80 SERVANTS. 



miity, and self-confidence, that, out of mere admiration at 

 his dexterity, I could not refrain from excusing him. 



John St. Helena, a relative of the last-mentioned, was 

 born in the Cape colony, and officiated as our head wagoner. 

 This man exhibited the most extraordinary disposition ; for, 

 though sometimes he would be good-natured, wilUng, and 

 liard-working, at others he was sulky, ill-tempered, and indo- 

 lent. At first I felt much annoyed at his irritable and 

 changeable temper ; but I soon found that by interfering I 

 only made matters worse; and, as he was an "excellent 

 whip," it was necessary to put up with and overlook a great 

 deal, as we should have found it almost impossible to re- 

 place him in so wild and inhospitable a region. About three 

 years afterward I employed him again, and, strange to say, 

 he was then the best of servants. 



Another of the attendants, John Williams, also a colony 

 man, was a short, stout, merry, mischievous-looking lad, 

 who agreed to serve in any capacity to which he might be 

 competent. He now cooked for the men, assisted in "in- 

 spanning" and leading the oxen, washed clothes — in short, 

 made himself generally useful. Still he was careless, thought- 

 less, and dirty in his habits, and had not the least idea of 

 husbanding the provisions. The result was, that before we 

 had been many months in the country, our stock of vegeta- 

 bles, coffee, tea, and other necessaries was all but gone. 



Our own cook, John Mortar, a native of Madeira, was the 

 very reverse of this. He was careful, frugal, industrious, 

 strictly honest, and deeply attached to his master's interest. 

 His only fault was irritability; but this, in a cook, is always 

 excusable. I had a great regard for poor John, and I believe 

 the attachment was mutual. 



Mortar had been cook to the club in Cape-Town, where 

 he won golden opinions; but, though he had certainly at- 

 tained some proficiency in the culinary art, he required a 

 whole grocer's shop to prepare a dinner; and it was some 



