pon my movements. I had fought for
my tribe, and had shown that I was true to the men who had saved my
life; so I was trusted just the same as though I had been born a Caffre.
Although I had been so well-treated by my present companions, and the
life I now led was very pleasant, yet the fact of having seen and
conversed with Englishmen had caused a feeling of restlessness to take
possession of me; and I was always thinking of where I should be, and
what I should be doing, if I had succeeded in getting away in the ship
from Natal Bay. It was now a common thing for me to leave my hut and go
down to the hills near the coast, and watch the sea, in order to find
out if any ships were near. I knew enough of English habits to be
certain that the slaughter of the captain of the vessel would be
revenged, though I did not know by what means this would be
accomplished.

It was about a moon and a half, or six weeks, after I had returned to
the Umzimvubu district, that one morning I saw from my look-out station
a large ship sailing, and not very far from the land. I remembered that
the sailors had told me that when a vessel was going round the Cape to
the east, she always kept about sixty or seventy miles from the land, to
avoid the strong current that ran from east to west. When, however, a
ship was travelling from east to west she kept nearer the coast, so as
to get the benefit of the stream in her favour. The vessel I now saw
was going eastwards, and yet was close inland; so I thought it very
likely she was coming to Natal. She was of too large a size to come
over the bar; and I believed she must be a vessel of war. As she came
nearer the land I could see guns looking out, as it were, of her ports;
and I then knew she was a man-of-war. Before the sun set this ship had
anchored opposite the harbour of Natal, and had furled all her sails. I
returned to my kraal and kept silence as to what I had seen. I wanted
to think during the night what I should do as regards this ship. If I
told the men of the kraal that a ship had come to Natal, they might
object to my going there, for fear I should tell the tale about the
slaughter of my shipmates. Silence therefore was the most prudent plan.
Just before sunrise, I, with a large bag of boiled corn and armed with
my pistols and an assagy, started for Natal Bay. The journey was a long
one, but I was in such training that I could run and walk very fast, and
I believe could manage f