SKETCHES OF TRAVEL AND CHARACTER.

Cape-Town, Cape of Good Hope, October 25th, 18—.

SOME excitement prevails here to-day, owing to the arrival of dispatches from the seat of war, containing the intelligence that the English have been again defeated, or, at best, have gained but a doubtful victory. Many stories are in circulation among the knowing ones, as to the causes which produced this war, of which the most probable seems to be this: yet

'I CANNOT say how the truth may be:

I tell the tale as 't was told to me.'

The favorite wife of Chief Micomo is Katasinda, famous throughout all Caffraria for her thick lips, flat foot, and knotty hair. This lovely creature is said to be as witty and accomplished as she is beautiful, and to sit an ostrich with more ease and grace than any woman of her tribe. She is said, moreover, to possess one of these animals, so renowned for its size and swiftness, that wherever the name of Katasinda is repeated, that of her riding-bird, Avea the fleet-footed, is also heard; so that the one is never mentioned without the other. Now, as ill-luck, or the Devil, would have it, Lady Blank, the wife of the Governor, who is very much addicted to wearing ostrich-plumes in her bonnet, accompanied her husband, a short time since, on a tour of inspection to the frontier. While at Phillipolis, she espied the fair Katasinda riding by with her attend

ants.

'Gracious heavens!' shrieked her ladyship, 'what a bird! I shall die if I do not get a couple of feathers from its tail for my new 'kiss-mequick' and 'wide-awake!''

Pshaw! nonsense!' cried the Governor, in a pet; the thing is impossible!'

But her little ladyship held out so stoutly, with so many tears, coaxings, and entreaties, that poor Sir Harry was at length forced to yield.

The next morning, a commissioner arrived in the camp of Micomo, with a formal demand from His Excellency, not for a feather or two, but the whole bird! The chieftain's bosom heaved, and his eye flashed fire as it glanced upon the myriads of dusky warriors who were squatted in the bush at his feet.

Two moons have scarce rolled by,' said he, 'since this proud Governor stole from us all our eggs; and now will nothing please him save ‘Avea, the fleet-footed,' the darling of our tribe? Behold, O Kaffirs! of all the vast possessions bequeathed to you by your glorious fore-fathers, you will soon have but the sands of your desert left!'

He paused for a reply. There was a death-like silence for the space of a moment, broken alone by the sobs of Katasinda, who stood at her husband's side, with her hands clasped tightly around Avea's glossy neck; then a thousand daggers gleamed in the sun light, while a thousand voices took up the cry: Meshall, ishall cutsticke tomorrerzer ! ' which is, being interpreted, We will go forth with thee to conquer or to die!' The chieftain stood an instant with eyes and hands uplifted, as if

imploring the vengeance of HEAVEN upon the persecutors of his people. Then plucking a feather from the tail of Avea, he dipped it in his own blood, and turning to the affrighted Englishman, who had remained an unwilling witness of this fearful scene:

'Go,' said he, 'and tell the Governor of Southern Africa that thou hast seen the snowy plume of Avea red with the blood of the chieftain Micomo; and that as this feather, so shall his camp be dyed ere another sun goes down!'

Never mind, Sir Harry,' cried his better half, when the reply of Micomo was communicated to her: 'I'll write to the Duke, and he'll set the Twelfth Lancers at them!' and then she added, in an under-tone: 'I do hope that fascinating fellow, Montesquieu, will accompany them! What a charming time he and I would have together while old Sir Harry was off to the wars!'

Island of Johanna, November 30th, 18—.

THIS morning, I accompanied the Commodore, as one of his suite, on a visit of ceremony to His Most Mohammedan Majesty, Abo Ben Aben Ben Hassan, most illustrious king of this most illustrious island, author of all good, and terror of evil-doers! On our arrival at the threshold of the magnificent palace which His Highness deigns to inhabit, we were met by a nobleman of the court, who politely led the way to the 'Hall of Reception,' where the King, with his ministers, waited to receive us. The 'hall' is of an oblong shape, with massive stone-walls and painted ceiling, in the centre of which is an aperture about twelve feet square, covered with an awning made of matting, and raised on poles, in the form of a tent. Furniture it has none, save some eight or ten rickety chairs, a sofa covered with cotton cloth, which, according to a very ancient tradition of this country, was once actually white, but from much usage and little washing has now assumed a decidedly jaundiced expression; two Yankee clocks and six old-fashioned, gilt-framed looking-glasses, (such as we see in country-kitchens at home,) over which are suspended, at a height of some twelve feet from the floor, an equal number of unlightable glass-lamps. His Majesty rose as we entered this apartment, and shook, first his turban, (for which I, being near him, did not bid GOD bless him,') and next the dexter hand of each one of us; and then seated the Commodore beside him on the sofa, his ministers and we officers taking our seats indiscriminately on his right and left; the interpreter being directly in front of him, and two slaves, very lightly attired, or, as a friend of mine would say, 'stripped to a gantline,' and armed with lances, mounting guard at the door. He was clad in garments which, like the covering of the sofa, had been originally white, and wore a scimitar of costly hilt and pure Damascus blade. He looked to his subjects, I have no doubt, 'every inch a king;' but to me, probre Americano that I am! he presented the not uncommon spectacle of an elderly gentleman, decidedly the worse for wear; much as a 'sovereign' may be supposed to look who has passed a night in a chimney, and been polished off' in the morning by a New-York sweep. He was in som what of a pet, too, which by no means improved his physiognomy, and complained bitterly of the Dale's' having knocked his fort about his ears a

short time since; saying, among othersage things, that Captain Phad demanded from him a larger amount of money than was to be found in the whole island, and had afterward fired upon his people because it was not forthcoming; then, pointing to one of the lamps overhead, he said, through the medium of his interpreter:

'Were I to tell one very small boy to reach me that lamp, and punish him because he did not, all good men would say: 'The King of Johanna is very unjust;' and yet my conduct toward him would not be worse than that of the commander of the 'Dale' toward me and my children.'

From this his most royal opinion, however, I, having a full knowledge of the facts of the case, beg leave to dissent. He remarked beside: All United States' man have heard what Johanna man do to American seaman, who have heard what they been done to us?' And then he went on to detail a long series of outrages committed by Yankee whalers, in which, I am sorry to say, there seemed to be a trifle less poetry than truth. Cocoa-nut milk was now served to us by a slave, after which the Commodore rose to take leave, inviting the King, as he did so, to visit our vessel. His Majesty's reply was very frank:

'Before seeing you, Commodore, my heart was small for the Americans, but your friendly words have made it large again. I will take pleasure in coming to see you.'

He is at this moment aboard, with a host of followers; and it is quite amusing to see the very same personages who this morning, all tattered and torn,' were trading with the men, and haggling about a six-pence, nów strutting about the decks in all their holiday finery, and assuming the dignified manner and lofty bearing of a Gomele or an Abencerrage. In a few minutes they will leave, and we be off for Zanziba: so vale Johanna!

Eight P. M. As a sample of a ship's log, I subjoin the following: 'From four to six A. M., weather b. c.; wind o. At four thirty, the King of Johanna visited the ship, and was saluted with seven guns. Received on board three bullocks for the crew. At five thirty, got under way, and stood to sea.'

Island of Zanzibar, December 6, 18-.

TO-DAY the Commodore and some half-dozen of us dined with the Governor of this island, Prince Seid Khaled, eldest son of the Imaum of Muscat. The Prince has a fine face, and the sweetest imaginable smile, but he looks very, very sad; as well he may, poor fellow, for he has been a martyr many years to the elephantiasis, a disease very prevalent in this climate. No doubt he feels that the dignity with which he is invested is, at best, but a poor compensation for the loss of health and strength. Meeting us at the gate of the palace court-yard, he preceded us to the banquet hall,' where dinner was already served, we being expected, like 'dogs of Christians,' as we were, to 'fall to' the instant we arrived. The only thing that struck me as at all remarkable about this feast was, the fact that the head and foot of the festive-board were graced with two immense kids stuffed with prunes, a not unsavory mess; and that the guests were expected to drink rose-water, a most villanous compound, fit neither for man nor beast. The Prince did not eat with us, but sat a little apart,

evidently highly pleased with the masterly performance of the middies, while one of his ministers attended at table to see that we were properly served by the slaves, who, when the repast was finished, invited us, after the manner of his country-men, to send our servants for the viands which were left. The Prince and the Commodore then held a long palaver concerning the salvo with which our flag is to be greeted on the morrow, upon its being again hoisted over the Consul's house; it having been struck some ten months or a year ago, in consequence of an indignity offered to the Consul. The Commodore insisted that the Prince should fire first; the Prince as resolutely declined the honor, but expressed a willingness to permit one of his vessels to salute simultaneously with ours. And so they went at it-hip and thigh, hammer and tongs—as tight as they could spring,' for the space of an hour; at the expiration of which, the American proving 'too many guns' for the Arab, the latter gracefully yielded his point by saying: Your talk is sweet!' This being a figurative expression, signifying, 'The guns shall be fired, every one of them, and in the order you have prescribed, Commodore.' Our chief having thus played the trump card, acted upon the old adage, 'Let well enough alone,' and withdrew; and we, of course, followed suit. Upon taking leave of the Prince's secretary, I noticed that he kept his eyes intently fixed upon a string of yellow beads, one bight of which he held in his right hand, the other being fast to his girdle. Asking him the reason of this, he informed me that his vision was bad, every thing he looked upon wearing a tinge of yellow; and that the hakem had told him he would be cured by gazing constantly at something of a similar color. Whether there is or is not any virtue in this prescription of the Arabian doctor, it is for the faculty to decide. I am rather inclined to the belief, however, judging from the Secretary's rickety appearance, that the recipe of the physician Douban, with or without 'the drugs in the rackethandle,' would have a much more salutary effect. When we arrived opposite the harem which adjoins the palace, I observed several of its olive-colored inmates looking 'down from their lattice on me' and the mids; whereupon the latter, thinking it, doubtless, no more than an act of Christian politeness to throw them a kiss from the tips of their fingers, did so; and somewhat to my surprise, I confess though I am not apt to be surprised at any thing a woman does-their salutation was affectionately responded to. 'Mr. Officer! Mr. Officer!' cried a voice in my ear. Turning, I beheld Mahomet; his face was radiant with smiles, and he looked like the bearer of 'glad tidings.' 'Come,' said he, laying his hand familiarly on my shoulder; 'come, see!' Mechanically I obeyed; and a sharp ten minutes' walk carried me to a rusty-looking shop, where were some musty books, and a mustier old man. You say, yesterday, you want Koran: here one all same,' cried Mahomet exultingly. I examined the volume which he handed to me, and, observing some stains upon it, asked how they came there. His explanation was lucid and satisfactory. I do not know that the most-learned alfaki could have given a better. Placing his hand on a level with his breast, he said: 'Koran, hé live all same as here;' next, pointing to the ground, water, he live all same as down there.' Then, elevating his hand some two feet. above the spot which he had designated as the residence of the sacred

book, he enunciated rapidly: 'Big stone, he live all same as up there. Big stone, he fall on Koran; Koran, he fall in water; water, he make stain - all same!' So the Alcoran was bought, and now rejoices in a comfortable position in my book-case, far removed from its former neighbors, the big stone and pool of water.

The sailing-master of the vessel joined us soon after this purchase, and we betook ourselves to the Mohammedan grave-yard, where, seated under the shade, not of the 'spreading beech,' but of the leafy mango, we were assailed by the 'keen demands of appetite;' and said the master, looking toward a negro as he spoke : Mahomet, send that blackamoor for some cocoa-nuts.' The boy complied with this request by handing over two coppers worth a half-penny each, and the negro departed on his errand. As he widened his distance from us, a shadow stole over the features of the Arab youth, who 'looked not lovingly' on his retreat; and he presently exclaimed in a low tone of voice, as if communing with himself: My GOD! s'pose he no come back!'

'What's that you say?' cried I, laughing.

'Me no know,' he replied, joining in the laugh, and shrugging his shoulders like a Frenchman: 'Slave man-s'pose he no hungry, he come back; s'pose he hungry, he eat cocoa-nut he run away-all same!'

Fortunately for us, our sable friend could not have been hungry, granting Mahomet's logic to be correct, for he soon returned with three fine cocoa-nuts, which the latter proceeded to open forthwith by knocking off the top.

'Why don't you bore the eyes?' asked I.

'No Arab fashion; American man other fashion; Arab man other fashion-all same!'

'Follow me,' said Mahomet, after we had rested a while; 'you have something more to see: behold the slave-market!'

And I raised my eyes in wonder, for the place seemed fitter for the ministering office of angels than the fell deeds of man! The carpet at my feet was enamelled with flowers; over-head, the branches of the mango were interwoven with those of the pomegranate; here and there, birds of golden and scarlet plumage flitted merrily to and fro; and on all sides, and from all quarters, the stirring whoop and wild halloo of the Arab and Hindoo youths at play, broke the stillness of the evening air. The buyers and sellers were of all nations, and of every religious denomination; the slaves of but one: the luckless race of Ham, worshippers of the Fetish tree. Among these was an aged woman, blear-eyed and deformed; and by her side a little girl, the child of her old age: and passionately the poor mother strained her darling to her breast, and sadly and wistfully she looked upon the childish face she ne'er might gaze on more, for well she knew that this was their last meeting upon earth. I approached, and fain would I have spoken to her words of kindness and encouragement; but as I drew near, her eyes met mine, and I held my peace, for I saw 'that her grief was very great,' such as no mortal might assuage. Just then an Arab stalked insolently before me, and after examining the child's teeth, and coarsely feeling her limbs, as a jockey examines a horse, he threw his cane to a little distance, and bade her, as one bids a dog, to and fetch;' to pick it up and bring it to him; and so having satisfied

'go