第13部分(第2/7 頁)

　in　this　respect　as　in　others；　matters　in　Africa　may　have　changed　since　my　day。　I　talk　of　a　bygone　generation。

One　last　word　about　Colenso。　His　native　name　of　“Usobantu”　shows　the　estimate　that　the　Kaffirs　formed　of　him。　It　means　“Father　of　the　People。”

Among　other　remarkable　Natalians　of　that　day　were　the　old　Chief　Justice　（was　not　his　name　O’Connor？）　and　Mr。　John　Bird；　the　Treasurer　of　the　Colony　and　the　piler　of　a　valuable　work　called　“The　Annals　of　Natal”　which　in　after　years　I　had　the　pleasure　of　reviewing　in　the　Saturday　Review。　The　Chief　Justice　has　always　remained　in　my　mind　because　of　his　curious　power　of　self…control。　I　remember　that　when　the　mail　came　in；　which　at　that　time　I　believe　was　only　once　a　month；　he　used　to　undo　the　many　Times　newspapers　that　it　brought　to　him　and　arrange　them　in　a　pile。　Then；　beginning　with　the　oldest　in　date；　on　each　day　he　would　read　his　Times；　nor；　however　exciting　might　be　the　news；　would　he　suffer　himself　to　anticipate　its　daily　development。　He　never　looked　at　the　end　of　the　story。　Thus　did　he　delude　himself　into　the　belief　that　he　was　still　in　England　and　receiving　his　morning　paper　wet　from　the　press。　The　drawback　to　the　system　was　that　he　was　always　a　month　behind　the　Natal　world　and　two　behind　that　of　Europe。

Mr。　John　Bird；　a　dear　old　gentleman；　had　the　most　marvellous　memory　of　any　man　I　have　ever　known。　He　told　me　that　if　he　once　read　anything　he　liked　he　remembered　it；　if　he　read　it　twice　he　remembered　it　without　error；　if　he　read　it　thrice　he　never　forgot　it。　In　his　youth　he　had　been　a　surveyor；　and　in　the　course　of　his　long　waggon　journeys　in　the　Cape　he　taught　himself　Greek。　I　have　heard　him　offer　to　bet　anyone　five　pounds　that　he　would　repeat　any　book　in　Homer　that　might　be　selected　without　maki