the days of my life-第13部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


o　on。
Then　he　retired。　Presently　the　warriors　arrived　in　panies　singing　a　sort　of　solemn　chant。　Each　man　was　dressed　in　his　fierce；　fantastic　war…dress。　One　half　wore　heron　plumes；　the　rest　long　black　plumes；　each　pany　had　a　leader　and　a　separate　pattern　of　shield。　They　formed　themselves　into　a　half…square　looking　very　fierce　and　imposing。　Each　pany　as　it　arrived　caught　up　the　solemn　war…chant；　which　was　sung　in　perfect　time　and　was　the　most　impressive　thing　I　ever　heard。
As　the　chief　came　up　attended　by　his　bodyguard　it　grew　louder　and　louder；　till　it　swelled　to　a　regular　paean；　when　the　old　man；　fired　with　martial　ardour；　flung　off　the　attendants　who　supported　him；　and　forgetting　his　age　and　weakness　ran　to　the　head　of　his　warriors。　I　shall　never　forget　the　sight。
The　Governor　drew　near　and　was　met　with　the　royal　salute　accorded　only　to　Cetewayo；　Mr。　Shepstone　and　the　Governor　of　Natal　—　in　itself　imposing　when　pronounced　by　a　great　number；　“Bayete；　Bayete！”
The　dance　then　menced　and　was　a　wonderful　performance。　pany　after　pany　charged　past　looking　for　all　the　world　like　great　fierce　birds　swooping　on　their　prey。　Assegais　extended　and　shields　on　high；　they　flitted　backwards　and　forwards；　acpanying　every　moment　with　a　shrill　hiss　something　like　the　noise　which　thousands　of　angry　snakes　would　make；　only　shriller；　a　sound　impossible　to　describe　but　not　easy　to　forget。　It　would　vary：　—　now　it　is　a　troop　of　lions；　now　a　pack　of　wild　dogs　hounding　their　prey　to　death。
Then　forth　leaped　warrior　after　warrior：　advanced；　challenged；　leapt　five　feet　into　the　air；　was　down；　was　up；　was　between　his　own　legs；　was　anywhere　and　everywhere；　and　was　met　with　this　sibilating　applause　which　rose　and　fell　and　rose　again；　but　always　in　perfect　time。
By　this　time　they　were　well　excited；　even　the　little　boys　of　the　tribe　had　got　shields　and　joined　themselves　on　at　the　end；　while　the　beauties；　and　some　of　them　were　not　unworthy　of　the　name；　took　hold　of　long　branches　and　went　undulating　about　（the　only　word　to　describe　their　motion）　urging　the　warriors　on。
Presently　forth　sprang　the　heir…apparent；　and　in　a　moment　the　air　was　filled　with　this　fierce　sibilation　and　every　warrior　roused　into　wild　activity。
It　was　a　splendidly　barbaric　sight。　The　singing　was　the　finest　part　of　it。　The　last　royal　salute　was　also　imposing；　it　is　made　by　striking　the　assegais　on　the　shield。　It　mences　with　a　low　murmur　like　that　of　the　sea；　growing　louder　and　louder　till　it　sounds　like　far…off　thunder；　and　ending　with　a　quick　sharp　rattle　。　。　。　。
In　a　letter　dated　July　6；　1876；　I　say：
。　。　。　I　stopped　three　days　in　Durban　and　enjoyed　the　change　very　much；　as　it　was　the　first　holiday　I　have　had　with　the　exception　of　a　week　when　I　was　sick。　。　。　。　There　is　somewhat　stirring　news　from　the　Transvaal　telling　of　the　first　skirmish　between　the　Boers　and　Secocoeni；　a　native　chief　of　very　considerable　power。　If　the　Boers　have　to　deal　with　him　alone　they　will　be　all　right；　though　there　will　very　likely　be　a　good　deal　of　bloodshed。　But　Secocoeni　is　a　tributary　of　and　allied　to　Cetewayo　the　Zulu　king；　who　has　of　late　been　on　the　worst　of　terms　with　the　Boers；　so　that　it　is　more　than　probable　that　he　and　his　thirty　thousand　armed　men　supposed　to　be　hovering　like　a　thunder…cloud　on　the　borders　of　Natal；　will　take　an　opportunity　to　have　a　shot　at　them　too：　if　he　doesn’t　he　is　a　greater　fool　than　“Cetewayo　the　Silent”　is　generally　supposed　to　be。
On　the　other　side　of　them；　too；　are　the　Amaswazi；　numerically　as　strong　as　the　Zulus　and　their　nominal　tributaries。　These　have　hitherto　been　friendly　with　the　Boers；　not　from　any　natural　affection　but　to　protect　themselves　from　the　Zulus　who　are　braver　and　more　warlike　than　they。　But　that　friendly　feeling　has　been　shaken　and　I　hear　that　the　Amaswazi　contingent　counted　on　by　the　Boers　to　help　them　in　the　Secocoeni　business　has　not　arrived。　If　they　patch　up　their　differences　with　the　Zulus　and　a　united　attack　is　made　by　this　threefold　power；　Lord　help　the　Dutch！　War　here　between　white　and　black　is　a　terrible　thing。　No　quarter　is　given　and　none　is　asked。　But　I　shall　know　more　about　the　business　tomorrow　when　the　Transvaal　mail　arrives　。　。　。　。
In　my　next　letter；　dated　6th　October；　I　talk　of　articles　which　I　am　writing；　and　add　in　a　solemn　postscript：　“Don’t　say　anything　to　anybody　about　my　having　written　things　in　magazines。”　Evidently　the　cacoethes　scribendi　had　already　taken　hold　of　me。　Also　I　say：
The　war　in　the　Transvaal　is　at　a　dead　stop　for　the　present。　The　Conference　in　London　seems　to　be　rather　a　lopsided　affair：　our　delegates　and　Brand　appear　to　be　settling　the　affairs　of　South　Africa　between　them。　I　am　delighted　to　see　that　they　have　given　Mr。　Shepstone　the　K。C。M。G。　It　is；　I　imagine；　rarely　so　well　deserved。　I　got　a　letter　from　him　the　other　day；　he　seems　very　pleased　with　England　generally。
From　the　next　surviving　letter；　dated　December　2；　1876；　I　gather　that　Sir　Henry　Bulwer　at　this　time　was　not　quite　pleased　at　Sir　Theophilus　Shepstone’s　request　that　I　should　acpany　him　on　his　special　mission　to　the　Transvaal。　However；　ultimately　the　thing　was　arranged。　I　say：
He　＇i。e。　Shepstone＇　wants　me　to　e　with　him　for　two　reasons。　First；　we　are　very　good　friends　and　he　was　kind　enough　to　say　he　wished　to　have　me　as　a　panion。　Second；　I　imagine　there　will　be　a　good　deal　of　what　is　called　the　champagne　and　sherry　policy　up　at　Pretoria　and　he　wants　somebody　to　look　after　the　entertaining。　It　will　be　a　most　interesting　business。　。　。　。
This　seems　to　be　the　last　epistle　that　can　be　found　of　those　which　I　wrote　from　Natal；　so　I　will　return　to　my　manuscript；　which　now　continues　as　I　set　it　down　before　their　discovery。
At　Maritzburg　there　was　a　good　deal　of　gaiety　and　entertaining　at　Government　House；　with　which；　as　Sir　Henry　was　unmarried；　I　had　much　to　do。　In　connection　with　one　of　our　dinner…parties　I　remember　an　incident　which　shows　that　Sir　Henry　knew　how　to　escape　from　a　dilemma。　By　some　chance　there　had　been　invited　the　Roman　Catholic　bishop　（I　think　his　name　was　Jolivet）；　a　dean　of　the　Church　of　England；　and　a　very　shining　Nonconformist　light。　Generally　it　was　Sir　Henry’s　custom　if　a　clergyman　were　present　to　ask　him　to　say　Grace；　but　on　this　occasion；　realising　the　difficulty　of　the　situation；　he　passed　that　duty　on　to　me。
“Haggard；”　he　said　in　a　reproachful　voice；　which　suggested　that　I　was　neglecting　my　business；　“will　you　be　so　good　as　to　ask　someone　to　say　Grace？”
I　worked　out　the　position　rapidly　in　my　mind　and；　ing　to　the　conclusion　that　one　should　stick　to　one’s　own　people；　ignored　the　Roman　Catholic　bishop　and　went　for　the　dean。
Talking　of　deans　reminds　me　of　Bishop　Colenso；　whom　I　used　to　meet。　He　was　a　tall；　able　and　agreeable　man　with　a　most　interesting　face；　but　one　who　was　desperately　at　loggerheads　with　everybody。　Ecclesiastically　his　position　was　that　he　had　in　effect　been　exmunicated　by　the　other　South　African　bishops　on　account　of　his　views　as　to　the　Pentateuch；　etc。　He　had　appealed　however　to　the　Privy　Council；　which　disallowed　the　authority　of　the　African　bishops；　so　that　he　remained　the　legal　bishop　of　Natal。　A　schism　ensued　and　the　opposition　orthodox　party　appointed　a　bishop　of　their　own；　Macrorie　by　name。
It　always　seemed　to　me　somewhat　illogical　that　Colenso　should　wish　to　remain　in　a　Church　of　which　he　criticised　the　tes；　on　the　principle　that　one　should　scarcely　eat　the　bread　and　butter　of　those　whom　one　attacks。　On　the　other　hand　the　views　that　Colenso　held　forty　years　ago　—　which；　by　the　way；　were　suggested　to　him　by　the　extraordinarily　acute　questions　put　by　Zulus　whom　we　tried　to　convert　to　Christianity　—　are　widespread　today；　even　among　clergymen。　He　was　in　advance　of　his　generation；　and　like　others　suffered　for　it；　that　is　all。　If　I　remember　right；　one　of　the　great　causes　of　the　animosity　of　the　South　African　Episcopal　Church　against　him　was　that　he　was　said　to　look　leniently　upon　the　native　practice　of　polygamy。　But　here　again　there　is　much　to　be　said　on　Colenso’s　side。　Many　people　find　it　difficult　to　understand　why　it　is　more　essentially　immoral　to　marry　several　wives　than　to　marry　one；　provided　that　they　are　married　and；　except　for　good　reason　of　divorce；　supported　to　their　lives’　end。　Particularly　can　this　be　argued　where　natives　are　concerned　whose　very　intricate　laws　of　property　and　succession　are　closely　interwoven　with　this　custom　of　polygamy；　to　which　the　women　are；　or　were；　as　devotedly　attached　as　the　men。
A　Zulu　woman　does　not　as　a　rule　wish　to　be　obliged　to　bear　all　a　man’s　children　or　to　do　all　the　work　of　his　household。　She　likes　to　be　one　of　a　band　of　sisters　（for；　having　each　of　them　her　separate　little　establishment；　they　seldom　if　ever　quarrel）　and　to　share　in　the　dignity　of　being　one　of　a　numerous　family。　Moreover　their　habit　is；　from　the　time　that　they　find　themselves　with　prospects　of　motherhood；　to　live　apart　from　the　husband　until　the　child　is　weaned；　say　for　two　years；　which　law　results　in　the　production　of　a　race　that　is　physically　splendid。　Further；　polygamy　absorbs　all　the　women；　practically　none　are　left　without　husbands　or　fall　into　the　immoral　courses　which　are　the　scandal　of　civilised　nations。　Such　a　thing　as　a　“girl　of　the　streets”　is　scarcely　known　among　the　raw　Zulus。　If　it　were　explained　to　these；　for　instance；　that　in　this　country　alone　we　have　nearly　two　million　women　who　cannot　possibly　marry　because　there　is　no　man　to　marry　them；　or　fulfil　their　natural　function　of　child…bearing　without　being　called　vile　names；　they　would　on　their　part　think　that　state　of　affairs　extremely　wrong。　I　remember　a　story　of　a　well…educated　Zulu　who　was　told　that　the　Christian　law　laid　down　that　he　must　have　but　one　wife。　He　replied　that　he　would　like　to　study　that　law　for　himself；　and；　taking　away　a　Bible；　spent　some　months　in　reading　it　from　end　to　end。　At　last　he　returned　to　the　missionary　and　said　that　he　could　find　no　such　law　therein；　that；　on　the　contrary；　most　of　the　great　men　in　the　Book　appeared　to　have　had　many　wives。　Oham；　the　brother　of　Cetewayo　the　Zulu　king；　made　a　somewhat　similar　reply。　He　was　a　very　powerful　chief　who　desired　to　bee　a　Christian；　and　would　naturally　have　brought　many　other　converts　with　him。
“But；”　said　he；　“these　women　whom　you　wish　me