It was the same in his land sometimes, he laughed, when men were so ugly that no girl would have them; then they had to remain “boys” all their lives, without wives or children.
At this I assured him it did not always rest in looks, as, however plain he might be, a man could generally find a wife; but he might be a bachelor from inclination.
“Then,” he demanded quickly, with a gusto at evidently having at last entrapped me, “how could the single men get their work done if they had not a wife?”
I explained at once how in England servants could be hired at a moderate rate, who would do all the work required.
This puzzled him immensely, for in his mind the duties of servant and wife appeared synonymous, and, with all my explanation, he could hardly recognise the difference. So, after a good deal of palaver, he finally asked, I fancy owing to a suggestion of Tugela’s, whether, as I could not accept Zenuta for a wife, I would receive her for a servant.
This I agreed to do, as I had previously determined; for at times I had found it awkward to prepare my own meals, and did not care to join the “boys,” whose cooking I relished as little as I did the odour of their well-oiled bodies when enclosed in the stifling atmosphere of their general hut. So Zenuta—a true type of the Kaffir girl, a perfect form, and a plain face—agreeing to the arrangement, I became possessed of a servant, who speedily and with alacrity saw to all my wants.
Poor thing, she seemed absolutely devoted to me, and would have crushed corn or rolled tobacco all day long if I had permitted her. This crushing corn and rolling tobacco are both most arduous processes. The former is done between two stones—the under large and shelving, so as to allow the boiled maize or corn ears to be pushed off when finished; the upper is a much smaller and round stone, which the worker holds in her hands, and pounds or presses with all her strength. The tobacco rolling is rolling the leaves of the plant between the hand and thigh or calf of the leg—a work that soon renders the skin remarkably tender till it has become hardened by use.
I say Zenuta would have gladly done all this, had I required it, but, on the contrary, I strove to render her life as easy as possible, and, very much to her surprise, I always took care when I had a good meal that she should have one too; for the custom among her people was generally to leave the refuse to the hardworking woman. Perhaps it would have been wiser had I done differently, for all this behaviour but served to increase her affection, which, at times, I confess, grew rather troublesome; till, I tried, by the power I had over her, to direct her thoughts into a different channel, with, I flattered myself, some success. As well as I could, owing to my imperfect knowledge of the language, I endeavoured to instruct her and make her comprehend the forms and pure belief of the Christian religion, and by this means proved to her that we might always be very dear friends, but that I could never take her for my wife. Poor Zenuta! She looked very sad at first, but when I said I would always try to make her happy, and she might remain with me as she was doing then, as long as she pleased, she brightened up, and a short while after, breaking a slight pause, besought me to tell her about my English wife and my own land.
I did so, and very frequently afterwards our conversation turned upon these two topics; till one day, as if carried away by my description, she threw herself at my feet and begged me, if I should ever go back, to take her with me.
This question put a sudden idea into my head. Might it not be likely that, through this girl, I might ascertain how far the white settlements were off? Therefore, giving an evasive reply to the entreaty, I at once began to interrogate her upon the subject, but soon found my hopes chimeras; she knew little more than I had already learned from Tugela and Metilulu. White traders had passed through the kraal, but beyond that she knew nothing, save repeating as had the others, that white people were a long way off. Consequently I had to console myself at the ill-success my efforts had met with in the best way I could. It will be seen from this that my stay in Caffraria for the six months had not been so comfortable as to prevent my trying to return home. On the contrary, that one thought occupied me constantly, and I certainly should have endeavoured to have escaped long before, could I have obtained the least information respecting the direction I ought to take; but, as it was, I felt I might only brave the dangers of the bush to eventually fall into worse hands than those I was already in, from whom up to this time I had received nothing but kindness.