so
laments, because some of our bravest young men had been killed, and
their relatives showed just as much regret at their loss as do the
English when they lose a friend.

The scenes through which I had passed during my residence among these
Caffres, had produced upon me the same effects as though I had lived
three or four times as long. Although I was at an age when English boys
are engrossed with tops, hoops, and marbles, and look upon a performance
at football or cricket as something to make a boy famous, yet I had
trapped a leopard, had killed an elephant and had now been engaged in a
desperate fight and had aided to win the victory. These stern realities
had aged me, and I felt confidence now both in myself and in the weapons
I could use: I sat in the circle with the warriors, and had, after the
battle, spoken before the assembled people. With the Intombis (young
girls) I was a great favourite, and as some of these were very pretty, I
liked to sit talking with them.

The life I now led was such as any boy might envy. I cannot imagine any
of the pastimes, amusements, or excitements of civilisation that can
compare with that which can be obtained in a life of nature. In the
first place the climate was very good, never very cold and never very
hot. Rains occurred in the autumn, but they were soon over and my kraal
kept me dry. I had now several cows which supplied me with milk,
_ubisi_, sweet fresh milk, and _amasi_, sour milk (like junket), which I
preferred. What are now called mealies (Indian corn) were also
plentiful, so that there was no want of food. These mealies we used to
bury in large holes near our kraals. The holes were dug about ten feet
deep, and about six feet in diameter. A fire was then lighted at the
bottom, and from time to time we plastered the sides with mud, and then
dried this with more fire, and so made a hard and dry hole; we buried
the mealies in this and then arched the top of the hole by means of
hurdles and turf, so that the water when it rained ran off the sort of
roof: our mealies then kept dry and could be dug out when required. By
means of various traps and snares that I set, I had caught several buck
in the bush, and also some guinea-fowl. I clipped the wings of the
guinea-fowl and kept them in an enclosure I had made of reeds, and now
they had become quite tame, and I always had plenty of guinea-fowls'
eggs. Quail, too, used to come to this country in thousands during