I have your letter 23rd August in which you give account of your stewardship regarding Jack。 Accept my sincere thanks for all you have done and the care you took of the boy； who I fear must have been a great bother to you。 Your father’s kind note to me I need not tell you how greatly I appreciate； and I will write to him by this mail。 Jack wrote me several letters since his arrival in England。 He is loud about all the kindness shown him by you and your people； your father especially； whom he seems to swear by。 。 。 。 Sir Gar Wolseley is here。 He would not take up his abode in Government House； but had a house hired for his occupation； and is now in Koch’s new residence near Melville’s； together with his staff。 I have a very hard time of it just now； having to serve two masters who； between us； do not seem to pull together very well。 Sir Gar seems to disapprove entirely of Sir Bartle Frere’s policy with Kaffirs and Boers 。 。 。 。
With regard to your returning to the Colonial Service your father is quite right； and I think you should return。 The business between you and Cochrane could be easily arranged； although I dare say to you there seems a difficulty about it。 If you start again fairly in any other colony but this you are sure to succeed； and I strongly advise you to do so — it would simply be following a pursuit for which you are eminently suited and abandoning one for which you are not。 I think I told you that I did the same thing some years ago： resigned my appointment in the Service and invested in a sugar estate； but soon found that trying to do that which I did not understand involved nothing but loss； and by advice of a friend I re…entered the Service； tho’ in a low grade。 Well； by steady perseverance and without one…half the advantages you have； here I am today。 Perhaps you will say it is not much after all； but if you had to encounter all the uphill work that fell to my lot of which you have no conception； and when you are a little older； you will be able to appreciate matters as I do。
I have but little news to send you this time。 Two regiments are expected here in a few days I believe； so that we will have a lot of troops at hand to cope with the Amabull ＇a slang name for the Boers。 — H。 R。 H。＇ or any other obstreperous bulls who might trouble us。 Last evening I heard from Middelburg that the Boers there are very violent and the Landdrost Scoble was anticipating serious results。 All these things happening so continually worry me a good deal； and I am heartily sick of it all 。 。 。 。
Ever your affectionate friend；
M。 Osborn。
The next letter is headed Zululand； April 14； 1880。
My post runner brought me your very wele letter of 3 February yesterday。 I was very glad to get it and to hear that all was well with you。 Before proceeding to business matters I must offer you my sincere and hearty congratulations on the prospect of happiness before you。 Depend upon it you are doing the right thing。 A man is nothing in this life who has no wife to love or be loved by； and I feel certain that you have not erred in your selection and that the young lady will prove not only worthy of your affection but a great stay and support through life。
I write this from the heart of Zululand； where I hold the office of British Resident。 My duties are chiefly to supervise the action of the thirteen chiefs to whom the country has been given； their government and the way they fulfil the treaty obligations。 I am entirely on my own responsibility and have to do just as appears right to me。 And a proper responsibility I find it。 Indeed it is no joke。 I am not hard worked； but my brain is continually on the stretch to prevent the wily Zulu getting the better of me。 Any mistake might cause endless plications。 My pay is 1300 pounds； and a suitable Residency is to be built at once for me by the Government。 I correspond only with the High missioner direct。 I had not forgotten you when the appointment was made； but there was nothing at all beyond an ordinary clerkship which I could offer you； and this was certainly not in your line。 There is however a good prospect of something worth having turning up in six months from this； and then you will hear from me again。 Between us I have to report in extenso on the whole question connected with Zululand and the additional officers required to assist me in managing； for the Secretary of State’s consideration； but this I will do only after I have been three months in the country； and tomorrow the first month will expire。 I think however you will not like it here — too lonely； and you should not e if you could get anything else。 You can form no idea of my grandness here — in the eyes of the chiefs and people I am a great king。 They are submissive and civil to a degree。 Almost every day a fine fat ox is presented to me for my dinner that day by some Zulu swell that es to pay his respects； and hundreds e up to my camp daily with “Bayete” salutes thundered forth so as to make the hills ring again。 Most of the chiefs and headmen knew me personally when I was a border magistrate； and others by repute； so that I am not quite a stranger to them。
I did not at first feel inclined to take the office when Sir Gar offered it to me； but after four weeks’ consideration of the pros and cons I concluded to take it。 。 。 。 Please convey to your father my hearty thanks for his kindness to Jack。 I appreciate it most sincerely。
With love；
Ever your affectionate friend；
M。 Osborn。
The last letter is headed British Residency； Zululand； May 15； 1880。 After speaking of an opening in the Colonial Service； which he thinks I might secure； Osborn says：
I returned to my headquarters here only last night； having been on a strip to meet the Empress at Landmanns Drift； Buffalo River。 She was very good and kind to me and I saw a great deal of her； indeed I was the only one not belonging to her suite who was spoken to at all by her。 She sent for me twice daily and conversed freely on different topics。 Brigadier…General Wood； who has charge of her； received me with open arms； which slightly surprised me after the paper war I carried on with him in Pretoria。 He seems to be a very good fellow。
The Empress is still in Zululand visiting the various battlefields。 She intends to visit the spot where the Prince fell on 1st June the day of his death； and will remain about five days there to mourn and weep。 I feel very sorry for her。 She will be in Durban in time to sail for England on 26th June。 Sir Gar has left us quite suddenly。 He is certainly a very great soldier。
I am still getting on well with my Zulus； who will persist in according royal honours to me。 About a fortnight ago one single deputation waited on me numbering over four thousand men！ Their shout of “Bayete” （the royal salute） made the hills ring again。 Every day hundreds e up to salute and to state their grievances tribe against tribe。 Everywhere quiet and good order prevails； which is satisfactory。 With kind regards；
Your affectionate friend；
M。 Osborn。
After a stormy time in Zululand； Osborn retired from the public service on a pension。 At first his idea was to settle in England； but ultimately our climate proved too much for him； and he drifted back to South Africa； where not long afterwards he died。 I do not think that his departure from the world grieved him very much； for in addition to the loss of his son Jack； my ward； he was called upon to endure other heavy sorroed his religious views； but I remember that one night； when I was talking to him on such matters； he stretched out his arm and clasped a handful from the swarm of white ants that were flying past us。 “What is the difference between us and these？” he asked with a little laugh； and let them go again。 By the way； I may mention he was the origin of my character Alston in “The Witch’s Head。” Dear old “Mali…mat” — that was his Kaffir name； which means； I believe； “so much money” — shrewd； kindly； honourable； the truest of friends； the bravest of men； surely you； if any do； belong to that class which Pope defined as the noblest work of God。
Osborn was a great believer in the virtue of the raw Kaffir。 Thus； when he was magistrate of Newcastle； he did not hesitate to send down from Newcastle to Maritzburg； two hundred miles away； the total sum of the hut tax collected in his district — which； if I remember rightly； amounted to one or two thousand pounds — tied in gold…filled belts about the middle of some of his native policemen。 The fact about the Kaffirs； and especially the Zulu Kaffirs； is； or was； that those whom they love and respect may trust them to the death； whereas those whom they despise or hate cannot lend them sixpence with safety or believe their word about the smallest matter。 Their absolute fidelity to duty is well exemplified in the following story which Sir Theophilus Shepstone told me when we were travelling together over the Biggarsberg。
Once he had occasion in winter…time to send two Zulu messengers over these mountains with despatches for Maritzburg。 They were caught in a snowstorm without coats； whereon the man who carried the despatch…bag； feeling the approach of death； handed it to his rade and bade him proceed。 He himself crept into an ant…bear hole to die。 As it happened； however； the warmth of his body in the hole kept him alive； and when he woke up in the morning the sun was shining。 He emerged and； following on the road； presently found his panion dead and stiff。 Taking the despatch…bag from the body he proceeded on his journey； and in due course delivered it in Maritzburg。
Among my letters of this period are two from Judge Kotze。 In one of these； which is dated June 17； 1880； the Judge plains bitterly of the placing of De Wet； the Recorder of Kimberley； over his head as Chief Justice； a very harsh step； the reason of which I never quite understood； as Kotze was undoubtedly an excellent lawyer and an upright Judge。 After some political remarks he says：
By the by； you speak of seeking employment in the Civil Service out here。 Abandon the idea and take the following suggestion into careful consideration。 Why not read for the Bar？ You have a splendid opening in the Cape Colony or at the Diamond Fields。 It will take you not more than three years； and by working honestly from six to eight hours per day you will have no difficulty in turning out a first…rate man in three years。 Give it your serious attention。 You have a certain prospect of a judgeship； and will without much difficulty get into the Cape Parliament。 Mrs。 Haggard will be pleased with Grahamstown （which I would remend in preference to Cape Town）； and you will have a fine and thoroughly independent career before you。 。 。 。 Pretoria is no longer what it was。 The place is unbearable。 Everybody at loggerheads with Government and his neighbours； and the contractors in the meantime making fortunes。
Kotze’s advice was sound； and today I wish that I had taken it； or rather sometimes I think I do。 What chiefly stood in my way； however； was my agreement with Cochrane； whom I did not like to desert； although he generously offered to release me。 Also I wished to be up and doing； and did not like the idea of those three years of parative inaction which would have prevented me from earning anything more till I was twenty…seven。 St