The Mission

by Frederick Marryat

  CHAPTER VIII.

  The vessels which lay at anchor in Algoa Bay had just arrived fromEngland, with a numerous collection of emigrants, who, to improve theirfortunes, had left their native land to settle in this country. Many hadlanded, but the greater proportion were still on board of the vessels.The debarkation was rapidly going on, and the whole bay was covered withboats landing with people and stores, or returning for more. The windblowing from the westward, there was no surf on the beach; the sun wasbright and warm, and the scene was busy and interesting; but night cameon, and the panorama was closed in.

  Alexander and his companions remained on the deck of their vessel tillan undisturbed silence reigned where but an hour or two before all wasnoise and bustle. The stars, so beautiful in the southern climes, shoneout in cloudless brilliancy; the waters of the bay were smooth as glass,and reflected them so clearly that they might have fancied that therewas a heaven beneath as well as above them. The land presented a darkopaque mass, the mountains in the distance appearing as if they wereclose to them, and rising precipitately from the shore. All was of onesomber hue, except where the lights in the houses in the town twinkledhere and there, announcing that; some had not yet dismissed theirworldly cares, and sought repose from the labors of the day. Yet allwas silent, except occasionally the barking of a dog, or the voice ofthe sentry in Fort Frederick, announcing that "all was well."

  "What a gathering in a small space of so many people with so manydifferent histories, so many causes for leaving their native land, andwith so many different fortunes in store for them, must there be onboard of an emigrant ship," observed Mr. Swinton.

  "Yet all united in one feeling, and instigated by the same desire,--thatof independence, and, if possible, of wealth," rejoined Major Henderson.

  "Of that there can be no doubt," said Alexander; "but it must be almostlike beginning a new life; so many ties broken by the vast ocean whichhas separated them; new interests usurping the place of old ones; allnovelty and adventure to look forward to; new scenes added to new hopesand new fears; but we must not remain too long even to watch thesebeautiful heavens, for we must rise at daylight, so I shall set theexample, and wish you both good-night."

  At daylight on the following morning the long-boat was hoisted out, andthe horses safely conveyed on shore. After a hasty breakfast, Alexanderand his two companions landed, to see if it were possible to obtain anyroof under which they could shelter themselves; but the number ofemigrants who had arrived put that out of the question, every house andevery bed being engaged. This was a great disappointment, as they had nowish to return on board and reoccupy the confined space which had beenallotted to them.

  Having found accommodation for their horses, they proceeded to examinethe town and resume their search for lodgings. The streets presented abustling and animated scene; wagons with goods, or returning empty withtheir long teams of oxen; horses, sheep, and other animals, just landed;loud talking; busy inquirers; running to and fro of men; Hottentots busywith the gods, or smoking their pipes in idle survey; crates and boxes,and packages of all descriptions, mixed up with agricultural implementsand ironware, lining each side of the road, upon which were seatedwives and daughters watching the property, and children looking roundwith astonishment, or playing or crying.

  Further out of the town were to be seen tents pitched by the emigrants,who had provided themselves with such necessaries before they hadquitted England, and who were bivouacking like so many gipsies,independent of lodgings and their attendant expenses, and cooking theirown provisions in kettles or frying-pans. As Alexander perceived thelatter, he said, "At all events, we have found lodgings now; I neverthought of that."

  "How do you mean?"

  "I have two tents in the luggage I brought from Cape Town; we must getthem on shore, and do as these people have done."

  "Bravo! I am glad to hear that," replied Major Henderson; "any thingbetter than remaining on board to be nibbled by the cockroaches. Shallwe return at once?"

  "By all means," said Mr. Swinton; "we have but to get our mattresses anda few other articles."

  "Leave my man to do all that," said the Major; "he is used to it. InIndia we almost live in tents when up the country. But here comes onethat I should know;--Maxwell, I believe?"

  "Even so, my dear Henderson," replied the military officer who had beenthus addressed; "why, what brought you here?--surely you are not asettler?"

  "No; I am here because I am not a settler," replied Henderson, laughing;"I am always on the move; I am merely on my own way with my two friendshere to shoot a hippopotamus. Allow me to introduce Mr. Wilmot and Mr.Swinton. But I see you are on duty; are you in the fort?"

  "Yes; I came from Somerset about a month back. Can I be of any use toyou?"

  "That depends upon circumstances; we are now going on board for ourtents, to pitch them on the hill there, as we can get no lodgings."

  "Well, I can not offer you beds in the fort, but I think if you were topitch your tents outside the fort, on the glacis, you would be betterthan on the hill; your baggage would be safer, and I should be more ableto render you any attention or assistance you may require."

  "An excellent idea; if it were only on account of the baggage," repliedHenderson; "we accept your offer with pleasure."

  "Well then, get them on shore as quick as you can; my men will soon havethem out for you and assist in transporting your luggage; and don'tdistress yourself about your dinner, I will contrive to have somethingcooked for you."

  "A friend in need is a friend indeed, my good fellow. We will acceptyour offers as freely as they are made: so farewell for an hour or so."

  As they parted with Captain Maxwell, Henderson observed, "That was alucky meeting, for we shall now get on well. Maxwell is an excellentfellow, and he will be very useful to us in making our purchases, as heknows the people and the country: and our luggage will be safe from allpilferers."

  "It is indeed very fortunate," replied Mr. Swinton. "Where did you knowCaptain Maxwell?"

  "In India. We have often been out hunting tigers together. How he wouldlike to be of our party; but that is of course impossible."

  "But how shall we manage about our living, Major Henderson?" observedWilmot; "it will never do to quarter ourselves on your friend."

  "Of course not; we should soon eat up his pay and allowance. No, no; wewill find dinners, and he will help us to cook them first and eat themafterward."

  "Upon such terms, I shall gladly take up my quarters in the fort,"replied Alexander. "But which is our boat out of all these?"

  "Here, sir," cried out one of the sailors; "come along, my lads,"continued he to the other men, who were lounging about, and who alljumped into the boat, which pushed off, and they were soon on board ofthe ship.

  As the master of the vessel was equally glad to get rid of hispassengers and their luggage as they were to leave, the utmostexpedition was used by all parties, and in a few hours everything waslanded, Begum, the baboon, being perched upon the stores conveyed in thelast boat. A party of soldiers sent down by Captain Maxwell assisted theseamen to carry the various packages up to the fort, and before theevening closed in, the tents were pitched, their beds made up, and theirbaggage safely housed, while they were amusing themselves after diningwith Captain Maxwell, leaning on the parapet and watching the passingand repassing of the boats which were unlading the vessels.

  As there was little chance of rain in the present season, they lay downon their mattresses in perfect security and comfort, and did not wake upthe next morning until breakfast was ready. After breakfast they salliedout with Captain Maxwell to look after wagons and oxen, and as, on thearrival of the emigrants, a number of wagons had been sent down to takethem to their destinations, Captain Maxwell soon fell in with some ofthe Dutch boors of the interior with whom he had been acquainted, andwho had come down with their wagons; but previous to making anybargains, Alexander went with Captain Maxwell to the landroost, for whomhe had brought a letter from the governor.

>   This gentleman immediately joined the party, and through hisintervention, before night, four excellent wagons with their tilts andcanvas coverings, and four span of oxen of fourteen each, were boughtand promised to be brought down and delivered up in good order, as soonas they had carried up the freights with which they were charged.

  As these wagons could not return under four days, the next object thatthey had in view was to procure some more horses, and here they met withdifficulty; for Major Henderson, who, as an excellent judge of horses,was requested to select them, would not accept of many that wereoffered. Still they had plenty of time, as the wagons would requirefitting out previous to their departure, and this would be a work ofsome days; and many articles which they had decided to procure at AlgoaBay, instead of the Cape, were now to be sought for and selected.

  At the time appointed, the wagons and teams were delivered over and paidfor. Carpenters were then engaged, and the wagons were fitted out withlockers all round them, divided off to contain the luggage separate, sothat they might be able to obtain in a minute any thing that they mightrequire. While this work was proceeding, with the assistance of thelandroost, they were engaging Hottentots and other people to join theexpedition, some as drivers to the wagons, others as huntsmen, and toperform such duties as might be required of them. Some very steady bravemen were selected, but it was impossible to make up the whole forcewhich they wished to take of people of known character; many of themwere engaged rather from their appearance, their promises, and thecharacters they obtained from others or gave themselves, than from anypositive knowledge of them. This could not be avoided; and as they hadit in their power to dismiss them for bad conduct, it was to be presumedthat they could procure others.

  It was more than three weeks before every thing was ready for theirdeparture, and then the caravan was composed as follows:--

  The persons who belonged to it were our three gentlemen; the servant ofMajor Henderson; eight drivers of the teams of oxen; twelve Hottentotand other hunters (for some of them were of a mixed race); twoHottentots who had charge of the horses, and two others who had chargeof a flock of Cape sheep, which were to follow the caravan, and serve asfood until they could procure oxen by purchase or game with their guns:so that the whole force of the party amounted to twenty men: twoHottentot women, wives of the principal men, also accompanied thecaravan to wash and assist in cooking.

  The animals belonging to the caravan consisted of fifty-six fine oxen,which composed the teams; twelve horses, as Major Henderson could onlyprocure six at Algoa Bay, or they would have purchased more; thirteendogs of various sizes, and Begum, the baboon, belonging to CaptainHenderson: to these were to be added the flock of sheep.

  The wagons were fitted out as follows, chiefly under the direction ofMajor Henderson and Mr. Swinton.

  The first wagon, which was called Mr. Wilmot's wagon, was fitted up withboxes or lockers all round, and contained all the stores for their ownuse, such as tea, sugar, coffee, cheeses, hams, tongues, biscuits, soap,and wax candles, wine and spirits in bottles, besides large rolls oftobacco for the Hottentots or presents, and Alexander's clothes; hismattress lay at the bottom of the wagons, between the lockers. The wagonwas covered with a double sail-cloth tilt, and with curtains before andbehind; the carpenter's tools were also in one of the lockers of thiswagon.

  The second wagon was called Mr. Swinton's wagon; it was fitted up withlockers in the same way as the other, but it had also a large chest witha great quantity of drawers for insects, bottles of spirits for animals,and every thing necessary for preserving them; a ream or two of paperfor drying plants, and several other articles, more particularly amedicine-chest well filled, for Mr. Swinton was not unacquainted withsurgery and physic. The other lockers were filled with a large quantityof glass beads and cutlery for presents, several hundred pounds ofbullets, ready cast, and all the kitchen ware and crockery. It had thesame covering as the first, and Mr. Swinton's mattress was at nightspread in the middle between the lockers.

  The third wagon was called the armory, or the Major's wagon; it was notfitted up like the two first. The whole bottom of it was occupied withmovable chests, and four large casks of spirits, and the Major made uphis bed on the top of the chests. In the chests were gunpowder inbottles and a quantity of small shot for present use; tobacco in largerolls; 1 cwt. of snuff; all the heavy tools, spades, shovels, and axes,and a variety of other useful articles.

  The tilt-frame was much stouter than that of the two other wagons, forthe hoops met each other so as to make it solid. It was covered with atarred sail-cloth so as to be quite water-proof, and under thetilt-frame were suspended all the guns, except the two which Alexanderand Mr. Swinton retained in their own wagons in case of emergency. Theback and front of this wagon were closed with boards, which were letdown and pulled up on hinges, so that it was a little fortress in caseof need; and as it could be locked up at any time, the Hottentots werenot able to get at the casks of spirits without committing a sort ofburglary. Begum was tied up in this wagon at night.

  The fourth wagon was called the store wagon, and contained severalarticles which were not immediately wanted; such as casks of flour andbags of rice: it also held most of the ammunition, having six casks ofgunpowder, a quantity of lead, two coils of rope, iron bars, bags ofnails of various sizes, rolls of brass wire, and the two tents, withthree chairs and a small table. Like the wagon of Major Henderson, itwas covered with water-proof cloth.

  Such was the fit-out which was considered necessary for this adventurousexpedition, and the crowds who came to see the preparations for thegreat hunting-party, as it was called, were so great and so annoyingthat the utmost haste was made to quit the town. At last the wagons wereall loaded, the Hottentots collected together from the liquor-shops,their agreements read to them by the landroost, and any departure fromtheir agreements, or any misconduct, threatened with severe punishment.

  The horses and oxen were brought in, and the next morning was fixed fortheir departure. Having taken leave of the landroost and other gentlemenof the town, who had loaded them with civilities, they retired to thefort, and passed the major part of the night with Captain Maxwell; butto avoid the crowd which would have accompanied them, and have impededtheir progress, they had resolved to set off before daylight. At twoo'clock in the morning the Hottentots were roused up, the oxen yoked,and an hour before day-break the whole train had quitted the town, andwere traveling at a slow pace, lighted only by the brilliant stars ofthe southern sky.