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！
l not work for them at a low rate of wage。 For example； they cannot understand why these blacks should object to spend weeks and months hundreds of feet underground； employed in the digging of ore； and； in their hearts； often enough would like to pel them by force to do their will。 Yet surely the Kaffir whose land we have taken has a right to follow his own opinions and convenience on this subject。
Also many white men have； or used to have； a habit of personally assaulting natives； frequently upon quite insufficient grounds。 They say or said that these would do nothing unless they were beaten。 I do not believe it。 Where Zulus are concerned at least； a great deal depends upon the person in authority over them。 No race is quicker at discovering any alloy of base metal in a man’s nature。 Many who are called “gentlemen” among us on account of their wealth or station； will not pass as such with them。 By a kind of instinct they know the true article when they see it； whatever may be the position in life held by the individual in question。 True gentility； as I have seen again and again； is not the prerogative of a class but a gift innate in certain members of all classes； and by no means a mon gift。 With it rank； station； wealth have nothing to do； it either is or is not born in a man； and still more so in a woman。 To the Zulu the rest are what he calls unfagozana； that is； low fellows。 These； by misfortune； are almost always in the majority。 Like others； savages have their gentlefolk and their mon people； but with all their faults even those mon people are not vulgar in our sense of the word。 In essential matters they still preserve a certain dignity。 Of course； however； I talk of those savages whom I know。 There may be others among whom things are different。 Also； in this respect as in others； matters in Africa may have changed since my day。 I talk of a bygone generation。
One last word about Colenso。 His native name of “Usobantu” shows the estimate that the Kaffirs formed of him。 It means “Father of the People。”
Among other remarkable Natalians of that day were the old Chief Justice （was not his name O’Connor？） and Mr。 John Bird； the Treasurer of the Colony and the piler of a valuable work called “The Annals of Natal” which in after years I had the pleasure of reviewing in the Saturday Review。 The Chief Justice has always remained in my mind because of his curious power of self…control。 I remember that when the mail came in； which at that time I believe was only once a month； he used to undo the many Times newspapers that it brought to him and arrange them in a pile。 Then； beginning with the oldest in date； on each day he would read his Times； nor； however exciting might be the news； would he suffer himself to anticipate its daily development。 He never looked at the end of the story。 Thus did he delude himself into the belief that he was still in England and receiving his morning paper wet from the press。 The drawback to the system was that he was always a month behind the Natal world and two behind that of Europe。
Mr。 John Bird； a dear old gentleman； had the most marvellous memory of any man I have ever known。 He told me that if he once read anything he liked he remembered it； if he read it twice he remembered it without error； if he read it thrice he never forgot it。 In his youth he had been a surveyor； and in the course of his long waggon journeys in the Cape he taught himself Greek。 I have heard him offer to bet anyone five pounds that he would repeat any book in Homer that might be selected without making five mistakes。 Also I heard him give a lecture on “The Pleasures of Memory” which was nearly two hours long。 In the course of this lecture he made dozens of quotations from all sorts of authors and never used a single note。
The only instance that I can recollect of parallel powers was that of a gentleman who could repeat all my romance； “She；” without a mistake。 I believe he was a South African； and I imagine he must have been a relative of Mr。 Bird。
But the most interesting man of all with whom I came in contact in Natal was one who afterwards became my beloved chief and friend； for； notwithstanding the wide difference of our years； that relationship existed between us。 I refer to Sir Theophilus Shepstone； or “Sompseu” as he was called by the natives throughout South Africa。
Sir Theophilus was born in England in 1817； and emigrated to the Cape with his father； a clergyman； when he was but three years old。 In his early youth he learned many Kaffir dialects at the mission stations。 After filling various appointments he became Secretary for Native Affairs in Natal in 1856； a position which he held for twenty years。 His policy was to maintain the tribal system of the natives under the supremacy of the British Crown； and to civilise them by degrees。 Often he has told me that he believed that the Zulus should be taught to work and that their minds should be opened before attempts were made to Christianise them。 I should add that his policy； although much criticised； was singularly successful。 This is proved by the fact that； notwithstanding the enormous number of savages who poured from Zululand into Natal； with the single exception of the petty rising of the chief Langalibalele （“the Bright Shining Sun”）； which happened a year or two before I went to the Colony； there was no rebellion or native war during all the time of his management of affairs。 Personally he was known and almost worshipped by every Kaffir in the land。
“I love that boy；” I once heard him say to one of my elder colleagues as I passed by him； he thought out of earshot； and I have never forgotten the words or the tone in which they were uttered。 Well； the affection was reciprocated； and will be while I have memory。
He was a curious； silent man； any of the characteristics of the natives among whom he lived。 Often it was impossible to guess from his somewhat impassive face what was passing in his brain。 He had the power of silence； but he observed everything and forgot little。 To me； however； when the mood was on him； he would talk a great deal — the stories I have heard from him would fill half a volume — and sometimes even unfold to