the days of my life

第11部分 (第2/7頁)

　here　of　any　sort。　It　is　evidently　thought　in　England　that　Froude　made　a　fiasco　of　his　mission；　but　I　believe　it　was　more　the　fault　of　the　Home　Government　than　his　own。　The　only　other　thing　is　that　some　people　fear　resistance　on　the　part　of　the　Kaffirs　when　the　time　es　for　the　collection　of　the　new　hut　tax；　but　I　don’t　believe　in　it　。　。　。　。

In　a　letter　dated　Easter　Sunday；　1876；　there　are　some　allusions　to　Bishop　Colenso　and　to　the　Zulu　customs　of　the　day　which　may　be　of　interest。

There　is　but　little　news　to　tell；　none　indeed　with　the　exception　of　the　tragedy　I　mentioned　in　my　letter　to　my　father。　Colenso　preached　a　funeral　sermon　on　him　this　morning；　by　far　the　finest　I　ever　heard　him　preach。　He　was　one　of　the　Bishop’s　best　friends；　one　who　had　stood　by　him　when　all　deserted　him。　The　Bishop　quite　broke　down。　I　was　sitting　under　him；　all　the　last　part　of　the　sermon　he　was　literally　sobbing。　It　was　touching　to　see　stern…faced　Colenso；　whom　nothing　can　move；　so　broken。　He　is　a　very　strange　man；　but　one　you　cannot　but　admire；　with　his　intellect　written　on　his　face。　I　dare　say　that　my　father　has　met　him　in　Norfolk；　where　he　was　a　rector；　he　recognized　my　name　the　first　time　I　saw　him。

We　start　for　a　trip　up…country　in　three　days’　time；　we　shall　be　away　until　about　the　22nd。　We　are　going　to　explore　Weenen　or　the　Land　of　Weeping；　so…called　from　the　weeping　of　the　women　and　children　left　alive　after　the　great　massacre　of　the　Dutch。

I　saw　a　curious　sight　the　other　day；　a　witch　dance。　I　cannot　attempt　to　describe　it；　it　is　a　weird　sort　of　thing。

The　Chief　Interpreter　of　the　Colony　told　me　that　he　was　in　Zululand　some　years　ago　and　saw　one　of　these　witch…findings。　“There；”　he　said；　“were　collected　some　five　thousand　armed　warriors　in　a　circle；　i