tted in the British colonies, the Dutch, and other Cape
colonists, possessed great numbers of negro slaves, whom it was their
interest to treat well, as being valuable "property," and whom most of
them probably did treat well, as a man will treat a useful horse or ox,
though of course there were--as there always must be in the
circumstances--many instances of cruelty, by passionate and brutal
owners. But the Hottentots, or original natives of the South African
soil, having been declared unsaleable, and therefore not "property,"
were in many cases treated with greater degradation by their masters
than the slaves, were made to work like them, but not cared for or fed
like them, because not so valuable. At the same time, although not
absolute slaves, the Hottentots were practically in a state of
servitude, in which the freedom accorded to them by Government had, by
one subterfuge or another, been rendered inoperative. Not long before
this period the colonists possessed absolute power over the Hottentots,
and although recent efforts had been made to legislate in their favour,
their wrongs had only been mitigated,--by no means redressed. Masters
were, it is true, held accountable by the law for the treatment of their
Hottentots, but were rarely called to account; and the Hottentots knew
too well, from sad experience, that to make a complaint would be in many
cases worse than useless, as it would only rouse the ire of their
masters and make them doubly severe.

"You say de Hottentots are not slaves, but you treat us all de same as
slaves--anyhow, Jan Smit does."

"That is the sin of Jan Smit, not of the British law," replied
Considine.

Ruyter's face grew darker as he rejoined fiercely, "What de use of your
laws if dey won't work? Besides, what right hab de white scoundril to
make slave at all--whether you call him slave or no call him slave.
Look at Jemalee!"

The Hottentot pointed with violent action to the Malay, who, with a calm
and sad but dignified mien, stood listening to the small-talk of Booby,
while the light of the camp-fire played fitfully on their swarthy
features.

"Well, what of Jemalee!" asked Considine.

"You know dat him's a slave--a _real_ slave?"

"Yes, I know that, poor fellow."

"You never hear how him was brought up here?"

"No, never--tell me about it."

Hereupon the Hottentot related the following brief story.

Abdul Jemalee, a year or two before, had lived in Capetown, where his
o