the days of my life-第15章

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ble　that　their　future　king　should　be　nominated　by　Sompseu。　It　was　overe　in　the　following　extraordinary　fashion。　At　a　great　meeting　of　the　indunas　or　councillors　and　chiefs　it　was　announced　that　Sompseu　was　a　Zulu　king；　that　he　stood　in　the　place　of　Chaka；　the　African　Napoleon　and　Panda’s　uncle；　and　that　the　spirit　of　Chaka　had　entered　into　him　—　not　a　very　fortable　possession　for　a　highly　respectable　English　gentleman。　From　that　day　forward；　quite　independent　of　his　authority　as　a　representative　of　the　Queen；　Shepstone　had　personal　sovereign　rights　in　Zululand。　Thus　he　could　have　ordered　anyone　to　be　killed　or　have　declared　war　or　peace。　It　was；　I　firmly　believe；　because　of　this　personal　authority　that　he　was　able　to　prevent　the　Zulus　from　attacking　the　Boers　in　1877；　as　I　shall　show　that　he　did。
But　of　all　these　and　many　other　events　I　have　told　in　my　book；　“Cetewayo　and　his　White　Neighbours；”　which　was　first　published　in　1882；　and　to　that　book　I　must　refer　the　reader　who　is　interested　in　them。　In　these　pages　I　do　not　propose　to　write　a　history　of　South　Africa　during　the　eventful　years　in　which　I　knew　it；　but　rather　to　treat　of　my　personal　experiences　at　the　time；　which　perhaps　may　throw　some　new　light　upon　parts　of　that　history。
The　remainder　of　my　life　in　Natal；　that　is　as　secretary　to　the　Governor　—　for　I　returned　to　that　country　afterwards　in　another　capacity　—　can　be　summed　up　in　few　words。　I　copied　despatches；　received　guests；　and　did　my　other　duties；　probably　not　as　well　as　I　might　have　done。　But　in　connection　with　these　I　cannot　think　of　much　that　is　worth　setting　down。
Perhaps　I　may　add　a　curious　little　story。　Captain　Cox；　my　colleague　on　Sir　Henry　Bulwer’s　staff；　who　was　an　officer　in　one　of　the　regiments　in　Natal　—　I　think　he　belonged　to　the　ill…fated　24th　—　received　a　blow　while　playing　polo　which　severed　what　I　believe　is　called　the　external　carotid　artery；　a　vessel　which　runs　up　by　the　side　of　the　temple。　A　serious　operation　was　performed　on　him　by　the　doctors　which　necessitated　his　being　kept　under　chloroform　for　five　hours；　but　great　difficulty　was　experienced　in　tying　this　artery。　He　seemed　to　get　better；　and　at　last　was　allowed　to　eat　a　snipe　which　I　went　out　and　shot　for　him。　That　evening　some　circumstance　or　other　made　me　uneasy　about　him；　and　of　my　own　motion　I　passed　the　night　sitting　up　in　the　office；　going　in　to　look　at　him　from　time　to　time。　He　slept　well；　and　when　the　dawn　came　I　thought　that　I　would　retire　to　bed。　By　an　afterthought　I　returned　to　give　him　another　look；　and　found　him　still　lying　asleep；　but　with　the　blood　spurting　from　his　head　in　a　little　fountain。　I　pressed　my　thumb　on　the　artery　and　held　it　there　until　assistance　came。　Another　operation　was　performed；　and　ultimately　he　recovered；　though　one　of　his　eyes　was　affected。
Captain　Cox　was　subsequently　wounded　at　Ulundi；　and　in　the　end　died；　I　think；　in　India　when　he　was　Colonel　of　his　regiment。
Chapter　4　THE　SPECIAL　MISSION　TO　THE　TRANSVAAL
Shepstone　appointed　Special　missioner　to　Transvaal　—　Wide　powers　—　H。　R。　H。　on　Shepstone’s　staff　—　Umslopogaas　attached　to　mission　—　To　Pretoria　by　ox…waggon　—　Thirty…five　days　—　Melmoth　Osborn　and　Major　Marshal　Clarke　on　mission　—　First　acquaintance　with　Boers　—　“Opsitting”　—　President　Burgers　—　Danger　to　Transvaal　from　Cetewayo’s　Zulus　and　Secocoeni’s　tribe　—　Arrive　Pretoria　—　H。　R。　H。　acpanies　Osborn　and　Clarke　on　Mission　to　Secocoeni　—　Rough　journey　—　Indaba　at　his　kraal　—　Plot　to　murder　English　Mission　—　Frustrated　by　an　accident　—　Safe　return　to　Pretoria。
At　the　end　of　1876　Sir　Theophilus　Shepstone　was　appointed　Special　missioner　to　the　Transvaal。　His　mission　was　a　wide　one；　for；　although　this　was　not　known　at　the　time；　it　gave　him　powers；　if　he　thought　fit；　to　annex　the　country；　“in　order　to　secure　the　peace　and　safety　of　our　said　colonies　and　our　subjects　elsewhere。”　When　the　vastness　of　the　territories　and　the　questions　concerned　are　considered；　this　was　a　great　authority　to　leave　to　the　discretion　of　a　single　man。　But　thus　was　the　British　Empire　made　before　the　days　of　cables；　when　everything　depended　upon　the　judgment　of　the　officers　on　the　spot。
On　his　way　out　to　Natal　from　England　he　was　shipwrecked　on　the　coast　not　very　far　from　Cape　Town；　an　event　that　some　might　have　thought　a　bad　omen。　I　asked　him　what　he　thought　of　while　as　yet　they　did　not　know　whether　they　would　escape。
“I　thought　that　I　should　like　to　die　decent；”　he　answered；　“and　spent　the　time　in　hunting　for　my　trousers。”
Exactly　how　I　came　to　acpany　Sir　Theophilus　on　his　important　and　history…making　Mission　I　cannot　now　recall。　At　any　rate　I　went　as　a　member　of　his　staff。　Here　is　a　list　of　us：
Mr。　Osborn；　afterwards　Sir　Melmoth　Osborn。
Major　Clarke；　afterwards　Sir　Marshal　Clarke。
Colonel　Brooke；　R。E。
Captain　James。
Mr。　Henderson。
Mr。　Mor；　afterwards　the　Attorney…General　of　Natal。
Mr。　Fynney。
Myself。
Doctor　Lyle；　medical　officer　to　the　Mission；　and
Lieutenant　Phillips；　in　charge　of　the　escort　of　twenty…five　Natal　Mounted　Police。
Of　these　I　believe　that　with　myself　Colonel　Brooke　still　survives　（1911）；　although　he　must　be　an　old　man　now。　Phillips　also　was　alive　when　last　I　heard　of　him。　He　rose　to　mand　the　Natal　Mounted　Police；　and　had　then　retired。　The　rest　are　all　dead；　Clarke　being　the　last　to　go；　and　I　may　say　that　I　am　the　only　member　of　the　mission　left　living　who　was　closely　concerned　with　the　political　side　of　its　work。
There　was　another　individual　attached　to　the　mission　of　whom　I　must　give　some　account。　He　was　Umslopogaas；　or　more　correctly　M’hlopekazi；　who　acted　as　a　kind　of　head　native　attendant　to　Sir　Theophilus。　Umslopogaas；　then　a　man　of　about　sixty；　was　a　Swazi　of　high　birth。4　He　was　a　tall；　thin；　fierce…faced　fellow　with　a　great　hole　above　the　left　temple　over　which　the　skin　pulsated；　that　he　had　e　by　in　some　battle。　He　said　that　he　had　killed　ten　men　in　single　bat；　of　whom　the　first　was　a　chief　called　Shive；　always　making　use　of　a　battle…axe。　However　this　may　be；　he　was　an　interesting　old　fellow　from　whom　I　heard　many　stories　that　Fynney　used　to　interpret。
4　The　Natal　Witness　of　October　26；　1897；　when　reporting　his　death；　says　that　he　was　son　of　“Mswazi；　King　of　Swaziland；　and　in　his　youth　belonged　to　the　Nyati　Regiment；　the　crack　corps　of　the　country。”　—　Ed。
As　the　reader　may　be　aware；　I　have　availed　myself　of　his　personality　to　a　considerable　extent　in　various　Zulu　romances；　and　especially　in　“Allan　Quatermain。”　Here　are　two　stories　concerning　him。
One　day；　long　after　I　had　left　Africa；　he　had　a　talk　with　Osborn；　whom　the　natives　called　“Mali…mat。”
“Is　it　true；　Mali…mat；”　asked　Umslopogaas；　“that　Indanda”　（i。e。　myself）　“has　been　using　my　name　largely　in　books　that　he　has　written？”
“Yes；　it　is　true；　Umslopogaas。”
“So！　Now　what　does　Indanda　do　with　the　books　when　he　has　written　them？”
“He　sells　them；　Umslopogaas。”
“Then；　Mali…mat；　say　to　the　Inkoos　Indanda　when　you　meet　him　across　the　Black　Water　that；　as　he　makes　money　by　writing　about　me；　it　is　right　and　just　that　he　should　send　me　half　the　money！”
I　took　the　hint　and　sent　him；　not　money；　but　a　very　fine　hunting…knife　with　his　name　engraved　upon　it。
The　other　story　is　that　not　long　before　his　death；　which　took　place　in　1897；　Lady　Hely…Hutchinson；　the　wife　of　the　Governor　of　Natal；　asked　him　whether　he　was　not　proud　that　his　name　should　appear　in　books　which　the　white　men　read　all　over　the　world。
“No；　Inkoosikazi　（Chieftainess）；”　he　answered；　“to　me　it　is　nothing。　Yet　I　am　glad　that　Indanda　has　set　my　name　in　writings　that　will　not　be　forgotten；　so　that；　when　my　people　are　no　more　a　people；　one　of　them　at　least　may　be　remembered。”
I　have　a　photograph　of　Umslopogaas　which　was　taken　the　day　before　his　death。　The　face　might　have　served　some　Greek　sculptor　for　the　model　of　that　of　a　dying　god。
I　think　that　we　trekked　from　Maritzburg　on　December　20；　1876；　and　took　thirty…five　days　to　traverse　the　four　hundred　odd　miles　between　it　and　Pretoria　in　our　ox…waggon。　It　was　my　first　real　introduction　to　African　travel；　and　I　greatly　enjoyed　the　journey；　hot　as　it　was　at　that　time　of　year。
Well　do　I　remember　our　leisurely　progress　over　the　plains；　the　mountains；　and　the　vast；　rolling　high　veld　of　the　Transvaal　territory。　Still　I　can　see　the　fearful　sweeping　thunderstorms　that　overtook　us；　to　be　followed　by　moonlit　nights　of　surpassing　brilliancy　which　we　watched　from　beside　the　fires　of　our　camp。　Those　camps　were　very　pleasant；　and　in　them；　as　we　smoked　and　drank　our　“square　face”　after　a　day’s　trek；　I　heard　many　a　story　of　savage　Africa　from　Sir　Theophilus　himself；　from　Osborn　and　from　Fynney；　who　next　to　him；　perhaps；　knew　as　much　of　the　Zulus　and　their　history　as　any　living　in　Natal。
For　instance；　Osborn　actually　saw　the　battle　of　the　Tugela；　which　took　place　between　the　rival　princes　Cetewayo　and　Umbelazi　in　1856。　With　the　temerity　of　a　young　man　he　swam　his　horse　across　the　river　and　hid　himself　in　a　wooded　kopje　in　the　middle　of　the　battlefield。　He　saw　Umbelazi’s　host　driven　back　and　the　veteran　regiment；　nearly　three　thousand　strong；　that　Panda　had　sent　to　aid　his　favourite　son；　move　up　to　its　support。　He　described　to　me　the　frightful　fray　that　followed。　Cetewayo　sent　out　a　regiment　against　it。　They　met；　and　he　said　that　the　roll　of　the　shields　as　they　came　together　was　like　to　that　of　the　deepest　thunder。　Then　the　Greys　passed　over　Cetewayo’s　regiment　as　a　wave　passes　over　a　sunken　ridge　of　rock；　and　left　it　dead。　Another　regiment　came　against　them　and　the　scene　repeated　itself；　only　more　slowly；　for　many　of　the　veterans　were　down。　Now　the　six　hundred　of　them　who　remained　formed　themselves　in　a　ring　upon　a　hillock　and　fought　on　till　they　were　buried　beneath　the　heaps　of　the　slain。
I　have　described　this　battle；　in　which　and　the　subsequent　rout　tens　of　thousands　of　people　perished；　in　a　romance　as　yet　unpublished5　that　I　have　written　under　the　title　of　“Child　of　Storm。”　It　is　wonderful　that　Osborn　should　have　escaped　with　his　life。　This　he　did　by　hiding　close　and　tying　his　coat　over　his　horse’s　head　to　prevent　it　from　neighing。　When　darkness　fell　he　rode　back　to　the　Tugela　and　swam　its　corpse…crowded　waters。　Sir　Theophilus　visited　its　banks　a　day　or　two　afterwards；　and　told　m