CAPE COMMAND--FLAG IN _BRISK_
[Sidenote: 1860. Monday, July 16.]
Embarked with Flag-Lieutenant and Secretary. Hoisted flag on board
_Brisk_, Captain Algernon de Horsey. Received with yards manned.
Embarked Captains Speke and Grant, with his guard of 100 Hottentots,
volunteers from the Cape Mounted Rifles; also 12 mules, the Cape
Parliament having voted £300 to purchase them for the interesting
expedition. Sailed at sunset, leaving _Forte_ with Captain Turnour in
charge. Rounded to on signal.
[Sidenote: July 21.]
3 P.M.--Came to in 9-1/2 fathoms off the mouth of Buffalo River. The
township of East London on the south entrance composed of storehouses
and other new and neat-looking buildings. At the end of a substantial
stone wharf stands a lighthouse to correspond--not mentioned in the
charts; it showed a bright fixed light. The town is communicated with
by a surf boat hauled to and fro over the bar by means of a hawser, one
end of which is attached to an anchor outside; as uninviting a coast to
approach as can be imagined. Should a railway or any good road for the
conveyance of the produce of the country be established to Algoa Bay,
the Port of East London may prove unworthy of the name it has assumed.
At 5 P.M. weighed, proceeded under sail.
[Sidenote: July 24.]
No observation yesterday, but those of to-day at noon showed that the
current for the last 48 hours had been south-west. 97 miles. Proceeded
making particular survey of coast.
[Sidenote: July 26.]
Came to at 4 P.M., in the magnificent Bay of Delagoa, about 7 miles
from the entrance of the river. Sent a boat in to communicate: but more
to ascertain what might be doing in the slave way.
[Sidenote: Shefeen Island, July 27.]
Landed at daylight on the Island of Shefeen; more for the purpose of
hauling the seine than shooting; nevertheless took my Whitworth rifled
carbine. Observing along the sand prints of a small cloven foot, which
I took to be that of the pig, Algie Heneage and I struck into the bush;
stunted trees, but in places tolerably clear underneath. At first there
was little to attract our attention beyond sundry paroquets and an
occasional pigeon, for the destruction of which we were not prepared.
I fired once at some distance at what I imagined to be rabbits,
playing about at the edge of the jungle, but they were too nimble for
me. It was while on our return towards the beach, where we expected
a breakfast of fresh-caught fish, that a beautiful antelope bounded
across our path. It was large for an animal of that species, a dark
reddish-brown colour. I was now satisfied that the numerous footprints
that we had seen were not pig, but those of deer. The jungle being
too thick for us to beat, or even see many yards into, proposed that
we should conceal ourselves in any likely-looking shady spot, with
sufficient clear range for a fair shot.
The ground was dry and the air clear of mosquitoes. We had been
quiet for about a quarter of an hour, when I observed an antelope
approaching, apparently unconscious of danger, nibbling the bits of
herb or grass that grew up between the dead leaves, when within twenty
paces of our position it stopped to feed, broadside towards us. It was
a full-grown doe. I observed her pretty head with its beautiful large
black eye, and not wishing to spoil what I intended to have stuffed as
a trophy, I raised my rifle and aimed, so as to hit her just behind the
shoulder. Heneage was ready, knife in hand, to cut her throat, when I
pulled the trigger; the lock snapped, and in a moment my beauty bounded
into the jungle. I had forgotten to put a cap on; the rifle was a
breechloader, to which I was hardly accustomed. Our disappointment can
well be imagined.
We remained a short time longer in the same spot, hardly hoping that
anything else would come near us. Now these antelopes, with their
spindle legs and tiny feet, make no noise, but on looking in the
direction I observed a whole troop of small monkeys, whose curiosity
had brought them to ascertain who the intruders were who had so
disturbed the quiet of their domain. They had spread themselves over
some width of ground, and were advancing with all the caution of so
many diminutive riflemen. When within about fifty yards one of those in
advance made us out and gave notice.
They came to “general halt,” which was followed by a general chatter,
and I could observe each small round head peeping from behind the stump
of bush or tree where it had taken shelter. Theirs were little black
faces, surmounted by a white fringe, which somewhat resembled the frill
of a woman’s cap. The body was green, belly white, and tail long;
however, as they did not appear inclined to make a further advance,
sent a bullet at the head of one who appeared to have the command, and
I was glad to find that I had only struck the stump of the bush behind
which he had concealed his active little carcass.
Their curiosity having been gratified, they scampered away on all
fours, chattering and closing together as they went along. We never saw
them on either bushes or trees, which caused me to think that those
small things were the same sort I had a distant shot at in the morning,
and must have been monkeys and not rabbits.
We soon shifted our berth some little distance to a spot affording a
tolerable range, considering the denseness of parts of the jungle,
and made ourselves comfortable, perhaps too much so, as after a while
I started from a reverie to a pinch from Algie, and from the quarter
pointed at could just see the round red back of an antelope moving
towards us. I held in my breath as it approached. Unfortunately I had
laid aside my rifle. The motion to lay hold of it was sufficient to
cause the creature to raise its head, and the noise of the loose steel
ring on the stock of the cavalry carbine made it dash into the bush,
where it was out of sight in an instant.
It would be useless to describe the number of chances we had or the
number of deer we might have bagged if something had not happened.
Our last chance occurred when we had agreed to take up positions on
separate mounds, covered with brush and stunted trees, two-thirds
round, about twenty yards in width, round which was a fair open space
of long grass. In less than half an hour we observed a fine antelope
come out of the jungle within ten yards of where I knew that Algie must
be lying. It stopped and looked about, and I saw that it was about the
size of a calf, but with the thinnest legs; so delicate and slender
as to appear unfit to support the round, plump body it had to carry.
Watched, expecting every moment to see the beautiful creature bound
into the air and fall to the report of Algie’s gun. However, it walked
leisurely--stepping a trifle lame with the near hind leg--across into
the opposite bank.
I had my rifle to my shoulder, but Heneage had been so kind in allowing
me all the former chances, I thought it would not be doing the handsome
if I deprived him of this, the last and only one he would have. When
I inquired how he had come to allow so good an opportunity to pass, I
found he had just awoke from a pleasant sleep.
We returned on board, amused and interested, but having had a blank
day, did not boast. De Horsey, in pulling up the Tenby river, saw
a hippopotamus, but he had no gun with him. The Governor informed
us that there were plenty of rhinoceros as well as elephant in the
neighbourhood. I noticed a magnificent pair of tusks in his room.