CHAPTER XVI
Christmas Day.—We have had three services, and all have been well attended. To our surprise we found the church decorated. It was done delightfully simple; little bunches of geraniums, roses and green being hung from the beams and the walls. Nearly all were present in the morning, the women having got up early to prepare their dinners. Rebekah said she was up at 4.30. Our dinner was provided for us, the Greens sending stuffed sucking-pig and others crowberry open tarts. Alas! we had no plum-pudding. The rain came down in torrents in the afternoon, and we began service with hardly any one present; but the rain abating the church gradually filled. The singing was not good; I drew my conclusions.
This evening there has been dancing at the Hagans'. Graham has been in and is surprised how well the people dance. The men danced in their shirt-sleeves. Husbands and wives first led off, then danced with other partners. The refreshment was cold water.
Thursday, December 27.—Yesterday directly after breakfast Repetto came to paint the sitting-room. The painting took all day, but the room is quite transformed. The south wall which was green from damp has been whitewashed, and now it is of an olive-green shade and looks quite artistic in contrast with the white paint, but I am afraid that hue will not long remain.
We are having a ten days' holiday. It rains almost every day, and everything is reeking with damp. The people devote themselves to festivities at this season, playing cricket in the morning and dancing in the afternoon and evening. On Boxing Day the first hour of the afternoon was given up to the children, who love dancing. About an hour later the elders began. I dressed in my best array and went to look on. They dance exceedingly well, round and backwards and forwards. I was struck by the polite manners of the men, who go up to the partner they wish to dance with, bow to her and offer their arm. The partner takes it most solemnly, waits about half a minute before she accepts, apparently quite unconscious of his presence, during which time his arm is dropped as he stands mute before her; then she quietly rises and the dance begins. The behaviour of the girls is quiet and natural with a becoming self-reserve. We were home again before six. I believe the dancers left soon after to get some food at home, and then returned and went on till eleven o'clock. We looked in again, and, seeing that the room was very poorly lighted, went back for our lamp. Some of the babies were put to bed in the adjoining room, and some were sleeping peacefully in the arms of the elders in the dancing-room.
Friday, December 28.—We are having a very wet week. I have been painting the bedroom and kitchen window-frames. One of our little birds died suddenly yesterday evening: we think perhaps the paint was too much for it. Happily the other one seems quite cheerful without it. As there is still a smell of paint we take his cage up to the church and hang it in the vestry as the only place of safety we can think of.
New Year's Eve.—In looking back over this past year we feel very thankful for the way in which we have been helped and guided.
_New Year's Day, 1907.—It is the custom here on New Year's Eve for the men to assemble soon after nightfall and visit each house. Several are fantastically dressed and equipped with every available instrument— violin, drum, concertina and accordion. And on this occasion even three old Martinis were brought into requisition and fired at frequent intervals throughout the night. Refreshment is given at each house, so we had a good brew of tea and biscuits ready for distribution at the first sound of the drum. Usually the men enter the house, but as it would have been impossible to get them all into ours, they grouped themselves round the back door. There they first sang and danced to the accompaniment of the violin and accordion, made passes with mock swords and let off guns; then sat on the stones and enjoyed their tea. I was awakened two or three times in the night by the guns. It was daylight before they finished.
No less than four dinners were sent us today, three plates of stuffed mutton and one of sucking-pig. Our thyme and parsley had been much sought after for the stuffing.
We had service this morning at nine o'clock, at which about forty were present. One of the three hymns was the old favourite—
"O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come."
All the afternoon Graham was on the roof of the house mending a hole which was big enough to thrust his hand through. I watched him staggering up the ladder with a heavy roll of turf roped on to his back. When next I saw him he was sprawling on the ridge, his legs only visible. He nailed a piece of tin over the hole, cemented it, and put the turf over it. The cement is made of the ashes of the wood fire mixed with water; it is very durable, and stands heat and wet. Repetto has been painting the church. His wife came in to pay us a visit, a rather rare thing. She goes her own way. The other women live a good deal in each other's houses, but she does not believe in this, thinking there is plenty to be done at home. Her strong character comes out in dealing with her children. She is a very strict disciplinarian. If they do not do what she tells them, they get a good "hammering." She was very pleased with what Graham said in church on Sunday to the children about promptness in obeying.
Wednesday, January 2.—To-day we thought of going to the potato patches, but the men were playing cricket, and sent to ask Graham to join them, which he did. Afterwards he had his first bathe with them. Their bathing-place is close to the waterfall. It is not possible to go out far owing to sharks.
Thursday, January 3.—Graham and I started off this afternoon for the potato patches, as the people were anxious that we should see the plants in flower. It was not quite such an exertion as we expected. This time of year the plants are often covered with caterpillars, which have to be picked off. If the people would burn the old plants and the weeds each season this pest would be greatly diminished. Unfortunately there are no birds to prey upon the insects.
Monday, January 7.—The next day we went up what is called "Bugsby Hole," a steep mountain slope. It took us a long time to climb, for we did it bit by bit, constantly sitting down. At last we came to what one might perhaps call a pass (it was but a gap) over a narrow-backed ridge. This was the Goat Ridge which Graham had climbed from the other side on Good Friday. We had rather a difficult rock to climb up, but with assistance I managed it. Rob got frightened, and had many leaps before he got up. From this ridge such a lovely scene opened out in the evening light, lofty peaks all around, and below, grassy, fern-covered ravines. It made one almost giddy to look down. The descent appeared appalling, but the ferns were long, and we could get a good foothold in them. As we neared the bottom we picked up a quantity of wood. Some of it rolled into a gulch, and in going after it Graham got "blocked" and had to let himself slide, with the result that he rather hurt his leg. We got home just before dusk, had a supper of bread and milk and coffee, and retired to bed as soon as I had prepared the sponge for baking.
[Illustration: BUGSBY HOLE]
We have started school again after a fortnight's holiday. It is a hot, close day, about the hottest we have had; one comfort is the houses are cool. It is such a pleasure to see the cattle looking so different, really beginning to be in good condition. Their number having been so greatly reduced, there is plenty of grass for them. We have abundance of milk now, but butter is a rare commodity. Some was brought us to-day, and is quite a treat.
Wednesday, January 9.—This day last year we landed at Cape Town.
Yesterday evening we watched the yoking of some oxen which were driven into the yard opposite. Several were being broken in for the first time, and others had not been yoked for many months. One was quite wild, jumping over the wall into the tussock-garden. The two oxen, or steers, to be yoked together are driven into a corner, and the owner of them warily approaches and first puts on the neck of one the wooden collar. Having done this, he waits a minute or two, and then a man behind hands him the heavy cross-beam, one end of which has to be made fast to the collar. This being done, he goes through the same process with the other ox. The affair is no easy one, for any minute the ox may bolt, perhaps with the yoke dangling down over its forelegs. When they are at last ready, their heads are turned towards the entrance, for which they generally make a dash to get out on to the common. Now comes a race. The owner has hold of one of the horns and hangs on, running at topmost speed, till the oxen are out of breath and go more soberly. Some of the animals take the yoking very quietly. They are left yoked for several days; it seems rather hard upon them, but, of course, they have to be broken in.
Friday, January 11.—We are going to keep fowls. I intended to buy some, and spoke to one or two people, but they quite scorned the idea of selling—they would give them. About half-a-dozen have already been promised. Tom Rogers started on the fowl-house to-day. It is to be a wooden one made out of our packing-cases and thatched with tussock.
Wednesday, January 16.—Repetto has been here since Saturday putting up a three-cornered cupboard in the sitting-room. We need it to keep daily stores in. We tried keeping them in the loft, but to run up a ladder every time you want tea, sugar or biscuits is rather tiresome, and the kitchen is too damp for stores.
We have been rearranging the sitting-room. The Indian rugs have come in most usefully; one does as a tablecloth, and the other as a cover for boxes, making a table in the part of the sitting-room we have screened off. They give such a cheerful look to the room. Two or three of the young girls come in every evening of their own accord to help Ellen to wash up. The boys often help in the garden. Ned and little Charlie were helping this evening to shake the earth out of sods of grass. They were so comical over it, tumbling down and bursting into such merry peals of laughter. It reminded me of scenes in Uncle Tom's Cabin.
Monday, January 2l.—We are having such peaceful days, hardly any wind, and hours of sunshine.
The fowl-house is finished, and this morning I had several gifts of hens to put into it. While we were at breakfast one small child of five, Lizzie Rogers, brought as her birthday gift a hen in a bag. One hen laid an egg an hour after its arrival! The eggs here are very small. I visit the house many times a day to show it to various visitors.
The garden is looking so bright; the zinnias have done splendidly, and some are over two feet high. Our vegetable garden now produces cabbages, turnips, and a few peas. Carrots are coming on, and the tomato plants are in blossom and look most flourishing. The ground is quite warm six or seven inches down, and is more like a hot-bed.
Wednesday, January 23.—The man-of-war is daily expected; the horizon is scanned from early dawn to twilight; but after this week the people say they will have doubts about its coming. For the most part they are without tea and coffee, and are glad of our tea-leaves.
Friday, January 25.—We opened our last flour tin today; we hope to eke out the flour for a month by using only half-a-pound a day and mixing with it a liberal proportion of potatoes.
Yesterday I had my first bathe. We went to a place amongst the rocks where the sea runs in and deep enough for swimming. Graham has begun bathing with the boys after school. The beautiful calm weather has gone and the wind come back again.
Wednesday, January 30.—Charlotte Swain came in to tell us there was a shark on the shore and to ask if we would like to go and see it; so we went down. It was a small one, only six feet long. The skin is very rough, like emery paper, and is used by the people for polishing horns. The flesh is remarkably white and looks as though it would be good to eat. The liver when boiled down makes very clear oil for burning in their lamps.
This evening Rebekah brought us a well-baked loaf. We were touched by this, for flour is scarce now. She said they could do on potatoes better than we could, though we have not come to that yet. The men have been fishing and we have more fish than we can possibly eat.
There are other occupants than fowls of the fowl-house. Four big pigs find it a most comfortable place to retire into. It doesn't matter how often they are driven out. Whenever a storm comes on in they go again, and then they have the best of us.
Saturday, February 2.—This morning, though it was wet, such was our energy we went off for a bathe before breakfast, and found it most refreshing.
The Glasses have a little son, and now the population, including ourselves, is seventy-nine.
Late this afternoon there was a cry of "Sail, ho!" and on going out to look we saw a ship opposite the settlement. It was just a chance whether the men would be able to reach her. They had no time to catch any sheep, but took what they could lay hands on. As we sat on the cliff just as they were starting, Mr. Bob Green suddenly jumped up crying, "Sail, ho!" and on looking, sure enough we saw a second sail coming up. We hoped the men would try for the two, but they decided to go for the second only. The first ship stood in for a time and lowered part of her sail, and then went on. It is dark, but the boats are not yet back. I do hope the men have been able to get some tea and coffee.
Monday, February 4.—Late on Saturday evening we heard a distant whistle which we knew meant the boats were coming. We thought we would go down to see them land, but as it was very dark and we had lent our lantern we had to wait till we saw a light passing our way. Most of the people were carrying brands which they waved to keep them alight, causing quite a fine effect. On the cliff a fire was burning, and another on the shore. Lanterns were held up so that the incoming boat might have all the light possible. Well as the landing-place is known, it is difficult in the darkness to steer clear of rocks and to keep the boat from filling with water in the surf. The moment it touched the shore the women, boys, and girls ran down and pulled frantically at the rope. It had to be hauled up a steep bank of shingle. The fire was stirred up and in its light the second boat made a run for the shore. It was a weird scene. The expedition had been almost in vain. The men had to pull nearly all the way to the ship, which proved to be a Russian one, and could hardly get anything. Still, a little tea, coffee and sugar, and seventeen pounds of flour with a little rice were better than nothing. The ship was bound for Natal, but the captain would not take any passengers. We are pleased the letters have gone and by so direct a route. As the boats were leaving the ship the captain called out, "The letters are not stamped." Repetto called back, "All you have to do is to put them in the post-box as they are." We can never stamp letters as there are no stamps here. And if there were stamps they would be of no use because we never know where the letters will be posted. We sent off about sixteen letters. Repetto said he would keep his for the man-of-war. I rather think ours will reach England first.
We are getting through more reading than we have for a long time. Some of the people, so we are told, have used their books for lighting fires, and others have pulled them to pieces for the sake of the thread with which they were bound. We have found several of Miss Emily Holt's books here, and have much enjoyed reading them.
We have many requests now from the people for vegetables and almost daily ones for thyme and parsley. Cabbages they much like. We hope in the future they will try to cultivate vegetables. At present they care for none beyond cabbages, leeks, onions and pumpkins. The caterpillars do much damage among the vegetables, and many of the young tomatoes are riddled with holes. The few ears of wheat which have come up have tiny green caterpillars on them which eat up all the green corn. Having no insect-eating birds here is a great loss.
We have been having a good deal of rain and close steamy weather. At night we have the windows and door of our room, the passage window, and sometimes the back door all open. A chair has to be put across the door to keep the pigs out.