the days of my life-第15章

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who　was　secretary　to　Pine　（the　late　Governor　of　Natal）；　puts　me　up　to　a　lot　of　things；　he　is　an　excessively　nice　fellow　and　we　are　great　allies　。　。　。　。
The　merchants　of　Cape　Town　give　a　ball　tomorrow　night　to　which　I　am　invited。　It　will　be　a　good　opportunity　of　studying　the　Cape　Town　aristocracy。　I　have　just　returned　from　calling　on　the　Bishop。　The　Barklys　have　a　first…rate　four…inhand　and　we　went　through　a　beautiful　country；　so　our　drive　was　a　pleasant　one。　I　like　the　Bishop　very　much。　He　is　a　thorough　specimen　of　muscular　Christianity。　。　。　。　This　continual　influx　of　strangers　has　a　very　depressing　effect。　There　is　another　big　dinner　on　to…night；　and　there　won’t　be　a　soul　I　know　among　them　unless　Beaumont　es；　which　I　devoutly　hope　he　will。　All　these　new　faces　that　you　don’t　know　make　you　think　of　the　old　ones　that　you　do　know。　。　。　。　I　hope　that　you　are　quite　well　now；　my　dear　Father；　and　that　you　do　not　miss　me　as　much　as　I　do　you。
I　remain；　with　best　love　to　all；
Ever　your　most　affectionate　and　dutiful　son；
H。　Rider　Haggard　（or　“Waggart”　as　they　put　my　name
in　the　paper）。
My　mother　will　pity　me　when　I　tell　her　that　I’ve　got　to　get　servants。　Where　on　earth　am　I　to　find　servants；　and　who　am　I　to　ask　about　them？
Now　before　we　go　on　to　Natal　where　the　real　business　of　my　life　began；　I　will　stop　for　a　moment　to　take　stock　of　myself　as　I　was　in　those　days　at　the　age　of　nieen。
I　was　a　tall　young　fellow；　quite　six　feet；　and　slight；　blue…eyed；　brown…haired；　fresh…plexioned；　and　not　at　all　bad…looking。　The　Zulus　gave　me　the　name　of　“Indanda；”　which　meant；　I　believe；　one　who　is　tall　and　pleasant…natured。　Mentally　I　was　impressionable；　quick　to　observe　and　learn　whatever　interested　me；　and　could　already　hold　my　own　in　conversation。　Also；　if　necessary；　I　could　make　a　public　speech。　I　was；　however；　subject　to　fits　of　depression　and　liable　to　take　views　of　things　too　serious　and　gloomy　for　my　age　—　failings；　I　may　add；　that　I　have　never　been　able　to　shake　off。　Even　then　I　had　the　habit　of　looking　beneath　the　surface　of　characters　and　events；　and　of　trying　to　get　at　their　springs　and　causes。　I　liked　to　understand　any　country　or　society　in　which　I　found　myself。　I　despised　those　who　merely　floated　on　the　stream　of　life　and　never　tried　to　dive　into　its　depths。　Yet　in　some　ways　I　think　I　was　rather　indolent；　that　is　if　the　task　in　hand　bored　me。　I　was　ambitious　and　conscious　of　certain　powers；　but　wanted　to　climb　the　tree　of　success　too　quickly　—　a　proceeding　that　generally　results　in　slips。
Further；　my　eldest　sister；　Ella　（Mrs。　Maddison　Green）；　informed　me　only　a　month　or　two　ago　that　at　this　period　I　was　conceited。　Possibly　I　may　have　been；　for　I　had　been　living　in　a　very　forcing　atmosphere　where　I　was　made　too　much　of　by　some　of　my　elders。
Four　or　five　days’　steaming　along　the　green　and　beautiful　coasts　of　south…eastern　Africa；　on　which　the　great　rollers　break　continually；　brought　us　to　Port　Natal。　At　that　time　the　Durban　harbour　was　not　sufficiently　dredged　to　admit　sea…going　vessels；　and　I　think　we　had　some　difficulty　in　landing。　There　was　a　reception　mittee　which　presented　an　address　of　wele　to　the　Lieutenant…Governor；　and　I　remember　hurriedly　copying　his　answer　as　the　ship　rolled　off　the　Point。
Sir　Gar　Wolseley　had　been　sent　to　Natal　as　temporary　Governor　to　settle　certain　matters　connected　with　its　constitution。　I　think　that　at　that　time　he　had　left　the　Colony　himself；　though　of　this　I　am　not　quite　sure；　as　I　am　unable　to　remember　when　I　first　spoke　to　him。　In　after　life　I　met　him　on　several　occasions。　Especially　do　I　remember　a　long　talk　with　him　at　a　dinner…party　at　the　house　of　the　Bischoffheims　in　London　some　time　in　the　eighties。　He　was　a　small；　bright…eyed；　quick…brained　man　who　expressed　his　views　upon　the　public　matters　of　the　day　with　a　fierceness　and　a　vigour　that　were　quite　astonishing。　We　sat　together　at　the　table　after　all　the　other　guests　had　left　to　join　the　ladies；　and　I　reflected　that　he　must　have　had　singular　confidence　in　my　character　to　say　the　things　he　did　to　me。　However；　it　was　justified；　for　of　course　I　never　repeated　a　word。
Those　of　the　Staff　whom　I　recollect　are；　or　were　—　for　I　think　they　are　now　all　dead　—　Lord　Gifford；　Colonel　（afterwards　Sir　Henry）　Brackenbury；　and　Major　（afterwards　Sir　William）　Butler。　Of　these　the　one　who　impressed　himself　most　deeply　upon　my　mind　was　Butler。　He　was　a　most　agreeable　and　sympathetic　man；　who　took　the　trouble　to　talk　a　good　deal　to　me；　although　I　was　but　a　lad。　I　recall　that　with　much　graphic　detail　he　told　me　the　story　of　how；　when　he　was　suffering　from　fever；　he　was　nearly　thrown　overboard　as　a　dead　man　off　the　West　Coast　of　Africa；　where　he　had　been　serving　in　the　Ashanti　Expedition。　Recently　I　have　been　reading　his　very　interesting　and　remarkable　autobiography；　in　which　I　see　he　describes　this　incident。
Subsequently　—　but　I　think　this　was　at　Pietermaritzburg　—　I　became　well　acquainted　with　Colonel　（afterwards　Sir　George）　Colley。　He　stayed　with　us　at　Government　House　and　I　remember　a　curious　little　incident　concerning　him。
He　was　leaving　Natal　and　wished　to　sell　a　shot…gun　which　I　wished　to　purchase；　though　I　am　not　sure　whether　this　was　on　my　account　or　on　that　of　Sir　Henry　Bulwer。　We　had　a　difference　of　opinion　as　to　the　price　of　the　article。　Finally　I　interviewed　him　one　morning　when　he　was　taking　his　bath；　and　he　suggested　that　we　should　settle　the　matter　by　tossing。　This　I　did　with　a　half…sovereign；　he　giving　the　call；　but　who　won　I　forget。
Of　my　last　tragic　meeting　with　poor　Colley　at　the　time　of　the　first　Boer　War　I　may　speak　later　in　this　book。
After　a　short　stay　at　Durban　we　proceeded　to　Maritzburg；　the　seat　of　government；　in　some　kind　of　a　horse　conveyance；　as；　except　for　a　short　time　on　the　coast；　there　was　then　no　railway　in　Natal。　In　those　days　it　was　a　charming　town　of　the　ordinary　Dutch　character；　with　wide　streets　bordered　by　sluits　of　running　water　and　planted　with　gum　trees。
Of　the　year　or　so　that　I　spent　in　Natal　I　have　not　much　to　say　that　is　worthy　of　record。　The　country　impressed　me　enormously。　Indeed；　on　the　whole　I　think　it　the　most　beautiful　of　any　that　I　have　seen　in　the　world；　parts　of　Mexico　alone　excepted。　The　great　plains　rising　by　steps　to　the　Quathlamba　or　Drakensberg　Mountains；　the　sparkling　torrential　rivers；　the　sweeping　thunderstorms；　the　grass…fires　creeping　over　the　veld　at　night　like　snakes　of　living　flame；　the　glorious　aspect　of　the　heavens；　now　of　a　spotless　blue；　now　charged　with　the　splendid　and　many…coloured　lights　of　sunset；　and　now　sparkling　with　a　myriad　stars；　the　wine…like　taste　of　the　air　upon　the　plains；　the　beautiful　flowers　in　the　bush…clad　kloofs　or　on　the　black　veld　in　spring　—　all　these　things　impressed　me；　so　much　that　were　I　to　live　a　thousand　years　I　never　should　forget　them。
Then　there　were　the　Zulu　Kaffirs　living　in　their　kraals　filled　with　round　beehive…like　huts；　bronze…coloured；　noble…looking　men　and　women　clad　only　in　their　moochas；　whose　herds　of　cattle　wandered　hither　and　thither　in　charge　of　a　little　lad。　From　the　beginning　I　was　attracted　to　these　Zulus；　and　soon　began　to　study　their　character　and　their　history。
I　　a　letter　to　my　mother　dated　Government　House；　Natal；　Septe