Alexander Wilmot was too much pleased with Mr Swinton not to cultivate
his acquaintance, and they soon became very intimate. The conversation
often turned upon Mr Swinton's favourite study, that of natural
history.
"I confess myself wholly ignorant of the subject," observed Alexander
one day, "though I feel that it must be interesting to those who study
it; indeed, when I have walked through the museums, I have often wished
that I had some one near who could explain to me what I wished to know
and was puzzled about. But it appears to me that the study of natural
history is such an immense undertaking if you comprehend all its
branches. Let me see,--there is botany, mineralogy, and geology--these
are included, are they not?"
"Most certainly," replied Mr Swinton, laughing; "and perhaps the three
most interesting branches. Then you have zoology, or the study of
animals, ornithology for birds, entomology for insects, conchology for
shells, ichthyology for fishes; all very hard names, and enough to
frighten a young beginner. But I can assure you, a knowledge of these
subjects, to an extent sufficient to create interest and afford
continual amusement, is very easily acquired."
"`The proper study of mankind is man,' says the poet,"--observed
Alexander, smiling.
"Poets deal in fiction, Mr Wilmot," replied Mr Swinton; "to study man
is only to study his inconsistencies and his aberrations from the right
path, which the free-will permitted to him induces him to follow; but in
the study of nature, you witness the directing power of the Almighty,
who guides with an unerring hand, and who has so wonderfully apportioned
out to all animals the means of their providing for themselves. Not
only the external, but the inward structure of animals, shows such
variety, and ingenuity to surmount all difficulties, and to afford them
all the enjoyment their nature is capable of, that after every
examination you rise with increased astonishment and admiration at the
condescension and goodness of the Master Hand, thus to calculate and
provide for the necessities of the smallest insect; and you are
compelled to exclaim with the Psalmist, `O God, how manifold are thy
works; in wisdom hast thou made them all!'"
"You certainly do put the study in a new and most pleasurable light,"
replied Alexander.
"The more you search into nature, the more wonderful do you find her
secrets, and, by the aid of chemistry, we are continually making new
discoveries. Observe, Mr Wilmot," said Swinton picking up a straw
which had been blown by the wind on the quarter-deck, "do you consider
that there is any analogy between this straw and the flint in the lock
of that gun?"
"Certainly, I should imagine them as opposite particles of nature as
well might be."
"Such is not the case. This piece of wheat-straw contains more than
sixty per cent of silica or flint in its composition; so that, although
a vegetable, it is nearly two-thirds composed of the hardest mineral
substance we know of. You would scarcely believe that the fibres of the
root of this plant were capable of dissolving, feeding upon, and
digesting such a hard substance; but so it is."
"It is very wonderful."
"It is, but it is not a solitary instance; the phosphate of lime, which
is the chief component part of the bones of animals, is equally sought
by plants, dissolved in the same manner, and taken into their bodies;
barley and oats have about thirty per cent of it in their composition,
and most woods and plants have more or less."
"I am less surprised at that than I am with the flint, which appears
almost incomprehensible."
"Nothing is impossible with God; there is a rush in Holland which
contains much more silex than the wheat-straw, and it is employed by the
Dutch to polish wood and brass, on that very account. We know but
little yet, but we do know that mineral substances are found in the
composition of most living animals, if not all; indeed, the
colouring-matter of the blood is an oxide and phosphate of iron."
"I can now understand why you are so enthusiastic in the science, Mr
Swinton, and I regret much that the short time which will be occupied in
the remainder of our voyage will not enable me to profit as I should
wish by your conversation; for when we arrive at the Cape, I fear our
pursuits will lead us different ways."
"I presume they will, for I am about to penetrate as far as possible
into the interior of the country," replied Mr Swinton, "which of course
is not your intention."
"Indeed, but it is," replied Alexander; "I am about to do the same,
although perhaps not in the same direction. May I ask your intended
route, if not too inquisitive?"
"Not at all; I can hardly say myself. I shall be guided by the
protection I may fall in with. Africa is a wide field for science, and
I can hardly go anywhere without being well rewarded for my journey; and
I will say, that should it meet both our views, I should be very glad if
we were to travel in company."
Mr Fairburn, who had come on deck, had been standing close to them at
the latter portion of the conversation, and made the observation--
"I think it would be a very good plan if Mr Swinton would venture to go
where you are bound, Mr Wilmot, but you can talk of that another day,
when you have been longer together. There is nothing that requires more
deliberation than the choice of a travelling companion; any serious
imperfection of temper may make a journey very miserable. Now, Wilmot,
if you are tired of natural history, and wish to change it for the
painful history of human nature, I am ready to continue my
observations."
"With great pleasure, sir."
"I hope you have no objection to my reaping the benefit also?" said Mr
Swinton.
"Oh, most certainly not," replied Mr Fairburn, "although I fear you
will not gain much information, as you have been at the Cape before. In
a former conversation with Mr Wilmot I have pointed out the manner in
which the Cape was first settled, and how the settlers had gradually
reduced the original possessors of the land to a state of serfdom; I
will now continue.
"The Dutch boors, as they increased their wealth in cattle, required
more pasture, and were now occupying the whole of the land south of the
Caffre country: the Caffres are wild, courageous savages, whose wealth
consists chiefly in cattle, but in some points they may be considered
superior to the Hottentots.
"The weapon of the Hottentot may be said to be the bow and arrow, but
the Caffre scorns this warfare, or indeed any treachery; his weapons are
his assaguay, or spear, and his shield; he fights openly and bravely.
The Caffres also cultivate their land to a certain extent, and are more
cleanly and civilised. The boors on the Caffre frontier were often
plundered by the bushmen, and perhaps occasionally by some few of the
Caffres who were in a lawless state on the frontier; but if any
complaint was made to the Caffre chiefs, every redress in their power
was given: this, however, did not suit the Dutch boors.
"They had entered the Caffre country, and had perceived that the Caffres
possessed large herds of cattle, and their avarice pointed out to them
how much easier it would be to grow rich by taking the cattle of the
Caffres than by rearing them themselves. If the bushmen stole a few
head of cattle, complaints were immediately forwarded to Cape Town, and
permission asked to raise a force, and recover them from the Caffres.
"The force raised was termed a _Commando_, and was composed of all the
Dutch boors and their servants, well-armed and mounted: these would make
an incursion into the Caffre territory, and because a few head of cattle
had been stolen by parties unknown, they would pour down upon the
Caffres, who had but their assaguays to oppose to destructive fire-arms,
set the kraals or villages in flames, murder indiscriminately man,
woman, and child, and carry off, by way of indemnification for some
trifling loss, perhaps some twenty thousand head of cattle belonging to
the Caffres.
"The Caffres, naturally indignant at such outrage and robbery, made
attacks upon the boors to recover the cattle, but with this difference
between the Christian boor and the untutored savage: the boors murdered
women and children wantonly, the Caffres never harmed them, and did not
even kill men, if they could obtain possession of their property without
bloodshed."
"But how could the Dutch government permit such atrocities?"
"The representations made to the government were believed, and the order
was given in consequence. It is true that afterwards the government
attempted to put a stop to these horrors, but the boors were beyond
their control; and in one instance in which the home government had
insisted that punishment should be inflicted for some more than common
outrage on the part of the boors, the Cape governor returned for answer,
that he could not venture to do as they wished, as the system was so
extensive and so common, that all the principal people in the colony
were implicated, and would have to be punished.
"Such was therefore the condition of the colony at the time that it fell
into the possession of the English--the Hottentots serfs to the land,
and treated as the beasts of the field; the slave-trader supplying
slaves; and continual war carried on between the boors and the Caffres."
"I trust that our government soon put an end to such barbarous
iniquities."
"That was not so easy; the frontier boors rose in arms against the
English government, and the Hottentots, who had been so long patient,
now fled and joined the Caffres. These people made a combined attack
upon the frontier boors, burnt their houses to the ground, carried off
the cattle, and possessed themselves of their arms and ammunition. The
boors rallied in great force; another combat took place, in which the
Hottentots and Caffres were victorious, killing the leader of the boors,
and pursuing them with great slaughter, till they were stopped by the
advance of the English troops. But I cannot dwell long upon this period
of the Cape history; these wars continued until the natives, throwing
themselves upon the protection of the English, were induced to lay down
their arms, and the Hottentots to return to their former masters. The
colony was then given up to the Dutch, and remained with them until the
year 1806, when it was finally annexed to the British empire. The Dutch
had not learned wisdom from what had occurred; they treated the
Hottentots worse than before, maiming them and even murdering them in
their resentment, and appeared to defy the British government; but a
change was soon to take place."
"Not before it was necessary, at all events," said Alexander.
"It was by the missionaries chiefly that this change was brought about;
they had penetrated into the interior, and saw with their own eyes the
system of cruelty and rapine that was carried on; they wrote home
accounts, which were credited, and which produced a great alteration.
To the astonishment and indignation of the boors, law was introduced
where it had always been set at defiance; they were told that the life
of a Hottentot was as important in the eye of God, and in the eye of the
law, as that of a Dutch boor, and that the government would hold it as
such. Thus was the first blow struck; but another and a heavier was
soon to fall upon those who had so long sported with the lives of their
fellow-creatures. The press was called to the aid of the Hottentot, and
a work published by a missionary roused the attention of the public at
home to their situation. Their cause was pleaded in the House of
Commons, and the Hottentot was emancipated for ever."
"Thank God!" exclaimed Alexander; "my blood has been boiling at the
description which you have been giving. Now, when I hear that the poor
Hottentot is a free man, it will cool down again."
"Perhaps it will be as well to leave off just now, Mr Wilmot," said Mr
Fairburn; "we will renew our conversation to-morrow, if wind and weather
permit, as the seamen say."