the days of my life

第11部分 (第3/7頁)

n　the　midst　of　which　the　witches　＇I　should　have　said　the　witch…doctors＇　danced。　Everyone　was　livid　with　fear；　and　with　reason；　for　now　and　again　one　of　these　creatures　would　e　crooning　up　to　one　of　them　and　touch　him；　whereupon　he　was　promptly　put　out　of　the　world　by　a　regiment　of　the　king’s　guard。”　My　friend　interfered　and　nearly　had　his　own　neck　broken　for　his　trouble。

The　Chief　Interpreter　alluded　to　must　have　been　my　friend　Fynney；　now　long　dead；　who　was　afterwards　my　colleague　on　the　staff　of　Sir　Theophilus　Shepstone。　From　him　I　gathered　much　information　as　to　Zulu　customs　and　history　ade　use　of　in　“Nada　the　Lily”　and　other　books。　There　the　reader　may　find　a　true　account　of　the　doings　of　these　awful　witch…doctors。　Often　I　have　wondered　whether　they　are　merely　frauds　or　whether　they　do　possess；　at　any　rate　in　certain　instances；　some　share　of　occult　power。　Certainly　I　have　known　them　do　the　strangest　things；　especially　in　the　way　of　discovering　lost　cattle　or　other　property。　On　the　occasion　of　which　I　speak　in　the　letter　I　remember　that　the　doctoress　soon　discovered　an　article　I　thought　was　gone　for　ever。

I　acpanied　Sir　Henry　on　a　tour　he　made　up…country　and　there　saw　a　great　war…dance　which　was　organised　in　his　honour。　I　mention　this　because　the　first　thing　I　ever　wrote　for　publication　was　a　description　of　this　dance。　I　think　that　it　appeared　in　the　Gentleman’s　Magazine。

Among　the　new…found　letters　is　one　that　tells　of　this　war…dance。　It　is　headed　Camp；　Pagate’s　Location；　May　13；　1876。

。　。　。　We　have　since　my　last　letter　home　been　trekking　steadily　on　through　the　country　in　much　the　same　way；　except　that　we　have　left　the　plains　and　entered　the　mountainous　bush…land；　which；　though　the　roads　are　terrible；　is　much　pleasanter　to　travel　through