uncouthly-named spot. I found out nothing, however, about Henriques or
the Rev. John Laputa. The Portuguese still smoked in the stern, and
thumbed his greasy notebook; the minister sat in his deck-chair, and
read heavy volumes from the ship's library. Though I watched every
night, I never found them again together.

At Cape Town Henriques went ashore and did not return. The minister did
not budge from the ship the three days we lay in port, and, indeed, it
seemed to me that he kept his cabin. At any rate I did not see his
great figure on deck till we were tossing in the choppy seas round Cape
Agulhas. Sea-sickness again attacked me, and with short lulls during
our stoppages at Port Elizabeth and East London, I lay wretchedly in my
bunk till we sighted the bluffs of Durban harbour.

Here it was necessary for me to change my ship, for in the interests of
economy I was going by sea to Delagoa Bay, and thence by the cheap
railway journey into the Transvaal. I sought out my cousin, who lived
in a fine house on the Berea, and found a comfortable lodging for the
three days of my stay there. I made inquiries about Mr Laputa, but
could hear nothing. There was no native minister of that name, said my
cousin, who was a great authority on all native questions. I described
the man, but got no further light. No one had seen or heard of such a
being, 'unless,' said my cousin, 'he is one of those American Ethiopian
rascals.'

My second task was to see the Durban manager of the firm which I had
undertaken to serve. He was a certain Mr Colles, a big fat man, who
welcomed me in his shirt-sleeves, with a cigar in his mouth. He
received me pleasantly, and took me home to dinner with him.

'Mr Mackenzie has written about you,' he said. 'I'll be quite frank
with you, Mr Crawfurd. The firm is not exactly satisfied about the way
business has been going lately at Blaauwildebeestefontein. There's a
grand country up there, and a grand opportunity for the man who can
take it. Japp, who is in charge, is an old man now and past his best,
but he has been long with the firm, and we don't want to hurt his
feelings. When he goes, which must be pretty soon, you'll have a good
chance of the place, if you show yourself an active young fellow.'

He told me a great deal more about Blaauwildebeestefontein, principally
trading details. Incidentally he let drop that Mr Japp had had several
assistants in the last few years. I asked him why t