period of three weeks, during which time I was
nearly drowned in the bay, owing to swimming out too far, and forgetting
the strength of the current which set along the shore. While waiting
there, I visited the pretty little village of Uitenage, with its neat
houses, gardens, and tree-lined streets.

On the road to Graham's Town, I met a large party of Kaffirs, galloping
along as usual, leaving a cloud of dust behind. They pulled up as I met
them, when I recognised the great Gaika chief Sandilli, Anta the giant,
a splendid fellow nearly seven feet high, and all the aristocracy of
Kaffirland. They had been for some time prisoners in Graham's Town for
their rebellious conduct in not stopping the cattle-stealing of their
men, but had now been let out, and allowed to go home, on condition of
promising to be good boys in future, and kissing the governor's great
toe. They appeared to be in high spirits, and, in answer to my "_Uya
pina_?" (Where are you going?) shouted with exultation, "_Goduka_"
(Going home).

The little ship that carried me and my goods from Port Elizabeth was
badly supplied in every way. The captain was a happy bridegroom, and
because he had been living for a fortnight on love, seemed to think that
others should have equally as refined an appetite. I thought that even
our start was bad, for there was something wrong in getting the anchor
up.

The other passengers were two in number,--the one a jolly fat Dutchman,
who used to sit in his little chest-of-drawers-like bed-place, and
tootle unknown airs on a flute; and the other a carpenter well to do at
Natal, who never changed his clothes, and talked through his nose.

As the cabin was only eight feet square, there was no place for the
latter individual to sleep upon but the floor. He shook down a blanket
for his bed, and regularly at about ten o'clock became horizontal, and,
looking at me with only one eye open, remarked that he "turned in all
standing like a trooper's 'orse." This he repeated with precisely the
same expression of face every night, till at last it made me quite
nervous, and I used to remain very late on deck for the sole object of
escaping this infliction. When he did not use his nose for talking, he
still prevented it from lying silent by snoring through it with a sound
like a locomotive engine blowing off steam.

The distance from Algoa Bay to Natal was but 600 miles, and yet we were
twenty-three days on that tempestuous coas