnut；　and　here　I　may

add　that　both　it　and　the　roan　recovered。　　Indeed　I　rode　them　for　many

years；　until　they　were　quite　old。　　When　I　had　eaten；　or　tried　to　eat

something　and　rested　awhile；　I　went　to　the　bank；　succeeded　in　explaining

the　state　of　the　case　to　the　manager；　and　after　some　difficulty；　for

gold　was　not　very　plentiful　in　Port　Elizabeth；　procured　three　hundred

pounds　in　sovereigns。　　For　the　other　two　he　gave　me　a　bill　upon　some

agent　in　Delagoa　Bay；　together　with　a　letter　of　recommendation　to　him

and　the　Portuguese　governor；　who；　it　appeared；　was　in　debt　to　their

establishment。　　By　an　afterthought；　however；　although　I　kept　the

letters；　I　returned　him　the　bill　and　spent　the　#200　in　purchasing　a

great　variety　of　goods　which　I　will　not　enumerate；　that　I　knew　would　be

useful　for　trading　purposes　among　the　east　coast　Kaffirs。　　Indeed；　I

practically　cleared　out　the　Port　Elizabeth　stores；　and　barely　had　time；

with　the　help　of　Hans　and　the　storekeepers；　to　pack　and　ship　the　goods

before　the　Seven　Stars　put　out　to　sea。





Within　twenty…four　hours　from　the　time　I　had　left　the　Mission　Station；

Hans　and　I　saw　behind　us　Port　Elizabeth　fading　into　the　distance；　and　in

front　a　waste　of　stormy　waters。







CHAPTER　VIII









THE　CAMP　OF　DEATH











Everything　went　well　upon　that　voyage；　except　with　me　personally。　　Not

having　been　on　the　ocean　since　I　was　a　child；　I；　who　am　naturally　no

good　sailor；　was　extremely　ill　as　day　by　day　we　ploughed　through　seas

that　grew　ever　more　rough。　　Also；　strong　as　I　was；　that　fearful　ride　had

overdone　me。　　Added　to　these　physical　discomforts　was　my　agonising

anxiety　of　mind；　which　I　leave　anyone　with　imagination　to　picture　for

himself。　　Really　there　were　times　when　I　wished　that　the　Seven　Stars

would　plunge　headlong　to　the　bottom　of　the　deep　and　put　an　end　to　me　and

my　miseries。



These；　however；　so　far　as　the　bodily　side　of　them　was　concerned；　were；　I

think；　surpassed　by　those　of　my　henchman　Hans；　who；　as　a　matter　of　fact；

had　never　before　set　foot　in　any　kind　of　boat。　　Perhaps　this　was

fortunate；　since　had　he　known　the　horrors　of　the　ocean；　much　as　he　loved

me；　he　would；　I　am　sure；　by　one　means　or　another；　have　left　me　to　voyage

in　the　Seven　Stars　alone。　　There　he　lay　upon　the　floor　of　my　little

cabin；　rolling　to　and　fro　with　the　violent　motion　of　the　brig；　overcome

with　terror。　　He　was　convinced　that　we　were　going　to　be　drowned；　and　in

the　intervals　of　furious　sea…sickness　uttered　piteous　lamentations　in

Dutch；　English；　and　various　native　tongues；　mingled　with　curses　and

prayers　of　the　most　primitive　and　realistic　order。



After　the　first　twenty…four　hours　or　so　he　informed　me　with　many　moans

that　the　last　bit　of　his　inside　had　just　come　out　of　him；　and　that　he

was　now　quite　hollow　〃like　a　gourd。〃　　Also　he　declared　that　all　these

evils　had　fallen　upon　him　because　he　had　been　fool　enough　to　forsake　the

religion　of　his　people　（what　was　that；　I　wonder）；　and　allow　himself　to

be　〃washed　white；〃　that　is；　be　baptised；　by　my　father。



I　answered　that　as　he　had　become　white　instead　of　staying　yellow；　I

advised　him　to　remain　so；　since　it　was　evident　that　the　Hottentot　gods

would　have　nothing　more　to　do　with　one　who　had　deserted　them。　　Thereon

he　made　a　dreadful　face；　which　even　in　the　midst　of　my　own　woes　caused

me　to　laugh　at　him；　uttered　a　prolonged　groan；　and　became　so　silent　that

I　thought　he　must　be　dead。　　However；　the　sailor　who　brought　me　my

foodsuch　food！assured　me　that　this　was　not　so；　and　lashed　him　tight

to　the　legs　of　the　bunk　by　his　arm　and　ankle　so　as　to　prevent　him　from

being　rolled　to　bits。



Next　morning　Hans　was　dosed　with　brandy；　which；　in　his　empty　condition；

made　him　extremely　drunk；　and　from　that　time　forward　began　to　take　a

more　cheerful　view　of　things。　　Especially　was　this　so　when　the　hours　for

the　〃brandy　medicine〃　came　round。　　Hans；　like　most　other　Hottentots；

loved　spirits；　and　would　put　up　with　much　to　get　them；　even　with　my

father's　fiery　indignation。



I　think　it　was　on　the　fourth　day　that　at　length　we　pitched　and　rolled

ourselves　over　the　shallow　bar　of　Port　Natal　and　found　ourselves　at

peace　for　a　while　under　shelter　of　the　Point　in　the　beautiful　bay　upon

the　shores　of　which　the　town　of　Durban　now　stands。　　Then　it　was　but　a

miserable　place；　consisting　of　a　few　shanties　which　were　afterwards

burnt　by　the　Zulus；　and　a　number　of　Kaffir　huts。　　For　such　white　men　as

dwelt　there　had　for　the　most　part　native　followings；　and；　I　may　add；

native　wives。



We　spent　two　days　at　this　settlement　of　Durban；　where　Captain　Richardson

had　some　cargo　to　land　for　the　English　settlers；　one　or　two　of　whom　had

started　a　trade　with　the　natives　and　with　parties　of　the　emigrant　Boers

who　were　beginning　to　enter　the　territory　by　the　overland　route。　　Those

days　I　passed　on　shore；　though　I　would　not　allow　Hans　to　accompany　me

lest　he　should　desert；　employing　my　time　in　picking　up　all　the

information　I　could　about　the　state　of　affairs；　especially　with

reference　to　the　Zulus；　a　people　with　whom　I　was　destined　ere　long　to

make　an　intimate　acquaintance。　　Needless　to　say；　I　inquired　both　from

natives　and　from　white　men　whether　anything　was　known　of　the　fate　of

Marais's　party；　but　no　one　seemed　even　to　have　heard　of　them。　　One　thing

I　did　learn；　however；　that　my　old　friend；　Pieter　Retief；　with　a　large

following；　had　crossed　the　Quathlamba　Mountains；　which　we　now　know　as

the　Drakensberg；　and　entered　the　territory　of　Natal。　　Here　they　proposed

to　settle　if　they　could　get　the　leave　of　the　Zulu　king；　Dingaan；　a

savage　potentate　of　whom　and　of　whose　armies　everyone　seemed　to　live　in

terror。



On　the　third　morning；　to　my　great　relief；　for　I　was　terrified　lest　we

should　be　delayed；　the　Seven　Stars　sailed　with　a　favouring　wind。　　Three

days　later　we　entered　the　harbour　of　Delagoa；　a　sheet　of　water　many

miles　long　and　broad。　　Notwithstanding　its　shallow　entrance；　it　is　the

best　natural　port　in　Southeastern　Africa；　but　now；　alas！　lost　to　the

English。



Six　hours　later　we　anchored　opposite　a　sandbank　on　which　stood　a

dilapidated　fort　and　a　dirty　settlement　known　as　Lorenzo　Marquez；　where

the　Portuguese　kept　a　few　soldiers；　most　of　them　coloured。　　I　pass　over

my　troubles　with　the　Customs；　if　such　they　could　be　called。　　Suffice　it

to　say　that　ultimately　I　succeeded　in　landing　my　goods；　on　which　the

duty　chargeable　was　apparently　enormous。　　This　I　did　by　distributing

twenty…five　English　sovereigns　among　various　officials；　beginning　with

the　acting…governor　and　ending　with　a　drunken　black　sweep　who　sat　in　a

kind　of　sentry　box　on　the　quay。



Earl