第12部分(第3/7 頁)

　present。　The　Conference　in　London　seems　to　be　rather　a　lopsided　affair：　our　delegates　and　Brand　appear　to　be　settling　the　affairs　of　South　Africa　between　them。　I　am　delighted　to　see　that　they　have　given　Mr。　Shepstone　the　K。C。M。G。　It　is；　I　imagine；　rarely　so　well　deserved。　I　got　a　letter　from　him　the　other　day；　he　seems　very　pleased　with　England　generally。

From　the　next　surviving　letter；　dated　December　2；　1876；　I　gather　that　Sir　Henry　Bulwer　at　this　time　was　not　quite　pleased　at　Sir　Theophilus　Shepstone’s　request　that　I　should　acpany　him　on　his　special　mission　to　the　Transvaal。　However；　ultimately　the　thing　was　arranged。　I　say：

He　＇i。e。　Shepstone＇　wants　me　to　e　with　him　for　two　reasons。　First；　we　are　very　good　friends　and　he　was　kind　enough　to　say　he　wished　to　have　me　as　a　panion。　Second；　I　imagine　there　will　be　a　good　deal　of　what　is　called　the　champagne　and　sherry　policy　up　at　Pretoria　and　he　wants　somebody　to　look　after　the　entertaining。　It　will　be　a　most　interesting　business。　。　。　。

This　seems　to　be　the　last　epistle　that　can　be　found　of　those　which　I　wrote　from　Natal；　so　I　will　return　to　my　manuscript；　which　now　continues　as　I　set　it　down　before　their　discovery。

At　Maritzburg　there　was　a　good　deal　of　gaiety　and　entertaining　at　Government　House；　with　which；　as　Sir　Henry　was　unmarried；　I　had　much　to　do。　In　connection　with　one　of　our　dinner…parties　I　remember　an　incident　which　shows　that　Sir　Henry　knew　how　to　escape　from　a　dilemma。　By　some　chance　there　had　been　invited　the　Roman　Catholic　bishop　（I　think　his　name　was　Jolivet）；　a　dean　of　the　Church　of　England；　and　a　very　shining　Nonconformist　light。　Generally　it　was　Sir　Henry’s　custom　if　a　clergyman　were　present　to　ask　him　to　say　Grace；　but　on　this　occasion；　realising　the　difficulty　of　the　situ