CHAPTER LXXIII

CAPE COMMAND--FLAG IN _BRISK_

[Sidenote: 1860. Monday, July 16.]

Embarked with Flag-Lieutenant and Secretary. Hoisted flag on board _Brisk_, Captain Algernon de Horsey. Received with yards manned. Embarked Captains Speke and Grant, with his guard of 100 Hottentots, volunteers from the Cape Mounted Rifles; also 12 mules, the Cape Parliament having voted £300 to purchase them for the interesting expedition. Sailed at sunset, leaving _Forte_ with Captain Turnour in charge. Rounded to on signal.

[Sidenote: July 21.]

3 P.M.--Came to in 9-1/2 fathoms off the mouth of Buffalo River. The township of East London on the south entrance composed of storehouses and other new and neat-looking buildings. At the end of a substantial stone wharf stands a lighthouse to correspond--not mentioned in the charts; it showed a bright fixed light. The town is communicated with by a surf boat hauled to and fro over the bar by means of a hawser, one end of which is attached to an anchor outside; as uninviting a coast to approach as can be imagined. Should a railway or any good road for the conveyance of the produce of the country be established to Algoa Bay, the Port of East London may prove unworthy of the name it has assumed. At 5 P.M. weighed, proceeded under sail.

[Sidenote: July 24.]

No observation yesterday, but those of to-day at noon showed that the current for the last 48 hours had been south-west. 97 miles. Proceeded making particular survey of coast.

[Sidenote: July 26.]

Came to at 4 P.M., in the magnificent Bay of Delagoa, about 7 miles from the entrance of the river. Sent a boat in to communicate: but more to ascertain what might be doing in the slave way.

[Sidenote: Shefeen Island, July 27.]

Landed at daylight on the Island of Shefeen; more for the purpose of hauling the seine than shooting; nevertheless took my Whitworth rifled carbine. Observing along the sand prints of a small cloven foot, which I took to be that of the pig, Algie Heneage and I struck into the bush; stunted trees, but in places tolerably clear underneath. At first there was little to attract our attention beyond sundry paroquets and an occasional pigeon, for the destruction of which we were not prepared.

I fired once at some distance at what I imagined to be rabbits, playing about at the edge of the jungle, but they were too nimble for me. It was while on our return towards the beach, where we expected a breakfast of fresh-caught fish, that a beautiful antelope bounded across our path. It was large for an animal of that species, a dark reddish-brown colour. I was now satisfied that the numerous footprints that we had seen were not pig, but those of deer. The jungle being too thick for us to beat, or even see many yards into, proposed that we should conceal ourselves in any likely-looking shady spot, with sufficient clear range for a fair shot.

The ground was dry and the air clear of mosquitoes. We had been quiet for about a quarter of an hour, when I observed an antelope approaching, apparently unconscious of danger, nibbling the bits of herb or grass that grew up between the dead leaves, when within twenty paces of our position it stopped to feed, broadside towards us. It was a full-grown doe. I observed her pretty head with its beautiful large black eye, and not wishing to spoil what I intended to have stuffed as a trophy, I raised my rifle and aimed, so as to hit her just behind the shoulder. Heneage was ready, knife in hand, to cut her throat, when I pulled the trigger; the lock snapped, and in a moment my beauty bounded into the jungle. I had forgotten to put a cap on; the rifle was a breechloader, to which I was hardly accustomed. Our disappointment can well be imagined.

We remained a short time longer in the same spot, hardly hoping that anything else would come near us. Now these antelopes, with their spindle legs and tiny feet, make no noise, but on looking in the direction I observed a whole troop of small monkeys, whose curiosity had brought them to ascertain who the intruders were who had so disturbed the quiet of their domain. They had spread themselves over some width of ground, and were advancing with all the caution of so many diminutive riflemen. When within about fifty yards one of those in advance made us out and gave notice.

They came to “general halt,” which was followed by a general chatter, and I could observe each small round head peeping from behind the stump of bush or tree where it had taken shelter. Theirs were little black faces, surmounted by a white fringe, which somewhat resembled the frill of a woman’s cap. The body was green, belly white, and tail long; however, as they did not appear inclined to make a further advance, sent a bullet at the head of one who appeared to have the command, and I was glad to find that I had only struck the stump of the bush behind which he had concealed his active little carcass.

Their curiosity having been gratified, they scampered away on all fours, chattering and closing together as they went along. We never saw them on either bushes or trees, which caused me to think that those small things were the same sort I had a distant shot at in the morning, and must have been monkeys and not rabbits.

We soon shifted our berth some little distance to a spot affording a tolerable range, considering the denseness of parts of the jungle, and made ourselves comfortable, perhaps too much so, as after a while I started from a reverie to a pinch from Algie, and from the quarter pointed at could just see the round red back of an antelope moving towards us. I held in my breath as it approached. Unfortunately I had laid aside my rifle. The motion to lay hold of it was sufficient to cause the creature to raise its head, and the noise of the loose steel ring on the stock of the cavalry carbine made it dash into the bush, where it was out of sight in an instant.

It would be useless to describe the number of chances we had or the number of deer we might have bagged if something had not happened.

Our last chance occurred when we had agreed to take up positions on separate mounds, covered with brush and stunted trees, two-thirds round, about twenty yards in width, round which was a fair open space of long grass. In less than half an hour we observed a fine antelope come out of the jungle within ten yards of where I knew that Algie must be lying. It stopped and looked about, and I saw that it was about the size of a calf, but with the thinnest legs; so delicate and slender as to appear unfit to support the round, plump body it had to carry. Watched, expecting every moment to see the beautiful creature bound into the air and fall to the report of Algie’s gun. However, it walked leisurely--stepping a trifle lame with the near hind leg--across into the opposite bank.

I had my rifle to my shoulder, but Heneage had been so kind in allowing me all the former chances, I thought it would not be doing the handsome if I deprived him of this, the last and only one he would have. When I inquired how he had come to allow so good an opportunity to pass, I found he had just awoke from a pleasant sleep.

We returned on board, amused and interested, but having had a blank day, did not boast. De Horsey, in pulling up the Tenby river, saw a hippopotamus, but he had no gun with him. The Governor informed us that there were plenty of rhinoceros as well as elephant in the neighbourhood. I noticed a magnificent pair of tusks in his room.

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