The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1890-04-23
April %, 1890.

ilization first, / wandered here by chance
seeking home in the remotest places il
the world, found this lonely spot 6
wilderness. Nothing was to be seen ex
cept the site, the domes of the marble
huts and the waterfalls. 1 took posses
sion of the huts. Icleared the patch OF
garden land and planted the orange
grove. had only six natives then, but
by degrees others joined me; now my
tribe is thousand strong. Here we
live in profound peace and plenty.
Heaven has prospered me SO far-may
it be so to the end, which for me draws
nigh. And now am tired and will &C
back. If you wish to see the old quarry
and the mouth of the ancient mines
Stella will show them to you. No, my
love, you need not trouble to come.
can manage alone. Look, some of the
head men are waiting to see me-"
So he went, but still followed by Hen.
drika and Indaba-zimbi we turned, and
walking along the bank Of one of the
rivers, passed up behind the marble
kraals, and came to the quarry, whence
the material had been cut in some re.
mote age. The pit opened up very
thick seam Of the whitest and most beau
tiful marble. I know another like it in
Natal. But by whom it had been worked
cannot say. Not by natives, that is
certain, though the builders of the kraals
had condescended to borrow the shape
of native huts for their model. The only
relic of those builders that I ever saw
was a highly finished bronze pick axe
which Stella found one day in the quar-
ry After we had examined the quarry
we climbed the slope Of the hill till we
came to the mouth of the ancient mines
situated in kind of gorge. 1 believe
them to have been silver mines. The
gorge was long and narrow, and the mo-
ment we entered it there rose from every
side sound Of groaning and barking
that was almost enough to deafen one.
[ knew what it. was at once; the whole
place was filled with balloons, which
clambered down the rocks towards us
from every direction, in manner that
struck me as being unnaturally fearless.
OLelIG CHUNG W lily dIlu. -
"It is very silly Of me, she whispered.
II am not, at all nervous, but cannot
bear the sight of those animals ever
since they killed Hendrix. l always
think that there is something human
about them"
Meanwhile the balloons came nearer,
talking to each other as they came. Tota
began to cry, and chung to Stella. Stella
chung to me, while l and Indaba-zimbi
put as bold a front on the matter as we
could. Only Hendrika stood looking at
the brutes with an unconcerned smile on
her monkey face. When the great apes
were quite near, she suddenly called out
aloud. Instantly they stopped their
hideous clamor as though at word of
command Then Hendrika addressed
them.
From the mouth of Hendrika came a
succession Of grunts, groans, squeaks,
click and every other abominable noise
that can be conceived. To my mind the
whole conveyed an idea of expostula-
ton. At any rate the balloons listened.
One of them grunted back some answer,
and then the whole mob drew off to the
rocks
/ stood astonished, and without a word
we turned back to the kraal, for Hen
drika was too close for me to speak.
When we reached the dining hut Stella
went in. followed by Hendrika. But
Indaba-zimbi plucked me by the sleeve,
and stopped outside.