The stretch of country so suddenly disclosed to our view was one of
surpassing loveliness. We had much diverged from our path, owing to the
impervious walls of the hook thorn, and the sea was no longer visible,
indeed, it might have been miles away, the country we looked upon had
such an air of inland vegetation. The vast plain that lay before us
slightly sloped down till near the centre, where it became flat, even,
and, like the sides, covered by grass of a splendid emerald green.
Around this, on our side and to the left, was the bush, the peculiar and
splendid trees, and parasitical plants composing it, lending a powerful
aid to the general picturesqueness of the scene.
Before us, a hill not of much altitude closed in the horizon, while to
the right suddenly rose up a range of rocks, covered with trees of the
cactus species, and others of quaint form, of the names of which we were
ignorant. Between these, flashing red in the light of the setting sun,
which was now making the blue sky aflame, was a cataract, that must have
bounded from rock to rock with the roar of thunder, but which, owing to
the distance, only came as a pleasant murmur to our ear as it passed
under the trees, that, clinging to the rocks by their roots, seemed, as
they bent over the water, ever about to plunge in, and be carried away
to annihilation.
On a closer acquaintance with this cataract I found it fell into a dark
gloomy ravine, dense with vegetation, whose foliage concealed the wary
paths of the lion, wild cat, and tiger, the sinuous, graceful movements
of the deadly serpent, and other venomous reptiles.
But as dangerous enemies as all these were, in our opinion, still nearer
at hand.
In the centre of the plain were some fifty to a hundred blacks, whom the
missionary instantly declared to be Kaffirs. We were too far off to
distinguish features, but I know, expecting, as I did, to find the
natives of the same type as the common African, or that of the Guinea
coast, often in our country designated as "niggers," I was infinitely
surprised to see them of a good height, slim, gracefully yet firmly
made, with an erect carriage, and an easy grace in all their movements.
Nevertheless, any man, had he been perfection itself, would scarcely
have looked anything but grotesque and comical when going through the
antics these men were performing, which evidently was intended as a
dance commemorating some triumph.
At the side further from, yet facing us, sat a Kaffir, no doubt a chief,
from the authority he seemed to exercise, though certainly my above
description of the race did not extend to him, for he was of the most
pursy, nay, fat and unwieldy build imaginable. His dress was apparently
two aprons of fur or feather, fastened round the waist, so as to fall
behind as in front; several bracelets decked his pudgy arms, while his
head appeared perfectly denuded of hair, but ornamented with a hard dark
ring, and a large round tuft of some material fastened to the top of the
forehead like that on a private soldier's hat. By his side was a
roughly made utensil, evidently containing liquid, for he drank from it
continually; while extended on the ground just before him were the
carcases of several recently slaughtered animals.
In front of his chiefship were nearly all the other Kaffirs, dressed in
a similar fashion, but without the tuft on the forehead, and dancing the
wildest dance I ever saw. Dance they did like mad, yet evidently
according to some rude idea of figure, the time being perfect. Each
waved in one hand a kind of spear, ornamented with a bunch of feathers,
and in the other carried a large oval shield. They stood in lines,
advanced and retired in perfect order, all the while shouting, singing,
and working themselves apparently to the highest pitch of wild frenzy.
"I say, Galbraith," said Thompson, as, concealed in the bush, we watched
their fierce movements and listened to their horrible yelling, "they are
not quite the right sort of customers to which I care to entrust my
life, though I ain't more particular about it than others are of
theirs."