第13部分(第3/7 頁)

ng　five　mistakes。　Also　I　heard　him　give　a　lecture　on　“The　Pleasures　of　Memory”　which　was　nearly　two　hours　long。　In　the　course　of　this　lecture　he　made　dozens　of　quotations　from　all　sorts　of　authors　and　never　used　a　single　note。

The　only　instance　that　I　can　recollect　of　parallel　powers　was　that　of　a　gentleman　who　could　repeat　all　my　romance；　“She；”　without　a　mistake。　I　believe　he　was　a　South　African；　and　I　imagine　he　must　have　been　a　relative　of　Mr。　Bird。

But　the　most　interesting　man　of　all　with　whom　I　came　in　contact　in　Natal　was　one　who　afterwards　became　my　beloved　chief　and　friend；　for；　notwithstanding　the　wide　difference　of　our　years；　that　relationship　existed　between　us。　I　refer　to　Sir　Theophilus　Shepstone；　or　“Sompseu”　as　he　was　called　by　the　natives　throughout　South　Africa。

Sir　Theophilus　was　born　in　England　in　1817；　and　emigrated　to　the　Cape　with　his　father；　a　clergyman；　when　he　was　but　three　years　old。　In　his　early　youth　he　learned　many　Kaffir　dialects　at　the　mission　stations。　After　filling　various　appointments　he　became　Secretary　for　Native　Affairs　in　Natal　in　1856；　a　position　which　he　held　for　twenty　years。　His　policy　was　to　maintain　the　tribal　system　of　the　natives　under　the　supremacy　of　the　British　Crown；　and　to　civilise　them　by　degrees。　Often　he　has　told　me　that　he　believed　that　the　Zulus　should　be　taught　to　work　and　that　their　minds　should　be　opened　before　attempts　were　made　to　Christianise　them。　I　should　add　that　his　policy；　although　much　criticised；　was　singularly　successful。　This　is　proved　by　the　fact　that；　notwithstanding　the　enormous　number　of　savages　who　poured　from　Zululand　into　Natal；　with　the　single　exception　of　the　petty　rising　of　the　chief　Langalibalele　（“the　Bright　Shining　Sun”）；　which　happened　a　year　or　two　before　I　went　to