the days of my life-第25章

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in　Natal。　In　five　years　Natal　will　be　to　this　country　what　Ireland　is　to　England。　To　begin　with；　the　Transvaal　is　more　than　six　times　its　size。　If　the　Transvaal　at　all　realises　what　is　expected　of　it；　it　will　before　long；　with　its　natural　wealth　and　splendid　climate；　be　one　of　the　most　splendid　foreign　possessions　of　the　British　Crown；　and　if　as　is　probable　gold　is　discovered　in　large　quantities；　it　may　take　a　sudden　rush　forward；　and　then　one　will　be　borne　up　with　it。　So　that　whatever　happens　I　think　that　I　shall　always　do　pretty　well　here。　However；　my　aim　is　of　course　to　rise　to　the　position　of　a　Colonial　Governor；　and　to　do　that　I　must　trust　to　good　fortune　and　my　interest。　I　may；　or　I　may　not；　according　to　circumstances。　At　any　rate　I　have　now　got　my　foot　on　the　first　rung　of　the　Colonial　ladder；　and　D。V。　I　intend　to　climb　it。　Whether　I　have　done　better　than　I　should　have　done　by　first　reading　for　the　Bar　I　do　not　know：　there　is　much　to　be　said　on　both　sides。　The　great　thing　is　that　I　am　now　independent　and　shall；　I　hope；　put　you　to　no　more　expense　or　trouble；　of　both　of　which　I　am　afraid　I　have　given　you　too　much　already。
This　brings　me　to　the　subject　of　money。　I　am　very　sorry　to　see　from　your　letter　that　I　have　overdrawn　to　the　amount　of　25　pounds。　I　must　have　miscalculated；　as　I　was　under　the　impression　that　sum　made　up　the　200　pounds。　I　believe　however　that　if　you　think　it　over　you　will　not　consider　that　I　have　been　very　extravagant。　You　always　calculated　that　the　200　pounds　would　last　two　years；　and　it　is　nearly　two　years　since　I　left　England　（if　I　remember　right　it　was　this　very　day　two　years　ago　that　I　decided　to　e　to　Natal）。　I　have　had　to　draw　more　lately；　owing　to　the　heavy　expenses　I　have　had　to　meet　in　connection　with　this　Mission。　Horses；　arms　and　servants　cannot　be　had　for　nothing；　and　I　had　to　provide　myself　with　all。　If　I　get　any　pay　for　this　business　that　will　at　all　enable　me　to　do　so　I　hope　that　you　will　allow　me　to　remit　the　25　pounds。　If　not　I　fear　I　shall　have　to　draw　on　you　once　more　for　20　pounds　in　order　to　meet　some　debts　which　I　must　pay　before　the　month　is　up　in　connection　with　the　transhipping　of　my　baggage　to　Cape　Town　and　back；　etc。　I　shall　be　very　sorry　to　put　you　to　that　expense；　my　dear　Father；　but　I　trust　that　it　will　be　the　last　time　I　shall　ever　have　to　do　so。　As　to　pay　for　this　business；　I　live　in　hope。　I　rather　fear　that　the　Chief　may　consider　that　the　fact　of　accepting　service　under　this　Government　may　cancel　all　past　debts；　but　still　I　shall　have　a　shot　for　it。
June　5；　1877。
My　dear　Father；　—　I　thanked　the　Chief　the　other　day　for　the　appointment；　and　he　told　me　that　he　hoped　it　would　be　a　good　deal　better　soon；　but　that　he　was　not　sufficiently　firm　in　his　seat　yet　to　make　big　appointments。
I　don’t　at　all　know　how　I　am　going　to　live　here；　and　I　fear　that　I　shall　be　obliged　to　build　a　house。　Mr。　Osborn　gave　me　a　hint　the　other　day　that　I　should　be　wele　to　a　room　in　his　house　when　he　gets　settled。　He　has　not　got　a　house　yet：　there　are　none　to　get。　The　probabilities　are　that　I　shall　stay　in　this　country　for　many　years；　so　I　shall　have　to　build　something　sooner　or　later。　It　will　be　the　cheapest　way　and　by　far　the　most　fortable。　However　I　shall　try　to　shift　along　for　the　present；　live　in　a　tent　or　something；　until　I　hear　about　that　money。　I　hope　that　it　is　not　saddled　with　conditions　＇this　refers　to　a　legacy　of　500　pounds　which　had　been　left　to　me　many　years　before　by　a　godparent。　—　H。　R。　H。＇。　The　scarcity　of　money　here　is　something　extraordinary。　Till　within　a　month　or　two；　the　few　who　had　any　lent　it　on　security　often　three　times　the　value　of　the　sum　lent；　at　the　rate　of　15　per　cent。　per　annum。　The　Annexation　has　had　a　wonderful　effect。　An　“erf”　or　building　side　that　would　have　sold　for　40　pounds　before　is　now　valued　at　130　pounds。
Ever　your　most　affectionate　and　dutiful　son；
H。　Rider　Haggard。
To　return　to　public　affairs。　Ten　days　after　our　arrival　at　Pretoria　from　Secocoeni’s　country　the　Transvaal　was　annexed　to　the　British　Crown。　Of　the　actual　history　of　the　events　surrounding　that　annexation　I　purpose　to　say　little；　as　I　have　already　written　a　full　and　true　account　of　it　in　my　book；　“Cetewayo　and　his　White　Neighbours。”　On　one　point；　however；　I　will　touch。
On　the　11th　April；　the　day　before　the　Annexation；　Shepstone　sent　a　message　to　Cetewayo；　I　myself　saw　the　messenger　despatched。　This　message　told　the　Zulu　king　of　the　rumours　that　had　reached　Pretoria　as　to　his　intention　of　attacking　the　Transvaal；　and　ordered　him；　if　these　were　true　—　which　they　were　—　to　disband　his　armies；　as　the　Transvaal　was　about　to　bee　the　Queen’s　land。　In　due　course　came　Cetewayo’s　answer。　It　is　given　in　“Cetewayo　and　his　White　Neighbours；”　and　I　will　quote　only　a　few　lines　here。
I　thank　my　father　Sompseu　for　his　message。　I　am　glad　that　he　has　sent　it　because　the　Dutch　have　tired　me　out　and　I　intended　to　fight　them　once　and　once　only　and　to　drive　them　over　the　Vaal。　Kabana　＇name　of　messenger＇；　you　see　my　impis　＇armies＇　are　gathered。　It　was　to　fight　the　Dutch　I　called　them　together；　now　I　will　send　them　back　to　their　homes。
It　is　my　firm　and　fixed　belief　that　at　this　juncture　no　one　except　Shepstone　could　have　prevented　the　Zulus　from　sweeping　the　Transvaal　or；　at　any　rate；　from　attempting　to　do　so。
The　great　day　came　at　length。　On　April　12；　1877；　at　some　time　in　the　forenoon　—　I　think　it　was　about　eleven　o’clock　—　we；　the　members　of　the　staff；　marched　down　to　the　Market　Square；　where　a　crowd　was　assembled；　Sir　Theophilus　remaining　at　the　building　which　afterwards　became　Government　House。　I　do　not　remember　that　our　little　escort　of　twenty…five　Mounted　Police　were　with　us。　They　may　have　been；　but　I　think　it　probable　that　they　were　left　near　the　person　of　the　Special　missioner。　That　there　was　a　possibility　of　trouble　we　all　knew；　for　many　threats　had　been　made；　but　in　that　event　twenty…five　policemen　would　not　have　helped　us　much。
Everything　being　arranged　decently　and　in　order；　Osborn　stepped　forward　and　read　the　Proclamation；　which　was　received　with　cheers　by　the　crowd；　that　of　course　was　largely　posed　of　English　folk　or　of　those　who　were　not　unsympathetic。　After　this　ceremony　was　pleted　the　ex…President　Burgers’　formal　protest；　of　which　the　draft　had　already　been　submitted　to　the　missioner　and　approved　by　him；　was　also　read；　and　received　respectfully　but　in　silence。　The　text　of　these　historical　documents　can　be　studied　in　the　Blue…books　of　the　day；　if　anybody　ever　reads　an　old　Blue…book；　so　I　will　not　dwell　upon　them　here。
I　recall　that　after　everything　was　over　it　became　my　duty　to　deliver　copies　of　the　Proclamation；　and　of　another　document　under　which　Sir　Theophilus　assumed　the　office　of　Administrator　of　the　new　Government；　at　the　various　public　offices。　In　front　of　one　of　these　offices　—　I　remember　its　situation　but　not　which　one　of　them　it　was　—　was　gathered　a　crowd　of　sullen…looking　Boers　who　showed　no　disposition　to　let　me　pass　upon　my　business。　I　looked　at　them　and　they　looked　at　me。　I　advanced；　purposing　to　thrust　my　way　between　two　of　them；　and　as　still　they　would　not　let　me　pass　I　trod　upon　the　foot　of　one　of　them；　half　expecting　to　be　shot　as　I　did　so；　whereon　the　man　drew　back　and　let　me　go　about　my　duty。　It　was　insolent；　I　admit；　and　had　I　been　an　older　man　probably　I　should　have　withdrawn　and　left　the　Proclamation　undelivered。　But　I　do　not　think　that　the　incident　was　without　its　effect；　for　it　did　not　pass　unobserved。　I　was　but　one　young　fellow　facing　a　hostile　crowd　which　had　gathered　in　the　remoter　spaces　of　the　square；　but　for　the　moment　I　was　the　representative　of　England；　and　I　felt　that　if　I　recoiled　before　their　muttered　threats　and　oaths；　inferences　might　be　drawn。　Therefore　I　went　on。　Whatever　happened　to　me　I　was　determined　to　deliver　my　Proclamation　as　I　had　been　ordered　to　do；　or　to　fail　because　I　must。
My　colleague；　Major　Clarke；　had　to　deal　with　the　same　difficulty；　but　on　a　much　more　heroic　scale。　The　story　as　he　told　it　to　me　afterwards　is　as　follows。　He　was　sent　down　to　take　mand　of　the　filibustering　volunteers　at　Leydenburg。　Arriving　at　the　largest　fort　with　only　his　Zulu　servant；　Lanky　Boy；　for　an　aide…decamp；　he　at　once　ordered　the　Republican　flag　to