"2nd. To substitute in the transport of supplies and camp equipage, pack oxen,* for conveyance by wheeled carriages; that effectual drawback to any thing like celerity of military movement, particularly in a country intersected—as this is--by dense bush, rapid torrents, and deep, rugged water-courses. Camels, which might easily be procured at the Cape de Verds,' from whence they could be brought at little cost by ships going out in ballast, would, in this country, be invaluable as beasts of burden. From their peculiar conformation and habits, being little affected by the frequent scarcity of water and want of grass; and as they willingly feed on the succulent plants and thorny shrubs with which the bush' abounds; they would thrive and even grow fat, where oxen must inevitably perish. "Why, also, the elephant† should not be here turned to account, as well as in Indian warfare, is a problem of difficult solution. This animal could easily force its way through the thick bush-impervious to all save a Kaffir ; and if properly trained, a few practised marksmen, with a good supply of fire-arms, would, from the commanding height of a howdah, be able to do great execution in this jungle warfare. However, the mere fact of its being an innovation on the good old Dutch customs, would in both the above cases, ensure opposition in this dull, plodding, waggon-driving part of the world. "But to return from this digression to my suggestions :' "3rdly. To cause a correct survey, and report to be made of the mouth of every river or bay, between the Great Fish River and Port Natal, and wherever secure anchorage were found, or a safe landing deemed practicable, there to establish a military post and magazines; in short, to establish the base of operations' along the eastern line of seacoast, by which you would have your supplies in the very heart of the enemy's country, and be able to act at once on his front and left flank, with Port Natal on your own right, and ample resources in your rear. "At present, owing to the insecurity of Waterloo Bay, the greater part of the supplies for the army are landed at Port Elizabeth (itself by no means a safe roadstead), and then transported in waggons over an execrable road to Graham's Town, whence they are forwarded to the scene of operations in the same lumbering conveyances. "H.M. steamer Thunderbolt was some time since, sent to examine the mouth of the Buffaloe River; I understand that a favourable report was the result, and coasting-vessels have been known to remain there safely at anchor for weeks together; yet from some unaccountable cause, its capabilities have never during the whole course of the war been made in the least available. "Again, as considerable delay and the greatest inconvenience has often of late resulted, in consequence of a sudden rise in the numerous rivers flowing through the scene of operations, it strikes me that a pon * Pack mules were subsequently employed for this purpose. He is indigenous to Southern Africa, and were the attempt made, could no doubt, be domesticated as easily as his Asiatic brethren of Hindostan and Ceylon. The elephants which accompanied Hannibal's army across the Alps, were no doubt of African origin, and probably of the same species as those which are now found in the southern portion of that continent. Shortly after the above was written, a military post was established at this locality. toon train with a few sailors, might with great advantage be attached to the forces in the field;* whilst scientific officers were appointed to take military surveys of the ground over which we may advance, of the features of many parts of which we are still in total ignorance; as a good plan (on a large scale) would greatly facilitate military movements in this broken and entangled country. "With reference to the passage of the numerous rivers in Kaffirland; during the former winter (1846) when there was no chance of their being flooded, a large punt was dragged about with the force; but last December (the time when rain is always expected on the frontier), the army was stopped for ten or twelve days at the Kye, part of it cut off from its supplies, for want of means to pass them over; and during this time, the troops unprovided with tents and exposed to incessant rain, without biscuit, flour, or even salt, were reduced to the necessity of living entirely on beef, and that often nearly raw. * "Lastly. If all these measures be deemed insufficient to ensure success, Faku, the chief of the Amaponda Kaffirs, only waits, it is said, a signal (or bribe) from us, to fall on the enemy's rear; let that signal be given, and these incorrigible robber tribes will then be left to their wellmerited fate of mutual destruction! "Such, sir, is a rough outline of my-perhaps mistaken-ideas on the subject in question; it may, perchance, be deemed presumption in an officer of my standing, venturing to advance an opinion on such points, --still knowledge,' saith the proverb, may even be gleaned from fools' -but without exactly subscribing myself as such, I have the honour to remain, most respectfully, your excellency's "Obedient, humble servant, "To Lieut.-General Sir G. Berkeley, K.C.B., &c. &c. &c., Obliging Editor! patient and courteous Reader! accept my sincere thanks for the kind attention you have deigned to bestow, on a somewhat dry and lengthy subject; but should the contents of the foregoing pages in any way tend to dissipate long established illusions relative to the colony of the Cape of Good Hope; should they in the least contribute to expose in their true light, the real character and predatory habits of a set of "irreclaimable savages"-to show up certain intriguing and meddling societies-to set forth the many wrongs and sufferings of the Dutch settlers, and of our fellow-countrymen, in this part of the world, I shall, in that case, think my object fully effected-the ends of real "philanthropy" to have been materially promoted, and—with whatever personal detriment it may have been attended-consider as time not entirely thrown away, my residence of a "Few Months in Southern Africa." Though not in consequence of the above suggestion,-it is, nevertheless, satisfactory to the author, to find its feasibility subsequently fully tested, in the successful passage of the Orange River on pontoons, by the forces under Sir Harry Smith, during the late expedition against the Boers. MR. JOLLY GREEN'S IMPRISONMENT IN THE CHATEAU DE VINCENNES. THE last time I addressed the British public-or, rather, the last time they heard of me,-I was lying full length on the floor of a guard-house at the corner of the Rue St. Denis, on which I had been prostrated by a blow from the butt-end of the musket of a treacherous corps de garde. The blow was a violent one, and for a few moments I was completely stunned by it, but thanks to the protection which nature has wisely afforded me, it only raised a large bump on my head about the size of a walnut, without in the slightest degree affecting my intellect, which of course was what the furious ruffian aimed at. Had he struck Podder, the case would, no doubt, have been quite different, for he, poor fellow, has a very thin skull compared to mine. When I rose from the ground I found myself encircled by a number of my ferocious captors who, like true Frenchmen, had all of them something to say, and all spoke at once. I showed them how completely I soared above their petty malice by not deigning to return a word in reply to their numerous questions, but looking round I perceived Podder sitting on a bench, and to judge by the blood which still streamed from his nose, he also had been making a fight of it. "Welcome, my gallant friend!" cried I, rushing towards him, and locking him in my embrace. "Do I once more behold you? United, we may defy these tyrants!" "I'm devilish glad, Green, to see you on your legs again," replied Podder, "for that fellow in the black beard who stands grinning at us in the corner hit you deuced hard. You're not more glad to see me than I am to see you, though, upon my soul, I wish we had met any where else. It's rather a queer go, being taken prisoner—I don't like the look of it." "What!" I exclaimed, "Podder! do you blench ?" "I don't know about that," replied he, "but I've heard of such things as drum-head court-martials, and the provo'-for my uncle was a quartermaster in the Buffs." "Be composed," returned I, "we are Britons, and they know it. They daren't so much as harm a hair of our heads. Look at the law of nations, to say nothing of the rights of man." "That may be all very well," said Podder, doggedly, "but as far as I can remember, Green, it was we who were getting up the row just now, and these fellows caught us in the fact. They may respect the law of nations, as you say, when it's forced down their throats at the point of the bayonet, but as to the rights of man, I suspect they haven't much idea what that comes to, as far as other people are concerned." 66 Peregrine!" I rejoined with some solemnity of manner, "you speak distractedly; the brandy, I am afraid, has proved too much for your poor weak head. I know the Articles of War, and the Military Regulations too well not to be aware of the nature of our present position." "You're thinking of the English ones," said Podder, in rather an obstinate tone. "English or French," I retorted, "it's all one-aren't they printed?" He made no reply to this question, being silenced of course by my logic, and I continued: "Let them make the best of it," I observed, "and it's only an emuette." "An emuette! pray," asked he, "what's that?" "It's the name," I replied, not sorry to have it in my power to show him the extent of my familiarity with French customs, "it's the name by which the English describe a street row in Paris; an emuette is the first thing they kick up, and then they raise the barricades." This last word drew upon me the attention of the rude soldiery who had made us prisoners; though, from their conduct towards us, I think they rather deserve the opprobrious epithet of brigantines, than the honourable title of soldiers; and breaking off their own conversation, which they had been freely indulging in, not unmingled with laughter, one of them called out to me to be silent. I had touched them in a tender point, and their consciences told me that they saw in the undaunted foreigner before them, a hero of barricades. "Silence! monsieur!" cried this man, fiercely, "savez-vous qu'il n'est pas permis aux prisonniers de parler?" "Je suis silent," replied I, with a look of contempt, the effect of which they vainly tried to conceal by dissembling grins. "En effet, il parle Français, le petit," said the serjeant of the guard, whom I had not hitherto observed. "Dites donc, de quel pays êtes vous; je ne connais pas ce patois là." "Patois vous-meme!" I exclaimed, derisively, perfectly understanding his sneer: "Je parle plus bon mieux Français que vous, avec toute votre barbe." Qu'est ce qu'il veut dire ?" said one. "Je n'en sais rien," returned the serjeant, shrugging his shoulders. "Je pense qu'il doit être Anglais." "Qui," said I, folding my arms, with cutting coldness, “oui, vous êtes droit, cela est quoi je suis." "Si je comprends deux mots," muttered the serjeant, but loud enough for me to hear him. 66 Stupid as well as insolent," I observed to Podder, who had been listening attentively to our conversation, though I am afraid, poor fellow, he was not able to understand it. "I should like to give him another punch of the head," he whispered. "No," said I, restraining him, "no violence; we must use moral force to vanquish certain natures." I cannot tell what further impertinence I might have experienced at the hands of this person, if the sudden appearance of an officer of the staff (the state major, as he is called in Paris), who was going his rounds, had not taken place. The moment he approached the guard-house all was quiet; the men drew up outside, and the serjeant having made his report, he came in. I know not what the serjeant said to our prejudice, but the officer bent upon us a very frowning brow, as he listened to what the other repeated in an under tone. I was not dismayed by his scowling glance, but returned him a look of manly defiance, which I could see inwardly chafed him. "Eh bien, messieurs," said he, as soon as the serjeant's statement was ended; "apparemment vous êtes des Anglais! Vous ne devez pas ignorer que j'ai le droit de vous mettre en prison. En effet, c'est mon devoir, mais peut être que vous avez quelque chose à dire pour excuser votre conduite !" Podder caught at the word "excuse," and asked me, "if the fellow didn't want an apology?" It struck me that he did, and I explained to Podder that that was what he meant. "I hope you don't mean to make one," said my friend. "I'll see him—never mind what," I replied, "you shall hear me give it him." Citoyenne soldat," said I, turning to the officer, who stared when he heard me speak to him in such good French, "vos hommes ont frappé moi et mon ami, ils ont donné lui un sanglant nez et frappé moi sur la tête avec le-le-butt-end de leur mousquets. Je demande satis faction." "Je crois qu'il est gris," said the officer, turning to his subordinate. "Il est très récalcitrant," answered the serjeant, putting that construction on the term " grey," ," "et l'autre est bien contumace. Ils nous ont donné de fameux coups de poings." "Dans ce cas-là," returned the state major, turning away to avoid my glance, which was steadily fixed on him, "menez les au prison." He sat down at a table as he spoke, wrote a few words on a slip of paper, which he gave to the serjeant, and then hastily left the guardhouse. I saw at once that he had signed a lettre de cachot, and foresaw my fate; the bastille was already yawning for us. Although the emuette was apparently quelled, the fire still smouldered beneath its ashes, and it was no doubt owing to the apprehension that if our removal to prison was deferred till daylight a rescue would be attempted, that the serjeant came to the determination of marching us down to the depôt of the Prefecture of Police immediately. It was midnight, and a blacker deed was perhaps never perpetrated at that murky hour, when under a strong escort armed with fixed bayonets and three ball cartridges in each musket (for they guessed my daring nature), myself and my secretary were conducted to the public prison. I fully expected, as is customary with prisoners of war when led through an enemy's camp, that our eyes would have been bandaged, but they neglected this important precaution, by which oversight we were afforded the means of knowing our exact route. It was, in point of fact, as straight as we could go down the Rue St. Denis until we had crossed the Pont au Change; we then turned to the right along the Quai de l'Horloge, and the first turning to the left brought us into the Rue de Harlay, where a private door admitted us into the vast building of the Prefecture of Police. I noted these particulars carefully, and they were so deeply impressed on my memory that I felt convinced I could have gone over the same ground, alone and at any hour of the day, without making the slightest mistake. It is unnecessary for me to observe upon the immense advantage it is to a prisoner who meditates escape to possess a faculty for observation like mine. It seemed all the same to Podder which way we were taken, and thenceforward I became satisfied that our future welfare must depend upon my capacity and exertions. The reader who was the confidant of my former adventures in Paris will not have forgotten the occasion on which I had last visited the gloomy tribunal of the Prefecture. I need, therefore, only recall to his |