would have nothing more to do with one who had deserted them. Thereon
he made a dreadful face, which even in the midst of my own woes caused
me to laugh at him, uttered a prolonged groan, and became so silent that
I thought he must be dead. However, the sailor who brought me my
food--such food!--assured me that this was not so, and lashed him tight
to the legs of the bunk by his arm and ankle so as to prevent him from
being rolled to bits.

Next morning Hans was dosed with brandy, which, in his empty condition,
made him extremely drunk, and from that time forward began to take a
more cheerful view of things. Especially was this so when the hours for
the "brandy medicine" came round. Hans, like most other Hottentots,
loved spirits, and would put up with much to get them, even with my
father's fiery indignation.

I think it was on the fourth day that at length we pitched and rolled
ourselves over the shallow bar of Port Natal and found ourselves at
peace for a while under shelter of the Point in the beautiful bay upon
the shores of which the town of Durban now stands. Then it was but a
miserable place, consisting of a few shanties which were afterwards
burnt by the Zulus, and a number of Kaffir huts. For such white men as
dwelt there had for the most part native followings, and, I may add,
native wives.

We spent two days at this settlement of Durban, where Captain Richardson
had some cargo to land for the English settlers, one or two of whom had
started a trade with the natives and with parties of the emigrant Boers
who were beginning to enter the territory by the overland route. Those
days I passed on shore, though I would not allow Hans to accompany me
lest he should desert, employing my time in picking up all the