Litchfield enquirer., 1850-05-23

CAM TO us fearlessly every day, as she |
she said to see If she was well, and Il
we were not hurting her.
We reached our own settlement one
day sooner than we took in marching
eastward-but then l burst not remain
for night, but getting into a vessel, |
sailed straight for the Cape, having first
made over all nay goods and chatrelst to
my eonRtrymen, who are to send me in
value down here, corn and fruit !: and
here l am living with my Agnes and our
two children, in little wigwam about 5
miles from Cape Town.
My Agnes part Of the story is the
most extraordinary of all. But here l
must needs be concise, giving only a
short and general outline of her adven-
ture; for among dumb animals, whose
signals and grimaces were so liable to be
misinterproted, much must have been
left to her own conjecture. The crea-
lures motives for stealing and OBTAINING
: her, appear to have been as follows -
These animals remain always in dis
tinct tribes, and are perfectly subordi-
nate to chief or ruler and his secondary
chiefs. For their expedition to rob our
gardens, they had brought their sove-
reign's sole heir along with them, as
they never leave any of the royal family
behind them for fear of surprisal. 1t
was this royal cub which we killed, and
the Queen, his mother, having been dis
tractedly inconsolable, for the loss of her
darling, the old monarch had set out by
night to try if possible to recover it
and on not finding it, he seized on my
boy in its place, carried him home in
safety to the Queen, and gave her him to
nursel She did so. Yes, she positive
ly did nurse him at the breast for three
months, and never child throye better
than did he. BY that time he was be-
ginning to walk, and aim at speech, by
initiating every voice he heard, whether
| of beast or bird and it had struck the
monsters as great loss, that they had
no means of teaching their young soye-
reign to speak at which he seemed so apt.
This led to the scheme of stealing his
own mother to be his instructor, which
they effected in most mastery style,
binding and gagging her in her own
house, and carrying her from apopulous
hamlet in the fair forenoon, without
having been discovered. Their expert
hess, and the rapidity Of their motions.
Agnes described as uncomfortable by
those who had never witnessed them.
They showed her every sort of kinds
ness and tenderness by the way, proffer>
ing her plenty of water and fruit; but
she gave self totally up to despair,
till, behold she was introduced to her
own little William, plump, thriving,
and as merry as cricket, gambolling
away among his brutal compeers, for
many of whom he had conceived a great
affection-but then they far outstripped
him, while others as fast overlook him
| in size. .1'.- . ... ,a4 70 ts
Agnes Immediately took her boy
under her tuition, and was soon given
to understand that her will was TO be
the sole law of the community and
all the while they detained her, they
never refused her in aught save to take
her home again. Our little daughter
she had named Beatrice, after her matters
nal grandmother. She was born six
months and six days after Agnes abs
straction. ,.-.-....
l have no objection to the publication Of
these adventures in Britain, though l
know they will not obtain credit; but |
should not like that the incidents reached
the Sydney Gazette, as intend emigrat-
ing to that country as soon as receive
value for the stock left at the settlement,
for | have a feeling that my family is
scarcely safe as long as remain on the
coast Of Africa. = Il
Believe me ever, your old
and affectionate friend. al r
VIM. MITCHELL.
Wander Greek, near Cape Town,
sh& Oct. lst, 1896, a