CHEERFUL. 
25 
eaten into shreds by white ants, which were fast 
undermining the posts and walls of our habitation, 
made me think another Zulu trip would be prefer¬ 
able to remaining alone any longer ; consequently, 
I shut up the establishment, and went in again the 
following year. 
My nearest neighbours were Mr. Lindley, a mis¬ 
sionary from the American Mission Society, a man 
most deservedly respected and esteemed by all in 
the colony, his amiable wife and charming family, 
at whose hospitable house I always felt myself quite 
at home. I used frequently to ride over on Sundays 
to Kaffir service, or whenever I could frame an 
excuse for making a break in my existence, and, after 
passing an evening with him and his united family, 
it put me so much in mind of my own home, 
that I used to feel in a better frame of mind for 
weeks to come, though the contrast was very great 
between his cheerful, comfortable house, and happy 
family, and my own solitary, dismal-looking abode— 
a deal table and a lot of velt stools and wagon chests 
the only furniture, and myself the only inhabitant. 
One day, at St. Lucia Bay, after partly recovering 
from my first attack of fever, we went sea-cow 
shooting, and I was landed on a small island among 
the reeds, knee deep in water and very warm. 
After waiting some time for a shot, and feeling very 
weak and weary, I beat down a big bundle of reeds 
and sat upon them, my legs dangling in the water, and 
went fast asleep. Meantime, Arbuthnot and Monies 
