I was about to answer "Umkinglovu," but I remembered that I was called
Julius by my father, so I replied, "My name is Julius."

"Are there any Caffres about here?" inquired the officer, for such I
found afterwards that he was.

"I do not think there are; but if there should be, I don't think they
would do you any harm."

The officer smiled as he said, "Do me any harm! no, I don't think they
are likely to do that. Are there any white men here?"

"None," I replied. "The few white men who were here have either been
killed by a war-party of the Zulus, or have escaped in a vessel."

"Then how is it you have escaped?"

"I was with a tribe down the coast, who fought with the Zulus and beat
them off."

"How did you come by those pistols?"

"They belonged to the captain of a small vessel here, who was killed by
the Zulus as he was getting water up the bay."

As I said this the officer spoke in a low tone to a companion who was
sitting near him. He then said--

"Put those pistols on the ground, and come into the boat."

I did as he told me, and stepped into the boat, the sailors eyeing me
suspiciously.

"Pull off from the shore," said the officer, and the boat was moved into
the middle of the stream, so that it was safe from an attack by any one
not armed with guns.

"Now sit down here," said the officer, as he pointed to the stern of the
boat, "and answer my questions."

I complied with his request, and he then questioned me--as to where the
nearest Caffres lived how numerous they were, how they were armed and
whether they were friendly or otherwise to white men.

I gave him all the information I possessed on these points, but I found
it difficult to make him understand how it was that the Zulus were
enemies of the white man, but the Caffres about Natal were friendly. He
seemed to look upon all Caffres as "niggers," and not to distinguish the
one tribe from the other.

He then asked me if I could show him where the captain of the
merchantman had been killed, and upon my pointing to the place he
ordered his men to pull up the bay, to the spot. Upon reaching this, I
explained the whole affair to him, and pointed out where the Zulus had
attempted to stop me. As I continued my account, I found by the looks
of these sailors that I rose very much in their estimation.

"Why did you not come away in the ship?" inquired the officer.

I told him of the behaviour of the sailors, and their suspicions of me,
and