Simon's Town is situated on the bay which bears the same name, and
contains many well-built houses. Here we were stationed for a short
time; and, as the regiment was not restricted from going out, I soon
commenced reconnoitring the localities of the neighbourhood, and was
glad to find that there were a number of well-stocked gardens close to
the barracks. A pound of meat (and that of the worst) and three-quarters
of a pound of bread per diem, was but a scanty allowance for a growing
lad. Indeed, I frequently managed to get through my three days' bread in
one; but as we could get fish for a mere song, and as the gardens of our
neighbours, the Dutchmen, supplied us with potatoes, we continued, one
way or another, to fare tolerably well at this station.
We were soon after moved to the station of Muisenberg, seven miles
nearer to Cape Town, a post defended by a small battery, and the beach,
in places of easy access, guarded by a few guns. The road from Simon's
Town to Muisenberg sometimes runs along the beach, which is very flat,
and on which the sea flows with gentle undulations; and, at others,
winds round the feet of craggy hills, covered with masses of stone,
which have the appearance of being merely suspended in the air, ready to
be rolled down upon you by the slightest touch. On these hills whole
regiments of baboons assemble, for which this station is particularly
famous. They stand six feet high, and in features and manners approach
nearer to the human species than any other quadruped I have ever seen.
These rascals, who are most abominable thieves, used to annoy us
exceedingly. Our barracks were under the hills, and when we went to
parade, we were invariably obliged to leave armed men for the protection
of our property; and, even in spite of this, they have frequently stolen
our blankets and great-coats, or anything else they could lay their
claws on. A poor woman, a soldier's wife, had washed her blanket and
hung it out to dry, when some of these miscreants, who were ever on the
watch, stole it, and ran off with it into the hills, which are high and
woody. This drew upon them the indignation of the regiment, and we
formed a strong party, armed with sticks and stones, to attack them,
with the view of recovering the property, and inflicting such
chastisement as might be a warning to them for the future. I was on the
advance, with about twenty men, and I made a _detour_ to cut them off
from caverns to which they always flew for shelter. They observed my
movement, and immediately detached about fifty to guard the entrance,
while the others kept their post, and we could distinctly see them
collecting large stones and other missiles. One old grey-headed one, in
particular, who often paid us a visit to the barracks, and was known by
the name of Father Murphy, was seen distributing his orders, and
planning the attack, with the judgment of one of our best generals.
Finding that my design was defeated, I joined the main body, and rushed
on to the attack, when a scream from Father Murphy was the signal for a
general encounter, and the host of baboons under his command rolled down
enormous stones upon us, so that we were obliged to give up the contest,
or some of us must inevitably have been killed. They actually followed
us to our very doors, shouting an indication of victory; and, during the
whole night, we heard dreadful yells and screaming; so much so, that we
expected a night attack. In the morning, however, we found that all this
rioting had been created by disputes about the division of the blanket,
for we saw eight or ten of them with pieces of it on their backs, as old
women wear their cloaks. Amongst the number strutted Father Murphy.
These rascals annoyed us day and night, and we dared not venture out
unless a party of five or six went together.
One morning, Father Murphy had the consummate impudence to walk straight
into the Grenadier barracks, and he was in the very act of purloining a
sergeant's regimental coat, when a corporal's guard, which had just been
relieved, took the liberty of stopping the gentleman at the door, and
secured him. He was a most powerful brute, and, I am persuaded, too much
for any single man. Notwithstanding his frequent misdemeanours, we did
not like to kill the poor creature; so, having first taken the
precaution of muzzling him, we determined on shaving his head and face,
and then turning him loose. To this ceremony, strange to say, he
submitted very quietly, and, when shaved, he was really an exceedingly
good-looking fellow; and I have seen many a "blood" in Bond Street not
half so prepossessing in his appearance. We then started him up the
hill, though he seemed rather reluctant to leave us. Some of his
companions came down to meet him; but, from the alteration which shaving
his head and face had made in him, they did not know him again, and,
accordingly, pelted him with stones, and beat him with sticks, in so
unmerciful a manner, that poor Father Murphy actually sought protection
from his enemies, and he in time became quite domesticated and tame.
We soon bade farewell to Muisenberg, and marched to Wynberg, and were in
camp for several months. Here we suffered dreadfully from the inclemency
of the weather, and from lying on damp ground, in small bell tents;
added to which, our very lives were drilled out by brigade field-days,
from three and four o'clock in the morning, until seven and eight
o'clock at night. At this period the Caffres were committing the most
terrific murders and robberies amongst the Dutch boers up the country.
To stop these devastations, a rifle company was formed from the several
corps of the 8th Dragoons, and the 22nd, 34th, 65th, 81st, and 91st
regiments, and placed under the command of Captain Effingham Lindsay,
one of the bravest soldiers in his majesty's army. We were dressed in
green, and our pieces were browned to prevent their being seen in the
woods where the Caffres congregated. About three months after the
formation of the company, we were sent up the country, in conjunction
with the light company of the 91st regiment and a corps of Hottentots.
We embarked on board the _Diamond_ frigate, and reached Algoa Bay in
fourteen days, having experienced bad weather.[7] From thence we marched
to Graaf-Reynett, about five or six hundred miles in the interior, and
fifteen hundred miles from Cape Town, and took up our quarters in a
Dutch church. The road from Algoa Bay to Graaf-Reynett is hill and dale,
and infested with lions, tigers, hyenas, wolves, and elephants; and we
frequently saw eight or ten a-day, at a place called Rovee Bank, a day's
march on this side of the great pass. One day I went out shooting wild
ducks here with another person. We came to a pool of water, surrounded
with very high grass--some of it ten feet high--which abounded with wild
ducks and geese. I took aim and fired, and had just time to see, that at
least one bird had fallen a victim to number four, when I heard a most
tremendous roar, and the whole pool was in a moment in a state of
commotion. I was in the act of plunging into the water after my
butchered duck, when, imagine my astonishment and alarm, on seeing an
enormous white elephant rush out from the high grass, roaring loudly,
and striking the grass aside with his trunk. Neither myself nor my
companion had ever seen one before, and we had now no inclination for a
second peep; so, leaving the ducks to their fate, we took to our heels,
and never stopped till we arrived safe in camp.
At every farmer's house on our line of march, we found sad vestiges of
murder and desolation. Whole families had been wantonly massacred by
this wild and misguided race of people, whose devastations it was now
our duty to check, and whose ignorance is so extraordinary, that I am
persuaded they are insensible that murder is a crime. Beautiful
farmhouses were to be still seen smoking; the families either murdered,
or run away to seek refuge elsewhere. Not a living creature was to be
seen, unless, perchance, a poor dog might be discovered howling over the
dead body of his master; or some wounded horse or ox, groaning with the
stab of a spear or other mutilation. The savage Caffre exults in these
appalling sights; gaping wounds, and the pangs of the dying, are to his
dark and infatuated mind the very acme of enjoyment. This barbarous
race, when they have succeeded in any of their murderous exploits,
appear to be so excited to ecstasy, that they will jump about in a sort
of frenzy, hurling their spears in all directions, and in the most
reckless manner, either at man or beast. They are quite insensible to
the value of money, which they would accept on account of its glitter
only; while a more shining gilt button would be prized by them as of
inestimable value. In short, they seem scarcely to possess a rational
idea beyond what may tend to the gratification of the appetite; and I
have myself seen them with women's gowns, petticoats, shawls, &c, tied
round their legs, and between their toes, and in this manner they would
run wildly into the woods, shouting in exultation. These people had got
information that we were their avowed enemies, and come to destroy them
and take from them their enormous herds of cattle; they were, therefore,
driven far into the interior of almost inaccessible parts of the
country, where we could not follow them. Some few stragglers were left
in the neighbourhood, to watch our movements, with whom we had some
slight skirmishes; but, from the extreme intricacy of the woods, we
could do but little with them.
The Caffres may unquestionably be considered as a formidable enemy. They
are inured to war and plunder, and most of them are such famous marksmen
with their darts, that they will make sure of their aim at sixty or
eighty paces' distance. When you fire upon them they will throw
themselves flat upon their faces, and thus avoid the ball; and, even if
you hit them, it is doubtful whether the ball would take effect, the
skins worn by them being considered to be ball-proof. Added to this, as
they reside in woods, in the most inaccessible parts of which they take
refuge on being hard pressed by their enemies, an offensive warfare
against them is inconceivably arduous.
Before they deliver the darts with which they are armed, they run
sideways; the left shoulder projected forward, and the right
considerably lowered, with the right hand extended behind them, the dart
lying flat in the palm of the hand, the point near the right eye. When
discharged from the grasp, it flies with such velocity that you can
scarcely see it, and when in the air it looks like a shuttlecock
violently struck. They carry, slung on their backs, about a dozen of
these weapons, with which single men have been known to kill lions and
tigers.
From this harassing warfare, travelling through almost impenetrable
woods, over tremendous hills, and through rivers, we were soon in a
terribly ragged condition. Our shoes we managed to replace from the raw
hides of buffaloes, in the following manner: the foot was placed on the
hide, which was then cut to the shape of the sole, and fastened to the
foot by thongs made of the same material, sewed to the sole instead of
upper-leathers. In two or three days this dried, and formed to the shape
of the foot, and was sure to be a fit. When we had remained at this
station about two years, it was truly laughable to see the
metamorphosis of the once white regimental trousers. Here and there
pieces had been sewn in to patch up holes, and, these pieces being of
materials of other texture as well as other colours, we looked, at a
distance, like spotted leopards. During these two years I had sprung up
some six inches, outgrowing, of course, both my jacket and trousers;
and, when I was in full case for parade, my figure must have been
exceedingly ludicrous. My jacket was literally a strait jacket; for,
from its extreme tightness, I could scarcely raise my hand to my head.
My pantaloons or trousers had been, during the whole period, continually
rising in the world, and now they would scarcely condescend to protect
my protruding knees. I was but a novice at the needle, so that the
patches I put on were either too small or too large. In this predicament
I had to march nearly fifteen hundred miles through Africa. The rest of
the men were but little better off; and we might well have been compared
to Falstaff's ragged recruits, with whom he swore he would not march
through Coventry.
Having continued on this duty for upwards of two years, to very little
purpose, the Cape of Good Hope was ordered, by the British Government,
in 1801, to be given up to the Dutch. To remove the rifle company, and
the light company of the 91st Foot, a small vessel was dispatched from
Cape Town to Algoa Bay, for their conveyance to the capital, preparatory
to embarking for India. I was dispatched over land with a Dutch boer's
family, then about to leave the station for Cape Town. The whole of the
officers' baggage was committed to my care, which was a very serious
charge and responsibility, through such a wild and desolate country. On
this trip I had to pass along the margin of the country inhabited by the
Caffres; and, although the Dutch family with whom I travelled had
muskets and four waggons, these sojourners in the woods and hills
neither feared them nor their guns. After laying in a good stock of
powder and shot, we commenced our march in regular battle array. I was
mounted on a horse, with my rifle slung over my back, always loaded, and
a pistol in my holster-pipe; on each side rode the Dutchman's two sons;
after us, four Hottentots, armed with muskets; then the old boss (the
master); and, following him, the four waggons, containing the families
and property of all. The rear-guard consisted of two head servants
(Hottentots) armed, on bullocks; then four on foot, with their families,
many of the women carrying two children. Thus we would accomplish twenty
miles a day over the most enormous hills; and, if we could not reach a
farmhouse by the setting sun, which was the time we generally halted, we
selected the most open spot we could find for our encampment, forming a
square with the four waggons, keeping our cattle inside, where they were
fed. Six men out of the twelve kept watch the whole night, and were
relieved every four hours, in which duty I always took a part. In fact,
we were so often disturbed, either by the Caffres, or some beast of prey
prowling about our little fortified encampment, that we might be said to
be always watching. The Caffre possesses a great deal of cunning and
craft. Their system of attack is this: under the garb of night, when all
is still save the roaring lion, the hungry tiger, or the screeching owl,
they will crawl on their hands and knees, imitating the cries of any
animal of the woods, or any bird of the air. At the smallest noise they
will turn themselves flat on the ground, so that you may walk close by,
and not observe them; and the first indication given you of having such
dangerous neighbours, is by the incision of a spear, or the blow of a
club. These imitations of the cries of animals, and chirping of birds,
are well understood amongst themselves. No wonder, then, that we should
watch. It was no unusual thing in the morning to see their spears lodged
in the top of our waggons, and close by where we kept watch; but we
never attempted to leave our possessions, and resolved not to throw away
our precious powder and ball on slight occasions. To narrate the
numerous trials, watchings, privations, perils, and escapes of this
trip, would of itself fill a larger space than I can devote to such a
detail. Suffice it for the present, that we at last reached Cape Town in
safety.
The Dutchman with whom I was travelling had two daughters; the younger
of whom, Sabina by name, was a most lovely creature. She was tall, and
rather slim; of symmetrical form; in complexion a brunette; with black
eyes and hair; her foot extremely small; and her waist scarcely a span.
Her manners were vivacious and interesting, and her education had been
by no means neglected. As we proceeded on our perilous journey, this
charming girl would single me out as her companion, and seek consolation
in my society and conversation, from the coarseness of her father, who
was a very gross man. It need scarcely be confessed by me, that I was
nothing loth to be thus distinguished; neither can it reasonably be
expected that I was long insensible to the charms of my amiable
companion. I would walk by her side, while she rode my horse the whole
march; and in this manner, day after day passed away like so many hours,
and our attachment grew stronger and stronger, and at length settled
into a deep-rooted affection, and was cemented by an interchange of
protestations of mutual love. She was a year younger than I; my age
being then sixteen, and hers fifteen; but the appearance of both was far
beyond that tender age.
Convinced of the reciprocity of our attachment, thus we journeyed on,
indulging in visions of bliss; and it was not until we had approached
within a short distance of our destination, that the idea first crossed
my mind that we must soon part. Until this moment all my faculties had
yielded to the fascinations of my enslaver, from the contemplation of
whose beauty it had seemed treason to steal a thought; but, now that the
time approached when my duty must tear me from her, and when I
reflected, that from that duty there was no possibility of shrinking,
without disgrace, the absolute necessity of separation from my beloved
Sabina rushed upon my senses, and almost drove me to despair. These
bitter thoughts having thus suddenly and painfully intruded, I revolved
within my mind, in all ways, the possibilities of extricating myself
from my perplexing situation; and the more I reflected, the more was I
distressed and embarrassed. Marriage would not have been consented to by
my commanding officer, on account of my extreme youth; the thought of
any less honourable proposal I could not myself encourage for a moment;
and, in short, it soon became clear to me, that there was but one road
of escape from the heart-rending necessity of parting at once, and for
ever, from my lovely brunette--desertion. The idea of being compelled to
resort to such an alternative startled me; I knew the enormity of the
offence, and the consequences of such a step; but the recollection that
it was my only resource, haunted me day and night. As often as it
intruded upon my distracted mind, I endeavoured to drive it from me; but
it stuck to me like ivy on the crumbling tower. What to do I could not
resolve. I at last mentioned the subject to Sabina, and it seemed that
the thought of our approaching separation had been by her also forgotten
in our mutual love. The moment I hinted at the possibility of parting,
she turned as pale as death; I saw the crystal tear steal down her
beautiful cheek; she trembled; and at last swooned away. It was then the
dark fiend again urged me on, and I promised, in the moment of grief and
excitement, that I would desert, and follow her wherever she might go.
Her sweet eye beamed ineffable pleasure; she seized my hand; kissed it a
hundred times; and she said, in a most pathetic manner, "Will you really
return with me to my home?" I declared I would, whatever might be the
result. She said, "Swear it, and I shall live; deny me, and I shall
die." The concluding part of this appeal was urged with such a searching
anguish, that it drew from me a solemn promise of desertion. This
resolution was communicated to her family; and one and all urged me to
go, or rather return with them to their homes--pointing out the
happiness I should enjoy with their beautiful sister. These were
arguments too cogent to be resisted, and I again promised to return with
them. Scarcely had the fatal promise been repeated, when the
recollection of my native country, my home, my country's glory, my
regiment, and the disgrace attaching to the committal of so bad a crime,
all rushed in quick succession upon my bewildered mind. I thought--I
paused; but a single glance from the eye of my beloved Sabina plainly
told me that the first whisper of love would suffice to confirm me in my
fatal resolution.
We were now within sight of Cape Town; and here again my feelings,
distressed at the thought of deserting, goaded me beyond description. I
sometimes gave up the idea, and resolved to fly from temptation, and
seek protection with my regiment; but the melodious voice of Sabina
calling me by name, would at once dissipate my better resolutions, until
I at last abandoned all idea of the possibility of parting. I contented
myself with praying most devoutly that the regiment might have sailed
ere I arrived, which would have saved me from the stigma of desertion.
In the event of the regiment being still at Cape Town, I had sworn to my
betrothed and her family to return to them: thus we parted. My arrival
was hailed by my comrades with delight, as they feared I had been
murdered by the Caffres; and I received every kind of congratulation,
and several very handsome presents, from all those officers whose things
I had in charge. Some hundred miles before I had reached Cape Town, the
old Dutchman had tried hard to persuade me to remain behind, with all
the property, till he and his family returned. This I resolutely
refused: desertion was of itself bad enough, without adding to it the
crimes of breach of trust and theft. I had not, in our long and arduous
march, lost or injured a single thing, but delivered them all safe into
the custody of their rightful owners, and in the evening went to see my
Sabina at her friend's house, where I was informed that the family
proposed leaving Cape Town for their home on the following Monday. After
a severe struggle, I consented to accompany them; for which purpose I
stole out of the barracks after hours, and joined them at the appointed
place outside the town. I need not say my arrival was hailed with
delight, for I had kept them waiting an hour beyond the appointed time;
Sabina locked her arm in mine; the procession moved on; and in my
excessive love I forgot my crime. Reader, judge me not too harshly;
consider my youth, and the temptation I had to contend against; and,
before you utterly condemn me, place yourself under the same combination
of circumstances, and tell me how you would have acted in my place.
We had proceeded about thirty miles from Cape Town, and were busily
engaged building castles of future bliss, when--oh, short-sighted
mortals!--the provost-marshal thrust his head into the waggon, and
pointed a pistol at me, saying, if I attempted to move, he would shoot
me. This mandate was too pointed to be disobeyed; and, in ten minutes
after, I was on my way back to Cape Town, having been dragged from the
embraces of her for whom I had sacrificed my all. From that moment I
never saw or heard of the fair Sabina or her family, who would also
undoubtedly have been seized, but that I took all the blame upon my own
shoulders. I was tried by a regimental court-martial for being absent
from morning parade, and for desertion, and sentenced to receive 999
lashes, being more than fifty lashes for every year I was old; but my
commanding officer was a kind and affectionate man, and had known me
from the day I entered his regiment; he could not consent that I should
receive a single lash, but sent for me, and admonished me like a parent,
painted the crime of desertion in all its enormities, and dismissed me,
with the assurance of his full forgiveness and friendship; adding, that
he was assured I had been deluded away by the Dutchman and his family.
This I never would acknowledge, until some months afterward, when,
knowing that they must be far out of our reach, I related the whole
transaction.
Some of the Dutch troops, to whom we were to resign the Cape, had
already arrived from Java and Batavia, and other Dutch settlements, many
of whom flocked to the wharf to see us embark, and, where they dared, to
offer insults. A huge brute sidled up to me, with his greasy mustaches,
which he began to curl and twist between his forefinger and thumb, at
the same time chucking me under the chin, and calling me a pretty boy.
For this I took the liberty of saluting him with a kick on the shins,
for which he attempted to seize my ears; but I fixed my bayonet--a
weapon the Dutch have a great aversion to; so he marched off. The
following morning we embarked for India, on board a small American
vessel that had been lying a considerable time at the Cape.
When the land was buried in distance, I could not help reviewing the
many providential escapes I had already experienced during my short
career, and the mercies that had been extended to me in the most
perilous situations. Did men but oftener attribute them to that great
source from whence all our mercies are derived, we should think less of
our often fancied hardships, and feel grateful for the blessings we
enjoy. In my case, it was impossible to look back upon the last four
years of my life, without trembling at the scenes I had been carried
through in safety, and addressing a prayer of thanksgiving to the
fountain of all love, for the unmerited protection that had been
extended towards me.
We had scarcely got to sea a day, when we found that it was a difficult
matter to determine which was the more cranky, the vessel or the
captain. She took in water in large quantities--he grog; she would not
go steady--neither would he; she rolled and pitched--so did he; she
shook her head--so did he; she was often sea-sick--so was he: in fact,
they were a cranky pair. She had lain so long at the Cape, that her
bottom had become foul, and she would not go more than four knots an
hour, if it blew a hurricane, and then she seemed to tear the very water
asunder. We prowled about the deep like the wandering Jew on earth,
until at last our water began to evince symptoms of decline, and it was
justly feared we should soon suffer much under a hot sun, for want of
that great essential; but, about a week after, we stumbled upon land,
which, after a great deal of reconnoitring, our wise captain pronounced
to be some part of Sumatra. However this might be, it was a welcome
sight to us; but, as it was late in the evening when we discovered it,
we were obliged to steer about the whole night. About ten o'clock the
clouds began to thicken, and the wind blew from shore; about twelve it
blew a smart gale, and we hove to; our vessel lay like a log of wood,
scarcely moving, till the morning dawned, when the storm had subsided in
a great degree, and we stood in for land. The hills looked woody, and
the valleys fertile. We at last got into a small bay, or basin, where
the surrounding scenery was beautiful in the extreme. Several canoes
were to be seen steering up the creeks, and men and women running into
the woods, in seeming alarm and consternation. We anchored about three
hundred yards from the shore. The movements of the natives did not
evince any friendly inclination towards us, but the contrary; and it was
fortunate that we had the means of taking by compulsion what we should
willingly have purchased--wood and water, those two essentials to man's
existence. To convince them, if possible, that our appearance in this
basin was not of a hostile nature, a small boat was dispatched, with six
or seven men, four of them armed. I was one, and we approached the shore
with great caution. We could plainly see people hiding behind trees, and
carrying away their moveables from some huts which stood about two
hundred yards from shore, where we could also discover fishing-nets,
canoes that had been dragged ashore, a few domestic fowls, and one or
two goats and kids. We beckoned them to approach, but they seemed shy,
and would not come near us. The captain's servant was a native of
Ceylon, and could speak several languages. We landed him, but he was
justly afraid to venture far from the boat. He soon, however, made them
understand the object for which we put into this port, and informed them
that we were willing to purchase both wood and water at a reasonable
price. This they would not consent to, but requested us immediately to
weigh anchor and leave the bay, or dread the displeasure of their king,
whom they had apprised of our intrusion into their country. It appeared
from this that we had no alternative but to take what we required by
force; we therefore disregarded the threats of the subjects of his black
majesty, and the following morning got out the long-boat, with
implements for getting in water and cutting wood. The latter was already
cut to our hands, as the surrounding country was one mass of fuel, that
had decayed, and been blown down by the tempest. The water was close
by--a most beautiful crystal stream; but the moment we had commenced
work, we saw an enormous number of people, with swords, spears, and
daggers, approaching towards us. We formed a line, primed and loaded,
and prepared for a fight; but, resolved not to be the aggressors, we
again dispatched the native servant to endeavour to reason them into
compliance; for which purpose, a small safeguard went with him. After a
great deal of threatening and blustering, they consented to sell the
water for five dollars per butt, and the wood in proportion. This
exorbitant claim was of course rejected with indignation; but, still
wishing to keep friendly with them, we offered one dollar per butt. This
was refused by them, and the servant returned. Meantime, we continued
filling our water utensils and collecting firewood, with the greatest
industry, keeping our eyes on them all the while. There appeared to be a
deal of consultation among the natives, and a number of messengers going
and coming; at last an arrow was fired, which fell close to where I was
standing. Another soon followed it; and the officer in command of our
party then ordered two or three men to fire in the air. This alarmed
them so, that they took to their heels and ran shouting into the woods,
and we went hard to work. In about an hour, the inhabitants, encouraged
by our pacific appearance, sent a man to inform us, that "his majesty
had been pleased to permit the strangers to tread upon the margin of his
country, and drink his water of mercy" (so interpreted by the native
servant), and that "his majesty would come and hold communion of
friendship with the strangers on the following day, if the day was
auspicious; that we might drink as much water of his mercy as we
pleased, and cut as much wood; but his majesty begged we would not
attempt to make incursions into his country, as he could not be held
responsible, if his elephants and bull-dogs got loose, and destroyed the
strangers; and further, that he would, in his most gracious mercy, send
us all sorts of fruits, &c., at a moderate price." To this message we
returned a very gracious answer; and about ten the following morning a
great number of boats were seen coming down the several creeks, which,
concentrating at the bottom of a small village a little way up the
largest creek, at last came on their way towards the ship, in number
about thirty, with about four men in each boat. It had been before
understood that not one person would be admitted with arms, and only ten
people at a time. His majesty did not choose to make his appearance, but
had instructed those that did come to say, that he had consulted his
diviners, and they had pronounced the day an inauspicious one. We were,
therefore, deprived of his royal presence; but, if he was as big a thief
as those he sent to represent him, his majesty was qualified for a more
exalted sphere--the gallows: such a set of rogues I have never seen in
the whole course of my life. They brought oranges, plantains, &c., and
some few ducks, chickens, and eggs, for barter; but they were such
thieves that you could not trust them even to handle the article you
wished to barter. If you trusted it out of your own hand, it was handed
by them from one to another, and ultimately to their canoes, and then
you might "fish for it," to use a soldier's term. A ludicrous scene took
place between a tar and one of these fellows. Jack offered his blanket
for sale, as he had now got into a warm climate, and it was of no
further use to him. Jack, in good, sound, and intelligible English,
particularized the length, breadth, and quality of his blanket,
qualifying his description with many an oath, not one syllable of which
did the purchaser understand. During the examination of the said
blanket, Jack kept hold of one end, pledging his tarry honour to the
authenticity of his assertion that it was a real Witney. Some one at
this moment took off Jack's attention, and he withdrew his hand from the
blanket, which soon found its way to the canoe. The tar uttered sundry
imprecations touching his "day-lights" and "grappling-irons," and was up
on deck and down into the canoe in a moment, overhauling everything; but
neither the blanket nor the purchaser was to be found. At this the
sailor ran about like a madman, until, at last, he espied the fellow
moving down the fore-hatchway. Being certain of his man, he took one
hop, skip, and jump, and fastened on the fellow's neck, vociferating,
"Halloa, shipmate, where have you stowed my blanket? Come, skull it
over, or I shall board you before you can say luff." The fellow did not,
of course, understand one word he said; but Jack soon brought him to his
bearings, as he called it, by mooring him on the deck, and swearing
that, if he did not "skull over the Witney," he would tear him into
rope-yarns. Thus roughly treated, poor blacky bellowed out lustily for
mercy, which brought down the first officer, who asked Jack Carter (for
that was his name) what was the matter. He replied, "This here black
rascal has grappled my blanket, so I am just after boarding him, and, if
he don't shore it out, I'll sink him, or Jack Carter is no sailor." Here
he commenced hammering his head against the deck, until the knave said
something to one of his countrymen, who ran forward where his canoe was,
and put an end to the dispute by producing the Witney.
The following day we again bent our way towards India, with light hearts
and cheerful countenances. We soon reached the Pilot, cruising off the
sand-heads of Saugar, and steered our way up the river Hoogley. This
river is wide, and its current powerful. The views on each side, when
you get as far as Fultah, are romantic, and we gratified our eyes in
feasting on nature's beauties. On rounding the corner, or protruding
neck of land, on which stand the company's botanical gardens, Fort
William first appears; then Calcutta, with its innumerable shipping,
bursts upon the view, and the beholder gazes on the beautiful
fortification of the fort, and the city of palaces, with astonishment
and delight. We passed the fort in full sail, and were hailed from its
ramparts by the artillery, and part of the 10th regiment of Foot, then
in garrison there. We returned the welcome greeting with three loud
cheers, and in five minutes after came to anchor off Esplanade Ghaut,
after a voyage of more than five months.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
FOOTNOTES:
[7] Previous to the arrival of the British in 1795, an agreement between
the Dutch and Caffres had recognized the line of the Sunday's River,
between Graaf-Reynett and Algoa Bay, as the colonial boundary. The
reader may be reminded that the British occupied the Cape Colony in
1795; restored it to the Dutch at the Peace of Amiens; and retook it in
1806.--ED.