Richard Galbraith, Mariner Part 4

On our way we began really to believe that the place was uninhabited by man, for in the distance we saw nothing to resemble a human being, either black or white; while our own progress, remaining so uninterrupted, proved we had not attracted observation, which we could scarcely have failed to have done, had there been any of the natives near.

On entering the bush we managed to make a breakfast off some fruits which the minister, from his book-learning, knew not to be poisonous, while from the coiled-up leaves of the plantain, we procured sufficient water to slake our burning thirst. We had not gone far, before Mr Ferguson saved me by a quick jerk backwards from the grip of one of those thorns I have before referred to. He informed us that it was a plant very plentiful in the bush, known by the name of _uncaria proc.u.mbens_, from its manner of trailing along the ground; and also called the hook thorn, being armed, as I had noticed, with strong hooks.

Besides those on the branches, when the seed vessels break, each of the sides is covered with hooked thorns, which possess such strength and sharpness, that their grasp is with difficulty avoided by the natives, while when the unfortunate European once is caught, all his efforts serve but to fasten him the tighter; for the action of unhooking one thorn only causes him to be seized by a dozen. Indeed, without aid it is almost impossible for him to get away. There is another kind called the Karra-dorn or white thorn, found generally on the banks of rivers, whose thorns are nearly seven inches long, and of such strength and sharpness that a lion has been known to have been impaled on them, and died of the wounds inflicted.

Hearing this account of them, I loudly rejoiced at my good fortune which had kept me from too close a proximity, when first seeing them in the bush.

Mr Ferguson's anecdotes pleasantly whiled away the time; and to our relief we came across no more savage animals than monkeys, who, as we pa.s.sed, jabbered and chattered in hundreds from the trees above, which were in general, all festooned with the before-mentioned Baboon ropes.

Frequently, however, the Hook thorn presented impenetrable barriers across our path, compelling us to turn out of our course; and more than once, I know the thought occurred to all of the probability of our being lost in the bush. But Mr Ferguson kept a constant watch on the sun, and encouraged Jack with comforting words when, poor fellow, his heart began to fail, for his wounds had made him weak and hopeless.

We must, I am sure, have been over ten hours in the wood before we began to find the trees grow less thickly together, when we made more rapid progress. In another hour we had got to the outskirts of the forest when, laying my hand on Jack's arm, I said, pointing with the other to a beautifully green plain some little distance off, and slightly below our level.

"Jack, look, we have got to the natives at last. Do you see them, Mr Ferguson?"

"_I_ do," responded Jack, "and a rum set of outlandish n.i.g.g.e.rs they are.

Lor, who can expect to be understood, much less receive hospitality from _them_. Far more likely to give us a warmer reception than we care for. But what on earth are they about?"

"They are evidently performing some native ceremony," said Mr Ferguson.

But the description of the tribe of Kaffirs we had come upon, and the ceremony in which they were taking part, I shall leave for the commencement of the next chapter.

CHAPTER FIVE.

JACK AGAIN IN GRIEF--THE KAFFIRS!--CAPTURED.

The stretch of country so suddenly disclosed to our view was one of surpa.s.sing loveliness. We had much diverged from our path, owing to the impervious walls of the hook thorn, and the sea was no longer visible, indeed, it might have been miles away, the country we looked upon had such an air of inland vegetation. The vast plain that lay before us slightly sloped down till near the centre, where it became flat, even, and, like the sides, covered by gra.s.s of a splendid emerald green.

Around this, on our side and to the left, was the bush, the peculiar and splendid trees, and parasitical plants composing it, lending a powerful aid to the general picturesqueness of the scene.

Before us, a hill not of much alt.i.tude closed in the horizon, while to the right suddenly rose up a range of rocks, covered with trees of the cactus species, and others of quaint form, of the names of which we were ignorant. Between these, flashing red in the light of the setting sun, which was now making the blue sky aflame, was a cataract, that must have bounded from rock to rock with the roar of thunder, but which, owing to the distance, only came as a pleasant murmur to our ear as it pa.s.sed under the trees, that, clinging to the rocks by their roots, seemed, as they bent over the water, ever about to plunge in, and be carried away to annihilation.

On a closer acquaintance with this cataract I found it fell into a dark gloomy ravine, dense with vegetation, whose foliage concealed the wary paths of the lion, wild cat, and tiger, the sinuous, graceful movements of the deadly serpent, and other venomous reptiles.

But as dangerous enemies as all these were, in our opinion, still nearer at hand.

In the centre of the plain were some fifty to a hundred blacks, whom the missionary instantly declared to be Kaffirs. We were too far off to distinguish features, but I know, expecting, as I did, to find the natives of the same type as the common African, or that of the Guinea coast, often in our country designated as "n.i.g.g.e.rs," I was infinitely surprised to see them of a good height, slim, gracefully yet firmly made, with an erect carriage, and an easy grace in all their movements.

Nevertheless, any man, had he been perfection itself, would scarcely have looked anything but grotesque and comical when going through the antics these men were performing, which evidently was intended as a dance commemorating some triumph.

At the side further from, yet facing us, sat a Kaffir, no doubt a chief, from the authority he seemed to exercise, though certainly my above description of the race did not extend to him, for he was of the most pursy, nay, fat and unwieldy build imaginable. His dress was apparently two ap.r.o.ns of fur or feather, fastened round the waist, so as to fall behind as in front; several bracelets decked his pudgy arms, while his head appeared perfectly denuded of hair, but ornamented with a hard dark ring, and a large round tuft of some material fastened to the top of the forehead like that on a private soldier's hat. By his side was a roughly made utensil, evidently containing liquid, for he drank from it continually; while extended on the ground just before him were the carcases of several recently slaughtered animals.

In front of his chiefship were nearly all the other Kaffirs, dressed in a similar fashion, but without the tuft on the forehead, and dancing the wildest dance I ever saw. Dance they did like mad, yet evidently according to some rude idea of figure, the time being perfect. Each waved in one hand a kind of spear, ornamented with a bunch of feathers, and in the other carried a large oval shield. They stood in lines, advanced and retired in perfect order, all the while shouting, singing, and working themselves apparently to the highest pitch of wild frenzy.

"I say, Galbraith," said Thompson, as, concealed in the bush, we watched their fierce movements and listened to their horrible yelling, "they are not quite the right sort of customers to which I care to entrust my life, though I ain't more particular about it than others are of theirs."

I nodded acquiescence when Mr Ferguson, who had overheard Jack, spoke:

"They certainly do not look very peacefully inclined, yet we ought not to judge them from what we see of them now."

"I can say, for myself, Sir," put in Jack, "that I don't care to see them again. So rather let my verdict stand."

"No doubt," laughed the missionary, "yet the ceremony to me seems a harmless one. I fancy it is a rejoicing after a successful hunting expedition. Look yonder how thickly the game lies."

"By that little fat man," said Jack. "Lor'! what a sight of good things he must have eaten to have reached such a girth."

"What do you say, Thompson," laughed Mr Ferguson, "shall we make a descent on them, or no?"

There was a most eloquent silence on Jack's part, whereupon the missionary turned to me--

"Well, Galbraith, what do you say? With the few resources we have here, starvation may soon be our lot, if we are not previously devoured by some of the fierce denizens of the bush."

"That is true, Sir," I replied, "and I have no desire for either one nor the other. If I had but a rifle and a few rounds of powder and ball, I would not fear, Crusoe-like, living on these sh.o.r.es, despite the animals and those black dancers, till I could hail a ship; but the ocean is not so kind to us as to him, and has not cast up chests containing just the things we want. Still, as to joining those gentlemen in undress below there, I confess I am rather of Jack's opinion, for those frantic movements with the spear, and demoniacal yells scarcely look friendly."

"You are probably right, Galbraith; yet were I alone it would be my duty as a true soldier of my Master's cross to go among them, and try to sow in these ignorant minds the seeds of His Word, and so I would do, only I will not lead others into the danger I would run myself, for if I have not read the disposition of you two wrongly, were I to go you would follow."

"That we would," echoed Jack, and I also responded in the affirmative.

"But see!" continued Thompson, "what are they after?"

I looked back to the spot from which my attention had been momentarily withdrawn, and perceived the chief had arisen, and with a waddling gait was moving to the hill opposite, followed by the other Kaffirs, some of whom had lifted up and were carrying the slaughtered game. As quickly as the slow pace of the fat chief would permit, they crossed the hill and vanished over the other side.

When the last black fellow had gone, Mr Ferguson said--

"They are returning to their dwellings, called here Kraals, which no doubt are pretty near at hand."

"Which is sartain," put in Thompson, "or that little fat man of theirs will have to be carried as well as the game."

"Well, then, let us stay here till the sun sets, and when the night--as it does in all tropical countries--quickly follows, we will track them and reconnoitre more closely as to their vicinity."

Agreeing upon this, the minister and I--for Jack's arm having grown stiff and sore, would not allow him to make himself useful--set about procuring bananas, nuts, and other edible fruits to stay our hunger.

Even had we come across another rock rabbit I doubt whether we should have ventured to kill it, being, as we were, in such close quarters with the natives.

Thompson once or twice argued that we should make again for the sh.o.r.e, and I half agreed with him till Mr Ferguson, overhearing a few of his whispered remarks, convinced me to the contrary by asking--

"If we did make directly back, and build a hut of rock as Jack proposed, how first should we catch the fish he mentions, and how should we obtain water? without which we must in this hot climate inevitably die of thirst and madness."

This sensible reasoning convinced Jack and me also, when the minister continued--

"As certainly we have no chance of sighting a ship here, suppose we make our course as straight in advance as we can, when we shall a.s.suredly reach the banks of some river such as the Imfolosi or Umlalaze, along whose banks we can proceed till we again reach the sh.o.r.e, where then, if you like, we can build a hut, for we shall have both fish and fresh water close at hand."

There could not be a better plan proposed, and we were for instantly putting it into execution.

"We must wait till the sun has set, and then we shall not be able to go far to-night, for we must traverse the bush, not to be seen by the Kaffirs. Indeed, I do not think we shall do more than cross the plain, and wait for the moon to rise that we may each select the branches of some tree to rest in till dawn, when we must start instantly, taking the bush, and working towards the east, for the Kaffirs generally build their kraals far inland."

Accordingly, directly the night closed in, we set out. Our "straight course" led us nearly in the same tracks the Kaffirs had gone, that is as well as we could judge in the darkness; therefore we had to proceed with much caution, and hoped to reach the crest of the hill before the moon rose, least our figures, crouch down as we would, should attract the keen glance of some Kaffir, whose kraal might be for what we knew, within a few yards of the other side.

As we went, distant sounds, such as a distant roar and creaking of branches, told us that the fierce dwellers among its luxuriance were out in search of food, and we all shuddered at the idea of what our position would have been at that moment, had we lost ourselves in the terrible bush.

We had more than half crossed the plain, and were hurrying on in silence, when my steps were suddenly arrested by a cry, partly of surprise, partly of terror from Jack Thompson who had been walking by my side. I started round, fully expecting to find ourselves once more in the presence of the King of Beasts or some other animal, though I do not think its red eyes would have astonished me more than what did indeed meet my view--which was nothing; yes, nothing. Jack Thompson had entirely vanished.

"Good heavens! Mr Ferguson," I exclaimed, catching his arm, "where is Thompson; just now he was by my side, and see, he has gone!"