The White Chief of the Caffres Part 7

I asked the Great Chief if I might go with Inyovu and see the lion killed. He consented, on condition that I did not go into too much danger. He said several men were sure to be killed, but I must not be one of them.

It was a ten days' march from the chiefs kraal to the Pongola river, near which the lion was said to live. We carried with us bags of mealies, but there were several buck on the way which we managed to kill with our a.s.sagies and k.n.o.b-kerries. The plan we adopted was, to send look-out men in front, and when they saw any antelope these were watched until they lay down in the long gra.s.s or among the bushes. The Zulus then surrounded the buck, and gradually closed in on it, forming at last a close ma.s.s of men; k.n.o.b-kerries and spears then settled the question, and a feast was the immediate result. There were very few Caffres in this country, and only a few wandering Bushmen, who fled at our appearance; but there were elands, koodoo, buffalo, rhinoceros, zebras, hartebeest, and several other animals. Elephants also were plentiful.

We heard from the few Caffres who lived here that the lion could be heard to roar nearly every night, and that he lived in a rocky ravine near a small stream that ran into the Pongola. He was said to be very fond of zebras, and to live almost entirely on them; so that where the zebras lived, there the lion was sure to be.

I asked Inyovu how he intended to kill the lion. He replied, "First find out where he lies down by day, then surround him and a.s.sagy him.

It will cost perhaps forty men," said the chief; "but we must obey the chief, and take the skin and teeth to him."

"Suppose you fail?" I inquired.

"We must not return without the lion," said the chief. "If we did, the Great Chief would order fifty men to be a.s.sagied, and send another regiment to do the work; so we must kill this lion."

Inyovu never seemed to have the slightest doubt or hesitation about carrying out the orders of his chief. He was told what to do, and he must do it. He had above 1,000 men with him--too many, he thought; but the Great Chief liked the regiment to work together, and always to be in sufficient numbers to ensure success.

Inyovu now sent out several parties of ten men, in order to look out for the spoor of the lion and to listen for his roars at night. What he hoped to do was to come upon the lion after he had made a grand supper, and when he would be asleep; for then he might be mortally wounded or disabled before he could damage any of the Zulus. Instead of having a great dance, as was usual before an encounter with dangerous animals, we all remained quiet, scarcely speaking even above a whisper, as we listened for the lion's roar.

It was some time before daybreak that a runner from one of the look-out parties came to the chief and informed him that the lion had killed an eland just about sundown, and had dragged the land into some long gra.s.s near a small pool of water, and had been feeding on it during the night.

The place was watched by several men, so that the lion could not escape without being seen.

A few low whistles were given by Inyovu to bring his men together; and, guided by the runner, we quietly wended our way to where the lion was resting. We were met by some of the men just as it was getting light, and from a hill near we were shown where the lion was concealed. Our party was then divided into four, and each of these worked their way out on the plain, so as to surround the lion.

Great care, however, was taken that no men went to windward of the lion; for, so sensitive is the smell of these animals, that if fast asleep they would at once awake if a man pa.s.sed several a.s.sagy-throws' distance to windward of them. I was much struck with the silence maintained by the large party of Zulus: not a sound was audible, not a foot fall heard as the men closed in on the den. A wave of the arm by the chief was sufficient to direct his followers where and how to move. Since those days I have seen the soldiers of most nations when being reviewed, and I have been struck with the noise which seemed necessary both in shouting words of command and in the rattle of accoutrements, all of which appeared to tend to confusion, and to interfere with watchfulness; making a surprise by such troops appear impossible; so that I compare favourably the Zulus, for some purposes, with the best European soldiers.

To be able to advance to within a few yards of a lion without waking him, is a performance which requires the greatest skill; but it was accomplished, and before the lion could spring to its feet, twenty a.s.sagies were buried in its body. The powerful brute, however, although bleeding from its many wounds, sprang forward and struck down one of the Zulus. But, quickly as the lion moved, the Zulus behind him followed with equal rapidity, and a.s.sagy after a.s.sagy was buried deep in the lion's body. After vainly tearing at the spears that were sticking in him, the lion sank to the ground and was instantly despatched.

Only two men were wounded--neither very badly; a result due entirely to the careful manner in which the lion had been crept on. Inyovu told me that if the lion had been aware of our approach, he would have charged before he could have been speared; and that thirty or forty men would have been killed to a certainty before the lion was rendered harmless.

The lion was soon skinned, his teeth and claws extracted and taken charge of by Inyovu. The flesh of the lion was eaten after a very little cooking, and was much appreciated by the Zulus, especially the heart, the eating of which is supposed to give great courage and strength.

Our return journey was quickly accomplished, and we were received by the Great Chief at his kraal. Inyovu gave a description of what he had done, both in getting the news and stalking the lion. He went through all the movements most graphically, creeping along very slowly, and then showing how he hurled his a.s.sagy at the lion, and how the lion charged and struck down one man. It was a very good description, and any listener must have had as good an idea of the scene as though he had himself been present. The Great Chief received the lion's claws and teeth, and gave them to his wives to make into necklaces and armlets for him.

The Great Chief possessed twenty wives, and none of these was allowed to do any work in the fields like the wives of the common men. They pa.s.sed their time in making bead-ornaments, forming and ornamenting snuff-boxes for the chief, grinding up tobacco (which grew here) into snuff, and in collecting news with which to amuse the Great Chief when he was at leisure.

I was surprised at the amount of news which was brought to the chiefs kraal. Some of this was confidential, and was not told to any one except to the chief himself; but plenty of news came which we about the chiefs kraal heard of.

I heard that the Umzimvubu Caffres, among whom my lot had been first cast, had lost many men in their fight with the white men, and had brought back very few cattle; and that it was probable that a fight might occur between the Amakosa and my old tribe. I also heard that a few white men had built huts near Natal Bay, and were living there, trading with the Caffres in those parts. This last news caused me to think once more about trying to escape and rejoin my own people. The Great Chief was very angry when he heard that white men had come to Natal. He said they would supply the Caffres there with guns, and that, by-and-by, they might become strong enough to resist him. He called several of his counsellors, and inquired whether they did not think he had better "wipe them out" at once. The men the chief consulted were divided in opinion; the older men were in favour of prudence, and letting the white men rest; but the younger were for attacking the men at the Bay of Natal at once, and so getting rid of them. I listened to every word I could hear at this meeting, because it seemed like hearing the decision of a jury, whether my people were or were not to be destroyed. I had several ideas about what I should do in case it was decided to attack the white people; for it seemed unjust that they should be attacked and killed without any warning, and I could not reconcile myself to the thought of remaining quiet and not giving some warning to the white men who were living at the Bay.

For several days the chiefs were talking about the affair; and I noticed that, whenever they did so, I was sent on a message to a distance, so that I could not hear what was talked about. I also found that none of my companions ever said a word to me about the men at the Bay; so I guessed that this was the order of the chief, and that I was not to know what was being done about the white men. I watched carefully every proceeding, however, of the chiefs of the different regiments; and I soon found that preparations were being made for a great expedition somewhere; and as there was no tribe with which we were at war, I felt convinced that it must be the white men against whom this army was to be sent.

From a few remarks I heard, I became certain that the white men at the Bay were to be surprised and killed; and consequently determined to try and warn them, and if possible make my escape at the same time. It would be a great risk, and if discovered I should be a.s.sagied at once.

It was evident that there was a suspicion that I could not be trusted when an attack on white men was intended; otherwise the subject would be spoken of to me by some of the young chiefs. So I pretended to know nothing about the proposed expedition, and went my journeys the same as usual, and when asked for the news I usually said there was none. It was always the habit of the Zulus, when I visited any place, to at once say, "_Chela pela s'indaba_" ("Tell us the news"), and the news they liked best was about proposed expeditions of the army against other tribes. So, when I told them there was no news, they looked surprised; for rumours had reached them that some expedition was preparing.

I discovered after a time that at the next full moon the expedition would start. The army was to a.s.semble near the Tugela river, and make a rush on to Natal, slaughter the white men, and return as quickly as possible to the Muse Umkulu or Great Kraal. Having gained this information, I decided on my own plans. Whenever I was sent on a message by the chief, I carried with me an a.s.sagy of a peculiar shape to show that I was journeying on the business of the chief. Those who saw this a.s.sagy were bound to give me every a.s.sistance, to supply me with food, and obey my orders. So I was a great man when I carried the a.s.sagy, and was never stopped or even delayed.

One evening, just before the full moon, I received the chiefs orders to travel to the kraal of a chief named Inyoko Umkulu, who lived near the Pongola river, and tell him to send some leopard-skins to the Great Chief. Now the Pongola river was in the opposite direction to that in which the army would travel to Natal; so I at once suspected I was sent away to prevent my seeing the army leave. I made my plans at once.

At daybreak I started, and travelled till the sun had risen three hand-breadths above the hills, going towards the Pongola, then I turned and travelled towards the Tugela river. I saw but few Zulus as I went, and those I did see dared not stop me when I showed them the a.s.sagy of the chief. From what I have since learned of the distances, I find I must have travelled at least fifty miles a day. So on the third day I reached the Umganie river near Natal, and saw the houses of the white men.

On entering the first house I came to, I saw a man with his wife and two children, all of whom looked at me with surprise; for they recognised me as a white boy, though I wore the tails and carried the s.h.i.+eld of a Zulu. When I spoke to them in English they were still more surprised, and soon became alarmed when I told them a Zulu army might be upon them at any moment, and unless they could escape they would all be a.s.sagied, as I knew the orders that were given to the chiefs, who led this army.

These people inquired who I was, and how I happened to be with the Zulus. I gave them a brief account of my s.h.i.+pwreck, and the life I led afterwards, but urged them to lose no time in doing something for their safety. The man at once went to the other huts, and all the white people were soon a.s.sembled to hear my tale. Some disbelieved me, but the majority were at once for making things safe--a proceeding which was far easier than I had imagined. Collecting plenty of food, and taking everything of value from their huts, they placed these on board a small schooner that by good luck was in the bay at anchor. Several boats were there also, and by aid of these the people could be conveyed to the vessel. Notice was sent to all the Caffres, of the expected arrival of the Zulu army; and they a.s.sembled on a range of hills west of the bay, where there was a very thick wood, and where they could oppose best the trained warriors of the Zulu army.

CHAPTER TWELVE.

A day pa.s.sed without any signs of the Zulus, but at daybreak on the second day a Caffre runner came shouting that the Zulus were crossing the Umganie river. We made a rush for the boats, and were soon all on board the schooner, where we waited, each with a gun, to see what the Zulus would do. The army moved rapidly and swept down on the settlement, and burnt the huts, but they did not find a living human being. Seeing the s.h.i.+p, they came down to the beech, and shouted to us to come on sh.o.r.e. I knew they had no guns; so, ascending the rigging, I called to the leading chief, and said: "Tell the Zulu dog that he is not cunning enough. He sent me to the Pongola, so that he might murder the white men without my knowing what he was going to do; but I came before you to tell them. You may now go back again."

A yell arose from the Zulus when they heard this and recognised me, and a hundred men dashed in the water and swam towards the s.h.i.+p. We allowed these to come close and then fired at them, killing or wounding several; the remainder then swam back to the sh.o.r.e and concealed themselves in the wood. I knew the Zulus too well to believe they would give up at once trying to kill the white men, and so I told my companions. We therefore kept watch all day and all night, and it was lucky we did so; for, just before daybreak on the following day, the Zulus again entered the water and swam silently to the s.h.i.+p. The sailors, however, had now made a very useful weapon: they had procured some large, heavy stones, which they had sown up in canvas and fastened to long ropes. These they threw on the Zulus, and stunned or sunk them. They could haul the stones up again and throw them again. Except by the cable there was no means by which the Zulus could climb into the s.h.i.+p, so we could kill them just as we liked.

Finding they could do nothing against people in a s.h.i.+p, the Zulus withdrew; and we thought that, as we did not see anything of them for three days, they must have left Natal.

I felt quite certain that the chiefs would not give up trying to kill the white men, for if they returned to the Great Zulu Chief without being successful, some of them would be a.s.sagied to a certainty. At the end of the three days the white men were desirous of going on sh.o.r.e, to see what remained of their goods. I tried to persuade them not to venture, but they replied that three days had now pa.s.sed and not a Zulu had been seen; so it was not likely that any were near Natal. But this was the very reason why I thought it likely that they were waiting for a chance. I told the white men so; but they only laughed at me and said, "These n.i.g.g.e.rs are off home now." Thinking that I might be of use in keeping a better look-out than the white men, I went on sh.o.r.e with those who landed. Six of them got in a boat, and pulled up the bay, and landed near where their huts had stood. The remaining men stayed on board the schooner. There was not a Zulu to be seen anywhere, and we walked to the remains of the huts, which we found entirely destroyed.

At a short distance from these huts was some thick bush through which was a narrow path. This path led to some open ground where the cattle belonging to the settlers used to graze. The white men were anxious to see whether the Zulus had destroyed or carried off their cattle, and so entered this path through the wood. Knowing the usual practises of the Zulus, I thought this a very dangerous proceeding; but my caution only made the white men say, "Don't be afraid, we ain't."

Just before we entered the bush, I saw on the sand several footprints of men, quite fresh. These footprints had been made after the last dew had fallen, so I knew it was not very long since the men who had made them must have pa.s.sed over the ground. I called to the white men in front of me to stop, as I had seen fresh footprints of Zulus; but they replied that I couldn't tell when these had been made, and as I was afraid I fancied these dangers.

Scarcely had they spoken when there was a rustling noise in the bushes, and in an instant about fifty Zulus sprang on to the path, surrounded the white men, and a.s.sagied them instantly. Seeing this, I dived into the bush, and during the noise crept through the bush and made my escape towards the sh.o.r.e. I hoped to reach the boat that had brought us from the s.h.i.+p; but, on coming within sight of it, I saw it was in possession of the Zulus. So my retreat by that means was cut off. The distance from where I was to the nearest part of the sh.o.r.e to the s.h.i.+p was nearly two miles, and there was dense bush nearly the whole way. To attempt to work my way through this bush would have been a most dangerous proceeding, for it is impossible to move in the bush without making a noise; and the Zulus were certain to have placed men on watch in this bush, so that an a.s.sagy stab would be the first thing that would acquaint me of the presence of a Zulu. Soon after I had joined the white men, they had given me clothes to wear, so the Zulus would distinguish me now at a great distance. To lie concealed in the bush was, I knew, of but little use; for they would follow my trail and surround me just as they were accustomed to surround a lion. As soon as I had seen that the boat was in possession of the Zulus, I had concealed myself in the bush to consider what to do; and I decided to work my way up the coast about a mile, and then take to the beach and try to reach the s.h.i.+p that way. Just as I had made up my mind to do this, I saw a large party of Zulus marching from where they had killed the white men towards the boat; and I noticed that they had put on the clothes of the men they had killed, and at a distance might have been mistaken for white men.

I lay still till all these men had pa.s.sed, and watched their proceedings. They sat down near the boat, and seemed to be having a talk about something of importance. I tried to think what I should propose had I been at the meeting, and the Zulus my friends; and, knowing the Zulu tactics, I believed I could tell what they said almost as well as if I heard them. My idea was that they would wait till it was dark, and then get into the boat and pull to the s.h.i.+p; and, by the aid of the clothes they wore, pretend to be white men, and get on board the s.h.i.+p. If the men on board were not on their guard, this plan would very likely succeed; and, knowing how careless and unsuspicious the white men were, I believed the chances were in favour of the Zulus succeeding in their attempt.

From none of the Zulus having followed me, I believed it possible that they had not seen me before I rushed into the bush, when my companions were attacked; but I knew the habits of the Zulus too well to be certain about this. They had often told me that the best means to come within a.s.sagy-range of a buck was to walk slowly round him, gradually narrowing the circle, but never looking at him, and pretending that something in the distance attracted your attention; then, when near enough, rush forward towards the buck and throw the a.s.sagy.

If the Zulus had seen me, they must know I was concealed somewhere; and the best method of capturing or a.s.sagying me was to set several men to watch the country, and to remain perfectly concealed and quiet. This plan they had already adopted for three days, and had succeeded in trapping half of the white men. My best chance, therefore, was to remain quiet until it was dark and then to attempt to reach the s.h.i.+p before the Zulus could do so.

It required great patience to lie for several hours in the bush, not daring to move; for, if I even frightened away a bird that had settled near me, the suspicions of the Zulus would be raised, and the bush in which I was concealed probably surrounded. The day pa.s.sed very slowly; and, after a short time, not a Zulu was to be seen. I knew that this meant that they were all on watch in the bush; and I thought how easily ignorant white men, who knew nothing about spooring, or who never watched other indications, would be surprised and killed by these so-called savages. I knew that a large body of Zulus were in the bush near where the boat lay, because two or three vultures kept circling over the place. I also saw other vultures circling over the bush where the white men had been killed, and I was very much afraid that they might circle over me. If they did, I was lost. The sun seemed to move very slowly this day, but at last it touched the hills near the Umla.s.s river, and soon after it became dark. I at once left the bush, and moved cautiously towards a marsh near the coast. It was by my ears I must now save myself, and perhaps by my legs. I moved through the long reeds of the marsh, and entered the bush beyond. In the darkness it was impossible to move silently in the bush; but I stopped occasionally to listen; and, hearing nothing, again advanced. I pa.s.sed through the bush and came on the open beach, about a mile to the east of the entrance to the bay. I stopped again to listen, but could not hear any noise which indicated the presence of the Zulus; and, it was so dark, that I could see but a short way ahead or round me. Still advancing slowly and silently, I moved along the beach towards the point where the schooner was at anchor, when I saw before me a group of Zulus standing together talking in a very low tone. They saw me as soon as I saw them: and, calling to me, asked who I was. I replied in Zulu, "Don't make a noise; I have news for you presently." I then turned to the right, where there were several sand-hills between the beach and the bush--amidst which I should be lost to sight. The dense bush beyond also prevented the outline of my figure being seen against the sky; and I thus hoped to pa.s.s the Zulus and get a start of them. They, however, suspected something, and turned after me. Seeing that the only chance of escape was a run, I moved quickly among the sand-hills; and then jumping on to the hard beach, which was better suited for running, I dashed off at speed. I had no fear of any single Zulu catching me in a straight race, for I had beaten their best runner. What I dreaded was that another party might be on the beach in front of me, when I should be stopped by them. The noise I made in running would be sure to put a party on the alert; besides which the Zulus in rear who were chasing me now began shouting; a proceeding I knew they would not adopt unless they hoped to make known to some other parties that they were in pursuit of an enemy.

The distance from where I began running to where the s.h.i.+p was, about three-quarters of a mile, I could run at speed, and now that I was running for my life there was no lack of energy. I found I was leaving the Zulus behind, and was now well beyond the reach of an a.s.sagy. I still kept on, however, and reached the beach some two hundred yards before the leading Zulu. I jumped into the water, and swam rapidly towards the schooner; but a new danger here threatened me. The night was very dark, and no one on sh.o.r.e could have seen me had it not been for the phosph.o.r.escence of the water. As I swam I left a trail of light behind me--like a rocket--and the Zulus, seeing this, threw their a.s.sagies at me; but, luckily, none struck me, or I probably should never have been able to relate my early history. I was soon beyond range of the spears, and then called to the men in the s.h.i.+p to lower a rope for me to climb on board. I was heard, and a rope with a bowling-knot at the end was lowered. In this knot I placed my feet, and was soon on board, when I told the white settlers and sailors what had taken place on sh.o.r.e. I also told them that I suspected the Zulus would try to get on board in the disguise of the men they had a.s.sagied, and that we must be prepared for them. Having given this information, I obtained some dry clothes and some food; and being now listened to with more attention, I made all arrangements for receiving the Zulus when they made their attempt to come on board as I felt sure they would. A careful watch was kept by two men, whilst the others were ready to jump up at the slightest noise. We had five double-barrelled guns on board, and several boat-hooks, which would serve as excellent weapons to keep off boarders. I believed the Zulus would try to surprise us, and to get on board under pretence of being white men, for they could not come in great numbers in the boat, so I had no fear of being overpowered.

The sailors proposed that, as soon as the wind was suitable, we should hoist sail and escape from the bay--certainly the most prudent thing to do; but there was a surf on the bar at present, due to the south-east wind that had been blowing for some days. And this surf rendered it dangerous to attempt to get out of the bay.

The greater part of the night pa.s.sed, and not a sign of the Zulus was visible; but a short time before day break, and whilst it was still dark, one of the look-out men came below and called us all to come on deck, as there was a noise as of oars being used in a boat. We had made our plans, so as not to indicate we were on guard when the boat came alongside. So we all crouched under the bulwarks and thus concealed ourselves. The stream of light in the water made by the boat was soon visible, and very quickly it came along; the Zulus knew nothing about rowing, but they managed the oars very well, and brought the boat close to the schooner. They were dressed in white men's clothes, but had their a.s.sagies and s.h.i.+elds in the boat ready for use. I could not help admiring the daring of these men, and their obedience to the orders of their chief. They had killed several white men, and might have returned with their clothes as proofs of their success; but their orders were to kill _all_ the white men, and they were now endeavouring to carry out these orders. But for our own safety we must kill them, and if possible obtain possession of the boat. When the Zulus were alongside, one man climbed on the shoulders of another, and thus reached to the bulwark, and in an instant was on board. As he came on the deck he was struck down, and the alarm at once spread. Instead of attempting to escape in the boat, the other Zulus tried to get on board by the same means; and each man was knocked down before he could use his a.s.sagies. As yet not a shot had been fired, but now, as one man only remained in the boat, he pushed off and would have escaped with the boat if we had allowed it, so one of the settlers fired and shot him. The boat was now drifting away, so I jumped over board, and swam towards it, and climbed in. On entering the boat I found that both the oars had fallen overboard, and I could not therefore row the boat; and as the tide was running out very rapidly I was being carried towards the bar. Now, inside the bar sharks were rarely if ever seen; but on the bar they were numerous, and I knew the boat would be upset when it reached the breakers on the bar, and I should have no chance, as the shark would soon pull me down. I therefore thought I must give up the idea of saving the boat; and must jump into the water and try to reach the schooner; but I saw in the water several streaks of light, which showed me that other Zulus had entered the water with the intention of a.s.sisting their friends, and several of these were between me and the s.h.i.+p. To have attempted to reach the s.h.i.+p, therefore, would have been a dangerous proceeding, as I should have been caught by several of the Zulus, and either drowned by them, or taken prisoner, and a.s.sagied. I struck out therefore for the opposite sh.o.r.e, where the Bluff of Natal, a high piece of land, stands, and soon reached the sh.o.r.e, where I concealed myself in the bush; and, being much fatigued with the exertions of the day, lay down and soon fell asleep.

I hoped when daylight came to swim back to the schooner, or signal to them to send me a boat; so I felt no anxiety about the morrow.

I awoke on the following morning from the heat of the sun, which was s.h.i.+ning on me, and for a few seconds I was in doubt where I was and what had happened. I was stiff and uncomfortable from having laid down in my wet clothes, which were scarcely yet dry, in consequence of the heavy dew that had fallen; but I got up and worked my way carefully out of the bush to where I thought I should see the schooner. On reaching the sh.o.r.e I looked and looked again; no schooner was visible where she had been, I then noticed that the wind was blowing from the west--the favourable wind for a vessel to leave the harbour. I ran round the Bluff to the side next the sea, and there saw the schooner with all sails set, about five miles off. I then knew I was deserted by the white men, who probably thought I had been drowned, so that I was now the only white man remaining on this coast.

During the various adventures through which I had pa.s.sed since the s.h.i.+pwreck years ago, I had never despaired or felt really unhappy: there was always some excitement going on, and my mind was occupied in planning various things either for sporting or other purposes. Now, however, a feeling came over me that I had never experienced before.

Had I been better acquainted with the human body and its requirements, I should have at once attributed this effect to its proper cause. During the whole of the previous day I had eaten nothing, and had gone through much hard work and excitement. The depression that I suffered was more due to absence of food than to the causes by which I was surrounded, for when I had eaten I saw everything in a more hopeful light. Still I was in a bad way; for I possessed no weapon except a sailor's knife, I had no food and did not know where to procure any, and I was probably surrounded by enemies.

I wandered down the rocks on the sh.o.r.e and gazed at the distant s.h.i.+p. I knew it was useless to signal, she was so far distant; yet I took off my jacket and waved it, till my arm was too tired even to lift above my shoulder. Then I sat down to think.

As I looked down I saw fixed on the rocks at my feet a sh.e.l.l which I at once recognised as an oyster, such as we used to procure at Bombay.

With my knife I opened this, and ate this African sh.e.l.l-fish. On searching on the rocks I found hundreds of oysters, and was enabled to make a hearty meal. Trickling down the side of the bluff was also a little stream of fresh water. By gathering some large leaves of a plant like the banana, I allowed the water to acc.u.mulate in these, and my thirst was quenched. Growing on the sh.o.r.e also were some trees, bearing a fruit I well knew, and called by my old friends of the Umzimvubu the _Martingula_. It was very good to eat, and in size was similar to a plum, with a peculiar flavour. I also saw several bees, so I hoped to procure some honey, and there was consequently no fear of starving.

I thought it prudent not to show myself on the sh.o.r.e of the bay, for fear some Zulus might yet remain; though I antic.i.p.ated that, as soon as they had seen that the schooner had sailed they would return to their own country with their proofs of victory.

I considered for some time whether I should try to work my way down the coast, so as to reach the Umzimvubu and my old friends; but a strange longing had come over me to once more be among white people, and I thought that the Bay of Natal would be a much more likely place from which to find a s.h.i.+p than down by the Umzimvubu district. So I decided to keep myself concealed on the bluff, at least for some time; for I need not want for food, as there were oysters in abundance on the rocks, and when the tide went down there were several pools of water left on the rocks, in which were fish of various sizes: these I caught with a forked stick, and so managed to live on fish diet. I was not long, however, before I adopted a Caffre expedient for obtaining meat. In the bush were numbers of red bush-buck, and also duikers: to trap these I bent down the stem of a young tree, so as to form a spring, and by means of withes and the bark of a shrub, which was as strong as rope, I made a noose in the path frequented by these buck. Scarcely an evening pa.s.sed but I caught a buck, and so had plenty of meat. I sadly wanted some salt, however; but I soon thought of a plan for securing this. There were several small hollows in the rocks above high-water mark, these I filled with sea-water, and, as they were exposed to the sun, the water soon evaporated, and a deposit of salt remained. With this salt I rubbed the strips of buck-meat I had cut with my knife; and, hanging these in the sun, made a provision for the future. I was obliged to hang them at the end of thin branches at a distance from the ground, for I found that leopards frequented this place, and although they might not attack me, yet they would at once carry off and devour my meat.