suaded, or kicked up the ladder, had
been disposed of, the sailors turned upon the timid ones and bundled
them into the cask, neck and crop, four and five at a time. There was
necessity for speed, and sailors are not wont to be delicate when this
is the case. At last the aristocracy were approached. Whether the
sailors knew who they were I cannot tell; it is probable that they did
not, but judged by the "outward appearance." They were "niggers," that
was enough for Jack.

"Come along, old boy," said one, grasping the old councillor; but the
councillor held back; Jack therefore gave him a powerful shove and he
went into the cask head-foremost. Another man had seized the young
prince at the same moment. That potentate--who in his own land
possessed the power of life and death--turned round with dignity, and in
doing so afforded an unlooked for opportunity to the sailor, who pushed
him gently till he tripped against the cask and went in backwards,
squeezing the old councillor almost flat.

"That's your sort, Bill, fetch another!" cried Jack, as he packed the
prince down.

One chief was quick-witted enough to submit and stepped in of his own
accord. Another half-stepped and was half-thrust in.

"Hoist away!" shouted Bill.

At that moment a forgotten navvy caught Bill's eye, he seized him by the
neck; Jack helped; the man was thrown on the top of all, and went up
next moment like a spread-eagle cover to the cask.

When this "lot" was lowered four or five of the Jack-tars on deck, who
greatly enjoyed the fun, turned it suddenly over, and thus it was
emptied of its human contents.

Even at that moment of humiliation the savage chiefs were true to
themselves. They rose from the deck in dignified silence, the prince
merely saying, sternly, to the gentleman who had charge of the party,
"Was _this_ what you brought me here for?"

It is but just to add that the gentleman in charge of these noble
visitors did his best to prevent the outrage, but it had occurred
suddenly, in the exuberance of "Jack's" spirits, was over in a few
seconds, and could not be undone.

These Kafir chiefs were afterwards feasted and feted by the governor and
gentry of Capetown, but I have my doubts whether they will ever forget
or forgive the treatment received on that occasion in Algoa Bay.

To correct the false is more difficult than to imbibe the true. Did you
ever think of that before? All my life have I been under the false
impres