the days of my life-第28章

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e　slightest　knowledge　of　my　work；　a　good　deal　of　which　is　of　course　technical；　and　what　is　more　there　were　no　records；　no　books；　indeed　nothing　from　which　I　could　form　an　idea　of　it；　nor　had　I　anyone　to　teach　me。　In　addition　I　had　to　deal　with　a　lot　of　gentlemen　whose　paths　were　the　paths　of　self…seeking；　who　did　their　utmost　to　throw　obstacles　in　my　way。　These　difficulties　I　have；　I　am　glad　to　say；　to　a　great　extent　overe；　and　I　intend　to　make　myself　thoroughly　master　of　my　position。　Of　course　the　very　fact　of　my　rapid　rise　will　make　me　additional　enemies；　especially　the　five　or　six　disappointed　candidates；　but　I　don’t　mind　that　。　。　。　。
Pretoria；　Transvaal：　June　2；　1878。
My　dear　Father；　—　。　。　。　I　could　not　help　being　a　little　amused　at　the　alarm　everybody　seems　to　be　in　at　home　about　us　here。　The　crisis　which　frightened　you　and　which　was　really　alarming　at　the　time　has　long　since　passed；　and　I　remain　unhung。　＇I　cannot　remember　to　what　crisis　this　refers。　—　H。　R。　H。＇　There　is　however　a　still　blacker　cloud　over　us　now。　Sir　Gar’s　famous　thunder…cloud　of　thirty　thousand　armed　Zulus　is；　I　think；　really　going　to　burst　at　last。　It　must　e　some　time；　so　I　think　it　may　as　well　e　now。　We　shall　have　to　fight　like　rats　in　a　corner；　but　we　shall　lick　them　and　there　will　be　an　end　of　it。　I　do　not　think　a　Zulu　war　will　be　a　long　one：　they　will　not　hide　in　kloofs　and　mountains；　but　e　into　the　open　and　fight　it　out。
In　a　letter　I　got　from　you　nearly　a　year　ago　you　said　that　if　I　wanted　500　pounds　and　the　trustees　would　consent；　you　thought　it　might　be　advanced　to　me。　If　you　still　think　so；　and　it　could　be　done　without　inconvenience　to　anybody；　it　would　be　useful　to　me　now　to　invest。　I　would　guarantee　6　per　cent。　on　it。　Of　course　I　only　ask　for　it　if　it　can　be　done　without　hampering　you　or　my　mother。　I　am　going；　as　I　told　you；　to　build　a　nice　house　with　Cochrane。　In　a　place　of　this　sort　it　is　a　great　thing　to　have　a　pleasant　home；　and　it　will　also　be　a　very　sound　investment。　I　have　bought　two　acres　at　the　top　end　of　the　town　for　this　purpose；　where　land　will　soon　bee　very　valuable　。　。　。　。
H。　Rider　Haggard。
This　house　I　built。　We　named　it　“The　Palatial；”　and　it　has　since　bee　well　known　as　“Jess’s　Cottage。”　It　was　a　funny　little　place　consisting　of　two　rooms；　a　kitchen；　etc。；　and　having　a　tin　roof。　I　remember　how　tiny　it　looked　when　the　foundations　were　dug　out。　I　believe　that　it　still　stands　in　Pretoria。　At　any　rate　an　illustration　of　it　was　published　in　the　issue　of　South　Africa　dated　February　4；　1911；　but　if　it　is　really　the　same　building　it　has　been　much　added　to　and　altered。　The　blue　gums　in　the　picture　are　undoubtedly　those　we　planted；　they　are　very　big　trees　now；　I　am　told。　I　suppose　the　vineyard　we　made　in　front　of　the　house　has　vanished　long　ago；　and　indeed　that　streets　run　across　its　site。
The　Cochrane　alluded　to　in　the　letter　is　Mr。　Arthur　H。　D。　Cochrane；　who　came　to　the　Transvaal　with　Mr。　（afterwards　Sir　William）　Sergeaunt；　one　of　the　Crown　Agents；　who　was　sent　out　by　the　Home　Government　to　investigate　its　finances。　We　struck　up　a　close　friendship　which　has　endured　unimpaired　through　all　the　succeeding　years。　I　am　thankful　to　say　he　is　still　living；　a　man　of　almost　exactly　my　own　age。
During　the　period　covered　by　these　letters　home　I　was　overtaken　by　a　very　sore　trouble。　The　love　affair　to　which　I　have　alluded　earlier　in　this　book　unexpectedly　developed；　not　at　my　instance；　with　the　result　that　for　some　little　space　of　time　I　imagined　myself　to　be　engaged　and　was　proportionately　happy。　Then　one　day　the　mail　cart　arrived　and　all　was　over。　It　was　a　crushing　blow；　so　crushing　that　at　the　time　I　should　not　have　been　sorry　if　I　could　have　departed　from　the　world。　Its　effects　upon　me　also　were　very　bad　indeed；　for　it　left　me　utterly　reckless　and　unsettled。　I　cared　not　what　I　did　or　what　became　of　me。　Here　I　will　leave　this　subject　of　which　even　now　I　find　it　painful　to　write；　especially　after　a　morning　spent　in　the　perusal　of　old　letters；　some　of　them　indited　by　the　dead。
In　the　autumn　of　1878　Sir　Bartle　Frere；　the　High　missioner　for　South　Africa；　had　arrived　in　Natal；　and　towards　the　end　of　the　year　—　I　think　it　was　in　November　—　he　issued　his　famous　ultimatum　to　the　Zulus。
Respecting　Sir　Bartle　as　I　do；　and　agreeing　with　him　generally　as　I　do；　and　sympathising　with　him　from　the　bottom　of　my　heart　as　to　the　shameless　treatment　which　he　received　from　the　British　party　politicians　after　his　policy　seemed　to　have　failed　and　the　British　arms　had　suffered　defeat；　I　still　think；　perhaps　erroneously；　that　this　ultimatum　was　a　mistake。　Although　the　argument　is　all　on　his　side；　I　incline　to　the　view　that　it　would　have　been　wiser　to　remonstrate　with　the　Zulus　and　trust　to　the　doctrine　of　chances　—　for　this　reason：　neither　Cetewayo　nor　his　people　wished　to　fight　the　English；　had　Cetewayo　wished　it　he　would　have　swept　Natal　from　end　to　end　after　our　defeat　at　Isandhlwana。　But　what　I　heard　he　said　at　the　time　was　to　this　effect：　“The　English　are　attacking　me　in　my　country；　and　I　will　defend　myself　in　my　country。　I　will　not　send　my　impis　to　kill　them　in　Natal；　because　I　and　those　who　went　before　me　have　always　been　good　friends　with　the　English。”　So　it　came　about　that　he　forbade　his　generals　to　cross　the　boundary　of　Natal。
Whichever　view　may　be　right；　the　fact　remains　that　the　ultimatum　was　issued　and　from　that　moment　war　became　inevitable。　Our　generals　and　soldiers　entered　on　it　with　the　lightest　hearts；　notwithstanding　the　difficulties　and　scarcity　of　transport　they　even　took　with　them　their　cricketing　outfit　into　Zululand。　This　I　know；　since　I　was　missioned　to　bring　home　a　wicket　that　was　found　on　the　field　of　Isandhlwana；　and　return　it　to　the　headquarters　of　the　regiment　to　which　it　belonged；　to　be　kept　as　a　relic。　The　disaster　at　Isandhlwana　I　for　one　expected。　Indeed　I　remember　writing　to　friends　prophesying　that　it　would　occur；　and　their　great　astonishment　when　on　the　same　day　that　they　received　the　letter　the　telegraph　brought　the　news　of　that　great　destruction。　This　far…sightedness；　however；　was　not　due　to　my　own　perspicacity；　but　to　the　training　that　I　had　received　under　those　who　knew　the　Zulus　better　than　any　other　men　in　the　world。
One　of　these；　Mr。　Osborn；　who　afterwards　was　appointed　Resident　in　Zululand；　was　so　disturbed　by　what　he　knew　was　ing　that；　after　a　good　deal　of　reflection　he　wrote　a　solemn　warning　of　what　would　occur　to　the　troops　if　their　plan　of　advance　was　persisted　in；　which　warning　he　sent　to　Lord　Chelmsford　through　the　officer　manding　at　Pretoria。　It　was　never　even　acknowledged。　I　think　that　I　saw　this　letter；　or；　if　I　did　not　not；　Osborn　told　me　all　about　it。
The　disaster　at　Isandhlwana　occurred　on　January　22；　1879。　A　night　or　two　before　it　happened　a　lady　whom　I　knew　in　Pretoria　dreamed　a　dream　which　she　detailed　to　me　on　the　following　day。　I　am　sorry　to　say　that　I　cannot　remember　all　this　dream。　What　I　recall　of　it　is　to　the　effect　that　she　saw　a　great　plain　in　Zululand　on　which　English　troops　were　camped。　Snow　began　to　fall　on　the　plain；　snow　that　was　blood…red；　till　it　buried　it　and　the　troops。　Then　the　snow　melted　into　rivers　of　blood。
The　lady　whom　it　visited　was　convinced　that　this　dream　portended　some　frightful　massacre；　but　of　course　it　may　have　sprung　from　the　excited　and　fearful　feeling　in　the　air　which　naturally　affected　all　who　had　relatives　or　friends　at　the　front。
A　stranger　and　more　inexplicable　occurrence　happened　to　myself。　On　the　morning　of　the　23rd　of　January；　which　was　the　day　after　the　slaughter；　I　saw　the　Hottentot　vrouw　who　washed　our　clothes　in　the　garden　of　“The　Palatial”　and　went　out　to　speak　to　her。　The　fat　old　woman　was　in　a　great　state　of　perturbation；　and　when　I　asked　her　what　was　the　matter；　she　told　me　that　terrible　things　had　happened　in　Zululand；　that　the　“rooibatjes；”　that　is；　redcoats；　lay　upon　the　plain　“like　leaves　under　the　trees　in　winter；”　killed　by　Cetewayo。　I　inquired　when　the　event　had　occurred；　and　she　replied；　on　the　previous　day。　I　told　her　that　she　was　speaking　falsehoods；　since　even　if　it　were　so　no　horse　could　have　brought　the　news　over　two　hundred　miles　of　veld　in　the　course　of　a　single　night。　She　stuck　to　her　story　but　refused　to　tell　me　how　i