多多读书

手机浏览器扫描二维码访问

第35部分（第1页）

“I　am　glad　to　find　that　my　view　as　regards　the　Transvaal　should　be　endorsed　by　one　who　had　such　good　opportunities　of　judging　as　yourself”；　and　again：

Private。

Dear　Mr。　Haggard；　—　I　am　very　much　obliged　to　you　for　your　extremely　interesting　book　on　Cetewayo。　I　have　been　so　engaged　with　the　accumulations　of　eight　months’　business　and　with　all　the　hundred　and　one　questions　which　arise　on　our　return　to　England　that　I　have　only　been　able　to　look　at　those　parts　which　most　closely　interested　me　personally　from　their　relation　to　events　in　which　I　was　myself　concerned；　but　I　read　these　with　great　satisfaction。　The　English　public　was　so　deceived　by　misrepresentations　of　the　annexation　of　the　Transvaal　that　the　real　history　was　never　understood；　and　the　humiliating　surrender　of　it　was　accepted　in　partial　ignorance　at　least　of　the　facts。　A　true　statement　of　it　is　therefore　very　valuable；　and　I　am　grateful　to　anyone　who　has　the　courage　to　say　what　really　did　occur。　It　was　as　needless　as　it　was　discreditable；　and　though　the　unexpected　discovery　of　gold　is　solving　many　difficulties；　the　unworthy　nature　of　the　cession　has　done　great　mischief　to　all　time。　I　hope　I　may　have　the　opportunity　of　talking　about　this　to　you。

Believe　me；

Very　faithfully　yours；

Carnarvon。

I　gladly　quote　an　extract　from　a　letter　written　by　Sir　Marshal　Clarke　from　Basutoland；　since　it　tempers　my　criticisms　of　Sir　Hercules　Robinson　（Lord　Rosmead）；　a　gentleman　of　whom　I　have　the　most　kindly　personal　recollections。　He　says；　referring　to　this　book：

I　don’t　think　you　have　done　quite　justice　to　Sir　Hercules　Robinson。　He　appears　to　me　to　have　been　the　right　man　for　the　place　and　for　the　time。　He　is　not　a　very　popular　Governor；　but　his　opinions　carry　great　weight　here　as　well　as　at　home；　he　had　a　very　difficult　position　at　first　—　one　of　his　principal　difficulties　arose　from　the　impossibility　of　foreseeing　how　far　his　views　would　be　supported　at　home　—　and　while　he　appears　to　me　to　have　acted　with　unswerving　loyalty；　his　influence　has　done　much　to　mitigate　antipathies　of　races　and　to　maintain　our　character　for　fair　dealing　with　whites　and　blacks。

I　also　received　letters　from　the　late　Lord　Lytton；　Lord　Randolph　Churchill；　and　others。

Except　for　any　influence　it　may　have　had　upon　certain　leading　minds　and　organs　of　opinion；　the　book　at　this　time　proved　a　total　failure。　At　this　date　（1883）　an　eager　public　had　absorbed　one　hundred　and　fifty…four　copies　of　the　work。　Say　Messrs。　Trubner：

You　will　no　doubt　consider　the　account　a　most　unsatisfactory　one；　as　we　do；　seeing　that　we　are　out　of　pocket　to　the　extent　of　82　pounds　15s。；　5d。　Against　this；　of　course；　we　hold　the　50　pounds　advanced　by　you；　but　we　fear　that　we　are　never　likely　to　recover　the　balance；　32　pounds　15s。　5d。

As　it　happens；　however；　Messrs。　Trubner　did　in　the　end　recover　their　32　pounds。　When　I　became　known　through　other　works　of　a　different　character　the　edition　sold　out。　Perhaps　the　public　bought　it　thinking　it　was　a　novel；　at　any　rate；　I　have　e　across　a　letter　from　a　melancholy　youth　who　made　that　mistake。

Since　that　time　there　have　been　other　and　cheaper　editions；　and　in　1899；　at　the　time　of　the　Boer　War；　that　part　of　the　book　that　deals　with　the　Transvaal　was　republished　at　one　shilling　and　sold　to　the　extent　of　some　thirty　thousand　copies。

To　this　day　there　is　a　certain　demand　for　the　book。　That　it　has　already　been　extensively　used　by　writers　dealing　with　this　epoch　of　African　affairs　in　works　of　reference　and　elsewhere　I　have　reason　to　know；　although　these　have　not　always　acknowledged　the　source　of　their　information　and　judgments。

So　it　es　about　that　my　only　effort　as　an　historian　was　not　made　in　vain；　although　at　first　it　seemed　futile　and　fruitless　enough。　I　may　add　that　certain　prophecies　set　down　in　its　pages　in　1882　have　since　that　time　been　remarkably　fulfilled。

If　they　＇i。e。　those　who　direct　the　destinies　of　the　Empire＇　do　not　＇take　certain　steps　alluded　to　above＇　it　is　now　quite　within　the　bounds　of　possibility　that　they　may　one　day　have　to　face　a　fresh　Transvaal　rebellion；　only　on　a　ten　times　larger　scale。

And　again：

Unless　they　＇i。e。　South　African　problems＇　are　treated　with　more　honest　intelligence；　and　on　a　more　settled　plan　than　it　has　hitherto　been　thought　necessary　to　apply　to　them；　the　British　taxpayer　will　find　that　he　has　by　no　means　heard　the　last　of　that　country　and　its　wars。

Some　twenty　years　after　I　wrote　these　words　England　did　have　to　face　a　Transvaal　war　on　a　ten　times　larger　scale；　and　the　British　taxpayer　did　hear　that　he　was　called　upon　to　pay　a　bill　of　some　three　hundred　millions　sterling。　Also　about　twenty　thousand　of　our　countrymen；　among　them　a　young　nephew　of　my　own；　were　summoned　to　lay　down　their　lives　on　the　African　veld。　Such　was　the　cost　to　the　Empire　of　the　reversal　of　Sir　Theophilus　Shepstone’s　policy　in　the　interests　of　an　English　political　party。

Whilst　we　were　at　Norwood　a　little　incident　occurred　which　resulted　in　my　being　a　writer　of　fiction。　At　the　church　which　my　wife　and　I　attended　we　saw　sitting　near　us　one　Sunday　a　singularly　beautiful　and　pure…faced　young　lady。　Afterwards　we　agreed　that　this　semi…divine　creature　—　on　whom　to　the　best　of　my　knowledge　I　have　never　set　eyes　again　from　that　day　to　this　—　ought　to　bee　the　heroine　of　a　novel。　So　then　and　there　we　took　paper；　and　each　of　us　began　to　write　the　said　novel。　I　think　that　after　she　had　pleted　two　or　three　folio　sheets　my　wife　ceased　from　her　fictional　labours。　But；　growing　interested；　I　continued　mine；　which　resulted　in　the　story　called　“Dawn。”

Years　afterwards；　in　1894　indeed；　on　the　occasion　of　the　issue　of　one　of　the　numerous　editions　of　that　tale；　I　inserted　the　following　little　dedication：