I speedily answered no, to this dangerous accusation, and pointing to my tattered clothes explained how the sea had torn me and them. Then I begged him to tell the great chief how I threw myself upon his mercy and hospitality trusting that he would not treat as an enemy a poor shipwrecked mariner such as I, who really was not one; and that could he pass me over to an European settlement, I should be sincerely grateful; but if he kept me prisoner, he must—I would bow to his decree, yet I hoped he, so brave a warrior, would not think it necessary to take my life, as my coming on the coast was, no fault of mine, neither was it to do him wrong.
I made my words and manner as eloquent as I could, and fancied even before my speech was interpreted to him that I had made an effect.
With much anxiety I listened for the reply. It came—
“The Great Elephant says he cannot send you to a settlement. They are far distance with much bush, much danger between—you must remain his prisoner. If you are peaceful, in his great mercy, he gives you your life; if not, you must die.”
Upon this I knelt and bowed low in token of gratitude, then awaited what was to come next, which was that the following day the chief and his councillors would hear me give an account of the land I had come from, meanwhile, my place must be with the “boys,” who should be ordered not to ill-treat me, but who also should receive positive commands to pierce me with their assagais the instant I showed the least intention of escaping. Again I made my obeisance, and rising, prepared to take my leave with my guards. I once had it on my lips to mention the close proximity of my companions, yet, on second thoughts I remained silent, for despite my present good luck, I felt certain that the least thing might prove my death-warrant with the great chief, such as a raid of the Dutch Boers, of whom by their desire to know if I were a spy of theirs, and the frequent repetition of the name, I fancied they stood in no small dread.
Therefore I held my tongue, as I certainly did not feel very easy in my mind in regard to my ultimate fate.
The “boys” I found to be, not boys in years, but the unmarried men of the tribe, who had separate huts to themselves. Conducted by my guards into one of these, I was instantly surrounded by the “boys” who never seemed as if they could look at me enough. The inspection was anything but pleasant; and seeing that the interpreter had accompanied us, I ventured to say I was suffering both from hunger and thirst, whereupon I had handed me some sour clotted milk, termed amasi, some maize, and a liquid which passes there for beer. Eagerly I drank the latter, then having eaten the rest, hunger alone making it palatable, I took possession of the mat allotted me, and feeling from the chief’s words, and curiosity to know more about me, that I should at any rate be safe till the morning, soon fell into a sound sleep—as sound rather as the pest of Kaffirland, the fleas which swarm there, would permit—in which the staring “boys” about me, and my strange and perilous position were forgotten in dreams of my pleasant Cornish home among the rocks, and of Katie and my children.