



Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England




The White Chief of the Caffres, by Major General A.W. Drayson.

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THE WHITE CHIEF OF THE CAFFRES, BY MAJOR GENERAL A.W. DRAYSON.



CHAPTER ONE.

I was born in the city of Delhi, in Central India, where my father held
a command as major in the old East India Company's service.  I was an
only son, and my mother died shortly after I was born.  I resided at
Delhi until I was ten years of age.  Having been attended as a child by
an ayah, and afterwards taught to ride by one of my father's syces, I
learned to speak Hindostani before I could speak English, and felt quite
at home amongst black people.

My father, Major Peterson, had a brother in England who was a bachelor,
and an East Indian merchant, and supposed to be very rich.  I was named
Julius, after this uncle, who was my godfather, and who was much older
than was my father, and who, although he had never seen me, yet took
great interest in me, and mentioned me in all his letters.

It was just before my tenth birthday that my father received a letter
from my uncle, which caused a great change in my life, and led to those
adventures which I relate in this tale.  In this letter my uncle wrote,
that from his experience of India he was certain that I could not be
properly educated in that country; that at my age the climate was very
trying; and that consequently he wished my father to send me home, in
order that I might be placed at a good school in England, and eventually
sent either to Addiscombe or Haileybury, according as I chose the
military or civil service of India.  The expenses of my education, my
uncle stated, would be undertaken by him, so that money need not
interfere with the question.  Young as I was I saw the advantages of
this proposition, and being by nature ambitious and fond of adventure, I
was pleased at the prospect of seeing England.  After a little
hesitation my father consented to part with me, and I and my father
commenced our long journey from Delhi to Calcutta.  In those early days
of my youth there were no railways in India; there was no Suez Canal,
and there were no steamers in the world.  To reach England we embarked
at Calcutta in what was termed one of Green's ships--that is, a fine
East Indiaman, a full-rigged ship of