Category: Travel Writing
P.S. George wants to know what has set you thinking of going to South Africa, where there are only Zulus and missionaries. Of course if the physician orders it for Frank's health, you know what is best.
P.S. George wants to know what has set you thinking of going to South Africa, where there are only Zulus and missionaries. Of course if the physician orders it for Frank's healt...
2. CHAPTER TWO.Well, it had rained, and snowed, and "fogged" for six months during the year we were in London, and we had seen the sun only on ten separate days during that period. The doctor...
3. CHAPTER THREE.Soon after nightfall the lights along the coast began to fade slowly out of sight, at length entirely disappearing, and we were left in our little world bounded by the bulwarks...
4. CHAPTER FOUR.Life at sea is necessarily monotonous, and our voyage, though most enjoyable, did not differ from others in this respect. There were the usual athletic sports for the gentlemen,...
5. CHAPTER FIVE.The voyage from Madeira to the Cape was simply delightful. A fortnight, during which we had crossed the equator through the heat of the tropics, had elapsed, when we found ourse...
6. CHAPTER SIX.There were the Europeans, some in black frock coat and pot hat--a ridiculous costume for a hot climate--others more sensibly clad in white linen suits and pith helmets. But when...
7. CHAPTER SEVEN.No matter in which direction one goes, the great Table Mountain, at the foot of which Cape Town is built, makes its presence _felt_. You cannot look along a street without seein...
8. CHAPTER EIGHT.Pearls and diamonds are words that have a charm in themselves. Not only do they represent exceedingly beautiful things, but the words themselves are pretty. The diamond fields o...
9. CHAPTER NINE.I can hardly hope to give any idea of our first impression of Kimberley. The town consists entirely of stores and dwelling-houses, covered sometimes with coarse canvas, but more...
10. CHAPTER TEN.Diamonds are mostly found in a hard, bluish-green rock which has to be blasted, the safest time for doing this being the noon or midnight hour. The noise of it sounds like an en...
11. CHAPTER ELEVEN.So interesting and novel was the life at the fields, that although in many respects our surroundings and mode of living were rough and primitive, there was a charm about it that...
12. CHAPTER TWELVE.The diamond fields of South Africa, though of recent discovery, have eclipsed all others in the world, both in richness and extent. One of the first diamonds found, worth 125,00...
13. CHAPTER THIRTEEN.We were told that the Transvaal Republic was an entirely inland territory; nowhere does it touch the sea, from which its nearest point is quite one hundred miles. It extends fro...
14. CHAPTER FOURTEEN.Pretoria presented quite a lively appearance when we first saw it. The presence of the British military, with their bright uniforms, gave a gay appearance to the town. The playi...
15. CHAPTER FIFTEEN.We found our motherly old housekeeper awaiting our arrival with everything fresh and clean throughout the house, and we were glad once more to be "at home." The ten months of ou...
16. CHAPTER SIXTEEN.On the day following our arrival at Grahamstown the thermometer stood at one hundred and thirty degrees. The air fairly quivered with the intensity of the heat, and although now...
17. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.Next morning we resumed our journey, and after five hours' trek, made most enjoyable by the mode of travelling and the rugged beauty of the scenery, we arrived at "Grasslands,"...
18. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.Soon after our return to Grahamstown we put the finishing touches to everything we had left undone toward making the wedding a joyous occasion. The bride's white satin dress and...
19. CHAPTER NINETEEN.One of the most interesting objects in Port E--is the Donkin Memorial, a pyramidal monument erected on the first ledge of the hill by Sir Thomas Donkin to the memory of his wife...
20. CHAPTER TWENTY.We at last reached a cool, inviting-looking hotel, and we thoroughly enjoyed that well-served dinner laid before us on clean linen and bright silver, the delicious viands seemin...
21. CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.The language is the queerest jumble of Dutch, Kafir, and colonial war shouts, which, when spoken by a fluent Dutchman, sounds more like the tearing of strong linen than anything...
22. CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.The President, who had been elected so often that the office promised, so far as he was concerned, to be a perpetual one, is a hearty, genial gentleman, beloved by all who know...
23. CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.Before leaving Bloemfontein we met two fellow passengers of ours on the _Trojan_. They were brothers, and one was so ill that we never expected to see him again in this life, wh...
24. CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.These African thunderstorms occur at different seasons in different localities, and everywhere they are terrible. They do more harm by their violence than the rain which accompa...
25. CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.Three miles from Smithfield we came to the banks of the Caledon River, which we found greatly swollen by the rains, and did not consider prudent to cross until two of the boys h...
26. CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.We soon settled down to the routine of our ox-wagon life, and very pleasant we found it. When the boys would outspan and get things in readiness for meals, our hunger from the o...
27. CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.Leaving the Orange River at Bethulie Bridge, we continued on the main road till the morning, when we struck off in a northeasterly direction for Ahival North, which was reached...
28. CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.While making some purchases at a wayside store, we had an insight into the life of a wayside storekeeper. We found it, instead of monotonous, full of interest. The business requ...
29. CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.We went to the Central Hotel. On the second day after our arrival, the wife of a physician of the town called and invited us to dine with them on the following day, Sunday. We d...
30. CHAPTER THIRTY.With a slight feeling of nervousness we turned our horses' heads to the water, and hearing our friend's voice calling "Let him have his head," we shut our eyes, and one after an...
31. CHAPTER THIRTY ONE.After remaining a few weeks in King Williamstown we had a longing to see the ocean, and accordingly, one evening, took the train for East London, two hours distant by rail, and...
32. CHAPTER THIRTY TWO.Durban lies in a landlocked harbour about three and one-half miles long, and about six hundred yards wide. At the entrance it is--O South African Nemesis!--obstructed by a sand-...
33. CHAPTER THIRTY THREE.Several banks, newspaper and Government offices had fine, imposing buildings. The town is surrounded by beautiful hills and lovely drives. Here the camellia trees grew to the he...
34. CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR.It is not to be wondered at that Chaka's grandson, Cetawayo, led his people to victory through so many wars, until the Zulu is called now by other tribes the "Invincible." When...
35. CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE.The late Bishop Colenso, famous for his disputations on the Old Testament and also as an arithmetician, was greatly beloved among the Zulus. They went to the bishop as to a frie...