Umbopa Enters Our Service

           Ittakesfromfourtofivedays,accordingtothespeedofthevesselandthestateoftheweather,torunupfromtheCapetoDurban. Sometimes,ifthelandingisbadatEastLondon,wheretheyhavenotyetmadethatwonderfulharbourtheytalksomuchof,andsinksuchamintofmoneyin,ashipisdelayedfortwenty-fourhoursbeforethecargoboatscangetouttotakeoffthegoods. Butonthisoccasionwehadnottowaitatall,fortherewerenobreakersontheBartospeakof,andthetugscameoutatoncewiththelongstringsofuglyflat-bottomedboatsbehindthem,intowhichthepackageswerebundledwithacrash. Itdidnotmatterwhattheymightbe,overtheywentslap-bang;whethertheycontainedchinaorwoollengoodstheymetwiththesametreatment. Isawonecaseholdingfourdozenofchampagnesmashedalltobits,andtherewasthechampagnefizzingandboilingaboutinthebottomofthedirtycargoboat. Itwasawickedwaste,andevidentlysotheKafirsintheboatthought,fortheyfoundacoupleofunbrokenbottles,andknockingoffthenecksdrankthecontents. Buttheyhadnotallowedfortheexpansioncausedbythefizzinthewine,and,feelingthemselvesswelling,rolledaboutinthebottomoftheboat,callingoutthatthegoodliquorwas"tagati"—thatis,bewitched. Ispoketothemfromthevessel,andtoldthemitwasthewhiteman’sstrongestmedicine,andthattheywereasgoodasdeadmen. ThoseKafirswenttotheshoreinaverygreatfright,andIdonotthinkthattheywilltouchchampagneagain. 

           Well,allthetimethatweweresteaminguptoNatalIwasthinkingoverSirHenryCurtis’soffer. Wedidnotspeakanymoreonthesubjectforadayortwo,thoughItoldthemmanyhuntingyarns,alltrueones. Thereisnoneedtotellliesabouthunting,forsomanycuriousthingshappenwithintheknowledgeofamanwhosebusinessitistohunt;butthisisbytheway.