The White Chief of the Caffres

by Alfred W. Drayson

At the same instant two assagies flew close past my head, and I saw two Zulus up to their middle in the water and preparing to cast other assagies at me. Dropping into the bottom of the boat, so that only my eyes were above the bulwarks, I seized my pistol and aimed at the nearest Zulu. As I pulled the trigger he was about to cast his assagy; but it never left his hand, as I hit him in the chest and he sank in the water, rose again and floated down the stream. The other Zulus made for the bush and concealed themselves from view.

I again loaded my discharged barrel, and, taking the oars, pulled as fast as I could towards the vessel. The report of the pistols had been heard by the sailors on board, and they were on deck looking out. They hailed me as soon as I came near: and when I told them that I believed the captain and the other men had been killed, they were astonished, for they also seemed to think that the captain, with his pistols, was more than a match for any number of “niggers.”

I told them that the Zulus were not men to be despised, that they were brave in every sense of the word, and that they were clever in all the arts of bush warfare, and would most probably try to capture the ship; so that we must be prepared for them, and must keep a careful watch all night. Had the wind been suitable, the sailors would have left the harbour at once, but there was a heavy surf on the bar, and the wind was blowing in the harbour, so we could not get out.

After I had been some hours on board, I found the sailors talking together in low tones and looking at me very suspiciously. I had no idea what this meant, but after a time two of them came to me and told me they suspected me of being in agreement with the Zulus, and having led the captain into an ambush. I told them it was not my plan for the captain to go on shore for water; and if I had been friends with the Zulus, how was it I had shot them, and killed one of them with a pike? The sailors replied that they had no proof I had done so, and they would rather not have me on board. I told them that, if I had not come on board, they would have gone on shore fearlessly, and would all have been killed by the Caffres, and their ship taken. This argument produced no effect on the sailors; who, like all ignorant people, considered that no amount of reason or facts were as powerful as their own prejudices. They had somehow conceived the idea that I was in league with the Zulus, and could not perceive how differently I should have acted had I been so. They had, however, made up their minds to get rid of me, and to turn me out of the ship; and though I begged hard to be allowed to stay and go with the ship to Cape Town, they would not hear of it. They seemed to consider they were very generous not to string me up to the yard-arm, for having been concerned in what they called “the murder” of their captain and shipmates. They would not allow me to keep the pistol, but gave me a knife; and then, making me get into the boat, they pulled ashore, and there left me.

When I found myself once more on the land, alone and unarmed, I began to think that the Caffres were better than the white men. It was in consequence of the ignorant obstinacy of the white men that they had fallen into ambuscades and been slaughtered. This style of proceeding seems common among white men, as was shown during the Zulu war; where, in spite of all that has been written about the Zulus and Boers, the English commanders acted just as foolishly and recklessly as did the captain of the little ship, and the disasters which occurred might have been avoided by any one acquainted with the Zulu style of warfare. It was true that I was unarmed and without food, in a country where behind every bush there might be an enemy; but I did not feel as helpless as would a man who had lived all his life among towns and civilisation. I could construct traps for animals, I knew what roots and berries were good to eat, there was plenty of water to drink, and I might find some weapons. Besides, it was possible that another ship might come to the bay, the captain and sailors belonging to which would not be as self-sufficient as were those I had just left. I might still remain concealed in the bush for a long time, and probably might make my way down to the Umzimvubu tribe, and live the remainder of my life as a chief. The white men I had seen were not of a class to impress me much with the advantages of civilisation. The Caffres, it was true, were cruel in some ways, and had quite different ideas from the whites; but there was something very pleasant in their wild life, the simple requirements of existence, and their love of reasoning from facts. White men had their sciences, about which I knew little; but none of these could follow the spoor of a horse for miles over a hard-soiled country, nor could they distinguish the footprint of a hyaena from that of a leopard; and if any of them happened to be left alone in the bush as I was, surrounded by enemies, and without weapons or food, they would certainly starve or be captured.

The dress that had been given me by the captain was a blue flannel jersey, blue trousers, and a jacket. To be seen in this dress at any distance by a Zulu would have been fatal, for he would have recognised a white man’s attire. I therefore cut up the jacket to make “tails,” which I hung round my waist. I kept on the jersey because it made me look dark-coloured, but I dispensed with the trousers. People who have worn clothes all their lives do not know how imprisoned a man feels in clothing, when he has been accustomed to live without any. When I had on a jersey and a jacket I felt as though I could not cast an assagy; and as to running with trousers on, it was simply impossible. When I had divested myself of my unnecessary raiment, I felt much more as if I could take care of myself than I did when I was in sailor’s clothes. The weather was warm, but the nights were chilly. I had become so accustomed to be without clothes that I suppose I was like an Englishman’s face, which he never covers with clothes even in the coldest weather.

I did not long remain on the beach, but made my way into the bush to a thick part where there were some large trees; I then sat down to think what should be done. I knew there would be great danger in attempting to make my way down to the Umzimvubu; and, once there, I could not expect to get away in a ship, as no ships ever came near the coast at that part. I believed it possible that when the news reached Cape Town that white men had been murdered at Natal, some soldiers might be sent up in large ships, either to revenge the death of the murdered men, or to obtain particulars of the massacre, so if I remained near the bay I should stand the best chance of getting out of the country. I suppose it was on account of my white blood, if I may use the term, that made me wish to go again to civilisation, as also the desire to see my father. For there was much to attract me among my old companions. If I returned to my old residence, I should at once take my place again as a chief and have everything I wanted. My companions of years would be again with me; and I should rest, as it were, on the laurels I had won in my various adventures. I had already discovered that white men did not seem to value or even understand the qualities I possessed, whilst my being unable to read or write well was looked upon as indicating ignorance. When I lived among youths of my own age in England, I believed I should be laughed at because I did not know as much of book learning as they were acquainted with. My books had been the forests, the plains, the rivers and mountains, and the skies above us. To read from the signs on the ground what animals had travelled over it, and when they had travelled, was an interesting book to me, and quite intelligible. To know the time at night by the position of certain stars was also a page that was intelligible; but how should I feel when asked to read from a printed book, and found myself laughed at as a dunce? I had already seen that white men were suspicious of me, and acted on these suspicions alone. Considering all these points, I felt quite undecided whether to again join the Umzimvubu Caffres, and live all my life as a Caffre; or wait on the chance of some ship coming into the harbour, and of being able to get a passage to Cape Town or England.

Although much pre-occupied with these thoughts, I did not neglect the necessities of the present. I must make myself secure from the possible attacks of two forest enemies, viz., snakes and leopards. I must sleep, and when asleep I might be seized by a leopard, or be coiled round by a rock-snake; for there were, I knew, rock-snakes in this bush at least thirty feet long, and to be seized by one of these monsters would be certain death. There was no time before dark to build a kraal, so I cut down branches and brushwood, and arranged this in a circle round the spot on which I intended to pass the night. I cut also two sticks, one having a large knob at the end; the other, which was very hard wood, I sharpened so that it was like a spear. This was the best I could do in the short time before it came dark. I then lay down and listened to hear what might occur near me.

I soon heard some rustling in the bush, which sometimes came near and then went away to a distance. This might be caused by a buck, but it might be a leopard. It was so dark that I could see nothing. The nights in Africa are darker than they are in England; and when I held my hand up I could not see it, though it was not half a yard from my eyes. It is difficult to imagine anything more exciting and trying to the nerves than to be thus alone in the bush during a dark night; when you know that dangerous animals are near you, and when noises indicate that these animals are aware of your presence, and are examining you to see whether you can be safely attacked. To sleep was impossible; I did not like even to lie down in a position of rest, but crouched on the ground with my sharpened stick ready for use in case I was attacked. Towards daylight, however, I could resist the desire to sleep no longer; and, as all seemed quiet round me, I lay down and was soon in a sound sleep.

When I awoke, the sun was many times its own size above the horizon, and was shining on the trunks of the trees around me. I ascended one of the trees, from which I could see the masts of the ships in the bay. The wind was blowing from the south-east, and as long as this wind continued the vessel would not get over the bar. I knew as long as this ship remained in the harbour the Zulus would not leave this part of the country; they knew the stupid character of the English sailors, and they also must be aware that they could not leave until they had procured fresh water. Having descended the tree, I procured some fruit and berries; and, making my way to the edge of the bush, I procured some fresh water, of which I drank a large quantity, for I did not think it safe to move about in the bush, and did not wish to have to come again to the water during the day. On my return from the vlei, I heard a rustling in the bush near me; and, becoming instantly still, I heard some animal creeping away. Being desirous of knowing what the animal was, I moved cautiously to where I had heard the noise; and at only a few yards from me came on the carcase of a red bush-buck which had been only lately killed. There was a mark on the buck’s neck which I knew indicated that a leopard had been its destroyer; but little of the buck was eaten, so I knew I had disturbed the leopard at its feast. With my knife I cut several strips of meat from the back and hind quarters of the antelope; and, wrapping these in some large leaves, I fastened them round with strips of bark, and was then provided with food for at least three days.