of the party in a clergyman's
garb, carrying a large Bible, not different from the one I had read.
He tackled me, saying, "If you respect the Word of God, you must admit
that the world is flat." "If the Word of God stands on a flat world--"
I began. "What!" cried he, losing himself in a passion, and making as
if he would run me through with an assagai. "What!" he shouted in
astonishment and rage, while I jumped aside to dodge the imaginary
weapon. Had this good but misguided fanatic been armed with a real
weapon, the crew of the _Spray_ would have died a martyr there and
then. The next day, seeing him across the street, I bowed and made
curves with my hands. He responded with a level, swimming movement of
his hands, meaning "the world is flat." A pamphlet by these Transvaal
geographers, made up of arguments from sources high and low to prove
their theory, was mailed to me before I sailed from Africa on my last
stretch around the globe.

While I feebly portray the ignorance of these learned men, I have
great admiration for their physical manhood. Much that I saw first and
last of the Transvaal and the Boers was admirable. It is well known
that they are the hardest of fighters, and as generous to the fallen
as they are brave before the foe. Real stubborn bigotry with them is
only found among old fogies, and will die a natural death, and that,
too, perhaps long before we ourselves are entirely free from bigotry.
Education in the Transvaal is by no means neglected, English as well
as Dutch being taught to all that can afford both; but the tariff duty
on English school-books is heavy, and from necessity the poorer people
stick to the Transvaal Dutch and their flat world, just as in Samoa
and other islands a mistaken policy has kept the natives down to
Kanaka.

I visited many public schools at Durban, and had the pleasure of
meeting many bright children.

But all fine things must end, and December 14, 1897, the "crew" of the
_Spray_, after having a fine time in Natal, swung the sloop's dinghy
in on deck, and sailed with a morning land-wind, which carried her
clear of the bar, and again she was "off on her alone," as they say in
Australia.

CHAPTER XVIII

Rounding the "Cape of Storms" in olden time--A rough Christmas--The
_Spray_ ties up for a three months' rest at Cape Town--A railway trip
to the Transvaal--President Kruger's odd definition of the _Spray's_
voyage--His terse sayings--Distinguished guests on th