the days of my life-第16章

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urope。
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　me　the　secret　springs　of　his　actions。　I　only　once　remember　his　being　angry　with　me；　for　he　was　very　tender　to　my　faults；　and　that　was；　I　think；　just　before　the　issue　of　the　Proclamation　annexing　the　Transvaal。　I　had　ventured　to　suggest　to　him　that　it　would　be　wiser　to　leave　the　country　unannexed　and　retire　to　Natal。
“Then；”　I　said；　“the　Zulus　and　the　Boers　will　destroy　each　other；　and　the　Transvaal　will　fall　like　a　ripe　apple　into　the　lap　of　Great　Britain。”
He　asked　me　angrily　if　I　understood　what　I　was　saying；　and　that　such　a　policy　would　mean　the　destruction　of　thousands　of　white　men；　women　and　children　by　Zulu　assegais；　to　be　followed　by　a　great　war　between　white　and　black。
I　collapsed；　but　often　and　often　since　that　day　have　I　reflected　that　my　advice；　tainted　though　it　may　have　been　with　the　callousness　of　youth；　was　absolutely　sound。　For　what　happened？　First　we　had　to　fight　the　Zulus　and　slaughter　them　by　thousands；　paying　no　small　toll　ourselves；　and　then　we　had　to　fight　the　Boers；　not　once；　but　twice。　If　we　had　allowed　them　to　exhaust　themselves　upon　each　other　the　total　loss　of　life　would　have　been　no　greater；　if　so　great；　and　the　settlement　of　South　Africa　would　have　been　effected　without　the　shedding　of　British　blood；　moreover；　in　the　end　the　Boers　would　have　implored　our　assistance　and　gladly　have　accepted　our　rule。　But　I　anticipate；　of　these　matters　I　must　speak　later。
With　the　Zulus　themselves；　as　distinguished　from　the　Natal　Kaffirs；　Shepstone　had　much　to　do。　Thus　in　1861；　while　King　Panda　still　reigned；　and　after　the　great　civil　war　between　Cetewayo　and　his　brother　Umbelazi；　in　which　the　latter　was　killed　or　died　at　the　battle　of　the　Tugela；　he　was　sent　by　the　Government　to　proclaim　Cetewayo　heir　to　the　throne。　For　some　unknown　reason；　Cetewayo　did　not　wish　to　be　thus　recognised　by　the　white　men。　Indeed　a　preliminary　difficulty　arose。　The　Zulu　lawyers　and　headmen　declared　that　it　was　impossible　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　sp