The White Chief of the Caffres

  Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England

  The White Chief of the Caffres, by Major General A.W. Drayson.

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  ________________________________________________________________________THE WHITE CHIEF OF THE CAFFRES, BY MAJOR GENERAL A.W. DRAYSON.

  CHAPTER ONE.

  I was born in the city of Delhi, in Central India, where my father helda command as major in the old East India Company's service. I was anonly son, and my mother died shortly after I was born. I resided atDelhi until I was ten years of age. Having been attended as a child byan ayah, and afterwards taught to ride by one of my father's syces, Ilearned to speak Hindostani before I could speak English, and felt quiteat home amongst black people.

  My father, Major Peterson, had a brother in England who was a bachelor,and an East Indian merchant, and supposed to be very rich. I was namedJulius, after this uncle, who was my godfather, and who was much olderthan was my father, and who, although he had never seen me, yet tookgreat interest in me, and mentioned me in all his letters.

  It was just before my tenth birthday that my father received a letterfrom my uncle, which caused a great change in my life, and led to thoseadventures which I relate in this tale. In this letter my uncle wrote,that from his experience of India he was certain that I could not beproperly educated in that country; that at my age the climate was verytrying; and that consequently he wished my father to send me home, inorder that I might be placed at a good school in England, and eventuallysent either to Addiscombe or Haileybury, according as I chose themilitary or civil service of India. The expenses of my education, myuncle stated, would be undertaken by him, so that money need notinterfere with the question. Young as I was I saw the advantages ofthis proposition, and being by nature ambitious and fond of adventure, Iwas pleased at the prospect of seeing England. After a littlehesitation my father consented to part with me, and I and my fathercommenced our long journey from Delhi to Calcutta. In those early daysof my youth there were no railways in India; there was no Suez Canal,and there were no steamers in the world. To reach England we embarkedat Calcutta in what was termed one of Green's ships--that is, a fineEast Indiaman, a full-rigged ship of about 1,000 tons--and having saileddown the Hoogly river, commenced our four months' voyage, round theCape, and from thence by Saint Helena to England.

  I can remember Delhi as it was in those days--its fine old fort, thefortifications round the town, its long street, in which were thebazaars and jewellers' shops. Many of the little native children towhom I used to talk in my childhood were probably among those who,during the Mutiny, were the murderers of my countrymen. Localities onwhich I have sat with my ayah, and took my first steps, have since thenbecome famous as the places where our soldiers have fought and conqueredagainst overwhelming numbers. Though I have passed through many strangescenes, I still remember Delhi, for it was my birthplace, and it hasever had a charm for me on that account only.

  After a journey of nearly a month we reached Calcutta, and were receivedas guests by a friend who lived in Fort William. I was astonished atthe sight of the ships that were anchored close to the fort, for I hadno idea that any vessels could be so large. As the _Madagascar_--theship in which I was to sail--was ready for sea, we stayed but a few daysin Calcutta. I was placed in charge of the captain, bid my fathergood-bye, promised to be a good boy and to do everything my uncle wishedme to do, and commenced my voyage to England.

  On the second day after leaving Calcutta we entered the Bay of Bengal,and with a fair wind sailed merrily over the dancing waves. During afew days I was sea-sick; but I soon recovered, and was then muchinterested in watching the sailors when they went aloft to take reefs inthe sails, or to take in a royal or studding-sail. There were severalpassengers, and of all ages, many of whom, knowing that I was alone,were very kind to me. There was one young lady about eighteen, who wasmy special favourite, and who used to tell me stories as we sat on deckin the evening. I called her Constance: I did not then know her by anyother name. Altogether, there were five ladies on board; for in thosedays more ladies went to India than ever came back. Then sanitaryprecautions were not as well-known as they are at present, and fever andcholera claimed their victims in the Land of the Sun. I will refer onlyto those with whom I was afterwards associated; and these were MrsApton, a widow, and her daughter, a girl about twelve years old.

  Our voyage continued, without anything remarkable occurring, until threedays after we had passed the Mauritius, when it became calm, and forthree days we merely drifted helplessly on a calm sea. On the fourthday it became dark and gloomy; there were no actual clouds, but the skywas nearly black, the sun was invisible, and the captain and hisofficers looked anxious, whilst the passengers gathered together ingroups, and talked in low tones.

  I had noticed that the captain had gone several times into the cabin andlooked at a long wooden instrument that seemed to interest him much, andwhich I have since learned was a barometer. By means of this instrumentand the indications in the sky, he knew that a storm was coming. In thedays of sailing-vessels a storm was a more serious matter than it is inthe present days of steam. A lee shore is now not a matter of suchextreme danger; for a steamer is not at the mercy of the winds, thoughshe cannot escape the fury of the waves.

  Darker and darker became the sky, whilst the ship was stripped of allher sails except one on the fore mast and one on the mizen, and everyone was watching anxiously for the first burst of the expected storm.It was about the hour of sunset when the gale began, and we ran beforeit for a few minutes, the sea as yet being calm. Suddenly the windchopped round, and before the ship could obey her helm she was takenaback, the foresail flattened against the mast, and in another instantthe mast snapped like a twig, and fell on deck. The passengers, at thecommencement of the storm, had been ordered below so as to be out of theway of the sailors, and it was merely from the reports that the matesoccasionally brought us, that we knew what was happening on deck. Thesea soon rose, and the ship lifted and fell, just as though she had beena small boat. During two days the gale continued; but no fears wereentertained for the vessel's safety until a tremendous sea, striking herastern, carried away her rudder and left her a helpless log on thewater. The sky had been so completely overcast since the commencementof the gale, that neither the sun nor a star had been seen; consequentlyno observations could be taken to tell where the ship was; but thecaptain considered that she was west of the Natal bluff, and about fiftymiles from the land. The currents in this part are, however, sovariable and run sometimes with such force, that it is difficult,without observations, to ascertain a ship's position.

  The night was pitch dark, and every one in a state of great anxiety. Noone had undressed, all the passengers being huddled together in theprincipal saloon. It must have been shortly after midnight when weheard a great noise on deck, shouts and running about, and then came acrash and a shock that made every sailor and passenger aware that agreat catastrophe had occurred.

  I was lying on one of the fixed sofas, and was sent flying across thecabin, and was considerably bruised; but the pain I experienced Iscarcely thought of, as my alarm was so great to hear the terrific rushof water which struck the vessel, poured over her, and deluged thecabin. Two or three times the ship rose, and then, with a crash ofsmashing timbers, came down again, and was once more deluged with water."We have struck on a rock!" was the cry (such was the fact), "and shallall be drowned."

  As though satisfied with its victim, the storm ceased as suddenly as ithad risen; but the sea continued to break over us all night, and everyminute we expected the ship to break up. Had she not been a strongteak-built
ship, she would probably have gone to pieces long beforemorning; but the sea gradually went down as the tide receded, and we atlength saw that day was breaking. By this time some of the most daringamong the male passengers removed the hatch that had been placed overthe gangway to keep the water out, and ventured on deck, when the fullextent of our disaster was visible. The ship's masts had all fallen,and of the captain and crew only five sailors remained; the others hadbeen washed overboard, or had been killed by the falling masts. Theship had struck on a ledge of rocks about half a mile from the shore,and had then been carried over this into a sort of bay inside. As thetide fell, this ledge acted as a sort of breakwater, and fully accountedfor the sudden decrease in the force of the sea as the tide went down.Between the ship and the land there was comparatively calm water,spotted here and there with black-looking rocks just showing abovewater.

  Knowing that when the tide again rose we might again be exposed to theheavy seas which were still running, the sailors at once called upon thepassengers to help them to construct a raft; for every boat had beeneither smashed or carried away, and several small dark objects movingrapidly through the water showed that sharks were ready to seize on anyhuman being, who ventured into their element.

  A raft was soon constructed, and the females were first conveyed to theshore. I followed on the second journey, and then the raft wentbackwards and forwards, conveying to the shore some provisions,clothing, valuables, two or three guns and pistols, with ammunition, alarge sail to serve as a tent, and other articles that might be deemednecessary.

  The men worked till past mid-day, when the tide rose, and with it thewind, and it was no longer possible to make use of the raft. We wereall, however, busy on shore, making a sort of "lean-to" out of the sail,cooking provisions, and searching for water; and we thus passed ourfirst day, the wind again blowing a hurricane. We lay down to rest thatnight, thanking God for our escape; for although our future wasuncertain, yet we were better off than were the poor fellows who hadbeen washed overboard, and by this time had probably been eaten bysharks.

  On the following morning there was no sign of the wreck, but the shorewas strewn with her timbers and cargo: the latter, when not utterlyspoiled by the sea-water, were collected and piled up near our tent.

  During the morning the men had been talking together as to what was bestto be done. It was hoped that some ship would pass the coast, and thatby aid of a flag which we had saved from the wreck, we could signal tothe ship, and thus be relieved from our position. One question whichcould not be decided was on what part of the coast we had been cast.Some of the sailors thought we were near Saint Lucia Bay, east of Natal,others that we were nearer the Great Fish River. Of inhabitants orhouses we saw nothing, but at night we heard the cries of animals, someof which I recognised as made by jackals, for round Delhi there werehundreds of these animals which used to serenade us at night. We werefortunate in finding water: an excellent clear stream ran into the seawithin a few yards of where we had landed. We also found oysters firmlyfixed to the rocks, which were very good. Some fish-hooks and lineswere among the articles saved from the wreck, and rough fishing-rodshaving been cut from the trees, several fish were caught, which we friedin our wood fire. Thus we had no fear of starving, and though ourposition was not pleasant, none of the party despaired. To me, I mustown, the conditions were not unpleasant, I had read and heard ofshipwrecks and adventures of different kinds, and being by nature giftedwith a hopeful and fearless constitution, I rather enjoyed the wholething; for I was too young to think or feel deeply for the loss of thecaptain and crew, who had been drowned. In fact, like most children, Iwas thoughtless, and did not reflect enough for the disaster to impressme much. I had kept beside Constance all the time we were on the raft,and sat beside her in our tent. I felt very happy with her, and used togather flowers for her, as many grew close beside where we werestopping. To me it seemed like a picnic, such as we used to havesometimes in the cool weather at Delhi, but it was of longer duration.

  The men had been talking about the possibility of travelling down thecoast to find either Natal, where there were a few traders, or if wewere west of Natal, to reach the Cape Colony, and then get some vesselto come up the coast and rescue the females and the remainder of themen. But the difficulties of the journey were unknown: they had no ideaof what rivers or other obstacles might be in the way; and so four dayspassed without any move being made; and although a sharp look-out waskept, no vessel was seen.