My African home; or, bush life in Natal when a young colony. 1852-7 ... Illustrated

Preface

. Thirty years have elapsed since the simple descriptions in the following pages were written, during five years of active bush life in Natal. The letters were restored to me on my return to England. I have been induced to publish them, with selections from my journal, in the hope that they may entertain many young friends who have been interested about my " African Home." E. W. F. ROPPYNDEN, BURWASH. October, 1S86. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. I'AGE Feniscowles, Durban, Natal Frontispiece View from house at Durban ....... 22 Louisa ... . . . . . . . -31 Louisa and Gudgeon 39 Leyland's lapful . . . . . . . . . 143 South African wagon outspanning . . . . . .167 Our house at Richmond . . . . . . . .212 Mazobani, a Zulu Caffre ........ 270 Umlimba, wife of Mazobani OR, BUSH LIFE IN NATAL.

Chapter I

March 8th, 1852. — This is our seventeenth day at sea, and where has been my journal ? Perhaps it is as well I have not kept one ; it would have been weary to read, and now I may give a general impression of what is past without the lassitude and drowsiness we have all felt more or less. I am quite mistaken in my ex pectations of a sea voyage being invigorating and inspiriting, though it may do good in the main after it is over. I expected rest and fresh breezes, but more tired each evening I never felt. It is constant fatigue ; all the muscles of the body are in exercise ; we have to hold hard to keep our seats steady, and to hold hard to keep our feet steady when we pace the deck, and as these two occupations last the whole day it is pretty hard work, giving one some idea of the labour of the treadmill.

I have suffered very little from sea-sickness, only the first day "my dinner tumbled out" like little Henrietta's, without a particle of acidity. On Sunday the captain assembled us all, and read some of the Church prayers, and the 5th chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel. The sailors and passengers were all very attentive and proper. Amongst the steerage passengers is a very respectable elderly woman, engaged to take charge of a widower's family ; he has paid her passage out, her B ; or, countenance would be her passport. Then there is a great, fine-looking Scotchwoman, who says she is going out to be married. Alas ! for her, she should have secured her husband ere lie sailed. The man's brother, however, saw her on board, and paid her passage. Of the rest I have learned nothing, and I do not fancy them.

Alarch \2th. — A fresh breeze has filled our sails, and carried us on famously. We passed Madeira — though out of sight — on the tenth or eleventh day and got into the trade-winds a day or two later. We are highly favoured: our fellowpassengers are all respectable and quiet. " Sawbones " is a decent, unpre suming man, in delicate health, which may have been his reason for accepting the passage. He suffers from chronic bronchitis, which he says nothing but change of climate will take away. He has not had much practice on board as yet, beyond mixing a pill or two, but he may be useful by-and-by. Mrs. Wasserman is an Englishwoman, a quiet, subdued, gentle-looking lady, in delicate health. Her husband, a goodnatured-looking German, has fixed on Natal as a likely place to suit his wife, while he may do a little business.

They have two children — the best ordered I ever saw — and an active, useful nurse. The children are never allowed to fret, and neither parents nor children ever make a complaint about their food. Not so Mrs. Miller, who is a regular grumbletonian ; she has two squalling children — the baby, poor thing, teething — and as there is no space for separation in these small vessels (under 300 tons), the proximity is not particularly agreeable. We think ourselves fortunate to be able to retire to our little cabin on deck, and draw our curtain, and thus feel a retreat. Most fortunately the ladies brought chairs or we should have been badly off, for not a movable seat does the vessel contain, beyond two or three wooden stools without backs. Our captain is a good-natured man, and anxious to make us comfortable, so we make but few complaints.

I could not help complaining of the bread — even Mrs. Wasserman said, " If it were only a little better." I made my complaint rather cunningly. I said, " Captain, the steward has not had time to knead the bread, now I dare say some of those women can bake well, that great Scotchwoman, for instance, don't you think you could ask her ? " " I'll see about it," and, lo ! the next baking was a different thing, but the steward had done it. Our food is very fair so far, but it shames me to think how dependent our pleasure is upon our palate. The cooking is greasy, and the meat spoiled in the boiling. We, however, are very well off, having been so helped by all our friends in numerous little delicacies — a pot of Amelia's marmalade and biscuits, and a loaf of bread a fortnight baked from Feniscowles were quite a luxury — a slice received by our fellow-voyagers quite gratefully.

As long as Mary's basket had anything in, I would say, " Ask Mary for a biscuit." I am sorry to say some of the sailors found their way to one of our hampers, and two bottles of wine and three of porter have disappeared. We have brought the rest into the cabin and locked them under the sofa. We get roasted potatoes and chops for breakfast, or fish cooked, with eggs, tea, coffee, cocoa, toast, all which sounds very well, and would taste well too, if the cook understood his business better. However, we might be worse off, and maybe before we have done, for this is only our third week, and I don't fancy the preserved meats will be nice, they boil them to rags. Alas ! the three little pigs died, and were consigned to the deep one after the other. The sheep do well ; we killed one last week, and have been enjoying mutton, fresh and sweet, ever since.

I doubt this sheep is nearly finished. Our primitive larder is easily looked into. It is made under the boat that is fixed from above the cabin door — over our outside drawing-room. The boat thus acts as larder and awning, and the joints hanging over our heads are chandeliers or pictures of "dead game," &c. Occasionally, when the bloodhound " Nero " or my little " Vie " comes this way, I have seen a pocket knife opened, and a small slice cut off a joint to give to the dogs. I have thought of Gordon Cumming B ; or, 4 cutting steaks from the hippopotamus as it fled from his hand ! Our second Monday on board was quite an exciting day. We got up some boxes to examine their contents. None of the passengers are so well off as we are ; but we are so well stored we can afford to be generous, more especially as some things don't keep for ever.

The first box we opened we found all would keep, so we shut it up again ; then we came to Margaret's mysterious box of good things. I could remember nothing about it, except a round of beef which was "not to be eaten till we longed for it," and some cheese ; so we opened, and oh ! but it was a sight, I won't say for " sair e'en," but for a covetous stomach. Our exclamations greatly amused the good German, who watched with as much eagerness as if it had been his own. " What's this ? " cried one. " Oh, beef ! " " No such thing, this is a great pie ! there's the beef below." It was duly smelt and admired, and declared to be quite sweet and good, but whether a venison pasty, a beefsteak pie, or a porker, we could not decide. We agreed to restrain our curiosity as all was so sweet, and shut it up again till Saturday when we took it into the cabin.

Alas ! a thick mould had encircled the crust. We pulled away the crust, sent for a dish, and lo ! a noble ham came from below ! We have our luncheon off it every day, and we give slices to our guests, a real treat. We have not touched the beef yet. We took out one tongue (there is yet another), and the box is filled with delicacies ; every one exclaimed at the beautiful and most careful packing, and I have frequently lain on my berth wondering and meditating on all the love and affection that had prompted so much. Dear Mary's untiring fingers, too ! I hang my watch in her watchpocket every night, and Mary Stewart's eau-de-Cologne bottle beside it, so pretty with its basket and red ribbon ; the useful brush bag, too, and all its contents. The air-cushion is ab solutely invaluable, for with the constant effort to sit steady, the seat becomes very hard.

Leyland asked me one day where " those worked cushions " came from. " Why," I said, " you surely know your own ; that one is what my mother was working so hard at to get ready for your head, and this one Mary made for mine." He is sure he never thanked her for his. March 20th, 1852. — Wecrossed the line yesterday and Neptune paid us a visit. He came on deck dripping with sea-water, and duly presented himself, bowing low to the ladies, who were on what we call the top of the house, i.e. above the cabin, and reached by a long step to a post, another on to a water-cask, and a third reaches the top. It was well the ladies were out of harm's way, for a scene of riotous fun ensued, and the sailors became half wild with their tricks. The poor doctor made a most gallant resistance ; he was chased up and down the vessel, and climbed the rigging with great agility, Neptune after him, and finally became a very lamb in the hands of half a dozen sailors, who soused him well from head to foot, clothes and all.

Next came the German, who made no resistance and gave no lun ; and by degrees such tricks got played that the two little Wassermans hid their faces and cried, and I felt half inclined to follow their example. Then the deck had to be swept up, and all was quiet once more, and only the ladies and children to be seen on deck ; but by degrees one after another reappeared fresh and dry in sundry costumes, and a lot of clothes were seen hanging from the rigging to dry. Leyland pre tended he could not get at another pair of trousers, and made me dress him up in fancy costume, of which I attempted a sketch. He was so picturesque, in short white calico skirt or kilt, with short drawers, a blue Garibaldi shirt, red sash, and Indian mocassins, without stockings. Little Archie said, " Mamma, if Mr. Feilden can go without trousers, I think I may too."

So his are doffed, poor child. He is a sweet, gentle boy, a very " Oliver Twist," as his mother calls him, but sadly puny. The baby is better and does not squeal quite so much now. The heat is excessive, and our contrivances for cool ness are rather peculiar. I have manufactured a muslin ; or, helmet, and brush my hair all off my face up to a knot on the top of my head. Mrs. Miller is taking my like ness ; her own would be a long thin white thread-paper, without either stays or bustle. The gentlemen wear no coats. In the evenings they play at quoits or other games, and later on we sit on the sides of the vessel and look into the glorious and wonderful waters spangled all over with animalculæ and fish charged with electricity as they strike the waters, and resemble a myriad of bright stars below us, as well as those above.

Jupiter shines pre-eminent, the silver line of his light across the waters is like that cast by the moon. We have left the Northern star now, but look with interest on those four brilliants forming the Southern Cross. Last night we were waiting on " the top of the house" to watch Neptune sent off to sea in a blazing tar-barrel, when I exclaimed, " Look at that star on the water, that is too far off for animalculæ to be visible." " That is a fish," said a sailor. Presently it grew more brilliant, then suddenly springing out of the water, made several plunges and disappeared. Itwasaporpoi.se. Its colour was transparent green illuminated. Earlier in the even ings many of these great fish are seen unilluminated, playing and plunging, and thoroughly enjoying their bath in the cool sea. One day there was a rush to the end of the vessel to see a whale ; another day it was a shark, but a very unsatisfactory view could be obtained of either, nor would the shark approach any nearer for a bait of flesh hung over to lure it.

One day the captain pointed quietly to a little white thing that was sailing past. It was a Nautilus, and presently some dozens — quite a fleet of these tiny little ships — sailed past. These are called Portuguese men of-war, and are not the beautiful Nautili that have the white transparent shell. Their sails vary in size from an inch to a finger's length, the sail in a crescent, bowing the water ; some are white, and some have an edge of rich pink ; all are transparent as gossamer in the middle, a long fibrous matter hangs down under the water for ballast. They seemed to be sailing away very fast, but I found it was we who were passing them, and that they were merely floating in the sunshine. Only once since we lost sight of the British Isles have we seen land, and that was the Island of St. Antonio, one of the Cape Verde Islands, with mountains 9000 feet above the level of the sea.

Leyland's contrivances for our comfort (I might say for mine, for he can rough it well) are numerous. One day I found a clean towel spread on our little table in our cabin, and quite a feast laid out ; one of Margaret's tongues, a pot of marmalade, a saucer with sugar, a plum cake, and some biscuits. Presently the steward brought in two cups of tea and toast, a couple of dear Margaret's eggs, which we think so much richer than the ship's eggs, and we had our tea in private, our curtain shutting us out from intrusion. We are so much better off than the other passengers, not merely in the good things and comforts our friends supplied, but in our cabins being up-stairs. Mrs. Wasserman says, " They look so nice, and we were so stupid as not to take them, we having the first choice ! " I agree with her, it was stupid.

March 23rd. — We have had a sad catastrophe on board. The great Scotchwoman gave birth to a child about a fortnight ago ; she had not known if there would be a doctor on the vessel, and believed she should never reach Natal, but be buried in the sea, and so she has been, and it was sad to think there was not a mourner except those from pity. She had the mid cabin all to herself, and the decent elderly woman acted as her nurse. At the end of a week she seemed all right, the nurse left her at midnight, and early in the morning she found her with the death-rattle in her throat. The doctor was quickly with her, but she died almost instantly. The heat was intense, so there was no delay in committing the body to the deep. I found the sailors busy making a shroud of a piece of new sail cloth, and so soon as ready the captain assembled the sailors, and read the prayers of the Burial Service very solemnly.

The ladies, except myself, declined being present. The ship's flags were hung as a curtain be- ; or, 8 tween us and the corpse, which yet could be seen lying on a board decently covered with the Union Jack. During the service the curtain was raised, and at the right moment the body was quietly committed to the deep. The elderly female took charge of the poor baby, but it too has followed its mother. I longed to put my finger on its forehead in the name of the Lord Jesus, but I hope He has received the helpless infant. The poor doctor has taken this woman's death much to heart, and was ill for two days in consequence. One of our amusements on board is to pretend that the post has arrived, and we bring out some letter of love received before leaving home, and read it together, a great treat ; but, alas ! where are all those letters kept purposely for the voyage, and at the last moment stowed away to fill some vacant corner in some box not now remembered ?

We have looked into another box of good things, and find dear Minna's ham so cool and sweet that we shall probably reserve it for Natal, as well as many other articles. The steward is most polite, making a giand bow whenever he brings me anything ! A ship has been in sight, but she proved to be Portuguese, possibly a slaver. She would not speak. Al ay ist, 1852.3 — Beyond the Cape of Good Hope. Two days ago was my dear mother's birthday. We drank her health in eveiy liquid that passed our lips, even once in quinine, and finally at night, opened our bottle of whiskey, and drank it in a good glass of toddy. Mrs. Miller and the captain were still up, so they were called in to share ; the steward who supplied us with sugar and water got a little treat too, and our cabin behind the curtain showed quite a cheerful little scene.

We get very good bread now, and are either better supplied than at first or we grow more accustomed to the style of cooking. We have eaten six sheep at the cabin table (I fear the last leg has been taken from our larder to-day). The pigs, except one, died. The fowls are as tough as old rabbits. I sometimes suspect they have been killed to prevent a natural or unnatural death, as I saw happen one day, but there is no use inquiring too strictly into anything eatable on a three months' voyage. The mutton is deliciously fresh and sweet, and we pick the bones as clean as any dog would do. By-the-bye, poor little " Vie " has become food for fishes, and I believe it was more lamented over than the poor baby. It was too young for the voyage, and died in strong convulsions. I am disappointed in finding neither fresh air nor rest as I expected on a long sea voyage without steam.

The smells in the little vessel are odious, smoke and soot from the ki chen chimney at times are as bad as from a mill. And for rest ! Since we got into the neighbourhood of the Cape we have been " shy ed" off sofas, and knocked about in various ways all day long. The story of the Golden Goose and its picture in the little story book came into my thoughts one day, as Leyland and I, with our backs firmly planted against " the house " were balancing off one leg on to the other, poor Mrs. Miller shot past us, Leyland put out his hand and caught her, but slipping, I put out mine and caught him ; then came little Arc ie and caught his mother by the gown, and so we formed a line like the geese, all sticking by the touch. Often have we been jerked off our seats and rolled into a heap on the floor.

I got a "Well done" from the capt in one day in a squall, for catching two plates on their way to the floor ; but we are all growing fatter and rosier during our "winter at the Cape." The seas during this breezy weather are sometimes magnificent, with their snow-white, frothy foam around the ship, and the g eat heaving, heavy waves, reminding one of those poetical descriptions of being rocked on the swelling bos m of the mighty ocean. The birds are so different from land birds, they fly so strong and swiftly. But the noble albatross is like a king among them all, its rapid flig t is without effort; it sweeps the winds with its long wings, and describes circles, ascending or descending with B.qual ease and rapidity. It reminds me of a very skilful skater on the ice, cutting spread- ; or, 10 eagles and skimming along, &c. A flying fish paid us a visit one day.

It had a dark back and white belly, with large black eyes. It is about the size of a whiting, and its wings are like extended fins shut up, and not otherwise noticeable. It is surprising how quickly — after the first few weeks — the time passes, and we so very idle, but I sleep from ten to eleven hours every night dreaming, unremembered dreams, but always appertaining to land, so that I am only about half my time at sea. One dream I must write down, it was so distinct and so curious. " Me thought a swarm of bees had hived under our bed, and that looking for something one day led me to find them, for though they had been flying about, going and coming till they had accumulated piles of honeycomb, we had never either of us seen or heard them till their work was finished and the honey ready for us.

Methought I saw the shells of several bees, as they had cast them (do they so ?) sticking against the wall in their wax, but the honeycomb was most of it piled on the floor ! ! " On Saturday afternoon, we were watching the lightning playing rapidly behind a large dark cloud almost close to the horizon. It shot about in every direction ; the evening was calm and still. I turned to go in, and instantly a tremendous rattling came against the windows, and Mrs. Miller followed with a hailstone fully an inch long, thick and sharp. The doctor followed with another that measured an inch and a half, shaped like a top. After we had examined and wondered, and almost feared, we threw it down the skylight for the nurses to see. The thunder was loud, and the lightning illu minated the sea ; it was grandly beautiful.

The captain had hard work to get his sails in. He called it a brisk gale, but said there was not wind enough to call it a storm. The weather has been much more enjoyable and wholesome in the neighbourhood of the Cape, but our only seats on deck are the sides of the vessel, with one arm outside to hold by. Our chairs have been lashed to the mast in the cabin for ten days, and the deck gets too much sea to sit on its floor. Perched up on the sides, however, we look into some of the wonders of the deep, and the rich rolling, foaming, and heaving of its waters are truly magnificent, and raise the thoughts in wonder and praise to the great Creator. May 4th. — We had a splendid run from the Cape to Natal, and the cry of " land " to-day sent us all running out, since which the outline of the long range of hills has been constantly becoming clearer.

The sunset gloriously behind them, and red golden clouds threw a rich glow over the whole. An inspiriting sea breeze, with famous white waves, rendered the scene quite delightful. The flags and pennants were made ready to wave in the breeze, and we passengers busied ourselves with putting up our various goods and chattels, so as not to be delayed in landing. It was late when we went ashore. A gentleman rowed us across the Bay of Durban in a small boat, with a brilliant moon overhead. We landed and walked through a lovely garden that I was told belonged to my husband ; we have named it " Pazulu," a Caffre word meaning " on high," and by adding another, " Tala Pazulu," it makes "give thanks on high," for there we first set foot on land after a three and a half months' voyage. It was disappointing to find we could not live there, for the garden was exquisite, and filled with fruits and flowers.

Some grand old trees were in it, that would take three people to stretch round their trunks ; they called them the fig-tree. Another walk through this garden next day made me still more regret that our house was not there ; the view over the bay was charming. It is a rich garden, already in a high state of culti vation, it being used as a market-garden, with beautiful flowering shrubs. But the tenant claimed a right to remain a little longer, and he was not one to forego it. ; or, 12

Chapter II

On arriving at Durban, Port Natal, our first business was to set our house in order and examine into the state of our affairs left in the hands of agents, when a mist of confusion, fraud, and neglect came to light, and I don't know which proved the worst, the men who got us into trouble or those who pretended to get us out. Between them we were half ruined, but I do not wish to write more than necessary of these bad people. The little red brick house I was conducted to that memorable night of landing was clean and cheerful, and looked like rest and comfort. A hall, or, as the ancients called it, " prandinium," ran through from front to back, out of which opened four rooms : a parlour, with bed room opposite, a servants' room and storeroom opposite. Our kitchen was a small building outside, in which our Caffre slept, as is the fashion of this young colony.

A nice piece of ground at the back to be made into a garden. In front is the road, and beyond a bare, swampy looking plain, spotted here and there with clumps of wild trees. Occasionally a great covered Dutch wagon might be seen, with its team or " span " of twelve or fourteen oxen, toiling across the distance, its driver, with his very long whip, walking alongside ; or a Caffre would be seen with a tray on his head, carrying his load to the barracks or elsewhere. During the first ten days the house was kept for me by a respectable man and his wife, who had made all ready for us, and I had nothing to do but pay the bills ; but after that the wife told -me they could not stay, and she had been inquiring for a servant for me, and that she had heard of a nice girl, whose chief fault was her youth, and she was coming to see me.

I liked the girl's appearance and engaged her, though little more than fourteen years old. She was the eldest of a large family of children, her father was ill, and her mother had gone through a great deal of trouble and sickness. Poor "Jane" used to tell me of the struggles they had gone through in an artless, simple, and interesting manner, and we soon became great friends. Trials at home had made her older than her years, but she had still much to learn, and so had I ; and many a good laugh we had together at our experiments in the kitchen, and the making of bread. Poor old Gudgeon, whom Leyland had taken out with us as a sort of Jack-of-all-trades, was a great help in these departments. He knew a good deal ; but he was a sad, dirty fellow if left to himself, and so much given to drinking that he finally became quite a nuisance.

He came to me on the Queen's birthday, and asked for something in which to drink her health. " I think, Gudgeon, you've been doing that already." " To be sure I have, and will again," and he seated himself on a chair in the hall. " Go away, Gudgeon, I shall give you nothing. Set off with you directly." " I'll not stir till you give me something to drink the Queen's health in." " Go off at once ; I shall give you nothing," said I, half afraid of the drunken man. "Will you give me nothing? then here goes !" and he flung out of the house, tore up the rails that sur rounded the garden, and disappeared for a day or two. Some one saw him lying asleep on the roadside next day. Many a struggle had we with poor Gudgeon, but he was so honest, hardworking, and useful when sober, and always came back so penitent after a drunken fit, that he was invariably tried again.